Here’s Chris Stocks on Ollie Pope:
And here’s a day two report
With news from England’s T20 Women’s World Cup squad …
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Summing up
Right, that’s us done for the day. A day utterly dominated by England and marred, for South Africa (and perhaps cricket in general) by the ICC clutching its pearls over Kagiso Rabada and also by a limp performance in the field. But take nothing away from England - to think we were bemoaning the absolute state of England’s Test batting at the turn of the year. Now, suddenly, we’re talking about steady openers and a dream of a middle-order, thanks, today, to the glorious displays by Ben Stokes and Ollie Pope who showcased both the best of traditional Test match batting and the most thrilling and innovative side of the modern game. Mark Wood’s hitting with the bat and pace with the ball was fun too. Plus the stand-in spinner struck twice. All is suddenly rosy for the tourists. What could possibly go wrong?
Anyway, thanks for all your emails, attention and ever more inventive/tortured Pope puns, for which I should probably now atone by going to Confession. It never leaves you.
The OBO will be back bright and early tomorrow, join us then. Bye.
Ollie Pope speaks:
“It’s an amazing feeling. I’ve been lucky enough to watch Sibley get his 100, Foakes against Sri Lanka [in 2018] and thought what a feeling that must be, so yeah when that ball hit the boundary it was a pretty special moment. I though it was only going to be two initially.
“Our plans this morning were me and Stokesy to carry on from where we were last night, push towards 350-400 and the way he played was awesome. I took a bit of a back role for a bit and it was awesome to watch from the other end. It just shows how Test cricket ebss and flows as I was scoring a bit faster last night. They bowled nicely yesterday but when that new ball came it came onto the bat more and it was a bit easier.
“The lbw review [when Pope was reprieved on appeal], Stokesy made the call, he told me with two seconds to go to review it. Luckily, it had just done enough to miss. To get that century milestone is a relief, I’ve hit a couple of 50s but to get that first one under your belt it’s such a nice feeling, a good benchmark to build from and take a lot of condeicen from it.
As for those ramp shots: “To be honest I don’t really know how I did that, I don’t think I’ve ever played that shot till last week, it’s just I thought if I can just get some bat on it as it goes over fast, I’ll give it a go.
As for the bowlers … “The response Dom got out of the pitch and the way Woody came out and got 150kmph was encouraging and we’ve got the fire power to go out and win it.”
Pope is followed by an understandly much more downcast Mark Boucher: “It’s been a tough day, we didn’t start too well this morning, and by the time we tried to pull it back it was sort of out of our grasp. Ben Stokes was excellent and fair play to Ollie Pope - he was exceptional. To spend 150 overs in the field, it takes its toll, though you can always question body language but they’re human beings.”
As for the Rabada controversy: “Am I allowed to say?” he quips. “Kagiso’s got a bit of history with this sort of things. He probably shouldn’t have done it, the way you read the law and the words ‘and/or’ can be looked at differently. Unfortunately he has too many demerit points, and he shouldn’t be [putting the team in this position] but we all played in days when players were swearing all the time. We don’t want him into his shell too much but he’s got to look at that and we’ve got to accept it. His aggression though is part of why he’s good.
“The rules are there and you’ve got to abide by them and the way the match referee saw it iit was a level one [offence] and we’ve got to live with it. Maybe we’ve got to have a conversation with him. We were very aggressive on the field when we were playing. You don’t seem to be able to do so much these days.
As for targets and quotas, with Rabada out of Johannesburg: “It’s a tough question, we’ve got our challenges in our country. We’ve got a couple of options, a squad of 16 players, but for now we’ve got to get out there and save a Test match.”
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We’ll hopefully have some chat from players soon; in the meantime, here’s some chat from you, the public, and a literary recommendation from Brian Spurrell:
“A bit late in the day to be responding to this, but Ian Sergeant’s “Well I declare” story seems to be half-remembered from this: a short story by playwright Herbert Farjeon.”
We’ve been having so much fun watching events in Port Elizabeth that we’ve almost forgotten another cricket match coming to its conclusion, and it looks as if Australia might actually be about to lose. Might.
Close (and rain stops play): South Africa 60-2, 439 behind
And that’ll be our lot, as the rain begins to fall and the umpires bring the players in. Ollie Pope, appropriately, leads them off – man of the day, though he’s had some worthy assistants.
17th over: South Africa 60-2 (Elgar 32, Nortje 0) Bess vindicates the decision to bowl him early by picking up a second wicket, that of Hamza - you wonder whether Wood’s working-over of him the previous over helped. Whatever, England are buzzing now, as Nortje is sent out into the gloaming as nightwatchman.
Away from the excitement … “I recall a story from days of yore (I’m sure someone will know the full details if true),” says Ian Sergeant, reclining by the fireside (presumably), “when very early on in a teams innings the batsman / skipper received a nasty lifter. This being the 1930’s or earlier, swearing either hadn’t been invented or wasn’t allowed in the game, the skipper exclaimed ‘well I declare’ as the ball passed his nose. The fielding captain took the initiative and said – “you heard him – we’re batting now…………….” – and apparently the umpires upheld the declaration.
Spirit of cricket right there.”
Wicket! Hamza c Pope b Bess 10, South Africa 60-2
Bess strikes again, changing angle to round the wicket at Hamza, it straightens at him, finds his inside edge, and rebounds off pad into the hands of Pope at short leg - you can’t keep him out of this game.
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16th over: South Africa 60-1 (Elgar 32, Hamza 10) This is the stuff: Wood peppers Hamza with two fast, searing short ones right at him, which the batsman has to fend away awkwardly. Then an inside-edge brings him four awkward runs before a genuinely classy back-foot punch adds another single to the total. It’s getting gloomy out there – not sure how much longer they’ll stay out for.
16th over: South Africa 55-1 (Elgar 32, Hamza 5) Bess is keeping it pretty tight at the other end, finding some drift and turn, and concedes only one from his fourth over.
“OK if we have to have puns, I am going to call that stroke the Papal Pull,” toots Chris Pockney as if it’s some sort of obligation.
15th over: South Africa 54-1 (Elgar 32, Hamza 4) Such is the pitch that, even at 151kmph, there’s only a slip and a gully in for Wood, though he’s extracting a bit of vim from the surface, and gives Elgar nothing to have a go at in what is an impressively accurate maiden,
14th over: South Africa 54-1 (Elgar 32, Hamza 4) Elgar copped a crack on the elbow facing Wood in the previous over, which delays the start of this one while he receives some physio attention. Bess keeps the new man Hamza honest, until a half-volley is pumped through the covers for four – a lovely shot with which to get off the mark. Bess’s comeback ball, spinning into the pads, prompts a half-hearted lbw shout but no one is minded to take it any further. Replays confirm it’s spinning down leg.
13th over: South Africa 50-1 (Elgar 32, Hamza 0) The Wood man cometh. And he gets some pace, but also alarms everyone by sprawling onto the deck on his follow-through with his second ball, as he too often does. There’s pace and variety there, and as long as he’s used sensibly, Wood looks an asset here, even on a placid pitch such as this.
The declaration debate is raging on apace in countless emails (form an orderly queue, suitors). Thomas Atkins attempts a balanced perspective. “The discussion over the revoked declaration is a fun bit of “You Are The Umpire” theory, but I can’t be the only one not to be fussed either way. On the one hand, the umpire applied the spirit of the game; everyone knew England were going to declare as soon as Wood or Pope got out, so reversing the declaration is just the application of common sense. On the other hand, rules is rules. Root should have been aware enough of the updated protocols not to wave them in until the review had been completed, and captains will know for next time. Either decision by the match officials is, to my mind, a reasonable and fair one. Let’s move on.” Yeah, let’s Get Declarations Done.
Wicket! Malan c & b Bess 18, South Africa 50-1
12th over: South Africa 50-1 (Elgar 32) Did Malan scoop this up? Bess reviews after the umpire’s finger fails to go up and cameras confirm that, contrary to the initial verdict, it bounced onto bat and dollied up to Bess rather than the other way round and Malan has gone. England have a key breakthrough to go into drinks. Before that, I’d jinxed South Africa by banging on about how pleased they would be with this start, so just as well I’ve deleted it now.
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11th over: South Africa 48-0 (Elgar 32, Malan 16). Root gives Curran another chance to find his range, but it’s all meat and drink to Elgar who drives a half-volley to the boundary for four more. The home choir are treating us to an absolute concert now - raucous and rousing, though not totally in tune. Though who are we to talk.
“Being pedantic,” begins Peter Board with the two words that are the foundation of all chat-up opening gambits, “we could say that gesturing your own batsmen in, from the balcony, does not constitute “informing the umpires and opposing captain. Being pragmatic, whatever the Laws say, it doesn’t seem right that if the external factor for the decision changes, that the decision itself can’t....”
10th over: South Africa 44-0 (Elgar 28, Malan 16). Bess finds Malan’s edge, but the right-hander’s hands are good and control admirable as he keeps it along the ground to steer it past slip for two. “Four words: GIVE. IT. TO. STOKES” bellows Mark Hooper. I’d give it to Wood first.
9th over: South Africa 40-0 (Elgar 27, Malan 13). Curran is swapped round, replacing Broad at the end that may help his inswing at right-handers, though Malan nudges his first one away easily enough, adding one. Line and length again not quite what’s required, and someone as accomplished as Elgar doesn’t need to do much to tickle another stray one slanted across him down to the fine leg boundary. A push for two and a steer to third man for another four round up an expensive over. Time to toss that ball to Mark Wood I feel.
8th over: South Africa 29-0 (Elgar 17, Malan 12). Not unwisely on this track, spin gets an early airing, with Bess replacing Curran. And he extracts some decent turn, forcing Edgar to stretch and miss at a ripper of an off-break. One from the over.
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7th over: South Africa 28-0 (Elgar 17, Malan 11). Broad’s first bad ball of the innings, back-of-a-length and wide outside off stump, is cut to the extra cover boundary by Elgar. Broad responds with a jagged cutter into Elgar’s body but he nudges that away smartly for a single - the first time the batsmen have changed ends. They swiftly change back again as Malan pushes his first ball from Broad for a single.
The Pope puns just keep coming, and may do for all Eternity: “Considering some of the awful challenges made by England in recent years (Yes, you, Stuart Broad!), a little ‘Infallibility’ might be useful,” parps Matthew Dony.
6th over: South Africa 22-0 (Elgar 12, Malan 10). Curran’s line isn’t quite right – maybe it’s the strong breeze - and he drops one a little short that’s comfortably helped down to the fine leg boundary for four by Malan. Both Bess and Wood look to be warming up.
More dead-ball pedantry from Rendell Harris. “Re Richard O’Hagan’s assertion that the ball isn’t dead whilst an appeal/wicket is being reviewed, if it was still live why couldn’t the batters keep on running, or in this case why couldn’t the fielding side have run out Woods and/or Pope as they’d left the crease? Or is the ball in a sort of Schroedinger’s state during a review, both alive and dead?”
This one will run and run. And that’s why I love you people. Each and every one of you.
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5th over: South Africa 18-0 (Elgar 12, Malan 6). Elgar drives freely for two but Broad comes back at him with a jaffa that’s angled in and moves away past the outside edge. Another four follows, when Elgar reacts well to one that keeps low-ish and steers it past the slips with soft hands. South Africa are scoring with ease, but Broad is looking dangerous.
“Presumably a Pope shot for 6 would be a Pontifex Maximus?” honks Matthew Brown. Not to pedants like me it wouldn’t, since a six is not a maximum.
4th over: South Africa 12-0 (Elgar 6, Malan 6). A loose one down leg from Curran is nonchalantly punished by Malan, who clips through midwicket for four. There’s a stiff breeze blowing across the field, which probably isn’t helping his natural inswinging trajectory at right-handers, though he asks a few more questions with a teaser across the right-hander outside off stump to round off the over.
Lee Hammond wants to enthuse about England’s newly perky batting: “As a long suffering England fan, this feels like the first time England have had actual fun batting for what feels like years. Yes, Stokes especially have had big knocks, but usually breathless innings where we have been staring at the barrel, do or die efforts. It’s great to see an end of innings ‘Go out there and smash it’ mentality from the tail after the main batting line-up provides a platform for it to happen.”
Yeah suddenly all that agonising about where to slot in Bairstow, Moeen and Buttler across the middle order seems a long time ago, suddenly. And call me hasty, but I reckon Jason Roy’s Test career’s a goner now.
3rd over: South Africa 8-0 (Elgar 6, Malan 2). Broad is finding that edge of the left-hander from round the wicket here, Elgar prodding uneasily to slip, along the ground. It’s a fine over, and already Broad, like the wily old great he is, is getting more of a tune out of this new ball than South Africa did.
Richard O’Hagan has a better, less jobsworthy though somehow agreeable more jobsworthy, interpretation of the declaration issue. “I think the umpires may have been correct. The ball has to be dead for there to be a declaration. The ball is only dead once the umpire upholds an appeal, or it is returned to either the bowler or the wicketkeeper. In this instance the appeal wasn’t upheld, because it was being reviewed, so the ball wasn’t dead.” And it gave us another 15 minutes or so of fun.
2nd over: South Africa 8-0 (Elgar 6, Malan 2). Sam Curran, who six months ago was very much a fringe England Test player, is now a new-ball bowler, giving the tourists a welcome variety of angles early on. Malan, so impressive at Cape Town, plays the over out watchfully, before getting off the mark with a nudge for two when Curran strays a fraction to the legside
One more Pope shot epithet for now: “Ecumenisized,” suggests Matt Robins. That would be an ecumenical matter.
1st over: South Africa 6-0 (Elgar 6, Malan 0). So what can England muster on this largely zipless pitch? Some movement early on, for starters, Broad’s sharp away-swinger being cannily steered down to third man for two by Elgar to get the innings going. A squired thick-edge for four ensures the opening over is an expensive one, but England have plenty of runs to play with and the movement off the seam will buoy them.
More talking points: Hot on the heels of the Rabada pearl-clutching and counter-outrage, might there be words about Root’s withdrawn declaration? Kevin Foster quotes law 15.3, “a captain shall notify the opposing captain and the umpires of any decision to declare or to forfeit an innings. Once notified, the decision cannot be changed. Officiating really poor in this series from no balls, to demerits, to comprehensive knowledge of the rules...” Justin Horton and Dominic Sayers raise the same question.
So, who said this was a “cursed” tour with England’s batting in confused disarray? Well me, for one, a couple of weeks ago on the OBO, but they’ve batted here with intelligence, discipline, panache and, today, swagger to put themelves in a great position. Pope’s innings was masterful, and he’s surely cemented his place for a very, very long time to come this winter. Which is just as well, given the number of names you’re all coming up with for his inventive behind-the-wicket shots. “Pope-a-dope” (Brian Withington), “Pope-a-Scoop” (Facsimile Benson) and “Papal Scoop” (Harry Coleman) are among them while John Starbuck adds: :You wouldn’t call it ‘Popeshot’ for fear of inadvertent headlines, but how about ‘Popeflip’?”
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Definite wicket and declaration! Wood c Nortje b Maharaj 42
152nd over: England 499-9 declared (Pope 135) I can’t keep up with this. Wood clouts Maharaj for another SIX to close on a half-century - South Africa want to get him off strike to the spinner. They do, eventually, by getting him out, one last slog finding a fielder, Nortje, and Joe Root calls them in one short of 500.
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151st over: England 491-8 (Pope 134, Wood 35) A two, a two and a SIX for Pope, who is thrillingly undaunted by Rabada, this latest not-maximum being a hook backward of square.
A tremendous niche-stat from the redoubtable Tim de Lisle: “When Pope went to 123, his Test average went past 50. Surely the first person ever to get there just after playing two reverse pulls.” Are they reverse-pulls? Here’s some other Pope-shot suggestions: “OllieScoop” (Daniel Forman) “Puntiflex” (George Davidson)
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150th over: England 481-8 (Pope 124, Wood 35) Pope reverse sweeps another easy single off Maharaj before Wood, the Durham Dasher, clears the ropes again with another sweetly connected slogged on-drive.
England aren’t going to lose this, I just about feel assured of saying.
149th over: England 473-8 (Pope 121, Wood 29) This is enormous, dizzying fun now: Pope once again responds to a quick back-of-a-length delivery by ramping it again over the keeper’s head. And next ball – HE DOES IT AGAIN, this time towards the third man boundary for another four. This is a shot, hit with more follow through and power than most ramps, that should be named after him, a la Natmeg and Dilscoop, a sort of Pope-ramp, or something. Any suggestions?
Then we think the innings is over when Wood is caught and Root declares, but he changes his mind when the no-ball is discovered, and South Africa’s punishment must continue. Which it does, with Wood shellacking a short-ish one outside off stump to the cover point boundary.
These two have added 46 from 35 balls.
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Wicket denied – and declaration delayed! England 468-8
Wood’s slogfest is seemingly ended when he holes out on the offside. Root calls them in, then the replay shows Rabada oversteps and sends them back out again. What a day Rabada is having.
148th over: England 457-8 (Pope 111, Wood 25) Pope is happier letting Wood have the strike to Maharaj, cutting effortlessly away for a single. And why wouldn’t he? Everyone’s favourite north-east-based AFC Wimbledon fan absolutely leathers one out of the blockhole straight down the ground for the mightiest of SIXES. The Barmy Army, unfortunately, decide to greet this with a leaden version of the Great Escape. He’s not done though, Wood, and swipes another SIX on the onside. He’s into his 20s in no time, and England are over 450 and into all manner of recently uncharted territory.
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147th over: England 443-8 (Pope 110, Wood 12) South Africa’s field is well scattered now, with no slips at all. It’s like a pre-fielding restrictions B&H Cup match or something. Pope’s declining singles though, dabbing deep into the offside but deciding not to run. He then cheekily calls Wood to run a bye off the last ball of the over, another short one that flies over his head to the keeper. He’s clever as well as talented, this lad.
Adrian Foster is thinking ahead: “Without Jimmy’s guile or Archer’s pace do you think Root might be tempted to let Stokes have a go with the new ball? Picking up a couple of wickets before the close in this situation would be a very Ben Stokes thing to do.” Wouldn’t it just? Though a spinner on early could also pay off on this surface.
146th over: England 442-8 (Pope 110, Wood 12) Tail-end high-jinks as Wood clouts Maharaj over deep midwicket for six and follows it up with a lovely, deft square sweep that also pierces the field for four. Maharaj then raps him on the pad after turning a quicker ball into him but the umpire’s having none of it. Wood has a big heave again, high into the air on the offside but that bounces in no man’s land too. Textbook.
145th over: England 430-8 (Pope 110, Wood 0) Rabada suddenly finds some menace in the pitch, jagging a length ball straight up into Pope’s grille. That’s canny cross-seam bowling by the looks. Pope then has a big let-off as he appears to be strangled down leg. Rabada can’t review, though replays suggest it glanced the glove. He cashes in by concluding an over of short stuff by hooking for four. It’s all going his way, and England should look for quick runs now.
144th over: England 426-8 (Pope 105, Wood 0) And they’re back out, and straight away Maharaj finds extravagant turn to beat Wood outside off stump as he completes the over he started before tea. That turn will encourage England.
“Can we move Pope up the holy orders yet then? Where will he end up, 5? Can he be a 3?” says Adam Hirst A trinity, if you will, yeah, why not? Talking of name riffs, it’s a shame England don’t have a Gerry in their ranks, thereby depriving us of ice-cream themed pairings (Ben and Gerry) and long-forgotten 1984 breakdance hits themed pairings (Ollie and Gerry)
And that's tea, England 426-8
144th over: England 426-8 (Pope 105) Maharaj picks up his fourth wicket, well deserved on that workload for a first innings, and they all go off for some sustenance. As will I. See you in a bit.
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Wicket! Bess c Malan b Maharaj 1, England 426-8
England aren’t going to have the option to declare by the looks. Bess pushes square on the off and it’s snaffled up by Malan at silly point.
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143rd over: England 425-7 (Pope 105, Bess 1) Mikey Holding, who’s clearly been following the OBO, suggests “Francis” as a nickname for Pope. Of course, if the previous Pontiff was still in the gig we could have called him Benedict, which would have dovetailed with our culinary theme (eggs … etc).
Pope then, appropriately, plays a near miraculous shot, more or less toe-ending an uppercut while on his knees and it sails straight behind, up and over, for four. It was a venomous old ball from Nortje too. What a player we have here. Gavin Facey emails in to suggest his ruination by making him captain.
142nd over: England 420-7 (Pope 100, Bess 1) Maharaj beats Bess all ends up with a ripper past the outside edge, angled in at leg stump and then turning sharply past the batsman. It’s a fine over and a rare, of late, maiden.
“What IS that tune the band is playing?” asks Peter Gibbs, “Sounded to me like George Michael, and appropriate for something I’m sure... Anyway, take my ear-worm, I’ve had enough of it now.
Ollie Pope brings up his maiden Test century!
140th over: England 420-7 (Pope 100, Bess 1) Nortje returns to the attack – South Africa have been uncertain about their pace attack options today – and Pope adds a single to move within a boundary of you know what. Bess brings his teammate swiftly back on strike by getting off the mark with a nudged single off his hips. Nortje tucks Pope up neatly though, bowling full-ish and at the stops, but that can’t becalm him long and he clips the next ball past mid-on for four for his first Test 100. Not before time and richly, richly deserved. This has been a delicious, classy Test match innings. Suddenly the middle-order future looks bright indeed.
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140th over: England 414-7 (Pope 95, Bess 0) Maharaj comes on at the other end now – because what’s 51 overs between friends? – and Curran punishes a short ball by cutting with conviction for four, and then gets down the track and clatters another boundary past a diving deep mid-off before he perishes caught in the deep. England won’t mind overmuch, Curran having done precisely the job needed. Now that newly-frail England tail has a chance to wag with the pressure off.
Back to culinary nicknames, Peter Nower reminds us: “Unfortunately the nickname “cheeseboard” is already taken…” Ah, my kind of cricketer.
Wicket! Curran c Elgar b Maharaj 44, England 413-7
Curran’s cameo is curtailed, following two fours by holing out to deep midwicket where Elgar sees a swirling sky-high ball safely down into his hands.
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139th over: England 404-6 (Pope 94, Curran 35) South Africa mix up their slow-bowling options, replacing Maharaj (who’s bowled 51 overs) with the part-time left-arm spin of Dean Elgar. Declaration bowling? It enables England to reach 400! anyhow, with Pope nudging a single to bring up the all too rare landmark. He almost induces a wicket too, as Curran miscues a high off-drive and Rabada at long-off is a bit too slow out of the blocks and it bounces in front of him. The strike is rotated agreeably to bring up a very handy 50 partnership.
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138th over: England 399-6 (Pope 92, Curran 32) Pope moves into the 90s with a confident late cut off Nortje for two, and then takes a bit of a risk by getting too early and too forward on a pull from a short ball and it dollies dangerously high but doesn’t reach the man at deep midwicket, so it’s a single instead.
“Is the pinnacle of Root’s captaincy getting himself out for not much in order to get Rabada suspended?” wonders Elliott Carr-Barnsley. “4D chess from the lad.”
137th over: England 396-6 (Pope 89, Curran 32) The Barmy Army’s (absent?) trumpeter has been wholly eclipsed by the South African band’s full-on orchestra today - watch and learn, infernal Sheffield Wednesday/England band (actually, don’t). Pope nudges a single off Maharaj, and Curran ends the over with another blast down the ground for four. You know what, I reckon England are actually going to get 400 here.
Tough day for SA but the PE band are still going strong. @tomdaviesE17 pic.twitter.com/4DH8Uo1WT4
— Hazel (@hackneyhaz) January 17, 2020
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136th over: England 391-6 (Pope 88, Curran 28) Nortje replaces the subdued Philander - he’s got a bit of an air of Mournie Morkel about him, I reckon - and Curran greets him by slashing hard and getting four hacked behind gully. He’s just what England need at the moment, even if not every attempted big hit comes off, as when he misjudges a not-short-enough ball next up and pulls it onto his pads.
“Why not go the dessert route on naming the Stokes/Pope combination?” drools Nick Killick. “BenOllie isn’t too far from Banoffee - solid technical base (pastry), sticky when the going is tough (toffee), a bit mad on occasion (bananas) and all topped off with some luxuriously indulgent stroke play (whipped cream). The perfect combo.” Maybe, but I’d like to ask about the cheeseboard first.
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135th over: England 386-6 (Pope 87, Curran 24) Some pyrotechnics! The first for a while. Curran steps forward to Maharaj, meeting it on the bounce and cracks it with precision over the bowler’s head, and the boundary, for SIX. Pope scurries another single to mid-on to move within 13 of that thing they I won’t mention. Curran then cuts deftly for two to round off a productive over for the tourists.
134th over: England 376-6 (Pope 86, Curran 15) Curran cuts Philander fiercely for one, bringing back Pope to the strike, who pierces the field stylishly on the off for two.
Rob’s chat about early Noughties Vaughan and the earlier riffs on great non-retiring international retirements (Bell et al) reminds me of another whose disappearance from the international game went largely unheralded - Andy Caddick, who signed off with a seven-for at Sydney in the most significant of all dead-rubber wins in the Lean Years, and was never seen for England again. Matthew Hoggard rather shuffled away too without doing too much wrong.
133rd over: England 373-6 (Pope 84, Curran 14) Thanks Rob. I hope to be telling you about that hundred too, but I’m determined not to jinx it like I often do, so enough of this. Not least because Pope’s just endured a dicey over from Maharaj, facing a shout for a glance-behind, but there’s no reviews and it was brushing the pad not bat anyway. And two balls later, he gets even closer, drifting one past Pope’s outside-edge, De Kock whips off the bails but the batsman’s back foot is just inside the crease. Excellent over from the left-arm spinner.
Drinks
That’s it from me. Tom Davies will hopefully tell you all about Ollie Pope’s maiden Test hundred – you can email him here. Thanks for your company and emails. Happy Friday!
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132nd over: England 373-6 (Pope 84, Curran 14) Curran blasts Philander through extra-cover for four more. If Vern wasn’t retiring, and if Kagiso Rabada hadn’t been banned, there would be a case for leaving him out of the final Test. He suddenly looks very old, and England have neutralised him since the first innings of the series. That said, this pitch does him precisely no favours. Johannesburg should be better.
“Interesting that you mentioned Ramps just before Buttler got out,” says Richard O’Hagan. “After 40 Tests I’m beginning to wonder if Jos isn’t this generation’s Ramprakash, a player whose myriad talents never quite appear in the five-day game.”
I know what you mean, but I don’t completely agree. Ramps cracked first-class cricket, and then some, whereas Buttler has never done that.
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131st over: England 368-6 (Pope 83, Curran 10) There’s plenty of turn for Maharaj to the left-handed Curran, who flicks him round the corner for three.
“The best name my housemate Iain and I can come up with, following the OBO from our couch in Auckland, using all the letters, is Spookepest,” says Aaron. “An anagram generator also suggests Pekepoos, but I prefer ours.”
Yours doesn’t have a Siouxsie and the Banshees soundtrack, though.
130th over: England 364-6 (Pope 82, Curran 7) The Vern returns. Sam Curran, after an unusually sedate start of two from 14 balls, laces an uppish drive wide of short extra cover for four. It was a risky shot but he played it well. England are inching towards the promised land of 400. The last time they did in the first innings of a Test (as opposed to their first innings) was at Perth in 2017, when Dawid Malan and Jonny Bairstow scored fine centuries. Life moves pretty fast.
“For many, Jos Buttler is meant to take over from Root as captain,” says Ian Copestake. “Perhaps his batting will improve once he has all that other stuff to worry about.”
129th over: England 359-6 (Pope 82, Curran 2) “Vaughan had the nervous 190s,” says Dominic O’Reilly, “and never did make it through them.”
Yes, good one. Normally the failure to reach a milestone is bittersweet, but with Vaughan I can’t help but smile. If I could go back in time to watch one England batsman from my cricket-watching lifetime, it would be Vaughan from July 2002 to January 2003.
128th over: England 356-6 (Pope 82, Curran 1) Replays show that Curran would have survived any review for that LBW appeal - but only just. It was hitting the stumps, but the point of contact with the pad was umpire’s call.
Pope has been becalmed either side of lunch, with only eight runs from his 32 deliveries. I hope he doesn’t panic and try to force things.
“Without wishing to stray into controversial territory, Bairstow and Stokes always seemed to bat very well together during the period before Ed Smith’s strange selection ideas saw Bairstow shuttled up and down the batting order at random,” says James Dark.
I think that’s a bit harsh on Ed Smith, not least because that partnership was producing diminishing returns long before he arrived. That said, their 399-run partnership at Cape Town was one for the books.
127th over: England 354-6 (Pope 80, Curran 0) Permission to start worrying whether Jos Buttler will ever crack Test cricket granted. Since his apparent breakthrough summer of 2018, he averages 28 from 15 Tests.
The new batsman Sam Curran, meanwhile, survives a big shout for LBW after pushing around a good delivery. South Africa have used both their reviews.
WICKET! England 354-6 (Buttler ct and b Maharaj 1)
Oh, Jos. That’s such a soft dismissal, a back-foot force that went straight back to the bowler Maharaj. It was a poor delivery, far too short, and it may have stopped in the pitch. Dominic Sibley fell in almost identical fashion in the second innings of the first Test.
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126th over: England 353-5 (Pope 80, Buttler 1) Big Vern has only bowled 13 overs in this innings. Paterson continues to Buttler, who does well to repel a delivery that keeps a bit low. Uneven bounce on day two is England’s friend.
“Extraordinary that Test cricket is ‘so difficult’ that we apparently should allow adults to act like overtired kids,” says Dominic O’Reilly. “This is not a war zone or a natural disaster - it’s a game. If someone wants to embarrass themselves by acting like an arse then just ignore them. Don’t fine them and don’t justify them either. Treat them like a streaker by looking the other way until it’s over.”
125th over: England 353-5 (Pope 80, Buttler 1) I thought South Africa might bring Vernon Philander back to bowl at his new friend Jos Buttler. For now Maharaj continues, and Buttler gets off the mark with an easy drive through the covers. The match situation means he can treat this a bit like an ODI innings - 20 balls to have a look, and then the violence.
“It seems to me that Pope gets a bit stuck in the 70s,” says Richard O’Hagan. “I was just wondering if it is his version of the legendary ‘nervous nineties’. After all, it doesn’t have to be the nineties. KP had a problem with 158, and I always seem to be dismissed in the tens when I bat.”
You had to bring Ramps into this, didn’t you. You had to break our hearts all over again. (Also, if we’re playing a game of onedownmanship, I’ll see your tens and raise you the nervous noughties.)
124th over: England 351-5 (Pope 79, Buttler 0) That’s Paterson’s first Test wicket. He bowled an accomplished defensive spell to frustrate Stokes, who was increasingly desperately to push things forward. It was a magisterial innings from Stokes, all things considered: 120 from 214 balls with 12 fours and two sixes.
WICKET! England 351-5 (Stokes c Elgar b Patersn 120)
South Africa’s off-theory pays off. Stokes slaps a wide ball from Paterson straight to point, where Elgar takes a smart catch.
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123rd over: England 351-4 (Stokes 120, Pope 79) Stokes wants another piece of Maharaj. Several, ideally. He fails to pierce the field with a reverse sweep and then drags an inside edge to short third man.
“I always thought Collingwood and Pietersen batted well together,” says Peter Norman. “Very different but somehow complimentary playing styles and characters, with the results to go with it.”
If not always the team results. But yes, absolutely. They’d be high on the list of England’s best middle-order partnerships of the last 50 years.
122nd over: England 350-4 (Stokes 119, Pope 79) “Given the discussion this morning, can I ask a genuine but clearly totally out of date question?” asks Gary. “Why ISN’T Ian Bell in the Test team? I think I missed something along the way - I’m sure his average is pretty good and he was at times almost Gower-like to watch …”
He was dropped – for a tour of South Africa in fact – after a dodgy 2015. I suspect England thought he would be back at some stage, but whenever there was a vacancy he wasn’t in great form.
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121st over: England 348-4 (Stokes 118, Pope 78) Pope survives a run-out chance, with Rabada’s throw from mid-on just missing the stumps. And then Stokes is dropped by Nortje! He lifted Stokes high in the air towards wide long-on, where Nortje misjudged the flight of the ball. He managed to reach it, just about, but the ball went through his fingertips as he fell forward. Another single brings up the 200 partnership between Stopes and Pokes.
120th over: England 345-4 (Stokes 117, Pope 76) Nothing much to report. South Africa are bowling very defensively, and for the time being England are content to bat at a natural tempo.
“In these informal times, we need to look at Stokes and Pope’s first names,” says Matt Dony. “This partnership is clearly Bellie.”
119th over: England 343-4 (Stokes 115, Pope 76) Pope takes a single off Maharaj to move to his highest Test score.
“Are we seriously suggesting that Rabada is a better Test bowler than Brian Statham or Malcolm Marshall,” says John Murray. “They both hit top of off stump repeatedly and never engaged in hysterical reactions. Rabada has a temperament problem and has paid the price inevitable under the current demerit rules.”
I wasn’t aware anyone was suggesting that, seriously otherwise. I agree about the hysterical reactions, but imagine how it might be twisted if Rabada said, as Marshall did of Dilip Vengsarkar, “I not only wanted to get him out, I didn’t mind if I decapitated him in the process.”
118th over: England 341-4 (Stokes 114, Pope 75) Paterson starts after lunch to Stokes with the funkiest of fields: fifth slip, point, cover point, extra cover and mid-off. The hell Stokes cares. He takes the ring of fielders out of the game by walking down the track to cuff a boundary to the left of mid-off.
“How about going with alternative letters of Stokes and Pope’s names - creates a lovely sense of the baton being passed back and forth between batsmen,” says Nick Watts. “And who can argue with Sptookpees?”
That sounds a bit like Greg Davies’s secret language. Cu-shawn!
“When was the last time the lowest score in the England top six was a quarter century?” asks AJ.
From memory I think it was the second innings of the third Test against Pakistan in 2016, but would have to check.
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“Last night, the consensus among the commentariat appeared to be that the game (at 224-4) was roughly even, or England were slightly ahead, but in his interview Zak Crawley said it was ‘a very good day for us’,” says Andrew Waters. “Youthful enthusiasm, I tutted. But in retrospect, it struck me that he was right.
“The new balls had been blunted, the bowlers tired in the heat, and two attacking batsmen well in at the crease with more to come. The game was completely set up for Stokes and co this morning, so it was a very good day. Now, it means nothing if they then don’t deliver, but Crawley’s quote made clear to me that England at the least have a coherent plan about how to win this cricket match, and possibly others, utilising their strengths. And that has been sorely lacking of late (other than - just go out and hit it).”
Yes, I like the way they have tried to bat this winter. I do think we obsess a bit too much about tempo, though. I wonder whether, as a consequence, certain players - Denly, Buttler - are torn between their natural game and their assumed role. But generally the signs are encouraging.
“There can be no better evidence of England’s newfound confidence,” says Richard O’Hagan, “than electing to go into a break on triple Nelson.”
Lunchtime chitchat
“Does Cook and Pietersen count as a middle-order partnership?” says Stephen Brown. “They had a lot of great innings together and exemplify a lot of the contrasts you speak of: left/right, blocker/basher etc.”
I’d say you need two middle-order batsmen, although I don’t make the rules. I agree they were brilliant together, which made the fallout even sadder.
Nasser Hussain is on one about the decision to ban Kagiso Rabada
“I don’t agree with the decision. From what I saw yesterday, I don’t think that’s a demerit point. What did he do wrong? Was there any physical contact? Was there any sledging? A bowler shows some emotion. We sit in air-conditioned rooms and have this righteous, holier-than-thou attitude. I think we forget what it’s like out there in the heat of battle.
“If Jos Buttler - the calmest bloke on the planet - can stand behind the stumps and swear four times at Vernon Philander, you know the emotions of a game of cricket. This lad has had no physical contact, hasn’t said a word, he’s shown some emotion for bowling a jaffa. I tell you what, let’s have 11 robots out there, let’s take emotion out of the game.
“When you saw yesterday, did you think [points aggressively into the middle distance], ‘He must be banned for that, let’s get this lad out of the next game?’ [Would you want your kids celebrating like that, Nass?] Yes. I’d want my kids to show emotion. We’ll have robots, 11 robots. You can sit in an air-conditioned comm box and say, ‘Oh calm down, isn’t it a lovely game.’ We know it’s not a lovely game - we’ve played Test cricket. We know how much it takes out of you.”
That was sheer delightful punditry.
Breaking news: Virat Kohli is batting
I forgot to say thanks for all your emails. I’m a bit behind - I swear it was easier to deal with an OBO inbox 15 years ago - so if your superior email hasn’t been published, that’s probably why. It’s definitely me. Oh aye.
Lunch
117th over: England 335-4 (Stokes 108, Pope 75) A quiet over from Maharaj completes a near perfect morning for England: 27 overs, 111 runs and no wickets. Ben Stokes was imperious, Ollie Pope merely superb, and by the end South Africa’s collective spirit required an X-ray. See you in half an hour for the afternoon session.
One final thought: the absolute state of Ben Stokes right now.
116th over: England 333-4 (Stokes 107, Pope 74) My colleague Martin Rose tells me it was Stokes who encouraged Pope to review that LBW decision with only a couple of seconds remaining on the DRS timer. Stokes can do nothing wrong at the moment. If he fell into a barrel of Brexit, he’d come up clutching a united society.
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115th over: England 331-4 (Stokes 105, Pope 74) Stokes skips back in his crease to drive Maharaj beautifully through the covers for four. Technically, he is close to the complete batsman. That’s another reason to admire Stokes - he works harder on his game than anyone in the England team. Not all geniuses rely on their natural ability; Kevin Pietersen was another one who spent half his life in the nets.
“Re: your earlier thoughts on England middle-order partnerships,” says Tim Barry, “are we seeing the emergence of Stopes?”
I know what you’re all thinking – POKES, YOU IDIOT, FOR THE LOVE OF GOD I’LL TRACK YOU DOWN AND TEACH YOU A THING OR TWO ABOUT PORTMANTEAUS WITH MY FISTS – but Tim might have a point. Stokes has to be the senior partner, surely. Stopes does sound a bit weird, though, and is not exactly challenging ‘cellar door’ when it comes to phonetic beauty.
114th over: England 326-4 (Stokes 100, Pope 74) “Is it just me that doesn’t like the narrative ‘Pope and Stokes lead England fightback after slow start’,” says Chris Lingwood. “I’d much rather it was ‘Pope and Stokes capitalise on unusually competent opening batting.’ Especially in the light of this morning. Look what happens when you are 20 for 3!”
Agreed. I think England have made good progress as a Test batting line-up this winter. Their cloth-cutting has noticeably improved.
REVIEW! England 326-4 (Pope not out 74)
Ollie Pope has an LBW decision overturned on review. He walked across his stumps to Paterson, missed a flick across the line and was hit on the pad. Bruce Oxenford gave it out on the field, and although Pope reviewed I thought it would be Umpire’s Call. But replays showed it was missing leg stump, so Pope survived. “You beauty!” shouted Joe Root on the England balcony.
BEN STOKES MAKES HIS NINTH TEST HUNDRED!
113.3 overs: England 326-4 (Stokes 100, Pope 74) Stokes drives Paterson for a single to reach a masterful century from 174 balls. He celebrates modestly, taking off his glove to salute his unwell father Ged, and then gets on with business. It’s Stokes’ third hundred in the last nine Tests - before that he had six in 53 - and another reminder, not that it’s required, that he has become England’s best batsman.
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113th over: England 325-4 (Stokes 99, Pope 74) Maharaj changes ends and bowls a maiden to Pope. Although Pope has struggled slightly to rotate strike this morning, he has scored enough boundaries to keep things moving. He has 74 from 132 balls, Stokes 99 from 171.
112th over: England 325-4 (Stokes 99, Pope 74) Dane Paterson replaces Maharaj. South Africa’s seamers are bowling wide of off stump to a 7/2 field, an impromptu tribute to Jacques Kallis. Stokes plays a clever late cut for two to move within one run of giving us all another opportunity to get all misty-eyed about his greatness.
111th over: England 323-4 (Stokes 97, Pope 74) South Africa have looked pretty flat this morning, although that shouldn’t detract from the brilliance of England’s batting. Listen to him: the brilliance of England’s batting!
Meanwhile, here’s more on Kagiso Rabada’s ban.
110th over: England 319-4 (Stokes 95, Pope 72) Stokes moves into the nineties with a reverse sweep off Maharaj, and then clouts another slog sweep for four. That takes Stokes to 4,000 Test runs, and there are unconfirmed reports that he has done a bit of bowling as well.
109th over: England 313-4 (Stokes 89, Pope 72) Pope swivel-pulls Rabada gracefully round the corner for another boundary. That takes him into the seventies; I’d imagine his inner chimp is already raising the bat too all corners of the ground.
Here’s Mark Hooper. “The best example of Stokes as the thinking/versatile cricketer was the sight of him in that World Cup final, dead on his feet, doing the sums in his head after every ball working out whether to stick or twist.”
And even recalling a match between India and Bangladesh in 2016. How he had such clarity I’ll never know.
108th over: England 308-4 (Stokes 88, Pope 68) After a quiet spell for England - three runs in four overs - Pope threads Maharaj to the extra-cover boundary. Lovely shot.
107th over: England 303-4 (Stokes 88, Pope 64) “There seems to be a lot of ‘political correctness gone mad’ reaction to Rabada’s ban,” says Andrew Moore, “but I would say two things. Firstly, it didn’t look great to run up to the stumps and scream in Root’s personal space, even if it wasn’t in his face. Secondly, he hasn’t been banned just for yesterday’s incident. If I’m on 9 points and I get clocked doing 33 in a 30 surely most of the blame for losing my licence is on me?”
Yes, as the chaps on Sky said earlier, he isn’t the quickest learner, as he has been in trouble a few times before. It was provocative, I agree with that, but I think we should show a bit more empathy for players who make slight, instinctive misjudgements when elite sport is at its most intense. Most of us struggle to control our temper on social media, never mind in the heightened environment of Test cricket. But I do appreciate the alternative view. I suppose we all put different amounts of salt in the stew.
106th over: England 302-4 (Stokes 87, Pope 64) A maiden from Maharaj to Pope. South Africa have gone on the defensive, and probably feel they are playing for a draw now. This is why Stokes is so good - not only is he willing to take risks that others would not, but he has the intelligence to calculate those on each given day. He really is the most admirable cricketer.
105th over: England 302-4 (Stokes 87, Pope 64) “Hi Rob,” says Pete. “With the emergence of Ollie Pope do you think it’s about time Ian Bell retired from international cricket. He’s done a great job for England in the last couple of years but I don’t think we need him anymore.”
It was really sad, but kind of fitting given the way he was undervalued for much of his career, that Bell never even had a press conference – never mind a standing ovation on the field – to mark the end of his Test career.
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104th over: England 300-4 (Stokes 86, Pope 63) Stokes cuts Maharaj for a couple to bring up a rapid 150 partnership from just 236 balls. The crescendo of England’s batting line-up brings to mind the Flower/Strauss teams, although Strauss, Cook and Trott were a higher-class version of Crawley, Sibley and Denly.
“Hello from hot, polluted (but non-rainy) Bangkok,” says Leo Nine. “A question: I noticed, while watching the last Test in the pub, that the S. Africans have very low player numbers on the front of their shirts compared to those from other Test nations. Did they only start the player numbers after readmission,? Also thought to mention that I just booked to go and see the Test in Galle in March. A bit of a stretch perhaps, but might there be any other OBO readers going who’d like to share a car (as much for company as cost) from the airport in Colombo to Galle around midday on March 17?”
If anyone is interested, let me know and I’ll forward your email to Leo. And yes, I’m pretty sure the numbers started after readmission.
103rd over: England 296-4 (Stokes 83, Pope 62) Rabada replaces Nortje, not much happens, and that’s drinks.
102nd over: England 295-4 (Stokes 83, Pope 61) A rare poor ball from Maharaj is dragged round the corner for four by Stokes. Scratch that, they were leg byes. Stokes makes amends by launching the next ball over midwicket and out of the ground. This is glorious batting. Apart from a five-minute spell when he lost concentration, he has played an almost perfect innings. England have scored at 5.92 per over today, more than double their rate yesterday.
“He took his time,” says Tom Bowtell, “but in his 13th over Philander finally reached the ultimate Benaud career stats of 222 wickets at 22.22.”
I haven’t been this emotional since I learned that Alec Stewart (born 8 April 1963) finished his Test career with 8463 runs.
101st over: England 285-4 (Stokes 77, Pope 61) Pope has a full range of strokes, and he demonstrates another with a crisp square drive for four off Nortje. I suppose the precedent of Haseeb Hameed should encourage caution, but Pope looks so good.
“I’m all in on the Pope hype,” says Adrian Foster. “Do we think the selectors might pick Ian Bell this summer so we can have the pleasure of watching them bat together? Or would the world collapse in on itself at the sheer beauty of it?”
You say that like it would be a bad thing. Maybe the beauty of their partnership would be reset everything, and the world would be sane again.
100th over: England 279-4 (Stokes 76, Pope 56) Keshav Maharaj comes into the attack. Stokes, who usually goes after Maharaj, hacks his second delivery through midwicket for four - and slog-sweeps the last ball of the over for six. Lovely batting from Stokes, who has been in a hurry this morning. It’s not without risk, far from it, but he wants to give England as much time as possible to take 20 wickets on this slow pitch.
“Morning Rob,” says Simon McMahon. “I missed the Rabada celebration that has earned him a ban. I assume it was the full effin and jeffin in the England captain’s face, with associated hand gestures, all the way to the boundary rope?”
Yes. I suppose, on reflection, he was a bit out of order with that suplex.
99th over: England 267-4 (Stokes 64, Pope 56) “’Morning, Rob,” says John Starbuck. “In your preamble about Stokes and Pope, it was noticeable that you didn’t mention their red hair. As an ex-redhead myself, this was welcome, since it’s really a form of racism. The Talk-Talk guys haven’t got the message yet.”
I don’t think I’ve ever seen the phrase “ex-redhead” before, even though I’m also one. I was going to suggest forming an Ex-Redhead Society, but I wouldn’t want to be in charge of verifying membership.
98th over: England 264-4 (Stokes 62, Pope 55) Pope plays a nice late cut off Philander that is well stopped by the diving Hamza in the gully. Those late cuts are another homage, deliberate or otherwise, to Ian Bell.
“On Thorpe’s partnerships,” says Timothy, “you seem to have Statsguru in your head. He seemed to be a good influence on Hick too.”
That’s interesting. I can’t remember too many partnerships with Hick, apart from that biggie at Brisbane in 1994.
97th over: England 260-4 (Stokes 60, Pope 53) Stokes plays a disdainful short-arm jab for two off Nortje. Batting is starting to look easy for him, but with Stokes that isn’t always a good sign. It often means he is losing concentration, and that’s definitely the case here. He is lucky to get away with an edge that flies through the vacant second-slip area for four.
“Your Pope/Stokes preamble is proving pleasingly prescient,” says Emma John. “Thanks for keeping me updated on the rain delay, it meant I got an extra half hour in bed.”
I would have made a great weatherman.
96th over: England 252-4 (Stokes 52, Pope 53) Vernon Philander replaces Kagiso Rabada. Pope late cuts him for four, bringing up his first century partnership with Stokes. Spoiler: it isn’t their last. He repeats the stroke later in the over to bring up another high-class fifty, his third in the last four innings. If you’re not excited about what Ollie Pope might achieve in the next decade, you should seek urgent medical advice.
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Kagiso Rabada has been banned from the final Test
This is a load of idealistic crap.
Huge news - Kagiso Rabada banned for Johannesburg Test for picking up 4 demerit points. The one he has just received for yesterday's Root send-off triggered the ban. More on @guardian_sport shortly
— Chris Stocks (@StocksC_cricket) January 17, 2020
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95th over: England 243-4 (Stokes 51, Pope 45) Stokes is beaten, flashing at a short ball from Nortje. Careful now. Those lapses of concentration are his biggest weakness as a batsman. He walks right across his stumps to the next ball, flicking it in the air on the leg side for a single. It was probably a safer shot than it looked.
“Morning Rob,” says Robert Ellson. “Would like to add to your list of great England middle-order partnerships: Graham Thorpe and anyone.”
Ha, yes. I’m trying to think who was his best partner. Nasser, maybe, though he also had some terrific partnerships with Freddie Flintoff in the second part of his career.
94th over: England 241-4 (Stokes 50, Pope 44) A short ball from Rabada does nothing off the pitch, which gives Stokes plenty of time to cart a pull to the midwicket boundary. He repeats the stroke later in the over to reach another masterful half-century from 102 balls. He has never batted better than in the last nine months, and his career average (36.62 and rising) is the highest it has been since he made that glorious hundred at Perth in only his second Test.
93rd over: England 231-4 (Stokes 40, Pope 44) Pope gets the first boundary of the day with a lovely stroke, flashing a shortish delivery from Nortje wide of gully. England have found a player, no point denying it. He’s class.
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92nd over: England 225-4 (Stokes 39, Pope 39) In a surprising development, Kagiso Rabada will open the bowling from the Duckpond End. Stokes punches a couple of confident drives without piercing the field, and it’s a maiden.
91st over: England 225-4 (Stokes 39, Pope 39) Anrich Nortje opens the bowling to Ben Stokes, who turns a short ball off the hip for the first run of the day. Stokes has a good winter with the bat, with an average in excess of 50, though he’ll be annoyed that he hasn’t scored a century.
“Hi Rob,” says Jamie Gordon. “The sun’s just come out over Woking and the weather is heading in the direction of Port Elizabeth - we should be in for a fine day once we get started.”
This will be a two-hour morning session, despite the delayed start, with lunch put back to 12.45pm local time, 10.45pm in England.
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There are rumours that Kagiso Rabada is in trouble for his celebration of Joe Root’s wicket yesterday. This ongoing attempt to impose the genteel ambience of a tea party upon international sport really is lamentable nonsense.
“It seems that subscription channels, with their big pockets, are hoovering up the Test series in different countries,” says Jim Todd. “My question is: how long before we have to subscribe and pay for OBO text commentary? And when that happens will the star OBO commentators be worth millions from all our subscription cash?”
Now that’s an IPL-style auction I’d like to see. ‘I have five over here, do I hear ten? Ten pence for Rob Smyth?’
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Play will start at 8.45am, it says here.
The covers have come off, though there’s no scheduled start time yet.
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It’s raining again. Play won’t be starting at 8.20am, that’s for sure. The upside of the delay is a fascinating chat about the minutiae of batting between Nick Knight, Dawid Malan and Rob Key in the Sky studio. Key, in particular, is a sensational pundit.
“Morning Rob,” says Guy Hornsby. “From an aptly very soggy and dark Salford, seems like it’s raining everywhere today. Hopefully Pope and Stokes can drip runs from a tired South African attack, the scoreboard will begin to flow and they’ll thunder us into a healthy 350+ total with a storm of boundaries. Or not.”
“This rain rather goes against the ‘Port Elizabeth, weather fine’ earworm I get whenever I see or hear the name Port Elizabeth,” says Andy Hockley.
Never trust an earworm. I drank Pepsi for a decade, thinking it was good for energy, and now look at my crooked smile.
Play will start at 8.20am/10.20am local time, weather permitting.
If you need a live cricket fix, Jonathan Howcroft is your man.
Ach, it’s raining again and the covers are going back on. It looks like it could be an on-off morning, though the forecast is better after lunch.
There’s been a bit of rain in Port Elizabeth, so the start will be delayed by 10 minutes.
Breakfast reading
Preamble
Hello. Middle-order partnerships are an underappreciated part of cricket. We know all about the great opening pairs, yet we rarely talk about those down the order. And while they don’t bat together as often as the openers, they can still rack up thousands of runs together.
There are a few things that help to make a good partnership: contrasts (left and right hand, tall and short, dasher and blocker), off-field friendship, telepathic running between the wickets. But perhaps the most important is an indefinable chemistry. You could sense it in England’s best middle-order partnerships of modern times: Lamb and Smith, Hussain and Butcher, Flintoff and Jones, Pietersen and Collingwood.
And now, perhaps, Stokes and Pope. It’s early in their relationship - you want me to grab a dictionary? - and they sound like a firm of funeral directors. But they look great together and could put on thousands of runs for the fifth wicket in the next few years. They are good readers of the game, naturally positive but not too proud or dumb to sit in when required, and have the age-old advantage of a left/right partnership.
They first batted together against India at Trent Bridge in 2018, a union that lasted precisely four balls. But since being reunited this winter, all three of their partnerships have exceeded fifty. They added 76 yesterday evening, calmly taking England to 224 for four at the close, and have the chance to bat South Africa out of the game today.
They messed up a similar opportunity in the first Test of the winter at Mount Manganui, when batting became a bit too easy, but the sluggish nature of this pitch should enhance their concentration.
And if Stokes carts the first ball of the day to midwicket, this preamble never happened.
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