A great day for Stokes.
Joe Root is a Stokes fan.
Barney Ronay on five-day Tests and why they need to stay.
And with that, I’m done. It’s been a fantastic day of Test cricket, up there with the best. Cheers for dropping in. Here’s our report:
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And here’s Joe Root on four-day Tests:
Some people might think there’s a place for it but you don’t want to miss out on days like today. You don’t want to miss out on games like this. I mean, this is what makes Test cricket what it is. Going right down to the wire. Nearly a full house at Newlands. And what a great finish to a brilliant game of cricket.
Here’s Joe Root, who is happy with the team - “the guys stood up and put in a real team effort” - and with himself - “I thought I did a couple of things pretty well this week”:
It feels fantastic. I thought it was a brilliant performance throughout the five days. We had to work extremely hard there. Credit to South Africa, they made it hard for us but the guys stood up and put in a real team effort. It always felt like we were in the gamre and if we trusted it for long enough things would fall in our favour. [Stokes] makes things happen, he’s a golden nugget in our side. It’s not happened by accident, he works bloody hard. It’s a great example to the guys who are coming into this side and seeing what Test cricket’s like, and how different it is to county cricket. They’re having to learn on their feet, and they’re standing up as well. This week has really pleased me and made me really proud of a young set of lads.
I thought I did a couple of other things pretty well this week. You’re always only as good as your players and we had a really strong message about how we wanted to perform and we stuck to that and really drove that really well. There’s things we tinkered with throughout, especially in the field, that fell into place really nicely. For long periods of time we were excellent, we built pressure and we followed it through. It’s a good marker going into the rest of this series and future tours as well.
The man of the match is ... Ben Stokes, who tries to bring Dom Sibley up with him:
I thought Dom put all the hard yards in to get us into a position of winning, so he should be the one up here. He’s trying to run away as fast as he can. I think credit’s got to go to everyone who’s played this week. Sam Curran, Zak Crawley, Ollie Pope and Dom have shown how good they are. The future looks great for us and hopefully this is a stepping stone. When you have series and the first two games are results, it makes things very interesting, and it’s why five-day cricket should always be around. It’s the best format of the game and it makes cricket ... you know, games like these are just unforgettable. We’ll remember this for a long time and I’m sure South Africa will. It’ll go down as one of the greats.
Joe Root, who has had one of his best days as captain today, has a chat:
It was fantastic. A brilliant performance by the whole group of players. Showed a great amount of character, patience and a lot of belief as well today. Credit to South Africa, they threw a lot back at us, but the guys really stuck to it, put in a brilliant performance. A brilliant way to start the year. For a young group of players to be involved in a Test match like that is a great opportunity for us to move forward. We found ourselves at times under a lot of pressure but some individuals really stood up and put in some brilliant performances that got momentum back in our favour. The way Jimmy bowled in that first innings was outstanding, and then you’ve got guys like Ben Stokes who can just change the game for you.
Time for the post-match presentations, with Faf du Plessis the first to be called up:
What an advertisement for Test cricket. Obviously sad that we’re on the losing side but all I’m asking for is that we fought and fought very hard, and we did that. Over five days, there has to be a winner and credit to England for just a little bit more in the tank than we have. It was a great Test match. Obviously a good variety in the wicket as well: day one and two probably bonus wickets, and then towards the end it got a bit flatter to bat on. But big series like this you want two teams to bash it out for five days. The next Test will be very exciting.
What pleases me is the fact we’ve found someone who’s really good at the top of the order in Pieter Malan. Technically extrmeely sound, knows his game well, and those are the things you’re nervous about when there’s a bit of transition, how are the new players going to do when they come in? He’s stepped in and obviously played one of the great innings. We’ve shown we’ve got another opener who can play Test cricket for us. From a batting point of view not where we want to be yet, but today was a great step in the right direction. Most teams would come when the chips are down and probably fall after lunch or fade away. For me it’s a huge step for us as a young batting unit, showing a lot of character and fight. Today we lost with the right character, and I’m proud of that.
England’s Barmy Army has been extremely loud all day, and their support was possibly decisive in keeping the side motivated during the longueurs of the afternoon as De Kock and Van der Dussen settled in. The team is back out now, thanking them for their support.
Ben Stokes has picked up a few more fans today:
Here’s Abhijato Sensarma: “Some genius is measured on paper, while some genius is measured in emotions. Ben Stokes is a man of moments, not numbers. His affinity for big moments makes him a big man. How lucky are we to live in the same generation as this man?”
And Robert Ellson: “It’s rough on Sibley, but I reckon Stokes is the man of the match. Brilliant catches, and a sensational innings yesterday to give England the time they needed to win the game. Then a heroic spell at the end. What a man.”
Here’s a quick report on England’s victory:
Vernon Philander does a lap of honour after his final Test appearance at Newlands. Meanwhile, Quinton de Kock talks:
I think the boys fought very hard. The English made it very difficult for us at times and they kept fighting. Credit to them. Obviously we tried to push them as far as we can. We knew today was going to be hot and sunny and the bowlers were going to be spending a lot of time on their feet, so we tried to push them as hard as we can. Unfortunately we just fell a little bit short.
[His dismissal] It was quite disappointing. Me and [Van der Dussen] I felt we had a good partnership going. We were hoping we could keep going and break the England team, but unfortunately I ended up smoking it straight to the fielder.
Zak Crawley, who contributed a couple of cracking catches to the England effort, says the two-stage effort to dismiss Nortje was “a bit lucky” and concludes: “This was unbelievable. Best game of cricket I’ve ever played in.”
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Stuart Broad has a chat:
Yeah, very special. The crowd has been exceptional today. It’s been an incredible day’s play and a great Test match actually. We had to work incredibly hard. I think we knew we were going to have to do that from yesterday’s play. Incredible discipline from South Africa throughout the day, but we kept saying, one bit of magic ... We tried some funky fields. One breakthrough and we could apply some pressure, and fortunately we got that.
Of the Van der Dussen dismissal, when Anderson took the catch moments after being moved to leg slip, he says:
To be honest, I put a leg slip in try try to get him to stay leg side, to try and bring the edge into play, and then missed my line by about three foot and it ended up getting guided to leg slip. You need a bit of luck chasing 10 wickets, then you need a hell of a lot of character and skill.
England win by 189 runs
For the record: Philander c Pope b Stokes 8 (South Africa 248 all out)
And also, stick that in your four-day Test pipe and smoke it, or whatever.
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WICKET! England win the second Test!
Sky lose the feed, they cut to a still of a distant cricket ground and make their apologies ... and then they cut back to the action, Stokes bangs one in, and Philander fences straight to gully!
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137th over: South Africa 245-9 (Philander 4, Rabada 1) Bess bowls at Rabada, with seven fielders clustered round the bat, but doesn’t really find the length required to bring them into play. Nine overs to go
136th over: South Africa 245-9 (Philander 4, Rabada 1) Stokes has three shots at Rabada and three at Philander, without reproducing the magic of his previous over. Bess now will get a go at the new man. 10 overs to go
That last over was the second fastest Ben Stokes has ever bowled in the third session, on the fifth day, of a Test. #SAvENG
— The CricViz Analyst (@cricvizanalyst) January 7, 2020
135th over: South Africa 245-9 (Philander 4, Rabada 0) Bess bowls to Philander, whose decision to turn down an easy run at the end of the 133rd over didn’t turn out so well. Five dots and a boundary off the last mean that Stokes will have a bowl at Rabada next. 11 overs to go
This guy @benstokes38!! 🦁🦁🦁#SAvENG
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) January 7, 2020
pic.twitter.com/EMEct5ZnQk
134th over: South Africa 241-9 (Philander 4, Rabada 0) The last hour or so has been just phenomenal sport. The absolute pinnacle. Am I alone in being a tad disappointed that Stokes’ two wickets here - his first of the match, bizarrely - look likely to end it a little earlier than necessary? 12 overs to go
WICKET! Nortje b Crawley b Stokes 0 (South Africa 241-9)
He’s gone first ball! Another edge, and the slip cordon - five of them! - is so close that it’s almost past Crawley when he sticks out a right hand to deflect the ball up and into the air with his right, and then catch it with his left as it comes back down!
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WICKET! Pretorius c Root b Stokes 0 (South Africa 241-8)
He’s edged this one, and Root has taken a terrific low catch at slip!
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133rd over: South Africa 241-7 (Philander 4, Pretorius 0) Root brings in another short leg as Bess bowls to Philander. There’s a leg slip, a leg gully and two short legs, as well as a slip and a silly point, but this time they get no catching chances. The last ball is sent squirming past point and South Africa turn down a run. Pretorius survived the last Stokes over and clearly concluded that he fancies a bit more, which is just remarkable. 13 overs to go
132nd over: South Africa 241-7 (Philander 4, Pretorius 0) A couple of rippers from Stokes go cruelly unrewarded. Stokes gets Pretorius to hang out his bat, but can’t quite find the edge, then squares him up with another beauty. Then the third in this trifecta of terrificness stays low, and the batsman does brilliantly to get his bat on it. The next ball is pretty great as well. How Pretorius survived that over I do not know, but it was fantastic viewing. 14 overs to go
131st over: South Africa 241-7 (Philander 4, Pretorius 0) Bess’s first ball comes off the bat, into the pad, loops up gently and then plops down to earth. Short leg shuffles a little shorter. Then Philander thumps a full toss down the ground, but the bowler gets a hand to it. And then, runs! Philander tonks one through the covers for four, to get off the mark from his 31st delivery! More thrills from the last, which clips the bat and flies into the space between short leg and leg gully. That’s drinks, taken with 15 overs to go
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130th over: South Africa 237-7 (Philander 0, Pretorius 0) Stokes is back, with the crowd greeting with delight the complete absence of action that follows every delivery. The last leaves a cloud of dust as it comes off the pitch and zips just past Pretorius’ bat, a cracker. The batsman remains uncracked. That’s maiden No11. 16 overs to go
129th over: South Africa 237-7 (Philander 0, Pretorius 0) Philander decides it’s about time he scored a run, and swings his bat at a couple of Bess deliveries. He doesn’t get hold of either of them, and this is thus maiden No10. In short, ostensibly nothing at all is happening, and it’s absolutely unmissable. “Have been driving from the south of Cameroon to the north today, following on radio and OBO,” writes Anna Halford. “Just felt the need to add my voice to those raging against the philistine idea of cutting the fifth day - I would not have been making sure I had credit for a data connection for a measly fourth and final day in this test. Having arrived after 8 hours on the road, I am finally able to join the OBO community in their biscuit-dunking as well as the cricket (tea, and something more or less equivalent to a malted milk biscuit - don’t judge, Cameroon’s biscuit selection is sadly limited).” 17 overs to go
128th over: South Africa 237-7 (Philander 0, Pretorius 0) CricViz now gives England a 44% chance of winning. Broad bowls to Pretorius, with three slips, a gully, a leg slip a short leg and a short mid on in place. Broad gets a warning for running on the pitch, his second of the innings, and Pretorius sees out a ninth successive maiden. 18 overs to go
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127th over: South Africa 237-7 (Philander 0, Pretorius 0) Another maiden from Bess. Run-scoring is pretty low on everybody’s list of priorities. Philander has faced 20 balls so far. 19 overs to go
126th over: South Africa 237-7 (Philander 0, Pretorius 0) Another maiden, this one containing the considerable bonus of Van der Dussen’s wicket, rendered all the sweeter because the fielder who took the catch did so having spent about 20 seconds in situ. Anyway, that’s maiden No7: the world record is 25 in a row, so we still have time to shatter that here. 20 overs to go
WICKET! Van der Dussen c Anderson b Broad 17 (South Africa 237-7)
Got him! Broad sends one just down the leg side, and Van der Dussen works it off his hip and straight to Anderson, who had just been moved from mid on to leg slip!
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125th over: South Africa 237-6 (van der Dussen 17, Philander 0) Philander sees off another Denly over, by my count a sixth successive maiden. 21 overs to go
124th over: South Africa 237-6 (van der Dussen 17, Philander 0) A second slip comes in for Broad here, and there’s a gully there as well. Broad tries to bring them into play by bowling wide of off stump, which only allows Van der Dussen to leave the ball completely. After a couple of these deliveries the bowler tweaks his radar and straightens, but the batsman’s defensive game is strong. Then he ends the over with the best of both worlds, one that jags back in, but it’s just wide of off stump! 22 overs to go
123rd over: South Africa 237-6 (van der Dussen 17, Philander 0) Another maiden, Denly this time the bowler. “It’s a truth universally acknowledged that a captain in search of wickets must be in want of some close fielders,” notes Tom Carver. “Solitary slip? Three men around the bat when the spinner was on earlier. How is Capt JR planning to get the Saffers, historically known to be impossible to bore out, out on a dying wicket? Granted, if there’s no swing then there’s no need for slips and if the pitch isn’t taking spin then close fielders are also a bit superfluous. So is there a discernible plan? 210 or so runs to play with; 4 wickets needed. Surely worth a few more close fielders just in case the ball hits a crack or something…” There’s one slip, a short leg and a silly point here for Philander, but they get no exercise. 23 overs to go
122nd over: South Africa 237-6 (van der Dussen 17, Philander 0) Broad, having been rested during the last session to allow him a go at potentially fresh batsmen in this one, bowls another entire over at Van der Dussen, who has now faced 129 balls for his 17 runs in what has been a magnificent rearguard effort. This just in from Kim Thonger: “Dipping one’s biscuit sounds a great more savoury than this from my Faber Dictionary of Euphemisms, which lives in the downstairs loo: ‘Dipping Cecil in the hot grease’. Clue, nothing to do with biscuits.” This I fear is dangerous territory for the OBO. 24 overs to go
121st over: South Africa 237-6 (van der Dussen 17, Philander 0) So England take the vital wicket of De Kock, and then cook their final review. The match returns to its knife-edge. 25 overs to go.
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REVIEW! Is Philander out here? No!
The question is whether the ball flicked the glove on its way up off the pad. The umpire thinks not. England think it’s worth checking. It wasn’t: the ball flicked a forearm.
WICKET! De Kock c Crawley b Denly 50 (South Africa 237-6)
From nothing, from nowhere, for no reason, Quinton de Kock swings his bat and thunders the ball to Zak Crawley at mid on!
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120th over: South Africa 237-5 (van der Dussen 17, de Kock 50) Hello sailor! Broad replaces a clearly ailing Anderson, and his first two deliveries are wide of off stump and left alone, his next is straight and defended, and then comes a ripper, a cutter that moves away from Van der Dussen and just past the edge. Still no wicket, though.
119th over: South Africa 237-5 (van der Dussen 17, de Kock 50) CricViz now has the draw at 79%. Like the Bisto kids on a bad day, the scent of victory is drifting away from England. De Kock thumps Curran’s final delivery through the covers for four to reach the slowest half-century of his Test career.
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118th over: South Africa 233-5 (van der Dussen 17, de Kock 46) Four balls into the over, broadcasters pick out five or six England fielders as they all clap and shout encouragement at each other/themselves. Anderson stays faithful to a line well outside off stump, and Van der Dussen doesn’t feel compelled to play. Meanwhile Joachim Demnitz has an important point of information on the subject of biscuit-dunking: “Here in Brazil molhar o biscoito (to dip your biscuit) means ‘to get your leg over’,” he writes. “Just thought all cricket and OBO lovers ought to know.”
117th over: South Africa 233-5 (van der Dussen 17, de Kock 46) De Kock edges a Curran slower ball well wide of the solitary slip and away for four. It’s quite a fun field, littered with close fielders rather than having them in clusters, but a second slip would have come in handy then. Then De Kock does it again, more deliberately this time, for four more.
116th over: South Africa 225-5 (van der Dussen 17, de Kock 38) England are only one wicket from ... er ... only needing four more wickets, but that vital breakthrough remains elusive. Anderson’s over seems to bother him a fair amount more than it bothers the batsmen, but it’s a maiden.
They’re back out, and Anderson is going to start the final session. This is going to the wire. Strap yourselves in.
TEA! South Africa 225-5
115th over: South Africa 225-5 (van der Dussen 17, de Kock 38) Bess overpitches, which he has tended to do a bit, and De Kock hits past point for four. And then a sniff of a wicket, as he edges the last ball before tea just short of Root at gully! So the batsmen survive, and South Africa have a real chance of drawing this. There are 32 overs to go today, not much more than the number this pair have already survived. Anyway, that’s tea. I’ll be back in a little bit. Here’s some teatimely reading for you:
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114th over: South Africa 221-5 (van der Dussen 17, de Kock 34) This partnership has now contributed 50 runs, and more importantly in the circumstances gobbled up 162 balls. “CricViz now has the draw at 70% probability,” writes Michael Meagher. I’ve checked, and this is true. “Looks like not just an algorithm but someone actually watching!”
113th over: South Africa 219-5 (van der Dussen 16, de Kock 33) Root retires, unrewarded, and Bess gets another go. “As a Proteas supporter this is pretty tense - one wicket and it could all come tumbling down,” writes Richard Mansell. “I am reminded a bit of the 2005 Test against Australia where SA clung on for 126 overs to salvage a draw. One can hope...” That hope seems to be rising, with this pair refusing to be drawn into significant risk-taking. England will be desperate for some pre-tea cheer.
112th over: South Africa 215-5 (van der Dussen 16, de Kock 33) “I’d like to see you get out here like that. Imagine that,” says Stokes, as Van der Dussen hooks, safely, for a single. As well as some other stuff that isn’t picked up clearly on the stump mic, perhaps fortunately.
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111th over: South Africa 215-5 (van der Dussen 15, de Kock 32) More Root, no more worries for the batsmen. “The big OBO debate yesterday was Flintoff v Stokes, but even weirder than England’s ability to have produced three blond all rounders with super human powers is the inability to produce captains who grow stronger rather than weaker as they grow into the role. Where is our Steve Smith, our Graeme Smith? It’s not like we don’t have anyone called Smith in England,” says Andrew Williams. Who’s our best cricketing Smith? Should they just be fast-tracked into the job?
110th over: South Africa 215-5 (van der Dussen 14, de Kock 31) Still Stokes, still no dice. De Kock is scoring a lot quicker than Van der Dussen, but still very slowly for De Kock: of innings of 50 balls or more, this is his third-slowest.
109th over: South Africa 212-5 (van der Dussen 12, de Kock 28) Root continues, with a slip, leg slip and short leg in place, and his first delivery skids out of the rough and past the edge of De Kock’s bat! Still no breakthrough, though, and England are teetering towards desperation.
108th over: South Africa 211-5 (van der Dussen 12, de Kock 27) A change of pace, and not for the first time England ask Ben Stokes to magic something up. His spells do not immediately work. Here meanwhile is this week’s Spin, courtesy of Michael Butler:
107th over: South Africa 209-5 (van der Dussen 12, de Kock 27) Denly keeps rolling, and De Kock hoists the ball high to midwicket, where the complete absence of fielders makes the shot safe. I’m still getting emails about biscuit-dunking, a debate I am unable to enter or even officiate, being something of a hot-drink hater. I did go through a period of dunking a particular extraordinarily dull biscuit in orange squash once, but I don’t look back on it with any pride.
106th over: South Africa 205-5 (van der Dussen 12, de Kock 23) Root’s fourth ball is a surprise bumper sent down to Van der Dussen, who gets his bat to it and works it to square leg. I remember Phil Edmonds doing a good line in those, back in the day, a case of chucking the kitchen sink at the problem.
105th over: South Africa 204-5 (van der Dussen 12, de Kock 22) Denly gets one to rear up out of the rough and into De Kock, who reacts smartly to fend it away. And now there will be a change of bowler, but it’s more spin: Joe Root is giving himself a go.
104th over: South Africa 203-5 (van der Dussen 12, de Kock 21) “I think England may get a bit carried away with the marks for the spinners here,” sniffs Kevin Wilson, as another over spins away. “We’re bowling a rookie and a part-timer. Bowl one, sure, but both? Our best chance of wickets are still with the quicks. One of them needs to be on at a time.”
103rd over: South Africa 200-5 (van der Dussen 12, de Kock 18) Quinton de Kock scores South Africa’s 200th run, with another cover drive off Denly that gets part-stopped by the fielder and thus yields only a single. That brings Van der Dussen on strike, and he leaves a ball that turns into his pads: it was heading well wide of off stump, but had there been a bit less turn he’d have been in a great deal of trouble.
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102nd over: South Africa 199-5 (van der Dussen 12, de Kock 17) Bess continues, and Van der Dussen gets a couple through cover.
101st over: South Africa 197-5 (van der Dussen 10, de Kock 17) I apologise for the multiple posts you’ve had to negotiate over the last couple of overs. These are confusing times we live in. Another phenomenal cover drive from De Kock off Denly.
100th over: South Africa 193-5 (van der Dussen 10, de Kock 13) Bess to van der Dussen, so you can guess the rest. Root has three men round the bat when there’s surely a strong case for nine.
Here’s Jamie Woodward. “Was Jimmy late back because he was still dunking Hobnobs?” At last, the cricket and the biscuit come together. My job is done, and it will be Simon Burnton to see if this absorbing contest can end up as a thriller.
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99th over: South Africa 193-5 (van der Dussen 10, de Kock 13) Hello everyone! Simon Burnton here, taking over for the remainder of the day and indeed the Test. Denly restarts with an appeal, a shake of the head from Paul Reiffel and the very briefest discussion about a potential review, the ball having hit De Kock on the pad but outside the line. A couple of balls later, he thumps one through the covers for four.
98th over: South Africa 189-5 (van der Dussen 10, de Kock 9) Yet another maiden from Bess to van der Dussen, who now has 10 off 63 balls. And that’s drinks, with England ahead but not by as much as they might like, following Malan’s superb vigil. They need another wicket soon, and it may have to be Anderson who provides it.
97th over: South Africa 189-5 (van der Dussen 10, de Kock 9) After a maiden from Bess, Denly beats de Kock again, on the back foot this time, with a ball that spits out of the rough like the best of them. For a moment, de Kock’s energy infected van der Dussen, but now it’s going the other way and even de Kock is strokeless.
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95th over: South Africa 189-5 (van der Dussen 10, de Kock 9) Denly beats de Kock with an unusual ball – a dipping, turning near-yorker outside off. It may be a stumping chance too, albeit a tricky one, thanks to the quirkiness of the delivery.
94th over: South Africa 189-5 (van der Dussen 10, de Kock 9) Now it’s a double dose of spin as Dom Bess returns, complete with a change of ends. He’s on the spot right away and van der Dussen is back in his dour mode, which is dourer than most.
93rd over: South Africa 189-5 (van der Dussen 10, de Kock 9) Root turns to Denly, who turns his first ball, and gets some bounce, but de Kock survives.
And now Brian Withington entersg the great dunkin’ debate. “The definitive word on hobnobs, aka ‘the SAS of the biscuit world’, from the (uncivilised?) Peter Kay. The image of him simulating their enthusiasm for repeated dunking still makes me chuckle.”
92nd over: South Africa 187-5 (van der Dussen 9, de Kock 8) Root keeps Broad on, blatantly disregarding the OBO’s advice, as well he may after being right about Bess and Curran.
“Do you think there is a negative physique bias when is comes to Sam Curran?” wonders Martin Laidler. “He bowls at a similar pace to Chris Tremlett and bats with explosive power yet seems to have many doubters who take one look at him and dismiss him due to his stature.
As a diminutive left hander he pretty much has all modes of dismissal on the cards at all times and his record is already impressive.” That’s spot on about his good days, but he has had some bad ones too – when the ball won’t swing and he can be all too hittable. But he’s got talent and spirit and plenty of time to hone his game.
91st over: South Africa 186-5 (van der Dussen 9, de Kock 7) Just a single off Curran, who has been almost as stingy as the old geezers.
Over at CricViz, the forecasting gizmo has something to say. “Following the wicket of Pieter Malan, WinViz climbed to 74% for an England win. Before the dismissal it was down at only 53%.” Quite an impact for a debutant. It looks as if South Africa have found themselves a rock, though perhaps we should see him on a spicy surface before leaping to conclusions.
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90th over: South Africa 185-5 (van der Dussen 9, de Kock 6) Still nothing happening for Broad, who’s been merely miserly. Time for Anderson.
89th over: South Africa 184-5 (van der Dussen 9, de Kock 5) Waspish as ever, Curran hurries van der Dussen into a jab which turns into a leg glance, not far away from the diving Buttler. So van der Dussen now has nine off 37 balls, eight of them from false shots.
Here’s Pete Salmon. “Sad as it is about Rory Burns, I did love this in the news report: ‘Burns had landed awkwardly on his left ankle in the follow-through from a shot that saw him score despite the close attention of Joe Root.’ As long as he scored, that’s the main thing. I do hope if he missed Root would have stood over him and given him some chat before the stretcher came out, John Terry style.”
88th over: South Africa 179-5 (van der Dussen 5, de Kock 4) That boundary from de Kock sparks up van der Dussen, who attempts a pull off Broad – and nearly pays for it as a bottom edge goes close to the stumps.
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87th over: South Africa 175-5 (van der Dussen 1, de Kock 4) Even more full of beans than usual, Curran greets de Kock with his slower ball, which got him out the other day. But he overpitches and de Kock flicks a full toss away for four. With van der Dussen playing musical statues, de Kock’s fluency is just what the game needs.
WICKET!! MALAN!! c Stokes b Curran 84 (SA 171-5)
This is the huge one. After surviving 287 balls, Malan finally gets an outside edge, as Curran finds a lot of bounce for a short bowler and the ball goes off the shoulder, low to second slip, where Stokes is not dropping anything at the moment. Well done Curran, well done Root for giving him the new ball, and very well done Malan, who has established himself as a senior player in his very first Test.
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85th over: South Africa 171-4 (Malan 84, van der Dussen 1) Jimmy Anderson was off the field, perhaps finishing his lunch with some Stilton and port. He’s back now but Broad continues, uneventfully. Rassie van der Dussen now has one run off 26 balls. The game hasn’t quite gone to sleep, but the pitch has.
“Hi Tim, always enjoy your OBO coverage,” says Quinn on Twitter. Thank you, but it takes a village. “RE: the lbw not reviewed – if the umpire thought it was out, would he have given it despite no appeal? Or does his interest correlate with the confidence of the appeal? Cheers, and keep it Aristarchus (Colossians 4:10).” There does have to be an appeal, confident or otherwise. And thanks for sending me to St Paul, when my thoughts are more about St Pieter Malan. How the hell are England going to dislodge him?
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84th over: South Africa 171-4 (Malan 84, van der Dussen 1) Broad is back, predictably, but with a twist – it’s Anderson, not Curran, who gives way.
On Twitter, Leonard Smith is taking issue with Martin Laidler’s Anglo-optimism (81st over). “Can you imagine an attack including both Curran and Bess ever bowling out Smith and co. next winter on those wickets? No way under 500.” Fair point, though Bess is an understudy and Curran may be squeezed out of the next Test if Jofra Archer is fit again. Also, at the risk of being picky... Steve Smith isn’t even Australia’s biggest run-scorer at the moment – he’s an ominous third, behind the home-track bully David Warner and the man of the moment Marnus Labuschagne.
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Calling Rob Lewis – Kim Thonger is back atcha. “Rob Lewis is clearly unfamiliar with advanced laser cutting technology. I’m rather surprised, I thought all OBOers kept abreast of cutting edge technology? Also, Dakkers gets half of each one and he doesn’t like them dunked.” Greater love hath no man than this, that he lays down half his Hobnob for his dachsund.
Kim is also back at you, Professor Thwaites. “I note from Peter Thwaites’ comment that I am officially more barbaric than my dog. I suppose I should have known that. Mea cuppa.” Classy.
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Some people are managing, somehow, to concentrate on the cricket. “With this absorbing Test match building up to a potentially thrilling fifth day finish,” says William Ellen, “the timing could not be any more exquisite. What chance an Ebeneezer Scrooge style epiphany from the money men at the ICC and ECB, resulting in a changing of their waxy, pea-sized hearts? Say boy, what day is it today?”
Hobnob latest. “Much as I love the cricket, I’ve never been moved to email the Guardian OBO – until now,” says Peter Thwaites in Keimyung, South Korea. “I simply cannot accept such appalling suggestions as that made by Rob Lewis at 10.41. Dunking a Hobnob is uncivilised. To do so into a cup of coffee is barbaric.”
But first, an urgent question. “Please ask Kim,” says Rob Lewis, “how he can possibly eat Hobnobs with Turkish coffee (78th over)... I imagine he’s using those dinky cups that it is always served in (at least it is here in Istanbul). So how do you dunk the Hobnob?”
83rd over: South Africa 170-4 (Malan 83, van der Dussen 1) For a moment England think they’ve got Malan, but Curran’s nip-backer has only flicked the waistband. And that’s lunch, with honours still even – England buoyed by a surprise gift from Faf du Plessis, but SA satisfied with losing just the one serious batsman, and delighted to have Malan still there. He’s playing like an opener with a hundred Test caps, not one.
Meanwhile Geoff Wignall has been thinking about Jos Buttler (73rd over). “Surely a part of Buttler’s apparent underperformance is that his role at 7 should be to supply the icing, not bake the cake?” Nice. “Too often he comes in after the mixing bowl has been smashed and there’s a gooey mess all over the floor. Though I haven’t checked, I’m fairly sure he and Stokes have similar averages.” Broadly, yes, but last time I looked Stokes had edged up to 36, while Buttler had slipped to 33. I’d love to see him make a hundred in the next two Tests. Time for some fresh air – back in half an hour or so.
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82nd over: South Africa 170-4 (Malan 83, van der Dussen 1) Anderson is back, and there’s no swing for him either, but he does get some lift as he did early on. Not bad for a 37-year-old lad.
81st over: South Africa 169-4 (Malan 83, van der Dussen 0) Curran finds his line but no swing, and Malan uses the bounce of the harder ball to ease him away for two between gully and cover. Malan’s wagon wheel must be more like a sheaf of twigs.
A rare note of English optimism is being struck. “It feels like, either through great studious planning or a bit of a fluke,” reckon Martin Laidler, “England have found a really good balance to this side with a mixture of experience and promise which should see us through to the next few years.” Not sure I’d go that far, but they may be about to show that you can win something with kids.
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New ball, please
Here it is, and it’s being taken by Curran.
80th over: South Africa 167-4 (Malan 81, van der Dussen 0) Stokes still hasn’t taken himself off. he tries a yorker on off stump, but van der Dussen is ready with a firm prod.
Tone White has a question. “Could Bess be the spinning equivalent to Curran, able to bowl decently but without apparent menace then whoops, he takes a crucial wicket? And hullo and thanks from France!” Similar personalities, certainly – each a bundle of energy.
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79th over: South Africa 167-4 (Malan 81, van der Dussen 0) Malan, facing Bess, moves into the eighties with what seems to be his signature stroke – the careful push to wide third man. Root has been slow to plug that gap, as modern captains often are.
78th over: South Africa 165-4 (Malan 79, van der Dussen 0) So almost everything rests on the shoulders of Pieter Malan, who doesn’t seem bothered at all. He just gets on with the job, pushing Stokes for a single. As Nasser observed a few overs ago, “South Africa have found one here”.
Before Faf’s brainstorm, Kim Thonger sent this. “There seem to be a number of people this morning hell-bent on ignoring the sage advice of Donald Sutherland’s eccentric tank commander in Kelly’s Heroes – ‘don’t make wid da negative waves’. I for one am having a very positive Turkish coffee with Hobnobs, and Dakkers the dachshund and I are cheering our brave boys all the way to victory (or a draw).” A very positive Turkish coffee with Hobnobs, eh: cricket commentary has been waiting for those words.
77th over: South Africa 164-4 (Malan 78, van der Dussen 0) In comes Rassie van der Dussen, who almost gives a low catch to forward short leg as Root brings the close catchers back. And Root needs to be congratulated for keeping Bess on, when some idiots would have turned to Denly’s leggies.
Wicket!! du Plessis c Denly b Bess 19 (SA 164-4)
Out of nowhere, Bess bags the big one. It was a regulation delivery, but Faf didn’t get over the ball as he swept and it went straight to Joe Denly at square leg. That is the moment of the day so far.
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76th over: South Africa 163-3 (Malan 77, du Plessis 19) Root had Curran lined up, but Stokes said he wanted one more. Another case of Stokes getting what he wants, and it not bearing fruit. He’s a commanding batsman now, and has always been a great fielder, but he doesn’t get quite as many wickets as he thinks he does.
75th over: South Africa 163-3 (Malan 77, du Plessis 19) The first boundary off Bess this morning as Malan cuts for four. Time to bring on Denly, the only spinner with a wicket in this innings.
74th over: South Africa 159-3 (Malan 73, du Plessis 19) Better from Faf, who strokes Stokes for four past gully.
73rd over: South Africa 154-3 (Malan 72, du Plessis 15) Another maiden from Bess, who is being tidy when tidiness is not needed.
“Good morning Tim.” Good morning, Matthew Kentridge. “I’m back at work after the holidays so envy you camped out in front of the cricket with your coffee and your keyboard. The OBO is the usual lifeline, but it’s bad enough sitting here at my desk without the pang I feel, wishing I was at Newlands. I’ve been wondering why Jos Buttler has been so underwhelming in Tests for so long. It can’t be temperament, as he has smarts and captaincy material written all over him, so is it technique, or the role he’s expected to play in the team? Other quick-fire destructive batsmen (Stokes, obviously, and Quinton de Kock for SA who, ahem, ahem, went to my old school) regularly get fifties or go on to hundreds, while Buttler makes a fast 20 and then holes out. I know you’ve interviewed him so would be keen to hear your take.”
Well, I interviewed him a year ago when he was about to become one of Wisden’s Five Cricketers of the Year, so I didn’t ask about underperforming – he’d just had his best year in Tests. Things have only gone awry since the World Cup, which seemed to leave him with a hangover: in the Ashes, he was poor for three Tests, better in the last two. My feeling is that he hasn’t been helped by changes of role – batsman then keeper again, vice-captain then demoted, wrongly, when Stokes asked for the job back. But perhaps he tried too hard to rein himself in when he was being picked as a No.5. He should be de Kocking it all over the park – and did, briefly, in his last innings, when he played for the team rather than his average.
72nd over: South Africa 153-3 (Malan 72, du Plessis 15) Stokes hits his straps, digging it in to get Faf fending over the slips, then pitching it up and beating him outside off. England need a breakthrough and only Stokes and Anderson have looked like supplying it. Get Curran on!
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71st over: South Africa 148-3 (Malan 72, du Plessis 10) Bess races through a maiden to Malan – doesn’t he realise there are people with OBOs to write? – and gets a puff of dust with the last ball.
Here’s Brian Withington. “Interested to hear Michael Holding politely put pro-verbals KP back in his box on commentary. ‘I know it can work, I just don’t believe in it.’ Refreshingly old school.” Quite agree, Brian. Sledging is a dismal thing, a way for sportsmen to strip themselves of their dignity. But whether it was different in the old days, I’m not so sure – surely Fred Trueman was effing and blinding at batsmen in the Fifties?
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70th over: South Africa 148-3 (Malan 72, du Plessis 10) Stokes gets some reverse swing away from the bat, the opposite of Anderson’s, but has nothing to show for it yet.
“Another fellow United fan here,” says Michael Robinson. “Not sure how much positivity we can gain from winning this Test. It’s like beating City and Spurs back in December, what’s the point when Watford batter you?One victory does not a Test team make.” No, but it would be the making of the series, and give England a fair chance of winning away from home, which doesn’t happen often enough. Also, if you’d been offered those United results as a package deal, you’d have taken them, wouldn’t you?
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69th over: South Africa 146-3 (Malan 71, du Plessis 10) Dom Bess comes on for the first twirl of the morning and has a noisy appeal against Faf. Whether it’s for lbw or caught at short leg, we will never know, as it’s not given and England don’t review. That’s drinks, with honours even so far – England got the early wicket, but not the big one, and SA have been impressively calm. A lot will hinge on the new ball, due just before lunch.
68th over: South Africa 144-3 (Malan 71, du Plessis 8) Stokes bowls a no-ball, as he may have done, undetected, in the previous over. Also undetected, more importantly, is an lbw that England didn’t appeal for, which would have been given had they reviewed. It was the same ball from Anderson off which du Plessis was nearly run out. The beady eyes in the TV truck have spotted that it was pad first. Just before that, the umpires summoned Root for a telling-off, possibly because du Plessis felt he was obstructed by Anderson as he went for that third run. Too many sub-plots.
“Picking up on Christopher Drew’s theme [8:17],” says Matt Dony, “the apostle James was, along with his brother (unfortunately not called Stuart), nicknamed ‘Son of thunder.’ James Anderson certainly bringing the storm in this match.” You’re right – the New Testament does suffer from a severe shortage of Stuarts.
67th over: South Africa 143-3 (Malan 71, du Plessis 8) Faf almost gets run out going for a third, playing a clip off Anderson and then underestimating the waspishness of Curran’s throw from the deep.
“I am an England cricket and Manchester United supporter,” says David Gaskell. Always good to find a fellow sufferer. “So unfortunately all I see is Australia and Liverpool disappearing over the rise with nary a look in their rear view mirrors. But I must rebel against the negativity surrounding this Test match. One wicket ( and as I write it has fallen) and the rest will follow as surely as a packet of Maltesers will disappear in a crowded cinema. So let us embrace positivity. Go out ye non believers and book lunch as it will all be over before the port is passed around.” I wouldn’t go that far, but the chances are you’re right about the result: CricViz has England winning by 135 runs.
66th over: South Africa 141-3 (Malan 71, du Plessis 6) Root takes Broad off, wisely, and springs a surprise by summoning Stokes rather than Curran. A touch short at first, Stokes soon beats Malan with a beauty – the first ball this morning, I think, to get past that sturdy outside edge.
65th over: South Africa 139-3 (Malan 70, du Plessis 5) Broad has been merely steady, whereas Anderson is back to his masterly best – reversing it in, mostly pitching it up, then suddenly going shorter and finding an extra snap, which now forces Faf to take his hand off the bat in a hurry.
There’s some news of Rory Burns, and it’s not good alas.
64th over: South Africa 139-3 (Malan 70, du Plessis 5) Malan tucks Broad away for a couple, but more importantly Broad gets a warning for running on the pitch. Maybe he won’t take the new ball after all. And incase anyone is playing Mark Nicholas Bingo, he has just come out with his first Nicholasism of the day: “I’ll wager”.
Meanwhile Richard O’Hagan is picking up on Harry Lang’s question (57th over). “I would suggest,” he says, “that shipping 300 on the last day would be akin to Lord’s in 1984 when Greenidge made a mockery of Gower’s declaration.” Yes, except that it was more of a shock then, because scoring was slower.
63rd over: South Africa 137-3 (Malan 68, du Plessis 5) Anderson thinks he’s got Malan with another lbw shout, but it’s going over the stumps and there may have been an inside edge too.
62nd over: South Africa 136-3 (Malan 67, du Plessis 5) Faf glances Broad for the first four of the day. He can do vigils, but he’s rightly looking for runs too, to push the field back and prey on Root’s nerves.
61st over: South Africa 132-3 (Malan 67, du Plessis 1) Faf du Plessis gets off the mark with a glance off Anderson, and CricViz have a good point about him. “du Plessis averages 61.66 on Day Five of Tests in South Africa.” Formidable – but England could give him that today and still win with time to spare.
“Morning Tim,” says Jeff Doherty, “we’re strapped in and waiting to go. So what have we got, sunshine, heat, which way ‘s the wind blowing, how’s that crack on the pitch?” The sun is shining, it’s warm but not hot, and as far as I can tell there’s barely a breeze to ruffle Joe Root’s stubble. The crack hasn’t widened, according to Michael Holding in his pitch report. The main thing is that there is that bit of movement, which is just how these old bowlers like it.
60th over: South Africa 131-3 (Malan 67, du Plessis 0) The good news for England is that the new ball is only 20 overs away, so these two will be back before lunch, asking sharper questions. For now, they’re finding just enough movement to keep the batsmen honest. Malan takes another watchful two to third man. He’s an old lag already, even if he is on debut.
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59th over: South Africa 129-3 (Malan 65, du Plessis 0) That was hitting the inside of leg stump. Anderson has 2-18 off 11 overs in the innings, and 7-58 in the match. He can smell a ten-for.
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Wicket! Maharaj lbw b Anderson 2 (SA 129-3)
Anderson strikes again! He goes fuller and straighter, with a bit of nip in off the seam, and Maharaj barely waits for the finger, let alone a review.
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58th over: South Africa 129-2 (Malan 65, Maharaj 2) At the other end it is, of course, Stuart Broad. He’s accurate but not threatening, and Malan picks up two with a prod that runs past the slips.
57th over: South Africa 127-2 (Malan 63, Maharaj 2) Straight away, Anderson makes things almost happen. There’s a big appeal for caught behind as Malan plays outside the nip-backer, but England don’t use their last review and they’re right not to as the nick was off the flap of the pad. After a leg bye, Anderson finds some extra lift and splits Maharaj’s bat in two, to general amusement. The bat has PR written all over it. In a way.
“England have become rather adept at batting collapses recently,” says Harry Lang on Twitter. “But where would shipping 300+ runs on a 5th day sit alongside all time bowling collapses, I wonder? Is there a stats-astute reader who can assist? Obv. I’m brimming with confidence...” Thank you for asking the readers.
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Play!
It’s going to be Jimmy Anderson, who has just become the oldest swinger ever to take a five-for for England.
“WOO-HOO!” says my inbox, slightly unexpectedly. “Morning Tim. Morning all.” Morning Peter Gibbs, in Selsey. “Pint of tea (straight glass)....aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand....BACON!
“Four-dayers be damned.”
An early email, of biblical proportions. “Morning Tim.” Morning, Christopher Drew, in Normandy. “I think Pieter will need to be the rock for South Africa. Already scored more than our current Pope, but a greater miracle will be required today.”
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Preamble: taking the fifth
Morning everyone and welcome to the fifth day of the second Test in Cape Town. As in any good drama, things are bubbling up as the final act approaches. England need eight more wickets to level the series, which makes them favourites but not a sure thing. South Africa need 312 runs, which is the longest of long shots, but not unthinkable. Failing that, the South Africans have to bat out the day – though if they get a sniff of a draw, the chance of a win will be there to tempt them into an indiscretion or two. With England relying on two elderly seamers and a rookie spinner, and South Africa leaning rather too heavily on a debutant opener, it’s all deliciously intriguing. And let’s not forget that if some people get their way, days like this will soon be a distant memory.
England were given a late boost by Jimmy Anderson, looking himself again and taking his sixth wicket of the match, to see off Zubayr Hamza. But that was only England’s second wicket in 56 overs. Today they need to nab one every 11 overs, which means being more than twice as incisive when their attack is missing both its high pace (Jofra Archer, Mark Wood) and its battle-hardened spin (Moeen Ali). Joe Root has to stop Pieter Malan going the whole Dom Sibley, while also making sure that neither Faf du Plessis nor Quinton de Kock hits a hundred – a feat that, in a plot twist nobody saw coming, only Sibley has managed in this series.
South Africa’s problem is that, for them to win, almost everything has to go right. The pitch seems to be on their side, but Test history is not. Then again, no visiting team has won a Test here since readmission, unless it’s been wearing baggy green caps. And the target Root ended up setting them – 438 – is the very same total they once rattled up to win a match in half a day. Can they do it? Probably not, but let’s entertain the possibility. See you at 10.30am local time, which is 8.30am in the UK.
