Not an awful day for England, but they could have done better. They were pretty poor with the ball after creating an opening with two early wickets, and South Africa will be delighted to have got 475 – that could be a hell of a score on this pitch.
But then South Africa bowled a fair bit of dross themselves. Alex Hales got caught in two minds and somewhat gave his wicket away, then Nick Compton got absolutely stitched up by the pitch and was lbw to a proper grubber. Alastair Cook though got some expert support from Joe Root – who is himself by no means being a slouch – and batted excellently for his 67*.
England are still a long way behind and early wickets tomorrow will have them in the malodorous stuff. But they bat deep and they have two very well set, very very good batsmen at the crease. I can’t see them winning this match, but these two could go a long way to making it safe.
Rob Smyth and Vithushan Ehantharajah will be with you for day three tomorrow. Do join them. In the meantime, cheers for reading. Bye!
Stumps England 138-2 trail by 337
47th over: England 138-2 (Cook 67, Root 31) Last over of the day, Morkel to Root. The bowler is targeting the stumps with the first four balls and Root works the fourth of the over out to mid on for a single. Exposing his captain for the last two balls, outrageous stuff. Oh well, Cook survives them and that’s stumps.
46th over: England 137-2 (Cook 67, Root 30) Still 12 deliveries left as a Rabada bouncer is called wide on height. This might be my imagination, but I can’t remember a Test series with as many wides as this one. Root works the second (legitimate) ball off the hips for one, then Rabada gets the bouncer absolutely spot on with one that rises sharply past Cook’s chest, forcing the captain to sway out the way. Another short one and this time it’s pulled for a single. Root adds another.
South Africa need to be careful with 20 y o Rabada . Can't overload young uns
— David 'Bumble' Lloyd (@BumbleCricket) January 23, 2016
Twelve deliveries left. Shall we go ball-by-ball?
No.
Updated
45th over: England 133-2 (Cook 66, Root 28) Morkel, disappointing today, also comes back for a final burst. Cook plays yet another glorious drive, pushing it down the ground and wide of the despairing dive from mid-on for four more. Two overs to go and it’s getting a bit dark out there now.
43rd over: England 129-2 (Cook 62, Root 28) With four overs left in the day, De Villiers is giving his lone wicket-taker Rabada a couple of overs to try and dig one of these two out. Root plays out a watchful maiden – Rabada’s pace is well down from the approx. 93mph heights he was hitting this afternoon.
42nd over: England 129-2 (Cook 62, Root 28) Abbott to Cook, no run. Abbott to Cook, no run. Abbott to Cook, no run. Abbott to Cook, no run. Abbott to Cook, no run. Abbott to Cook, no run.
Hey I just found a way to make this job much easier!
41st over: England 129-2 (Cook 62, Root 28) Both sides look as though they’re looking forward to getting back into the pavilion now. Although as I write that, Cook pounces on one that’s barely too short and pulls it sweetly through midwicket for four. In doing so, he brings up the 50 partnership. He keeps the strike by working a single from the last ball.
40th over: England 124-2 (Cook 57, Root 28) “HOWWZZAAaaaah oh. Never mind.” Is a vague approximation of what Abbott says when Root gets a thick inside edge on to the pads. Aside from that, move along there’s nothing left to see.
39th over: England 124-2 (Cook 57, Root 28) Dean Elgar replaces Piedt, so you can all send in your classical music puns that I don’t get and won’t publish because I’m a philistine. Cook rocks back to his first ball – a long hop – and adds one to his total with an effortless cut, then Root drives his second – a full toss – back down the ground for the same value. Two more nondescript singles follow from the remaining four balls.
38th over: England 120-2 (Cook 55, Root 26) Kyle Abbott gets his grubby mits back on the ball and straight away gets Root’s outside edge, but it kept low and was played with soft hands anyway, thus dying long before it reached the slips. Three balls later Root rocks back on to his toes, gets right on top of it and times it like Jimmy Cobb through extra cover for four.
Josh Robinson has got some nice stats for us: “So far no one has scored 10,000 runs while opening. Gavaskar leads the way with 9,607 of his 10,122, followed by Cook on 9,356 (and it’s as good as inconceivable that he won’t get to 10,000 before too long). Smith scored 9,030 of his 9,265, followed by Hayden, who at 8,625 has the most of any batter to have scored all his runs when opening.”
37th over: England 116-2 (Cook 55, Root 22) Root opens the face of the bat and threads it nicely through the off side for a couple. There aren’t many batsmen in Test cricket better than he and Taylor at doing that. He gives South Africa momentary cause for optimism when he turns one wide of short leg, but he got well down the track and in doing so made sure it was too far wide of Bavuma. One run.
36th over: England 113-2 (Cook 55, Root 19) There are 11 overs left in the day; with the extra half an hour we should, for the second day in succession, get them all in! Although the caveat “with the extra half hour” means it doesn’t really count, doesn’t it? There’s a chance here as Cook inside edges on to his pads – weirdly he’s done that a few times today and it’s the only time he’s looked uncomfortable – the ball loops up and Piedt, like Homer Simpson and a pig, forlornly charges after the airborne ball. He too doesn’t get there. Maiden.
35th over: England 113-2 (Cook 55, Root 19) A bit of excitement as South Africa momentarily think they have Cook, who missed out with an attempted cut. He was a touch late on it and didn’t get anything on it. Nor does he get anything on it a couple of balls later, when the ball turns off the pitch and spits violently away from the outside edge.
It has been pointed out to me that Sunil Gavaskar is a member of the 10,000 club who also opened for most of their career. While I was checking that out, Cook scored a two then a one. I can’t do both things at once guys.
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34th over: England 110-2 (Cook 52, Root 19) Four more to Root, less convincing this time, as he gets a thick top edge that whizzes over gully and down to the third man fence. It was a bit of short, wide rubbish from Morkel that deserved to go, mind you. South Africa’s most experienced bowler isn’t trusted with the new ball and he has played the Chris Woakes role of bowling badly today.
33rd over: England 105-2 (Cook 51, Root 15) Too short from the spinner and Root pulls him firmly to long leg for a second boundary. A couple of balls later he gives Piedt the charge and does well to pull out of the big shot when he realises he’s not going to get to the pitch. Still, a good comeback from the bowler after a poor start to the over.
32nd over: England 101-2 (Cook 51, Root 11) Morkel goes a touch straighter, squares Root up completely and finds his outside edge. It’s low though and doesn’t quite carry and the next ball is flicked through mid on for one.
31st over: England 100-2 (Cook 51, Root 10) Root nudges into the on side for a single, bringing Cook on strike with a shot at his first 50 of the series. He hits a big booming cover drive straights at the extra cover fielder, but then from the last ball he chops and gets it through cover point and away to the boundary for his 47th Test half-century. Very well played. 100 is up for England too.
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30th over: England 95-2 (Cook 47, Root 9) Back into the attack comes Morkel. He whangs down a bunch of rubbish outside off stump that Root turns his nose up at, then strays on to the batsman’s ankles and gets whipped square for one. Round the wicket he comes to Cook for the last ball and gets a thick inside edge on to the pads. Nothing to panic about though.
Meanwhile, here’s something that Mark Boucher said on TMS earlier was quite common at this ground:
First punch-up of the Test. #SAvENG
— Katy Scott (@ithilienorthend) January 23, 2016
29th over: England 94-2 (Cook 47, Root 8) Piedt switches to round the wicket and sends one down leg, inviting Cook to bring out the lesser-spotted sweep shot, which he nails through the vacant backward square leg region for four more. 70 away.
They are taking drinks, by the way. Leo Harvey has emailed in to point out that it’s no surprise Cook will have the lowest average when he joins the 10,000 club, given he is the only opener. That’s a very fair point.
28th over: England 90-2 (Cook 43, Root 8) It’s hard to decide whether Rabada’s success today is more down to luck or judgement. On the one hand, he’s been the most threatening bowler, but on the other his line has been a touch erratic and both wickets were assisted by the pitch. Root drives the final ball of the over nicely through cover and sends it trickling away for four.
I’ve just read the entirety of Josh Robinson’s email; he did cheat and look it up. Ben Lomas gets the full prize to himself.
27th over: England 86-2 (Cook 43, Root 4) Another over, another nudged single from Joe Root.
Remember when I asked which member of the 10,000 runs club had the lowest average? Well I’d forgotten myself, but the first response is right: it’s Mahela Jayawardene with a paltry 49.84. Congratulations, Benjamin Lomas and Josh Robinson, who both got that . I’ll trust you not to have looked it up.
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26th over: England 85-2 (Cook 43, Root 3) Just the one from the first five balls, but then Rabada comes round the wicket and drops short, and Cook pulls quite beautifully from waist-high through midwicket for four sumptuous runs.
You’re all reading this, aren’t you? Even the TV commentators are concentrating on that right now.
25th over: England 80-2 (Cook 39, Root 2) Root swivels and pulls a short one behind square on the leg side, but the fielder there makes a good diving stop and prevents the run. Never mind, he nurdles the next one wider of the fielder for the only run of the over.
One for rugby fans who don’t like Owen Farrell, here:
Owen Farrell has just had one of those moments!! #burnthetapes #skysports https://t.co/aR4Mz8Z8qe
— Will Greenwood (@WillGreenwood) January 23, 2016
24th over: England 79-2 (Cook 39, Root 1) To give you an idea of how low that one kept, Hawkeye has it hitting the stumps barely a third of the way up. The second ball to Root is of a similar length but carries cleanly and De Kock takes it at head height. This could be tough until the close – Root is beaten by another low one that brought up a small puff of dust when it pitched. He gets off the mark with a dab into the off side.
Wicket! Compton lbw b Rabada 19
Oh this is so unlucky. It jagged back in a touch but Compton was undone by the ball barely getting up an inch off the ground. It was fast too and smacked into the pads dead in front.
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23rd over: England 78-1 (Cook 39, Compton 19) You would imagine Piedt is going to bowl a lot this evening. Incidentally if Cook does make it to the 10,000 club in this innings he will have the lowest average of any batsman there. Anyone want to guess who currently has the lowest? Compton scores a run while I’m looking up that stat.
22nd over: England 77-1 (Cook 39, Compton 18) Double change as Rabada replaces Abbott. It’s very hot out there, especially at this time of day, so you can understand De Villiers rotating his bowlers. Cook gets the first runs in three overs; four of them in fact, with a lovely clip off the pads through midwicket. That’s the 50 partnership and these two – the captain especially – look comfortable. I write that, then Rabada drops short and Cook doesn’t quite get hold of his pull shot. Still, he gets it up and over straightish mid on for four more.
21st over: England 69-1 (Cook 31, Compton 18) We’ve had just 20 overs so far but for the second time the umpires are inspecting the ball. It goes through the thing though. Anyway, after that delay Piedt returns having taken 0 for one with his sole over thus far. There’s a cry of “catch it!” when Compton flicks one past Bavuma at short leg, but it’s hit too hard and flies to his right before he can stick a hand out. I’d have a leg slip in here, with the ball turning and Compton having a predilection for the on side. Instead it’s just a short leg and orthodox slip.
20th over: England 69-1 (Cook 31, Compton 18) It’s worth noting* that A Cook has, in this innings, overtaken S Cook in terms of aggregate runs for this series. The more pertinent contest, though, is A Cook v K Abbott, which is very much a stalemate right now. Maiden.
*Not really.
19th over: England 69-1 (Cook 31, Compton 18) A boundary streakier than a recent season of The Simpsons, as Morkel’s first ball keeps low and squirts off Compton’s outside edge and down to third man. Three balls later he’s much more convincing though, working a full, straight one through midwicket with nice timing and nice wrists for four more. That’s the difference between the likes of us and a top-level cricketer right there: if you wanted to get me out just keep angling it into my pads from round the wicket and I’d play round it. Compton whips another one off his ankles, in the air but wide of the diving square leg and they get a couple more. Good over that for England.
Some sad news here. Get well, Boof.
18th over: England 57-1 (Cook 31, Compton 8) Not much happens in this over, so here is a stat.
Cook & Compton partnerships in Tests: 20 inns, 978 runs, Ave 54.33 with a best of 231. 3 century stands, 3 half-century stands. #SAvsENG
— The Cricket Prof. (@CricProf) January 23, 2016
They’re on 35 at the moment, for what it’s worth. I like Alex Hales a lot and really want him to succeed, but if I were a betting man I’d back Cook and Compton to finish the summer as England’s opening pair.
17th over: England 57-1 (Cook 31, Compton 8) Compton is distracted by the sight screen, but doesn’t back away in time and is relieved to see Morkel’s short ball pass harmlessly miles outside off stump. I’ll be honest, I nearly missed it because I was listening to Danger Zone.
Two balls later he gets another escape as a thick inside edge flies past leg stump and down to fine leg. They run one. Cook knocks one back past the bowler for a quick single to mid on; these two have rotated the strike very well and, with the right-hand/left-hand combination, you wonder if that’s contributing to Morkel and Rabada struggling with their lines. Morkel sends down a short, wide bit of filth that Compton can’t reach. Strangely not called a wide.
16th over: England 55-1 (Cook 30, Compton 7) A strangled appeal first up as Abbott swings one a wee bit back into Cook and it clatters between pad and thigh pad via a thick inside edge. That probably hurt, but Cook is a hard man (who likes shooting baby deer dead). He’s also a man who likes scoring runs and he does that – two of ‘em! – with a push down the ground.
“Go on, put a hex on it,” writes Michael Meagher. “A bit more than a century and Cook will reach 10 000 test match runs. Anyway, it’s a win-win: if the hex doesn’t work he gets 10 000 runs and if the hex does work maybe he’ll get to 10 000 in an innings that matters.”
I was mulling over whether or not to do it, Michael. Now you’ve sold me. Meanwhile the commentators are talking about Kenny Loggins.
15th over: England 53-1 (Cook 28, Compton 7) Compton gets a rush of adrenaline and hooks a short, straight one hard, between the legs of Bavuma at short leg and away for four. That’s a lovely shot and Bavuma will be pleased he kept it down as well – six inches higher and the diminutive fielder was in real trouble. Morkel loses his line a touch a couple of balls later and they get a pair of leg byes down to long leg. This isn’t a very good over from the beanpole bowler.
14th over: England 47-1 (Cook 28, Compton 3) To no one’s great surprise, Rabada is hooked and Abbott returns. He bowls a lovely line to the right-handed Compton, just outside off stump and – wicketless though he may be so far – he’s fully justifying his return to the team. Compton tries to work one into the on side and the bat twists in his hands, sending the ball out to Bavuma at mid off and they dash for a single.
John Starbuck writes: “In a dead rubber, as (our) Cook identified earlier in his message to the lads, you wouldn’t worry so much about the result, though a draw would be best if there’s no real prospect of a win and you’d need the hunger for that. What you (he) should concentrate on is individual performances because the next job is judging who’s going to be in the team at Headingley against Sri Lanka.”
I think England have to stick with him even if he bags a couple of low scores here. Seven Tests seems to be the standard for openers and it would be wholly unfair and serve no purpose to change for Hales.
13th over: England 46-1 (Cook 28, Compton 2) Compton turns a short-ish one just wide of short leg for a single. That brings Cook on strike (obviously) and evades a short, leg-side one from round the wicket very well.
12th over: England 45-1 (Cook 28, Compton 1) Another short, wide one across Cook and the England captain cuts behind point with ordinary timing, so it’s reeled in to keep them to three. Compton then gets off the mark from his 15th ball with a back foot punch to short extra cover and a quick dash to the other end. There’s a nice diving stop from De Kock thrown in for good measure to ensure there are no buzzers. Rabada then repeats his ol’ short-and-wide trick, which isn’t a very good one as Cook nails this cut through point for another boundary. He’s looking very, very good out there. Two more for him with a back-foot clip through square leg.
11th over: England 35-1 (Cook 19, Compton 0) Call me Nostrodamus, here’s Morne Morkel. De Kock fumbles one down the leg side – that’s almost certainly a deliberate line given Cook has been strangled down there twice in the series – and they take a bye. Cook, incidentally, moved past 9,900 Test runs with that boundary in the last over.
Morkel gets one to keep low outside Compton’s off stump, but otherwise there’s little to trouble the Dawg.
10th over: England 34-1 (Cook 19, Compton 0) Rabada continues after the break and Cook leans into a full, wide one, guiding it along the ground and wide of gully for four to backward point. Surely it’ll be time for Morkel soon, if not the very next over? Cook gets one more round the corner from the last.
“Thing about The Fear,” writes Robin Hazlehurst, “is that yes, England are going to lose, but it’s a dead rubber anyway so it’s more a case of having the meh than the Fear. It’d be nice if they didn’t lose and it’ll be a shame when they do, but to get the fear you’d need to really really care, and to do that you’d need to be truly competitive like Waugh’s Aussies or the All Blacks or something. And you wouldn’t want England to be like that would you? Would you? Oh.”
I’m not convinced that you wouldn’t care. After all, it is still a Test match, regardless of its impact on who wins the series.
We are back.
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Tea-time question
How many wickets would England have to lose this evening for you to get The Fear? Oh, you’ve got it already, haven’t you?
Tea England 29-1
9th over: England 29-1 (Cook 14, Compton 0) Change of bowling: an early look at the spinner Piedt. There was a bit of turn for Moeen early so it’s not a bad idea and he finds Cook’s thick outside edge immediately, the ball just dribbling to backward point. There’s a bit of bounce for him too, which you’d expect with the hard new ball. He nudges a single, then Compton sees out the last three balls.
That, to the great surprise of your OBOer who had lost track of time, is tea. See you in 20.
8th over: England 28-1 (Cook 13, Compton 0) Cook misses out on a juicy one on leg stump, clipping it straight to the man at square leg. He gets one with a nice cover drive and only a good diving stop by Piedt prevents that from going to the fence. Compton is tempted into the drive by an absolute beauty, which swings late and whooshes past the outside edge.
If Hales is gonna stay, he needs to channel aggression more succinctly. Spooning the ball behind the wicket is silly
— Jack Mendel (@JackMendel4) January 23, 2016
7th over: England 27-1 (Cook 12, Compton 0) In fact, I was talking to Rob Smyth earlier about the value of bringing in a batsman in their 30s, especially when you’re rebuilding a side. Stephen Cook, Nick Compton, Chris Rogers and Adam Voges are a rarity in that they’ve grown up playing long-form cricket, some of them in different conditions, whereas the young’uns have only gone abroad to play mostly T20.
Anyway, back here Cook drives through mid-off for a couple – he seems uncharacteristically keen on that shot today – then pushes straight back past the bowler for two more. Ooh and then Abbott gets one to nip back in and it squirts off the inside edge to square leg. Cook gets one more through square leg to finish the over.
6th over: England 22-1 (Cook 7, Compton 0) Given the slightly untrustworthy bounce we’ve seen so far, the shotless Compdog (that nickname though) might be the perfect man to play the long, accumulative innings that England need right now. It wasn’t a great ball from Rabada that did for Hales, a wide half volley and the opener seemed to be in two minds about it. That’ll happen when you’re short of form and experience and it’s a vicious circle.
Wicket! Hales c Piedt b Rabada 15
And there’s the flip side of Alex Hales. The ball sticks in the pitch a touch and Hales drives a wide-ish one tamely to Piedt at point.
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5th over: England 22-0 (Cook 7, Hales 15) Shot (!) from Cook, rocking nicely into one that’s overpitched ever so slightly and timing it perfectly wide of mid off for his first boundary. Cook is otherwise implacable.
4th over: England 18-0 (Cook 3, Hales 15) Incidentally, rain is forecast for today. Instead, it’s glorious, bright sunshine with the odd fluffy cloud in the sky. The fifth ball of this over is a bit of short wide filth and Hales gives it the deserved mullering, cut hard behind point for his second boundary. He follows it with his third, a quite lovely back-foot cover drive that races past the fielders. This is an excellent start from Hales – exactly what he was brought into the team for.
3rd over: England 10-0 (Cook 3, Hales 7) A maiden from Abbott – half defended, half left alone outside off. It’s good stuff from the bowler, a nice probing line and good carry through to De Kock.
2nd over: England 10-0 (Cook 3, Hales 7) The other new-ball man is Kagiso Rabada. He begins with one on the hips that Cook turns round the corner, in the air for a moment but wide enough of short leg and down to fine leg for a single. The next ball is too straight and clipped through square leg by Hales, who gets three as it trickles away from, but is eventually reeled in by, Stephen Cook. One more to the other Cook with a back-foot punch to short extra cover; Rabada’s line is just a touch erratic to begin with. As if to prove the point, the final ball is worked off the hips nicely by Hales for four through square.
1st over: England 1-0 (Cook 1, Hales 0) The possibly rusty Kyle Abbott is opening up to Cook. I reckon Chris Morris can feel a wee bit aggrieved at having been left out for Abbott – the man with the brass eye has looked much the better of the two I reckon. Abbott is dead straight to the England captain and gets one to keep low, which Cook digs out well, then he’s off the mark with a nudge to midwicket.
Ooh they’re back out. Play is about to begin.
Today’s best of the Guardian. Those awful, awful parents in law, with their house, that they bought and aren’t giving away. Bastards.
South Africa, and Quinton de Kock especially, will be delighted with that. England had them wobbling a touch yesterday afternoon and again created an opportunity, but the much-maligned keeper played a wonderful counterpunch of an innings, stroking and punching his way to 129 from 128 balls; ably supported by a barnacle impression from Dane Piedt.
Of the England bowlers, only Ben Stokes was particularly good and his figures of 27-3-86-4 reflect that. On the flip side, Moeen’s length was all over the place and he proved the most expensive bowler at 4.18. Not far behind was Chris Woakes, who was pretty hapless as you would expect if you’ve ever watched Chris Woakes try and play Test cricket before.
All in all, dross from England who wasted a new ball and a couple of openings in the South African innings. The batsmen are going to have to dig them out of a hole here and they’ll be thanking their lucky stars Steyn and Philander are crocked.
Close of innings: South Africa 475
132nd over: South Africa 475 (De Kock 129) A change of tack from De Kock, who takes a single from the first ball. On Sky, they’re talking about an imminent declaration but I don’t really see the point in it – at least get to 500 or get out, surely? There’s still an hour or so until tea, so it wouldn’t qualify as a tricky period. They go up for a strangle down the leg side – and there is a noise as it passes Morkel’s glove – but it’s a muted appeal and they don’t bother with a review. Hmm, I reckon he’s gloved that one. It doesn’t matter, anyhow, as Stokes strikes a couple of balls later to end the innings.
Robert Wilson writes: “Quite seriously, young Lucas, I think that may well have been the first genuine OBO-caused wicket. Look at the replay. There is no reasonable explanation for that bizarre cricketing non-event that does not include your sudden arrival. I’m not sure this is entirely a good thing. I’m feeling dizzy, nauseous and disinclined to operate heavy machinery.”
It’s my second: I did for Stokes in the first innings at Cape Town too.
Updated
Wicket! Morkel lbw b Stokes 0
A quick yorker that might well be missing leg smashes into Morkel’s boot and it’s given. South Africa can’t be bothered with the review and that’s the innings, at long last, done.
131st over: South Africa 474-9 (Morkel 0, De Kock 128) I’ll be honest: I expected to be commentating on an England innings by this time. Alas, they’ve bowled a bit poorly and Anderson continues that, with a couple of floaty half volleys to open up the over. The first, from round the wicket to the left-hander, is left well alone and the second smeared up and down to third man, where it bobbles to a fielder and they don’t bother with a run. De Kock is going to keep the strike and try and hit everything to the boundary it seems. A wide miles outside off from Anderson and the next isn’t much tighter, but De Kock smacks it out over cover point for a one-bounce four. One more out to point and Morkel survives the last.
130th over: South Africa 468-9 (Morkel 0, De Kock 123) Hello folks. Change of OBOer – if you refresh the page you’ll get the new contact details. Piedt’s long, wonderfully supporting innings comes to an end on 19 from 104 balls. A strike rate of 18.26 the perfect foil for De Kock’s 100.81. Morkel sees out the remaining four balls.
Wicket! Piedt c Bairstow b Stokes 19
And OBOed Lucas. Second ball of the over is short and outside off. Piedt rocks back and looks to cut and feathers a thin top edge through to the keeper. England barely muster a celebration.
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That’s it from me - over to Dan Lucas now for the rest of the day. Cheers!
129th over: South Africa 468-8 (De Kock 123, Piedt 19)
Anderson is into the attack, and England have packed the off side to De Kock. De Kock steps across his stumps and tries to whip it through leg, to no avail, then slaps one to deep cover for a single. Piedt flicks through leg for another single.
128th over: South Africa 466-8 (De Kock 122, Piedt 18)
A couple of singles and a two from the over, all shots nicely timed out to fielders in the deep, the last a very high bouncers that De Kock did very well to get on top of and control.
127th over: South Africa 461-8 (De Kock 118, Piedt 17)
Ah. Here we go. De Kock slaps a short one through the covers for four, then comes down the pitch and belts a straight six which causes a camerman to fall over, taking his camera with him, then he goes inside-out for another boundary over wide cover. That’s more like it.
126th over: South Africa 446-8 (De Kock 103, Piedt 17)
Ben Stokes is back into the attack, but it’s the same drill from South Africa. In fairness the single came from a slightly mistimed pull, so there was at least some attacking intent from De Kock. And in more fairness most of the over to Piedt was down leg side. But still.
125th over: South Africa 445-8 (De Kock 102, Piedt 17)
Again, a single early in the over, again, nothing from Piedt for the remainder. Are South Africa playing for the draw already?
I’m joking. A bit. 24 runs in ten overs since lunch. Wriggle on, lads.
“I miss seeing a South African ground that does not have a huge rock in the background,” writes Ian Copestake. “It should come as standard.” Quite right.
124th over: South Africa 444-8 (De Kock 101, Piedt 17)
England try some leg theory to Piedt - well, sort of. Broad comes around the wickets, but Piedt flicks one off his pads that flies exactly between keeper and leg slip and to the boundary. That ploy is abandoned fairly rapidly, and Piedt plays out the rest of the over. Little bit odd that South Africa are happy for Piedt to just pat away five balls every over - he’s not exactly showing a huge amount of intent, and these are balls from which De Kock could be scoring runs, runs, runs.
123rd over: South Africa 439-8 (De Kock 100, Piedt 13)
There’s the century from De Kock, driving into the covers, it’s half-stopped but it squeezes through far enough for them to run through for the single. Terrific innings, a hundred from just 104 balls, and it’s put South Africa well in charge. A vauge lbw shout as Piedt props fowards, and they’ve gone upstairs...but there was a fairly chunky inside edge on that.
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122nd over: South Africa 438-8 (De Kock 99, Piedt 13)
Broad beats Piedt with a leg-cutter so delicious you could serve it with thrice-cooked chips and some creamed spinach. No runs from the over, as De Kock watches slightly nervously from the other end.
121st over: South Africa 438-8 (De Kock 99, Piedt 13)
A quick single almost causes some confusion, and De Kock gives his partner A Look. Then he channels his irritation into a couple of advances down the track, bringin two fours and his total to 99
120th over: South Africa 428-8 (De Kock 90, Piedt 12)
Broad sends down an event-free maiden, the closest to any sort of action coming from a refused single. Yep. That event-free.
119th over: South Africa 428-8 (De Kock 90, Piedt 12)
Mo continues, and a drop! De Kock drives with some gusto into the covers, where Cook dives to his right and grasses one from around shoulder height. NOt a dolly, and it was going at pace, but he should’ve taken that.
118th over: South Africa 426-8 (De Kock 89, Piedt 11)
Delightful shot by De Kock, repeating an effort from earlier as he steps right across his stumps and whips the ball in front of mid-wicket, but they get three rather than four that time.
Simon McMahon writes: “Sad news indeed about Jack Bannister. That’s part of my childhood, and cricket education, right there. Watching one day cricket on the BBC with Jack, Ray Illingworth, Tom Graveney and Peter May looking and sounding every inch the English gentlemen they were.”
117th over: South Africa 423-8 (De Kock 86, Piedt 11)
Moeen bowls from the other end, and sends down a maiden to Piedt in which little or nothing happens.
116th over: South Africa 423-8 (De Kock 86, Piedt 11)
De Kock goes on the attack straight away, but a big drive through the covers only brings one, with Piedt adding another via a thick inside edge.
And we’re back. Two wickets for England to get, and Stuart Broad will be the first man to try and get them.
Also this morning, Shivnarine Chanderpaul has announced his retirement from international cricket. Bit of a sad end to a quite remarkable career...
Here’s a quick story on Jack Bannister’s passing...
Phil Russell has more on shorty bowlers: “Test cricket’s leading wicket-taker is less than 5’6, although I assume that the discussion of vertically challenged bowlers refers to quicks, - in which case I’ll propose Lasith Malinga at 5’7 as a successful bonsai bowler - he doesn’t exactly “bowl his height” either.”
Sad news this morning that Jack Bannister, former Warwickshire bowler and BBC commentator, has died aged 85.
Sad to hear that Jack Bannister has died. Cricketer, journalist,broadcaster and one of the founders of the Professional Cricketers Assoc.
— mike selvey (@selvecricket) January 23, 2016
" Got one for you" should be Bannister's epitaph. Loved his stats.
— mike selvey (@selvecricket) January 23, 2016
And recall out here him literally having to eat his words, at a table in the middle during Newlands lunchbreak, with a chilled bottle.
— mike selvey (@selvecricket) January 23, 2016
That last bit refers to England’s tour of South Africa in 1995, when he said he would eat a newspaper if the Proteas won. And he did.
Here’s something lovely that Bannister wrote about Richie Benaud last year.
Lunch: South Africa 421-8
So a good session for South Africa, in which they scored at a pretty reasonable lick, despite England taking three wickets. De Kock has batted with controlled aggression, hitting out when needs be but also being relatively sensible, backed up rather nicely by Abbott and now Piedt.
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115th over: South Africa 421-8 (De Kock 85, Piedt 10)
The last over before lunch is another quiet one. Just a single from it, the only other notable incident being a fine delivery from Woakes that tailed in and went not too far over the stumps.
“If 5’11 is short for a fast bowler then Gladstone Small qualifies,” writes Robin Hazlehurst. “And with his surname and his neck he certainly must be one of the shortest seeming bowlers if not actually so short in reality.”
114th over: South Africa 420-8 (De Kock 84, Piedt 10)
A maiden from Anderson. An over without drama. A quiet few moments in this most frantic of worlds.
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113th over: South Africa 420-8 (De Kock 84, Piedt 10)
Oh dear. De Kock flings everything at one, and gets an edge that flies straight between slip and wicketkeeper that neither Bairstow nor Cook went for. It would’ve been a tough catch for Bairstow, but it was probably his.
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112th over: South Africa 414-8 (De Kock 79, Piedt 10)
Does De Kock look a bit like a young Alastair Cook to anyone else? Three singles from the over, including a leg-bye off Piedt’s hip that briefly looked like a catch had a) Bairstow caught it and b) it hit the bat. Other than that it was nailed on.
111th over: South Africa 411-8 (De Kock 77, Piedt 10)
A quiet over until the last ball, which is a ripper from Woakes that bounces and shapes away from Piedt, catching a thickish edge that either luck or soft hands means it bounces well in front of the slips.
110th over: South Africa 411-8 (De Kock 77, Piedt 10)
A misunderstanding in the field, as Hales and Taylor leave a ball for each other, that turns a De Kock single into a De Kock two. Piedt clips two off his pads, then drives delightfully down the ground, which Broad hauls in and keeps them to three.
109th over: South Africa 402-8 (De Kock 74, Piedt 4)
Excellence from De Kock, stepping across the stumps and whipping a ball from Woakes in front of mid-wicket for a boundary. Lovely stuff from the keeper.
More on short bowlers now, and Robert Wilson has a quibble:
“There’s no way Malcolm Marshall was 5’11’’. I walked past him once on the Seven Sisters Road at five in the morning - during a Test in which he was actually playing (that was how cool cricket was in the 80s). This is by no means to claim that I would have offered any height corrections to his actual face.”
And this from Robert Starbuck:
“I agree with Robert Wilson that small(er) men do sometimes make very good bowlers, and that Malcolm Marshall was one of them, but as you say 5’11” isn’t really small. Harold Larwood was 5’ 7 1/2’ and perhaps the greatest ever speed merchant, though people were normally smaller in those days. I recall being surprised when I met him as he barely came up to my shoulder. But they were really exceptional; in general, a small bowler is likely to be a spinner. My point is that a small cricketer is most likely to succeed as a batsman, and maybe even more so as a wicketkeeper - is this where Bairstow is going wrong?”
108th over: South Africa 397-8 (De Kock 70, Piedt 3)
A couple of singles from the over, one via a misfield that will leave Piedt on strike for the start of the next over.
107th over: South Africa 395-8 (De Kock 69, Piedt 2)
Four runs for De Kock, playing a delicious pull that the man at deep mid-wicket doesn’t see until it’s all too late, and it thunks into the boundary marker. One more single from the over.
106th over: South Africa 390-8 (De Kock 64, Piedt 2)
Stokes is around the wicket to De Kock, and again Piedt will have plenty of the strike after Taylor turns a possible two into a single. He uses that strike to drive through the covers, but not perfectly timed and they grab a couple. Piedt turns down a single with the terse shout of a man calling off a misbehaving dog
105th over: South Africa 387-8 (De Kock 63, Piedt 0)
Moeen is given the ol’ Spanish archer and Chris Woakes is into the attack. De Kock takes a single first up, interestingly, placing great faith in his No.10. And his faith is rewarded, in that Piedt plays out the rest of a relatively ordinary over with little drama.
“Re. Titches always being batsmen,” writes Robert Wilson. “Back in the day, Malcolm Marshall was very far from being tall. Amongst the rainforest of West Indies quicks, his height and skiddy trajectory caused increasing problems for batsmen, desperately hoping that he would be some respite from the onslaught. Of course, it helped that he was bloody brilliant and had the ruthless heart of a hunter.”
At 5ft 11 the great man wasn’t exactly a midget, but he probably looked that way next to Colin Croft et al.
104th over: South Africa 386-8 (De Kock 62, Piedt 0)
Dane Piedt is the new man in, and he tries to shoulder arms to his first ball. It dips back in and hits his pads, but the appeal is turned down on the not unreasonable basis that it was going about six inches over the stumps.
WICKET! Abbott lbw b Stokes 16 (South Africa 386-8)
Another four, this time via a push drive down the ground from Abbott, brings up a 50 partnership (from 53 balls) that is giving England some significant problems here. But then it’s over, as Stokes gets a full one to tail back in at Abbott, and it traps him dead, dead, dead in front. Abbott calls for a review, but it’s sent back to the field with relatively short shrift.
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Everyone needs a drink after that. Apart from John Starbuck, who writes:
“With Bavuma and Taylor playing in this match, is this a policy? Short players are almost always batsmen (who was the shortest Test bowler to be effective?) with the potential, as we’ve seen, to be good fielders in specialist positions, but would you pick a side for its height disparities? Certainly at school the tallest tend to be first choice but that’s just kids. Do they have any lessons for the professionals?”
103rd over: South Africa 382-7 (De Kock 62, Abbott 12)
Good lord. Abbott, previously a blocker of the first order (but not the First Order) takes a quick two-step down the track and launches Moeen way over wide long-on for a big six. A single, then De Kock joins in, giving a rancid long-hop exactly what it deserved, which was a smack for six in front of mid-wicket. The over ends with another boundary, this time out to deep point. Big over for South Africa - 18 from it.
102nd over: South Africa 364-7 (De Kock 51, Abbott 5)
Double bowling change, as Ben Stokes has the ball from the other end. Abbott prods rather indeterminately at one outside off stump, and it flies to the right of Root at slip, and goes through to the boundary. Stokes gets some shap back into the batsmen and inspires a strangled lbw shout, but nothing more than that. A more certain shout from the final ball of the over, which they think about sending upstairs, but that was probably outside the line and may have caught the inside edge too.
“I know they’re trying to sex up cricket,” laments Steve Anthony, “but did Bumble really have to say on commentary just now: “De Kock has been prominent” ?
101st over: South Africa 360-7 (De Kock 51, Abbott 1)
Bowling change for England, and Moeen Ali is having a bowl. De Kock sizes him up for the first three, then brings up his 50 with a delightful back cut that evades the fielder at backward point and goes out to the boundary.
100th over: South Africa 356-7 (De Kock 47, Abbott 1)
Broad sends down a collosal wide, high and down the leg side. As the great Richie once said, you’d have to be Joel Garner standing on Joel Garner’s shoulders to reach that one. One more from the over, with Abbott vaguely troubled by some back-of-a-length stuff from Broad.
99th over: South Africa 354-7 (De Kock 46, Abbott 1)
Three singles from the first three balls, then Anderson bowls the jaffa’s jaffa to Abbott, beating the edge with some beautiful swing, and just enough of it too. They briefly contemplate reviewing the not out decision, but correctly decide that the noise they heard was bat clipping pad.
98th over: South Africa 351-7 (De Kock 44, Abbott 0)
De Kock takes a single from the first ball and gives Abbott five to face, which save for an inside edge that drops fairly comfortably in front of Taylor at short-leg, he does so rather stoutly.
97th over: South Africa 350-7 (De Kock 43, Abbott 0)
Delicious shot from De Kock, driving down the ground for four from an admittedly quite generous delivery, a half-volley wide of off. Anderson adjusts both field and line, now coming over the wicket and beefing up the leg side, which saves him three runs as De Kock flicks one out to the man on the deep mid-wicket fence. Anderson then beats Abbott with one of those ‘too good for a tail-ender’ balls.
96th over: South Africa 345-7 (De Kock 38, Abbott 0)
De Kock will be playing some shots now. He does so first up from Broad, flashing hard at a couple outside off, the first that gets an edge but goes nowhere near the slips and to the boundary, the second a much more attractive drive that zips through the covers for the same result.
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95th over: South Africa 336-7 (De Kock 29, Abbott 0)
New bat Abbott watches the rest of the over - all two balls of it - go by outside off stump.
WICKET! Rabada lbw b Anderson 0 (South Africa 336-7)
It was indeed pad first, and Rabada has a primary.
Review!
A brilliant inswinging yorker pins Rabada dead in front, but he reckons it might have hit bat before pad, so he goes upstairs.
94th over: South Africa 335-6 (De Kock 28, Rabada 0)
Good start from England, this. Kagiso Rabada is the new batsman.
WICKET! Bavuma c Bairstow b Broad 35 (South Africa 335-6)
Threatening lifter of a ball from Broad, out of the way of which Bavuma sways. Then a few balls later the batsman drives uncertainly at a regulation line and length ball, catches the edge and it goes through to Bairstow.
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93rd over: South Africa 335-5 (De Kock 28, Bavuma 35)
DROP! Well, sort of. De Kock drives heartily but slightly ill-advisedly outside off and the ball rockets high to Stokes’ right side at gully. He throws up an arm, gets a hand to it but can’t hang on. Anderson peers at the scene, contemplates how he has offended the gods this time to be so unfortunate, then turns on his heel and delivers a tight remaining five balls of the over.
92nd over: South Africa 335-5 (De Kock 28, Bavuma 35)
Broad’s in from the other end, and Bavuma plays a delicious shot first up, driving through the covers, which looks immediately like a four but some rapid running by Taylor hauls it in, and they have to settle for a mere three. De Kock is uncharacteristically circumspect from the remainder of the over, nudging a single to square leg off its last ball.
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91st over: South Africa 331-5 (De Kock 27, Bavuma 32)
A little juice early on for Anderson, as he misses De Kock’s inside then his outside edge with some swing. Which is encouraging for him. De Kock collects the first two runs of the day by driving a couple through point.
The players are out, Jimmy Anderson will open up, to Quinton de Kock.
If you fancy something a little different, I won’t be offended if you follow the fifth ODI between Australia & India with Geoff Lemon and Russell Jackson. Well, I will be a bit.
Stephen Cook's Test century attributable to his crazy childhood diet. #SAvEng pic.twitter.com/Lpi7gEGV5V
— Geoff Lemon Sport (@GeoffLemonSport) January 23, 2016
If you’d like to make your own mind up about the State of Things, help yourself out with Mike Selvey’s report from yesterday.
Until Ben Stokes’s competitive spirit and Stuart Broad’s wonderful versatility began to pull England back in the final session, South Africa had threatened to run away into the distance with the first day of the final Test. There was a sublimely nonchalant 25th Test century from Hashim Amla and a skilful one from the opener Stephen Cook, the sixth from his country to make a hundred on debut. The pair added 202 for the second wicket as England, under the weather with the ball and unable to grasp the half-chances that can make such a difference, struggled to gain any control.
At tea, South Africa were 224 for one and already batting England out of the game it seemed. Gradually, though, England began to stem the flow of runs and, with Cook inching his way to three figures, made their breakthrough.
Almost inevitably it had to be Stokes who delivered in the time of need. Amla had made 109, with 19 fours, when he pushed forward to a length ball and diverted it from his inside edge on to his leg stump. The relief of bowler and his team-mates was palpable for Amla, missed at first slip when on five, had batted with such easy fluency for almost three and three quarter hours that a repeat of his Cape Town double-century looked there for the taking.
Preamble
Morning all. It’s another of those starts to a Test day in this series when you’re not 100% sure who’s ahead. South Africa will probably think they are most certainly, but from a position of 237-1 to the 329-5 that the hosts find themselves on overnight, England might be quietly pleased to have pulled things back.
Either way, we can fire up the ol’ cliché-o-matic and say that this is one of those days with Crucial First Hour, because if England had rid the crease of Quinton de Kock and Temba Bavuma in relatively short order, then the game will be on a much more even keel. We shall see.
Start: 8.30am GMT
Hello. Nick will be along shortly. Until then, here’s Ali Martin on Stephen Cook, who marked his Test debut with a century yesterday, earning family bragging rights over his dad, Jimmy:
Test debuts, as Cook’s father knows all too well, don’t always go this swimmingly. Jimmy Cook, the bulk of whose playing career coincided with South Africa’s sporting exclusion, was the country’s first cricketer to face a ball on home soil in a Test after their readmission when, aged 39, awarded his official debut against India in Durban in 1992.
The right-hander, a favourite at Somerset during three glorious summers from 1989 to 1991 when more than 7,500 runs and 28 centuries flowed from his bat, would edge his first delivery, an away swinger from Kapil Dev, to Sachin Tendulkar at third slip for a golden duck. His Test career would last two more matches.
Cook Jr said: “Last night before bed he gave me a call and said: ‘My boy, if you don’t get out the first ball you’re already better than me.’ So I was glad for that first one on the pads. Given the number of balls he threw to me growing up, this century is probably one for him – the one that he never got.”
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