We are back on and it's James Anderson with the new ball. Three slips and a gully waiting..
Let me take a moment. Just a moment. South Africa were totally lobotomized. Make no mistake. What else explains those dropped chances? de Villiers out of all people put down one which he usually takes with closed eyes. But I'm digressing here from the headline. And it belongs to a red-headed Durham lad who took centrestage and smashed home. This belongs to the category of innings which are inspired. Inspired by the occasion. And it doesn't come better than the New Year Test in the backdrop of the table mountain. God, this was like holding the opposition onto a submission lock. If it were pro-wrestling, South Africa would have tapped out a hundred times and the bout would be over. But here, you aren't affored that luxury. Don't discount the role played by Bairstow as well. Boy, how will the Proteas batsmen react. Can they even feel themselves?
125.5 -
Rabada to Bairstow, 1 run, clipped through the on-side and there comes the declaration. Alastair Cook has had enough. Bairstow rushes off, stops mid-way, turns around with raised arms to acknowledge all the applause thrown at him .. and speeds off again
125.4 -
Rabada to Bairstow, SIX, blasted over backward square. Short ball trying to follow Bairstow as he was backing away, he pulls it hard and pulls it for six
Moeen Ali, left handed bat, comes to the crease
125.3 -
Rabada to Stokes, out Stokes Run Out!! Stokes' magnum-opus, IS OVER. Oh I felt like Michael Cole announcing the end of Undertaker's Wrestlemania streak. What a knock. Everyone is on their feet as he trudges off and heck, why not? He has lacerated the pulp out of South Africa. Length ball angled away outside off, Stokes looks to slog but loses shape and slices it in front of mid-on. de Villiers rushes forward, settles under it and .. he drops it. Before having to bury his head in shame, he makes up by gunning down the stumps at the non-striker's end. I think Stokes expected the catch to be taken and never really put his wheels on. Stokes run out (de Villiers) 258(198) [4s-30 6s-11]
Rabada to Stokes, THAT'S OUT!! Run Out!!
125.2 -
Rabada to Stokes, SIX, and now clouted over long-on. Now the question is, "where do you bowl?" Pitched up in his half, Stokes loads up on the long-handle and gives it a nice spank
125.1 -
Rabada to Stokes, SIX, mowed over deep mid-wicket and that's 250 for Stokes. Oh man. This is obliteration. Short ball and he blazes the pull. "Don't bowl short to me". He should put that on a T-shirt
Drinks are on the field now. It is mayhem out there in the middle as Stokes and Bairstow have smashed the opposition attack to smithereens. To make it a poor day for the hosts, Morkel dropped a sitter at long-off. He perhaps was distracted by the Barmy Army who were cheering England behind him.
124.6 -
C Morris to Stokes, 1 run, shorter in length, Stokes pulls it towards deep backward square leg
124.5 -
C Morris to Stokes, no run, Stokes makes room, but Morris follows him with a back of a length delivery. Stokes ekes out an inside edge behind square on the on-side
124.4 -
C Morris to Stokes, 2 runs, Stokes clears his front leg and hammers this length delivery to long-on for a brace
124.3 -
C Morris to Bairstow, 1 run, fullish from Morris, Bairstow biffs it to long-off
124.2 -
C Morris to Bairstow, FOUR, South Africa are certainly under the pump. Morkel now drops a sitter at long-off. Bairstow lofts this fuller length delivery towards Morkel at long-off, who moves forward and tries to pouch the catch with both hands, but it pops out. Embarrassing moment for the tall quick
124.1 -
C Morris to Stokes, 1 run, fuller length delivery and on the stumps, Stokes clears his front leg and clubs it to deep mid-wicket
Chris Morris [27.0-3-141-1] is back into the attack
123.6 -
Rabada to Bairstow, no run, short delivery and outside off, Bairstow sways away from the line
123.5 -
Rabada to Bairstow, no run, fuller length delivery and on the stumps, Bairstow slaps it back towards the bowler in the air. It deflects off the right-hand of Rabada and they don't take a single. Can't call that a chance as it was hit very hard
123.4 -
Rabada to Bairstow, FOUR, Bairstow again looks to usher in the pull, but Rabada gets good shoulder on it. Bairstow gets a top-edge and it runs away to the third man boundary
123.3 -
Rabada to Bairstow, SIX, Rabada flings in a bouncer, Bairstow stays inside the crease and pulls it hard to the fine leg boundary. It was one meaty blow
123.2 -
Rabada to Bairstow, FOUR, Bairstow stays deep in the crease and slaps this very full delivery to the long-off fence. This is now the highest stand for the sixth wicket in Tests
123.1 -
Rabada to Bairstow, no run, from round the wicket, Rabada hurls in a bouncer, but it is bowled well outside off, Bairstow manufactures room, but in the end, lets it go by.
122.6 -
van Zyl to Bairstow, 1 run, fuller length delivery and on the stumps, Bairstow drills it to long-on
The ball has now gone completely out of shape. The duo have explored every nook and cranny of the ground with their power-hitting. The umpires have asked for another ball.
122.5 -
van Zyl to Bairstow, FOUR, Bairstow again takes the safe route by lofting this length delivery down the ground and it races away to the fence in a jiffy
122.4 -
van Zyl to Bairstow, no run, van Zyl bowls this one well outside off, Bairstow drills it into the off-side
122.3 -
van Zyl to Bairstow, FOUR, fuller length delivery and on the stumps, Bairstow plants his front foot and pulverizes the ball down the ground. It is raining fours and sixes at the ground
122.2 -
van Zyl to Bairstow, FOUR, this now is T20 mode out in the middle. Bairstow clubs this length delivery across the line towards the deep mid-wicket boundary. It crashes into the ad-cushions
122.1 -
van Zyl to Bairstow, no run, good length delivery and outside off, Bairstow drills it towards cover
121.6 -
Rabada to Stokes, FOUR, width on offer, Stokes cracks the cut to third man. The stand now is worth 350 runs between the duo
121.5 -
Rabada to Stokes, no run, Stokes slaps this length delivery towards mid-on, who puts in the dive and saves a few runs
121.4 -
Rabada to Stokes, FOUR, on a length and on the stumps, Stokes plants his front foot and hammers it across the line to the deep mid-wicket fence. No need to run for those
121.3 -
Rabada to Stokes, no run, well, South Africa have wasted a review here. This delivery was pitched outside the line of leg-stump by about 6 inches. Yet, Amla went up for a review. Rabada hits it on a back of a length, Stokes aims to tuck it around the corner and missed. It hit him quite high as well. Amla could have taken that review only because he thinks a declaration is around the corner
South Africa have gone up for a review against Stokes for LBW. The front foot is fine. It was pitched about 6 inches outside the line of leg-stump and the original decision stays
121.2 -
Rabada to Stokes, 2 runs, too straight from Rabada, Stokes clips it to deep square leg for a brace
121.2 -
Rabada to Stokes, 5 wides, Rabada flings in the bumper, but it was too high. Stokes leaves it alone. de Kock leaps in the air, but it sails over him to the fence for 5 wides
121.1 -
Rabada to Bairstow, 1 run, Rabada zooms this one on the stumps, Bairstow looks to defend off the back foot and ekes out an inside edge towards short-cover. The pair pinch a quick single
120.6 -
van Zyl to Stokes, no run, van Zyl keeps it in that channel outside off, Stokes greets it with a lifted bat
120.5 -
van Zyl to Stokes, no run, Stokes slaps this fuller length delivery hard towards Amla at short-cover, who makes a good save and saves a few runs for his team
120.4 -
van Zyl to Bairstow, 1 run, Bairstow gets forward and drives it to long-on
120.3 -
van Zyl to Stokes, 1 run, Stokes makes room. However, van Zyl bowls this one well outside off. Stokes drills it off the bottom of the bat to sweeper cover
120.2 -
van Zyl to Stokes, SIX, now that seemed more like a golf swing to me! Stokes prods forward and buries this pitched up delivery over the long-on fence. It cleared the boundary rope quite easily
120.1 -
van Zyl to Bairstow, 1 run, Bairstow camps on the back foot and smears the cut to this short and wide delivery. He leisurely jogs to the other end and picks up a run
Stiaan van Zyl [8.0-0-21-0] is back into the attack
119.6 -
Rabada to Bairstow, 1 run, fullish and on the stumps, Bairstow looks to heave it across the line. He ekes out an inside edge to deep mid-wicket
119.5 -
Rabada to Bairstow, no run, Rabada harpoons in a yorker and attacks the stumps, Bairstow digs it out
119.4 -
Rabada to Bairstow, no run, Rabada thunders into the crease and hurls in a short delivery, Bairstow watches it all the way through and hunkers under it
119.3 -
Rabada to Bairstow, no run, too straight from Rabada, Bairstow clips it to square leg
119.2 -
Rabada to Bairstow, 2 runs, a touch of width on offer, Bairstow cuts it to third man. Dane Piedt in the deep runs around the circumference and keeps the duo to two runs
119.1 -
Rabada to Bairstow, no run, just behind a good length and zooming in on the stumps, Bairstow guards it out from inside the crease
Kagiso Rabada [26.0-2-123-3] is back into the attack
118.6 -
Elgar to Bairstow, 1 run, deliciously flighted from Elgar, Bairstow drives it to long-off
118.5 -
Elgar to Bairstow, no run, tossed up delivery and outside off, Bairstow clears his front leg and aims to biff it across the line, but misses
118.4 -
Elgar to Stokes, 1 run, slower through the air from Elgar, Stokes drives it all along the carpet to long-on
118.3 -
Elgar to Bairstow, 1 run, Bairstow camps on the back foot and punches it to long-off
118.2 -
Elgar to Stokes, 1 run, Stokes ventures out of the crease, Elgar though bowls it wide of off-stump. Stokes despite manufacturing room is still able to reach to the ball and drill it to sweeper cover
118.1 -
Elgar to Stokes, no run, from round the wicket, Elgar, pushes it through. Stokes looks to essay the slog-sweep and misses
117.6 -
van Zyl to Bairstow, no run, fuller length delivery from van Zyl, Bairstow drives it to mid-off
117.5 -
van Zyl to Bairstow, no run, fuller length delivery and on off-stump, Bairstow defends it off the front foot
117.4 -
van Zyl to Bairstow, FOUR, despite Amla bringing in the field, Bairstow composes his first Test century. He is delighted for sure. He is hugged by his teammate, Stokes. He removes his helmet and acknowledges the crowd and the teammates back in the pavilion. Coming back to the ball, it was a short and wide delivery, Bairstow hammers the cut and it rockets to the deep backward point fence in a jiffy. Raw emotion from Bairstow after he placed it in the gap. A loud shout of "yessss" and a look heavenwards. Almost close to tears was Bairstow. This means so much to him. Takes his time to compose himself. What a moment for the Yorkie ginger lad!
The field is in for Bairstow.
117.3 -
van Zyl to Stokes, 1 run, pitched up delivery and outside off, Stokes drills it to long-off
117.2 -
van Zyl to Bairstow, 1 run, on a length and on the stumps, steered to third man
117.1 -
van Zyl to Bairstow, no run, fuller length delivery from van Zyl, Bairstow cracks the drive to extra cover. du Plessis is in the firing line, but he does well to make a good save
116.6 -
Elgar to Stokes, FOUR, from round the wicket, Elgar spears it down leg, Stokes sits on one knee and murders it with a slog-sweep over the deep backward square leg boundary. One bounce and into the fence
116.5 -
Elgar to Bairstow, 1 run, Elgar continues to target the stumps, Bairstow camps on the back foot and pushes it to long-on
116.4 -
Elgar to Bairstow, no run, slower through the air from Elgar, Bairstow drives it into the off-side
116.3 -
Elgar to Bairstow, no run, Bairstow puts his skates on. However, Elgar shortens his length. Bairstow takes the defensive line and keeps it out
116.2 -
Elgar to Bairstow, no run, tossed up delivery and just outside off, Bairstow prods forward and defends
116.1 -
Elgar to Stokes, 1 run, splayed down leg, Stokes sinks on one knee and slog-sweeps it to deep backward square leg
Dean Elgar [2.0-0-7-0] is back into the attack
115.6 -
van Zyl to Bairstow, no run, good length delivery and van Zyl extracts extra bounce on it, Bairstow pushes and is beaten. de Kock moves to his right and collects it in the end. It thudded into his gloves there
115.5 -
van Zyl to Bairstow, no run, Bairstow prods forward and leans into the drive, but can't bisect the gap through the cover-region. He holds the pose after playing that shot for the camera
115.4 -
van Zyl to Bairstow, no run, fuller length delivery from van Zyl, Bairstow drives it in front of square on the off-side
115.3 -
van Zyl to Bairstow, no run, good length delivery and outside off, Bairstow greets it with a lifted bat
115.2 -
van Zyl to Stokes, 1 run, fuller length delivery and just outside off, Stokes cracks the drive towards extra cover. du Plessis puts in a desperate dive, but can't stop the pair from taking a run
115.1 -
van Zyl to Bairstow, 1 run, very full and zeroing in on the stumps, Bairstow drives it firmly towards mid-off, who puts in the dive and half-stops it
114.6 -
M Morkel to Bairstow, 1 run, too straight from Morkel, Bairstow, with tippy-toes, works it to fine leg
114.5 -
M Morkel to Stokes, 1 run, width on offer, Stokes crunches the cut, but the fielder at backward point shows sharp reflexes and makes a half stop. The duo steal a run
114.4 -
M Morkel to Stokes, no run, from round the wicket, Morkel lands it on a length and bowls it outside off, Stokes again looks to thump it straight down the ground, but the ball snakes past the outside edge
114.3 -
M Morkel to Stokes, FOUR, Morkel drifts this one down the leg-side, Stokes whips it to the deep backward square leg fence. It scurried to the boundary boards. No need to run for those
114.2 -
M Morkel to Stokes, SIX, stand and deliver stuff from Stokes. He twins power with lovely timing to loft this fullish delivery over the long-on fence for a maximum. He played that stroke with a clean flow of hands
114.1 -
M Morkel to Stokes, no run, a touch of width on offer, Stokes chops it down to backward point. He could have taken a heavy toll of that delivery
113.6 -
van Zyl to Stokes, 1 run, very full from van Zyl, Stokes plants his front foot and drills it to deep extra cover
113.5 -
van Zyl to Bairstow, byes, 1 run, van Zyl bowls it in that corridor outside off, Bairstow aims to slap it through the off-side and fails to connect. The pair steal a bye
113.4 -
van Zyl to Bairstow, no run, van Zyl bowls a full toss, Bairstow drives it to cover
113.3 -
van Zyl to Bairstow, no run, fuller length delivery and on the stumps, Bairstow drives it back towards the bowler
113.2 -
van Zyl to Stokes, byes, 1 run, miles outside off, left alone. de Kock dives to his left but does not collect it cleanly. The duo pinch a bye. It was close to being called a wide there
113.1 -
van Zyl to Stokes, no run, pitched up delivery and targetting the stumps, Stokes stylishly drives it to mid-off
Stiaan van Zyl [5.0-0-12-0] is back into the attack
112.6 -
M Morkel to Bairstow, no run, this one nips back in a touch off the seam, Bairstow prods forward and ekes out an inside edge onto his front pad
112.5 -
M Morkel to Bairstow, no run, Morkel shifts his line to outside off, Bairstow hoists his bat above his shoulder and lets it go by
112.4 -
M Morkel to Bairstow, no run, fullish and attacking the stumps, Bairstow guards it out
112.3 -
M Morkel to Bairstow, no run, just behind a good length and zooming in on the stumps, Bairstow is compact in his defence
The umpires don't seem to be happy with the shape of the ball. However, it has gone through the ring and they throw it back to Morkel
112.2 -
M Morkel to Bairstow, no run, pitched up delivery and this one angles back into the right-hander, Bairstow leans into the drive, but can't breach the gap through mid-on
112.1 -
M Morkel to Bairstow, no run, fuller length delivery and on off-stump, Bairstow drives it to mid-off
Morne Morkel will open the attack after lunch.
Welcome back for the second session. The players are back out in the centre. What an exhilarating first session it turned out to be. With a concotion of blisteringly powerful shots and timing, Stokes changed the course of the game. Bairstow too is nearing a well-measured century. South Africa look down and out.
Meanwhile, he may have gone unnoticed but Jonny Bairstow has sneaked up close to a hundred as well. And this partnership is assuming demonic proportions. Already broken the record for England's highest ever 6th wicket stand. How much more do the visitors want? Join us after this break.
Lunch, Day 2: Ben Stokes, you absolute freak! What carnage out there in Cape Town. There are bits and pieces of the South African bowlers still flying out. They were given the hiding of a lifetime. Wait, did he complete both his century and a double-century in this very session? Oh yes. That has to be a first, ain't it? At least to my knowledge. Just nothing worked. Pace, spin, slower balls, they all disappeared in equal measure. Now, the hosts are completely at England's mercy.
Bairstow allows Stokes to lead them off the ground as this very sportive Newlands crowd rises once again. Man, he's kept them busy. He is congratulated by some of the rival players as well. Does it get any better? Leaves his helmet and gloves on the sidelines before hopping onto those stairs - two at a time - galloping into the comfort of his dressing room.
111.6 -
C Morris to Stokes, no run, might have rolled his fingers across this length ball outside off, Stokes leans across and pats it to point. It's Lunch here and ends a ridiculous session of cricket. Absolutely ridiculous. 196 runs scored in 25 overs.
111.5 -
C Morris to Stokes, no run, moves back and across to a short ball wide of off, slaps it hard. But finds point to inch-precise perfection
111.4 -
C Morris to Bairstow, 1 run, looking to tuck him up now, back of a length and into middle and leg, glanced behind square towards fine leg
111.3 -
C Morris to Bairstow, FOUR, now gets one through. Rolled his wrists on the drive to find the placement and even a desperate dive is not enough. Only a fraction full outside off, Bairstow gets beside the pitch of the ball before unfurling those wrists to cream the drive
111.2 -
C Morris to Bairstow, no run, fullish outside off, Bairstow plants his foot across and drives it to mid-off
111.1 -
C Morris to Bairstow, no run, mid-off runs around, tumbles and manages to stop Bairstow's firm drive. So confident these two now. Don't even need to be half-volleys
110.6 -
M Morkel to Bairstow, 1 run, back of a length delivery angled into middle, tucked through mid-wicket
110.5 -
M Morkel to Stokes, 1 run, opens his stance and spears it through the point region. Slightly cramped for room, but slices it away off the back foot. There is protection everywhere
110.4 -
M Morkel to Bairstow, 1 run, back of a length delivery on off, Bairstow chops it off a thick inside edge into the on-side, while originally looking to force it to the opposite side of the ground
110.3 -
M Morkel to Bairstow, 2 runs, rolls his wrists to counter the extra bounce on this short of length delivery outside off, dabs it to the right of third man and skips back for an easy two. I'm now being informed that this is now the highest 6th wicket stand for England in Tests. Keep em rolling..
110.2 -
M Morkel to Stokes, 1 run, dabbed down to third man. He has to, just has to take some time off his butchery. Just settle down. A brief interlude to let it all sink on
110.1 -
M Morkel to Bairstow, 1 run, dished out on a fuller length just outside off, Bairstow aims an on-drive, but the bat turns in his hands. Drags it to deep mid-wicket
109.6 -
C Morris to Bairstow, 1 run, goes with hard hands to a length ball outside off looking to smear the drive through cover. Only manages a thick outside edge which rolls down to third man
109.5 -
C Morris to Bairstow, no run, planted towards the bowler. Not afraid to push on the rise given the lack of lateral movement on offer
109.4 -
C Morris to Bairstow, no run, slippery short of length delivery just outside off, stands on his toes to block
109.3 -
C Morris to Bairstow, no run, driven softly on the rise to extra-cover
109.2 -
C Morris to Bairstow, no run, full outside off, Bairstow looks to drive and is beaten on the inside edge
109.1 -
C Morris to Bairstow, no run, short of length delivery angled in towards the chest, turned to mid-wicket
108.6 -
M Morkel to Stokes, FOUR, yes, Ben Stokes! He's done it. Slaps the pull well in front of square and up go the arms! Wow. Just stand up where you are and give this man a salute. Second fastest double hundred in the history of Test cricket. Punches the air, acknowledges the crowd .. who are in delirium .. and off comes the helmet. Doesn't even look overwhelmed at the feat he's achieved. Just waves cheerfully to the rapturing applause he's getting - from his teammates, from this crowd, even from the opposition - before being caught in an embrace by Bairstow. He has single handedly reduced this South African attack to rubble. Amazing knock, and what a way to kick off the New Year
108.5 -
M Morkel to Stokes, no run, length delivery pushed across the left-hander, Stokes laces the drive to mid-off's right where the fielder dives and prevents the single
108.4 -
M Morkel to Stokes, no run, now dug in much shorter than the earlier bouncer in this over, much easier for Stokes to spot and duck
108.3 -
M Morkel to Stokes, no run, back of a length delivery on off stump, Stokes is content with defence
108.2 -
M Morkel to Stokes, no run, got into a slightly awkward position to a well directed short ball over his right shoulder, but managed to crouch underneath
108.1 -
M Morkel to Stokes, no run, short of length delivery slanted into the channel outside off, blocked from the crease
There is a section of the crowd, resplendant in whites, and are now performing a yoddle. Breaking into the "Hashim, Hashim" chants
107.6 -
C Morris to Bairstow, no run, back of a length delivery on the stumps, turned into the on-side
107.5 -
C Morris to Stokes, 1 run, tapped in front of cover, who is bound to be on his heels. Easy single. Moves to 198
107.4 -
C Morris to Stokes, no run, geez, well bowled! If you can get one through Stokes today, it has to be special. Harpooned in the blockhole just outside off, at a brisk pace too. Sneaks under Stokes's willow through to the keeper
107.3 -
C Morris to Stokes, FOUR, back of a length delivery outside off and flat-batted over mid-on. Not one strike he's attempted has been mistimed. That bottom hand coming into play and he forehands it
107.2 -
C Morris to Stokes, no run, might have been an off-cutter, angled across off on a back of a length, half forward and blocked
107.1 -
C Morris to Stokes, FOUR, oh clubbed! Man, this is a brawl, with Stokes showering all the jabs and clearing house. Pitched up outside off, Stokes sloshes it over mid-off. One bounce and over the ropes
Chris Morris [24.0-3-126-1] is back into the attack
106.6 -
M Morkel to Bairstow, no run, flung on a back of a length outside off, Bairstow remains watchful and shoulders arms
106.5 -
M Morkel to Bairstow, no run, short of length delivery climbing nicely in the channel outside off, Bairstow stands on his toes and drops it with soft hands
106.5 -
M Morkel to Stokes, no ball, 1 run, how well is he seeing it? Done in by the lack of bounce while shaping to pull, adjusts by hunching exaggeratedly, swivels and helps it behind square off the sweet spot. Morkel had also overstepped
106.4 -
M Morkel to Bairstow, 1 run, fraction full and angled in on off, Bairstow closes the bat-face on his front foot push and instructs it wide of mid-on
106.3 -
M Morkel to Bairstow, no run, length ball carrying nicely through to de Kock after being left alone
106.2 -
M Morkel to Bairstow, no run, driven off the bottom of the bat to extra-cover. Didn't bounce as much as Bairstow anticipated going on the up and botched his timing
106.1 -
M Morkel to Bairstow, no run, hits the back of a length outside off, enough width to flay a cut. Bairstow keeps it along the ground behind point with a roll of the wrists. The fielder dives across to stop
Morne Morkel [24.0-4-88-1] is back into the attack
105.6 -
Rabada to Stokes, SIX, Stokes is in no mood to let up. This was a back of a length delivery on off, Stokes butchers a pull over deep square leg, out of the ground. What timing and power he generated on that hit, it wasn't a bad ball at all, just that Stokes is in such a murderous mood
105.5 -
Rabada to Bairstow, 1 run, full and down leg, flicked to deep square leg
105.5 -
Rabada to Bairstow, no ball, again Rabada oversteps as he bowls it full and wide outside off, left alone
105.4 -
Rabada to Bairstow, no run, full on the stumps, slight leading edge on the push and Rabada slides to his right to field
105.3 -
Rabada to Stokes, 1 run, back of a length and flashed to deep point, the strike turns over
105.2 -
Rabada to Bairstow, 1 run, full on the pads, flicked to deep square leg
105.1 -
Rabada to Bairstow, no run, full outside off, Bairstow gets forward and drives, Rabada gets a hand and deflects to mid-off
105.1 -
Rabada to Bairstow, no ball, 2 runs, the 250-run stand is up now. Bairstow and Stokes get together. Full and Bairstow inside-edged the drive through mid-wicket for two more
104.6 -
D Piedt to Stokes, SIX, six more. Stokes just goes on and on. He doesn't want Piedt to bowl to him. Down the track and to the pitch before slugging it straight back over the bowler. A flat hit too and more cheer for the crowd. This keeps getting incredible and more incredible from Stokes
104.5 -
D Piedt to Stokes, SIX, there comes the slog sweep. Kneels down and takes it from outside leg to hit it over deep mid-wicket. That was a fine blow and away she went, sailing into the crowd. The Barmy Army love it
104.4 -
D Piedt to Stokes, FOUR, both men didn't pick it up and it is getting worse for South Africa. Stokes uses his feet and swipes it over square leg, Elgar and Morkel didn't sight the ball and the boundary is found after a bounce. Piedt has a puzzled look on his face
104.3 -
D Piedt to Stokes, no run, quicker on the stumps, Stokes gets forward and mistimes the flick to mid-wicket
104.2 -
D Piedt to Bairstow, 1 run, tossed up outside off, Bairstow gets forward and wrists it to long-on
104.1 -
D Piedt to Bairstow, no run, pushed off the back foot to short mid-wicket who runs around to field
103.6 -
Rabada to Stokes, 2 runs, dug in once again and Stokes gets lucky with the pull, spliced it over Amla at mid-on, got enough to clear the man
Amla and Rabada have a chat
103.6 -
Rabada to Stokes, wide, too high and it's called a wide for height
103.5 -
Rabada to Bairstow, 1 run, good length outside off, Bairstow punches with an open face to square third man
103.4 -
Rabada to Stokes, 1 run, short on the stumps, Stokes muscles a pull to deep mid-wicket
103.3 -
Rabada to Stokes, no run, yorker length down leg, Stokes flicks and misses
103.2 -
Rabada to Bairstow, 1 run, now edged through a vacant third/fourth slip region, short of length outside off, Bairstow's bat face closed and the edge went away to third man. Since the runs are leaking, Amla only has two slips
103.1 -
Rabada to Bairstow, no run, bouncer outside off, Bairstow flaps at a pull and misses, that rose high and beat his shot
102.6 -
D Piedt to Bairstow, 1 run, tossed up outside off, Bairstow drives wide of mid-off, retains the strike with that run
102.5 -
D Piedt to Bairstow, no run, goes back and nudges it to mid-wicket
102.4 -
D Piedt to Stokes, 1 run, flicks the carrom ball and Stokes rocks back to thump to sweeper cover, there is protection, so just a single
102.3 -
D Piedt to Stokes, no run, slightly different sort of action from Piedt, this comes back in and cramps Stokes who flat-bats to cover, without any timing
102.2 -
D Piedt to Stokes, SIX, this keeps getting better and better. Down the track and not to the pitch, but still he goes inside out over cover and smashes it, goes all the way. He punches gloves with Bairstow
102.1 -
D Piedt to Stokes, no run, Stokes gets on one knee and aims for a big slog sweep, inside-edges it to short fine
101.6 -
Rabada to Bairstow, no run, loose from Bairstow. Goes after a wide delivery outside off and nearly nicks it. The feet didn't move and he just flashed at it
101.5 -
Rabada to Bairstow, 2 runs, fullish and angled in, Bairstow gets forward and flicks airily, but well wide of mid-on for two
101.4 -
Rabada to Bairstow, no run, length outside off, defended to cover
101.3 -
Rabada to Bairstow, FOUR, right off the bottom of the bat but still four. Came off the toe-end as he went back to pull over mid-wicket, importantly he found the gap and since there was no-one in the deep, it was four
101.2 -
Rabada to Bairstow, no run, good length and angled in, Bairstow gets forward to punch it back to Rabada
101.2 -
Rabada to Bairstow, no ball, Rabada oversteps as he delivers a back of a length delivery on off, Bairstow gets a tad squared up in his back foot defence
101.1 -
Rabada to Stokes, 1 run, dug in short and Stokes rocks back to murder a pull to deep mid-wicket, on the bounce to the fielder
100.6 -
D Piedt to Stokes, 1 run, allows the ball to turn and then defends in front of short cover, takes the quick single on offer. Well done
100.5 -
D Piedt to Bairstow, 1 run, calmly turns the strike over with a tuck through mid-wicket
100.4 -
D Piedt to Bairstow, 2 runs, flighted outside off, Bairstow now reverse sweeps to third man, for two more
100.3 -
D Piedt to Stokes, 1 run, tossed up and Stokes gets forward and then pushes it wide of extra cover for a single
Now over the wicket
100.2 -
D Piedt to Stokes, SIX, 150 for Stokes! Gets there with a big six. Uses his feet and goes over Piedt's head. Clean blow and into the sightscreen. No massive celebrations similar to when got to 100, just raises his bat and soaks in all the applause. At this rate he should get to 200 well before lunch
100.1 -
D Piedt to Bairstow, 1 run, tossed up and Bairstow gets forward to flick to deep mid-wicket
Time for drinks. And what a frenetic first hour it has been. 103 runs have come in 13 overs of play. Manic hitting from Stokes and not slogging mind you. Proper cricketing strokes aided by some poor bowling from South Africa. Too much width given and he cashed in big time. Amla started with Morris and Morkel and soon had to replace the former as the runs began to leak. Both batsmen are in sublime form and South Africa badly need divine intervention to help them out at Newlands. That's how poor their plight is at the moment.
99.6 -
Rabada to Bairstow, 1 run, good length on off, wristed to mid-on and a quick single taken, the fielder was caught on his heels a bit there
99.5 -
Rabada to Bairstow, no run, dug in short outside off, Bairstow sways away from the line and lets it go
99.4 -
Rabada to Stokes, 1 run, good length outside off, chopped to deep backward point, for a single
99.3 -
Rabada to Stokes, no run, angled across Stokes who suprisingly shoulders arms
99.2 -
Rabada to Stokes, leg byes, FOUR, cries of "Catch" but that has come straight off the hip and beats de Kock leaping to his right. Down leg, Stokes missed the glance and it deflected off the hip and flew past the keeper. Was a big no-ball too from Rabada, but not spotted by the umpire
99.1 -
Rabada to Bairstow, 1 run, pitched up outside off, Bairstow gets forward and drives wide of mid-off, takes the single
Kagiso Rabada [22.0-2-93-3] is back into the attack
98.6 -
D Piedt to Bairstow, 1 run, tossed up and on off, Bairstow goes back to nudge to backward square for a single
98.5 -
D Piedt to Bairstow, no run, the straighter one outside off, left alone
98.4 -
D Piedt to Stokes, 1 run, gets forward to flick through mid-wicket
98.3 -
D Piedt to Stokes, SIX, now use of the feet and six. Clears van Zyl at long-off. He was backpedalling to catch that one-handed arching back but the ball cleared him. Stokes used his feet and then smashed it flat, the wind helped him to clear the fielder. Maybe if van Zyl had been right there on the rope, he may have had a chance
98.2 -
D Piedt to Stokes, FOUR, doesn't take long, does it? Sees the tossed up delivery outside off and reverse sweeps past Amla at backward point. Hit along the ground and once it beat the fielder, it was four all the way
Just a slip in place. Long-off and long-on back
98.1 -
D Piedt to Stokes, no run, tossed up from round the wicket, Stokes eases a drive to cover
Dane Piedt [21.0-5-63-0] is back into the attack
97.6 -
M Morkel to Bairstow, FOUR, Morkel has his head down and the 400 is up for England. Short and wide outside off, there to be cut and Bairstow slapped it wide of cover. Raced away
97.5 -
M Morkel to Bairstow, no run, good length on middle, flicked straight to the fielder at mid-wicket
97.4 -
M Morkel to Bairstow, no run, now Morkel beats the top edge of Bairstow who tries to cut a back of a length delivery outside off and is beaten by the extra bounce
97.3 -
M Morkel to Stokes, 1 run, almost yorker length outside off, carved out to sweeper cover
97.2 -
M Morkel to Bairstow, 1 run, width outside off, slashed to third man, for a single
97.1 -
M Morkel to Bairstow, FOUR, superb stroke from Bairstow. He is a strong bottom-handed player and this shot shows us why. Full outside off, he just punched it wristly over the ducking Stokes and it beats mid-on comfortably. Hit in the air as the wrists came into play at the right time
96.6 -
Rabada to Bairstow, 1 run, back of a length on off, Bairstow clips it to deep backward square leg, for a single
96.5 -
Rabada to Stokes, 1 run, on the pads, tucked to deep mid-wicket
96.4 -
Rabada to Bairstow, leg byes, 1 run, sliding down leg, Bairstow looks to pull and misses, off the thigh pad and they take a leg-bye
96.3 -
Rabada to Bairstow, no run, the attempted yorker outside off, Bairstow digs it out
96.2 -
Rabada to Stokes, 1 run, shortish outside off, slapped in the air square of the wicket, for a single
96.1 -
Rabada to Stokes, no run, full and Stokes gets forward to drive and Rabada sticks his left-hand to stop
95.6 -
M Morkel to Bairstow, no run, nips back in but not enough to hit off and Bairstow gets forward to shoulder arms after covering his off stump. A maiden from Morkel and that is breaking news today
95.5 -
M Morkel to Bairstow, no run, pitched up on off, Bairstow gets forward and drives to mid-on, timed it well but straight to the fielder
95.4 -
M Morkel to Bairstow, no run, back of a length on the stumps, Bairstow gets right behind the line to block
95.3 -
M Morkel to Bairstow, no run, full on off, Bairstow mistimes the off-drive to mid-off
95.2 -
M Morkel to Bairstow, no run, now Morkel beats Bairstow with a leg-cutter. Hits the pitch and seams away past the defensive blade. Missed by a long way too. Cracker though from the tall man
95.1 -
M Morkel to Bairstow, no run, edged and doesn't carry to first slip. On a good length and outside off, Bairstow poked out and got lucky. Elgar fields on the bounce
94.6 -
Rabada to Stokes, FOUR, he is batting like a dream. What a shot that is. It was just a back of a length delivery outside off and he has rocked back to power a pull through mid-wicket. The fielder had no chance at deep mid-wicket. What power behind that hit as well
94.5 -
Rabada to Stokes, no run, dug in short on the stumps, Stokes ducks under that
Now round the wicket
94.4 -
Rabada to Bairstow, 1 run, fullish and on off, flicked to mid-on and that's a fumble, silly stuff and a single given away. Straight to the fielder and he has missed that
94.3 -
Rabada to Bairstow, no run, back of a length outside off, Bairstow mistimes the punch as it comes off a closed bat face and finds mid-on
94.2 -
Rabada to Bairstow, no run, back of a length on the stumps, tucked to mid-wicket
94.1 -
Rabada to Stokes, 1 run, full on the pads, flicked to deep mid-wicket for a single
Morkel, Rabada and Amla have a chat
93.6 -
M Morkel to Bairstow, no run, Morkel is content to hit a back of a length outside off, Bairstow punches and finds point
93.5 -
M Morkel to Bairstow, no run, short of length outside off, punched to mid-off
93.4 -
M Morkel to Bairstow, no run, pitched up outside off, Bairstow gets forward and drives to mid-off
93.3 -
M Morkel to Bairstow, no run, back of a length outside off, Bairstow defends solidly off the back foot
93.2 -
M Morkel to Stokes, 3 runs, Stokes is in a hurry here. This was full on the stumps, he was looking to go over mid-wicket but got a thick outside half of the bat over cover. Good enough for three though
93.1 -
M Morkel to Bairstow, 1 run, full outside off, Bairstow went for a big cover drive and could only inside edge it to fine leg, for a single
92.6 -
Rabada to Stokes, 2 runs, 10 from that over too. Stokes played that late as there was width on the back of a length delivery outside off, van Zyl had ground to cover and did well to slide at third man to prevent what would've been yet another boundary
92.5 -
Rabada to Stokes, 2 runs, as soon as he played that, he called for two, dabbed to the right of sweeper and he takes on Temba to make it back. Now has his highest Test score
92.4 -
Rabada to Stokes, no run, that's the one. High bouncer and Stokes ducks under that
92.3 -
Rabada to Stokes, FOUR, when it is short, Stokes is in no mood to let go. Rocks back and smashes this in front of square, beats the deep fielder easily. Needs to get the short ball to bounce a bit more to create problems for Stokes
92.2 -
Rabada to Bairstow, 1 run, 50 for Bairstow. Angled in on off and middle, tucked to fine leg. Excellent knock this from the Yorkie lad. Played the second fiddle to Stokes really well
92.1 -
Rabada to Stokes, 1 run, length delivery outside off, flat-batted to deep cover for a single
Kagiso Rabada [19.0-2-74-3] is back into the attack
91.6 -
M Morkel to Bairstow, no run, back of a length outside off, Bairstow defends to cover after coming forward
91.5 -
M Morkel to Stokes, 1 run, width outside off, flashed to third man
91.4 -
M Morkel to Stokes, FOUR, Stokes is in the mood. No doubt about that. Full outside off, he sees the offering and goes over mid-off with a clean blow. Another boundary to Stokes - now I have lost count of how many he has hit today
91.3 -
M Morkel to Stokes, no run, this line is troubling Stokes. Straight and on a fuller length, but the bounce hits the back thigh and takes off to de Kock who leaps in front of first slip to glove it one-handed. No bat again
91.2 -
M Morkel to Stokes, no run, attacking the stumps, Stokes shows the full face of the bat and defends it back to Morkel
91.1 -
M Morkel to Stokes, no run, that's a good ball. Nearly cut Stokes in half, but the ball flicked the back thigh on the way to the slip fielder. Missed the inside edge on the way
90.6 -
C Morris to Stokes, 1 run, yet again short and Stokes this time finds fine leg with a pull
90.5 -
C Morris to Stokes, FOUR, this is incredible stuff! Another boundary and Morris is being flogged to death here. Short on the stumps, Stokes swivelled on the pull and got great timing, Dane Piedt had ground to cover and not much but despite his dive to his left at deep square, he couldn't prevent the boundary. That's how well it was timed
90.4 -
C Morris to Stokes, FOUR, runs are flowing and this one is a delicate shot. On a length and outside off, Stokes just dabbed that with an open face and got it through backward point. Temba had a chase to his right at sweeper cover but didn't even get a hand on the dive. Terrific timing!
90.3 -
C Morris to Stokes, no run, full and outside off, hint of shape back in after Stokes left that
90.2 -
C Morris to Bairstow, 1 run, length on off, Bairstow turns it to the right of mid-on and takes a quick single
90.1 -
C Morris to Stokes, 3 runs, look at Stokes! Just look at him. What a way to get to your hundred. The entire Newlands crowd are up on their feet to applaud that hundred. The England team do likewise as well. It was full and outside off, driven to the left of Temba at sweeper cover, great effort to stop the boundary with a dive, but Stokes raced back for the third and midway through that run, had his arms aloft and then leapt to punch the air. Third hundred for Stokes and a mighty fine one this, then the celebrations began from the Ginger lad
89.6 -
M Morkel to Bairstow, FOUR, the shot of the day so far and we are just 3 overs in. On the off stump and Bairstow got forward to knife that on the rise, beats mid-on and races away. Bairstow showed the full face and had a high elbow to boot as well. Technically perfect display of an on-drive
89.5 -
M Morkel to Bairstow, FOUR, now Bairstow gets into the act. It was short outside off and looked like Bairstow was waiting for it, rocks back and pulls over mid-wicket, hit it well and that flew to the fence
89.4 -
M Morkel to Bairstow, no run, full outside off, Bairstow shoulders arms
89.3 -
M Morkel to Bairstow, no run, short down leg, Bairstow gets inside the line to glance and misses
89.2 -
M Morkel to Bairstow, no run, dug in short, Bairstow defends off the back foot
89.1 -
M Morkel to Bairstow, no run, huge shout for lbw but not given. Nipped back in and rapped Bairstow on the kneeroll on the front pad. It was high and probably sliding down. They thought about a review but didn't go for it. Good job that they didn't go for it, nothing was going for it
88.6 -
C Morris to Stokes, FOUR, utter dross from Morris and with the mood Stokes is in, he won't let go of that. Short and wide outside off, too much width for Stokes who flashes a cut over point. This time the sweeper ran to his right and retrieved the ball from the fences. He has raced along to 97 having started the day at 74
88.5 -
C Morris to Stokes, 2 runs, short outside off, Stokes swivels on the pull, doesn't time it well, the ball goes over mid-wicket and they take two by the time the deep fielder comes around
88.4 -
C Morris to Stokes, no run, well outside off, that will be left alone
Now round the wicket
88.3 -
C Morris to Stokes, FOUR, Stokes is on a roll. Fourth boundary in 8 balls for him. This was very wide of off and full too, but Stokes reached out and timed the drive along the ground, there was a sweeper out there, but he had no chance. Stokes almost lost his balance as he was playing the shot, but still got so much power behind the hit
88.2 -
C Morris to Stokes, FOUR, this one isn't timed as well as the previous two boundaries today. Hit on the up and in the air over cover, Morris now pitched that full and wide outside off, gave Stokes the freedom to free his arms. Third boundary already
88.1 -
C Morris to Stokes, no run, full and well wide of off, left alone
87.6 -
M Morkel to Stokes, 1 run, back of a length on the pads, nudged wide of mid-wicket for a single that will keep Stokes on strike
87.5 -
M Morkel to Stokes, FOUR, an action replay of the previous boundary in the over. Once again Morkel bowling full and wide outside off, with the angle that he is bowling from, that creates width and Stokes doesn't miss out, timing the drive along the ground through cover. The 100-run stand comes up as well
87.4 -
M Morkel to Stokes, no run, full on the stumps, Stokes shows the full face of the bat and then punches it to mid-on, timed that well but straight to the fielder
87.3 -
M Morkel to Stokes, FOUR, fabulous drive from Stokes. On a bent knee too. Saw the full delivery outside off and then lashed out through cover. Raced away to the fence
Now over the wicket after just one ball
87.2 -
M Morkel to Stokes, no run, full and angled in, Stokes' bat face closes on the drive and the ball goes to mid-wicket
Now round the wicket to Stokes with three slips in place
87.1 -
M Morkel to Bairstow, 1 run, full and on middle and leg, Bairstow wrists it to the right of mid-wicket and sets off. Easily done in the end
The players are out there in the middle. Yet another splendid day in Cape Town. Morkel will begin things. The Barmy Army are already in and in full spirits. Singing away to glory after a few cold ones in this intense heat. Doesn't take much for them to get involved. Fantastic group of travelling supporters - that mob. Two slips and a gully in place for Morkel. Let's see what he can do with the ball...
South Africa bowled well in patches, but overall, they were indisciplined with the ball. Every now and then they sprayed the ball down the leg-side and that allowed the England batsmen to ease some pressure. Amla would want his bowlers to rectify their mistakes and come out hard early on today. The Proteas would also want to make use of the early morning moisture, if any.
Kagiso Rabada was the pick of the bowlers for the Proteas yesterday, but he did not get enough support from the other end. We saw Morne Morkel not take the second new ball straightaway. He was holding his side every now and then. Let's hope that it's nothing serious. Ben Stokes has been very aggressive with his strokeplay, while Jonny Bairstow too has given him good company. Alastair Cook would want these two to carry on from where they left on Day 1, but it's a fresh start now in the morning and they will have to start from the scratch.
Day 2: It's bright, it's clear and it's gorgeous out there at Newlands. Hello and a warm welcome to the second day of the Cape Town Test. Yesterday, after managing to stage an excellent comeback, South Africa let England off the hook and now the visitors are looking very good to post at least 400. The morning session is going to be extremely crucial for both sides. South Africa desperately need to break this brisk unbeaten 94-run stand and then quickly wipe the tail off. Remember, 400 is not going to be easy for Hashim Amla and Co. especially with James Anderson returning to the side.
That's it for today. A near perfect dose of cricket-in-whites if you're not a Protea fan. It's not over for the hosts. A good batting performance or a wicket-burst first up tomorrow can flip the equation in a blink. Don't forget to join us tomorrow at 10:30 local for all the excitement. Cya!
South Africa continued with part-timers for longer than needed to allow Stokes and Bairstow to settle in. By the time the new ball was taken, both the batsmen were well in and relished the stroke-making against the new cherry. The South African team currently looks a bowler short and their dependability on Elgar on these pitches is definitely hurting their plans. That was not the only ailment today as the pacers stuck to a short-ball line with the second new ball making things easier for the hosts. After the first two sessions had gone to England, Rabada had ignited hopes of a comeback in the last one. However, it faded away sooner than expected. The Protea camp has a lot of thinking to do and it will be interesting to see how they come out of the predicament.
Stumps, Day 1: Of late, England's middle order has developed the knack of frittering away the early advantage. Today, from being 167/2 at one point, they found themselves struggling at 223/5. But that is when Ben Stokes, in his usual fashion, decided to steer the ship - relying on stroke-play. The strategy worked for sure and England, who had lost Taylor to the first ball after tea, managed to get better than the average 1st day score at this ground - 272/7. Rabada had struggled in the first session of the day but bowled with good pace and bounce to scalp three important wickets. On the other hand, Joe Root was once again amongst the runs. However, what would worry him is the fact that once again he failed to convert a good start.
What a day for England! Lots of applauses as Stokes and Bairstow walk back. Full house, sunny day and almost 90 overs of cricket possible. You dare not ask for more. Lots to ponder for a Steyn-less South Africa who dearly missed Philander at Newlands. England dominating the Proteas in their own den makes for a rare modern-day sight.
86.6 -
C Morris to Stokes, no run, full and meandering away outside off, Stokes hoists his bat to signal stumps for the day
Last ball of the day
86.5 -
C Morris to Stokes, no run, a duck of sanity as Morris bends his back to deliver yet another bumper. Safely negotiated
Stokes falls on the ground as Morris fails to deliver the ball. His feet probably got stuck in the ground. Stokes was all smiles
86.4 -
C Morris to Stokes, no run, Morris keeps producing this moments of brilliance from time to time. Short delivery, Stokes was ready to take it on but the ball pinged off the surface like a tennis ball. Stokes had to belatedly sway out of the line
86.3 -
C Morris to Stokes, no run, pitched up on off, Stokes middles the defence
86.2 -
C Morris to Stokes, no run, short down the leg side, the batsman ducked under it
86.1 -
C Morris to Stokes, no run, pushes a full ball back to the bowler. Morris, visibly frustrated, tries to have a shy at the striker's stumps but embarrasses himself as the ball flew out of his hand as he looked to throw the ball back in aggression
85.6 -
M Morkel to Bairstow, no run, Bairstow got on his knees to avoid the bumper. Was well into his descent as the bouncer was on its way. No chance he will take it on with one over to go for the day
85.5 -
M Morkel to Bairstow, no run, stoops forward and closes the bat face in defence to mid-on
85.4 -
M Morkel to Bairstow, no run, shortish down the leg side. There was a little sound as the ball passed but it was the ball brushing the thigh pad as Bairstow looked to glance it fine. UltraEdge confirmed that there wasn't any edge
85.3 -
M Morkel to Bairstow, no run, another one zipping off the pitch outside off, Bairstow lets his hands high as he looked to avoid edging/gloving that
Two slips for this one-over burst from Morkel
85.2 -
M Morkel to Bairstow, no run, back of a length delivery, Bairstow opens the bat face a touch and jabs the defence towards cover-point
85.1 -
M Morkel to Bairstow, no run, pace is back. On a length and in that iffy channel outside off, Bairstow lifts his bat and lets it go
Morne Morkel [17.0-2-51-1] is back into the attack
84.6 -
C Morris to Bairstow, 1 run, there's no holding back. Invitingly pitched up, Bairstow obliges with a drive. Wasn't fully forward and the ball took the outside half and rolls along the carpet towards third man. Morkel gingerly ran across from third man and cut it off
84.5 -
C Morris to Bairstow, no run, angled in from wide of the crease, Bairstow is late on the flick. Ball takes the pads and runs into the off-side. Stifled appeal ignored by the umpire
84.4 -
C Morris to Bairstow, no run, short delivery, Bairstow opts to half-duck half-sway
84.3 -
C Morris to Stokes, leg byes, 1 run, short of length ball, batsman waited on it to play the short arm pull. The ball lobbed off the knee roll and Stokes collected a leg bye to backward square leg
84.2 -
C Morris to Stokes, no run, fullish and angled across, Stokes marauds the ball and flat-bats it but finds mid-off
84.1 -
C Morris to Stokes, FOUR, and another boundary! Seeming all too easy now. Desperate wicket-seeking short ball is nullified with a crunchy swivelled pull shot to deep backward square leg
83.6 -
Rabada to Bairstow, FOUR, 1000 Test runs for Bairstow! And it's off a misfield. Not perfect but Bairstow will take it. The ball was punched firmly and it burst through Piedt's hands at extra cover and raced to the fences
83.5 -
Rabada to Stokes, 1 run, cries of "catch it" but that was played deliberately. Banged in, Stokes had enough time to get on his back foot and pull. No roll of the wrists and it fell well short of deep square leg
83.4 -
Rabada to Bairstow, 1 run, not too short but there was width. Bairstow stooped low and flat-batted the cut to third man for a single
83.3 -
Rabada to Stokes, 1 run, short outside off, Stokes goes hard on the cut and chops it for a single to backward point
62 runs in the last 10 overs. Seems like a run loot in a New Year's sale
83.2 -
Rabada to Bairstow, 1 run, on a length but headed down the leg side, Bairstow comfortably nudges it to mid-wicket and gets to the other end
83.1 -
Rabada to Bairstow, no run, went deep inside the crease and wristed the defence to this short of length ball. Wanted to run the single but the ball went nowhere. Plan aborted
Partnership is 80 off 91 balls. That's quick! New ball has wreaked havoc.
82.6 -
C Morris to Bairstow, 1 run, length delivery within the stumps, Bairstow half-turned in his crease and tucked it to deep square leg for a single
82.5 -
C Morris to Bairstow, FOUR, that was hit with the precision of a tailor. Reminded me of Sehwag! Short outside off, Bairstow placed the cut perfectly between gully and backward point. No one moved. Literally
82.4 -
C Morris to Stokes, 1 run, wasted delivery and a wasted effort ball. Short down leg, allows Stokes the time to rock back and swivel. Pull shot is airy and travels to fine leg safely on the bounce
82.3 -
C Morris to Bairstow, 1 run, floated full on middle, Bairstow clips it softly to deep mid-wicket and jogs to the other end
82.2 -
C Morris to Stokes, 1 run, ah, a mistimed pull. Stokes perhaps got carried away after that gorgeous last shot. Morris had bent his back, Newlands obliged with more bounce. Stokes top-edged the pull but luckily managed to place it in the vacant backward square leg region
82.1 -
C Morris to Stokes, FOUR, third time lucky! This was bowled short of length and angled across from over the wicket, Stokes rocked back, swivelled stylishly and played the pick-up pull through deep mid-wicket
81.6 -
Rabada to Bairstow, no run, length delivery headed for off-stump, Bairstow defends it with rooted feet. Had done well to get nicely behind the line there
Two slips and a gully in place
81.5 -
Rabada to Stokes, 1 run, turned to deep square leg for an easy single this time
81.4 -
Rabada to Stokes, no run, just a hint of width, Stokes pounced with a cut. du Plessis leapt in the air and fielded with two hands. How do they do this? Meanwhile, Stokes couldn't even collect a single. So good was that effort
81.3 -
Rabada to Stokes, no run, back of a length and angled across, Stokes wanted to maul the pull over mid-wicket but he's unable to connect it. Second time that has happened today. Mistimes it towards mid-on
81.2 -
Rabada to Stokes, 2 runs, fired in full on middle, Stokes shuffled outside his off stump and times the flick to deep mid-wicket
81.1 -
Rabada to Stokes, no run, Stokes stands tall in his crease and times the defense straight past the bowler
Kagiso Rabada [17.0-2-63-3] is back into the attack
80.6 -
C Morris to Stokes, 1 run, length delivery outside off, Stokes sanely pushes it to mid-off and retains the strike with that run
80.5 -
C Morris to Stokes, FOUR, when they come, they come in numbers. Boundary galore this! Just two slips in place. The second boundary had forced Amla to remove the 3rd slip! Stokes is in the mood. Was half-forward but went hard on the drive. The thick outside edge flew through the vacant third slip region and raced to the third man fence
80.4 -
C Morris to Stokes, FOUR, that's dismissed. With a hint of swagger. Slightly short of length, Stokes stays rooted to the crease and just cuts the ball. Had enough time to place it well in front of square. Earns a boundary to sweeper cover
80.3 -
C Morris to Stokes, no run, pitched up, Stokes muscles the drive but cover intercepts it
80.2 -
C Morris to Stokes, FOUR, and it's a half-century for Stokes! His 6th in Tests! This was bowled on a length, Stokes slashed hard, eked out a top-edge that evaded a leaping second slip
80.1 -
C Morris to Stokes, FOUR, ah, that's one for tired eyes! Dished full, Stokes stays put and just times the push straight through a vacant mid-on. The ball creamed the turf on its way to the fence
Chris Morris [18.0-2-65-1] is back into the attack
The new ball is now available and it has been taken
79.6 -
D Piedt to Bairstow, no run, short of length and drifting down, Bairstow tucks it off his hips but couldn't steal a run
79.5 -
D Piedt to Bairstow, no run, this time gets well forward with a big stride and blunts it
79.4 -
D Piedt to Bairstow, FOUR, Rabada gives the chase but the ball was just hit too well. Another one on a fuller length outside off. The ball's too old to play tricks. Bairstow closes his eyes and drives it fiercely through covers yet again
79.3 -
D Piedt to Bairstow, no run, dragged his back leg way outside leg stump and pushed this tossed up delivery to cover
79.2 -
D Piedt to Bairstow, no run, went deep inside the crease and dug the defense into the pitch
79.1 -
D Piedt to Bairstow, FOUR, that came with a hit-me tag! Overpitched wide of off, Bairstow let out a big front foot stride and creamed the drive through cover
78.6 -
Elgar to Bairstow, 1 run, another milky single as we are one over away from that new ball. Bairstow used his feet on this occasion and nurdled the ball to long-off
78.5 -
Elgar to Stokes, 1 run, skips down the pitch, arches back and clips it to long-on. Didn't need to do all that for just a single
78.4 -
Elgar to Bairstow, 1 run, a bit more intent in this push-drive earns Bairstow a single to long-off
78.3 -
Elgar to Bairstow, no run, another one above Bairstow's eye-line, Bairstow lunges forward with a defensive push
78.2 -
Elgar to Bairstow, no run, Elgar isn't afraid of flighting them. Bairstow makes room, comes forward and pushes it into the off-side
78.1 -
Elgar to Bairstow, no run, gets well forward and blunts any turn on that tossed up delivery on middle
77.6 -
D Piedt to Bairstow, 1 run, quicker through the air, Bairstow flicks it to long-on and charges to the other end
77.5 -
D Piedt to Bairstow, no run, tossed up on middle, Bairstow defends it off the front foot
77.4 -
D Piedt to Stokes, 1 run, comes down the track and nudges it to mid-on for a quick single
77.3 -
D Piedt to Stokes, no run, lot of appeals. Different appeals. Unsynchronized appeals. The ball slid on with the arm, Stokes eked out an inside edge and the ball snuck in between the bat-pad gap. Nobody was really sure about what happened and the umpire just shaked his head as he smiled sarcastically at South Africa's failure to choreograph an appeal
77.2 -
D Piedt to Bairstow, 1 run, tossed up on middle, Bairstow hauled his back leg in air and clipped it to long-on for a single
77.1 -
D Piedt to Bairstow, no run, slower delivery, Bairstow opted to stay back and flick. Ball took the leading edge and rolled into the off-side
76.6 -
Elgar to Bairstow, 1 run, tossed up wide of off, Bairstow gets a big stride forward and flays the ball to long-off
76.5 -
Elgar to Bairstow, no run, gets well forward and pushed it back to the bowler
76.4 -
Elgar to Bairstow, no run, so much flight that it is a full toss, Bairstow is surprised and makes a mess of it. Tamely pushed it to mid-on. Got overwhelmed by that delivery's horror it seemed
76.3 -
Elgar to Stokes, 1 run, non-turning delivery outside off, Stokes gets deep and punches the ball to sweeper cover
76.2 -
Elgar to Bairstow, 1 run, dragged down again, Bairstow stays back and cuts well in front of square. More of a slap. A single to long-off
76.1 -
Elgar to Stokes, 1 run, it's not Mohali and Elgar's delivery just slides on. A tad short and Stokes rocks back to pull it to backward square leg for a single
Dean Elgar, left-arm orthodox, comes into the attack
75.6 -
D Piedt to Bairstow, no run, flighted delivery on off and middle, Bairstow turns it round but there's no single available
75.5 -
D Piedt to Bairstow, no run, flatter in trajectory, Bairstow stretches well forward, gets very low and defends it into the pitch
75.4 -
D Piedt to Bairstow, no run, plays the one-legged clip into the leg side
75.3 -
D Piedt to Bairstow, no run, tossed up on off, Bairstow pushes it back
75.2 -
D Piedt to Bairstow, byes, FOUR, how's that missed? Deliciously flighted, drew Bairstow forward but the truck-wide bat-pad gap saw the ball sneak through. Nearly shaves the leg-stump, evades a befuddled de Kock and makes its way to the fences
75.1 -
D Piedt to Bairstow, 2 runs, horribly dragged down, Bairstow rocks back and tried to hit it hard. Bavuma ducked for cover but the ball was mistimed for a brace to deep mid-wicket
Dane Piedt [18.0-5-50-0] is back into the attack
Piedt into the attack after a long chat with Amla. And another one with Elgar. Just a slip in place. And Bavuma now comes in at short leg.
74.6 -
van Zyl to Stokes, no run, nice and full again from van Zyl, Stokes defends to cover
74.5 -
van Zyl to Stokes, no run, fullish and just outside off stump, Stokes defends into the off-side
74.4 -
van Zyl to Bairstow, 3 runs, just slipping down the leg-side, Bairstow tickles it fine to fine leg
74.3 -
van Zyl to Bairstow, no run, fullish and on the off stump, Bairstow defends
74.2 -
van Zyl to Stokes, 1 run, goes deep in the crease and guides the short of length delivery to square third man
74.1 -
van Zyl to Bairstow, 1 run, short of length delivery on the off stump, Bairstow defends and gets an inside edge that rolls behind square on the on-side
73.6 -
M Morkel to Stokes, no run, good leave! On a length and just outside off stump, Stokes trusted the bounce and was so sure that it wasn't heading to the sticks. Left it alone, despite it not being very far away from the stumps
73.5 -
M Morkel to Stokes, no run, short of length delivery outside off stump, Stokes shoulders arms
73.4 -
M Morkel to Stokes, no run, short of length delivery down the leg-side, Stokes misses the tickle, optimistic shout for caught behind from Morne, but the keeper wasn't interested at all
73.3 -
M Morkel to Stokes, no run, fullish and angled across, left alone
73.2 -
M Morkel to Bairstow, 1 run, short of length delivery on the off stump, Bairstow tucks it to mid-wicket
73.1 -
M Morkel to Bairstow, no run, once again Bairstow plays and misses. Short of a length delivery outside off stump, Bairstow thought about the cut, but decided to check his shot, the ball shaped back in a bit and almost took the outside edge en route to de Kock
72.6 -
van Zyl to Stokes, FOUR, that is whipped away nicely with a strong bottom hand grip. Full and on the stumps, Stokes waits for the ball to come and hits it nicely between mid-on and mid-wicket for four. Fifth four for Stokes
72.5 -
van Zyl to Stokes, no run, very full and outside off stump, Stokes toe-ends the square drive and the fielder at backward point tumbles to his right to stop the ball
72.4 -
van Zyl to Stokes, no run, oops! Short delivery angled across, Stokes rocks back and pulls really hard, only manages to bottom-edge it onto his front pad
72.3 -
van Zyl to Stokes, no run, fullish and outside off stump, Stokes defends into the off-side
72.2 -
van Zyl to Stokes, no run, driven straight to silly mid-off
72.1 -
van Zyl to Stokes, no run, fullish and outside off stump, left alone
71.6 -
M Morkel to Bairstow, no run, short and wide, should have been put away, but Bairstow cuts it straight to backward point
71.5 -
M Morkel to Bairstow, no run, fullish and just outside off stump, Bairstow drives it to mid-on off the bottom of the bat
71.4 -
M Morkel to Bairstow, no run, on a length and outside off stump, Bairstow lets it go
71.3 -
M Morkel to Bairstow, FOUR, full and outside off stump, Bairstow leans forward and drives, Amla dives to his left at mid-off but it beats him. First boundary for Bairstow
71.2 -
M Morkel to Bairstow, no run, oh poke and a miss. A friendly check for caught behind, I think it was a soft shout of "Howzzaatt," from AB de Villiers from the slip cordon. There was a sound as the ball passed the bat and there was no edge on it. Short of a length delivery nipping away and squaring up Bairstow in his back foot defence, the ball missed the outside edge by a distance. Not sure where that sound came from
71.1 -
M Morkel to Bairstow, no run, short of length delivery outside off stump, Bairstow punches it to cover
Morne Morkel [15.0-2-46-1] is back into the attack
70.6 -
van Zyl to Stokes, no run, oh beaten! Remember, van Zyl got three wickets in quick time in Durban. Good length delivery angling away from the left-hander, it swung away late as well and beat Stokes on the cut shot
Big Morne practices a dance move - well he was just warming-up.
70.5 -
van Zyl to Stokes, no run, short of length delivery on the off stump, Stokes tucks it to mid-wicket
70.4 -
van Zyl to Bairstow, 1 run, width on offer outside off stump, cut late to third man, Bairstow opens his account
70.3 -
van Zyl to Bairstow, no run, allows the ball to tail back in, Bairstow defends into the on-side
70.2 -
van Zyl to Bairstow, no run, driven back to the bowler, who half-stops the ball in his followthrough
70.1 -
van Zyl to Bairstow, no run, good length delivery on the off stump, Bairstow defends into the on-side
69.6 -
C Morris to Stokes, FOUR, now the cover-drive, not from the middle of the bat though. More of a thick outside edge as it went off the outside half of the bat. Full and outside off stump, Stokes leans forward to drive, doesn't find the sweetest spot of the bat, yet it races away through cover-point and beats the fielder's chase as well
69.5 -
C Morris to Stokes, no run, on a length and just outside off stump, Stokes defends into the off-side
69.4 -
C Morris to Stokes, FOUR, now the on-drive and it beats the dive at mid-on. Lovely shot! Good length delivery angled in, Stokes leans forward and drives with the full face of the bat, didn't try to hit it too hard, timed it beautifully and it ran away for four
69.3 -
C Morris to Stokes, no run, on a length and outside off stump, Stokes covers the stumps and lets it go
69.2 -
C Morris to Stokes, no run, lovely off-drive off the front foot, but straight to mid-off
69.1 -
C Morris to Stokes, no run, fullish and outside off stump, left alone
Stokes has a problem with his helmet. The umpires have decided to take the drinks break 4 minutes earlier than scheduled. A good battle between bat and ball. England lost Taylor first ball after the tea break, but Root and Stokes kept the scoreboard moving with some fine strokeplay. The hosts though managed to dismiss the former soon after he completed his fifty and that wicket will surely lift the mood in the South African dressing room. Morris will be a relieved man after scalping his first Test wicket. A crucial 76 minutes left in the day's play. Can England, who opted to bat first, end the day on a high? We'll wait and watch..
68.6 -
van Zyl to Bairstow, no run, "wait on" says Bairstow after defending this inswinger towards point
68.5 -
van Zyl to Stokes, 1 run, cut away nicely off the back foot as van Zyl drops it short, but there is protection in the deep and it goes straight to sweeper cover
68.4 -
van Zyl to Stokes, no run, fullish and outside off stump, Stokes defends and picks out cover
68.3 -
van Zyl to Stokes, no run, swinging away outside off stump, ignored
68.2 -
van Zyl to Stokes, no run, on a length and outside off stump, Stokes defends it to cover
68.1 -
van Zyl to Stokes, no run, good length delivery outside off stump, Stokes shoulders arms
67.6 -
C Morris to Bairstow, no run, on a length just outside off stump, Bairstow defends into the off-side
Jonny Bairstow, right handed bat, comes to the crease
67.5 -
C Morris to Root, out Caught by de Kock!! Is that a lapse in concentration from Root? He throws his head back in disappointment as he walks back. First Test wicket for Morris, he must be feeling great at the moment. The crowd gives Root a good ovation as he walks off. Short of a length delivery outside off stump, Root goes for the cut, was caught on the crease and played late as well, got a thick edge that was easily held by the keeper. Morris jumps in delight and pumps his fist, Faf runs and hugs him. Root looks very disappointed. He knows that he's missed out on a big one here as the pitch is very good for batting. Root c de Kock b C Morris 50(79) [4s-5]
C Morris to Root, THAT'S OUT!! Caught!!
67.4 -
C Morris to Stokes, 1 run, good length delivery on the leg stump, Stokes looks to defend, gets an inside edge that rolls to fine leg
67.3 -
C Morris to Root, 1 run, the crowd goes "Rooooottt." Remember, he made as many as 10 Test fifties in 2015 and he begins 2016 in style with a fifty. Short of a length delivery on the leg stump, Root tucks it away through mid-wicket and gets to his 18th Test fifty
67.2 -
C Morris to Root, FOUR, driven off the front foot and with a full face of the bat, hit it very straight and mid-on had no chance. Morris overpitched the ball right up to the batsman and Root drove it superbly along the ground
67.1 -
C Morris to Root, no run, short of length delivery just outside off stump, Root defends off the back foot
66.6 -
van Zyl to Root, 1 run, fifty-run partnership is up! Root slid deep in his crease and gave himself the room to play the delayed flick to deep square leg
66.5 -
van Zyl to Root, no run, pitched up and drifting in, Root arches forward and clips it straight to mid-wicket
66.4 -
van Zyl to Root, no run, in the channel at modest pace, Root pushes it back to the bowler in defence
66.3 -
van Zyl to Root, no run, length outside off, Root pushes it into the off-side
66.2 -
van Zyl to Root, no run, note-worthy stop at cover point - a leap to the right and a two-handed stop. A hint of width it was and Root jumped on it with a cut
66.1 -
van Zyl to Root, no run, fullish in length, Root adjusts for the low bounce and defends it
Stiaan van Zyl, right-arm medium, comes into the attack
It's that time of the day when van Zyl will bowl. Remember Kohli's wicket that he effected? No slip in place. Ironic cheers from the crowd it seems.
65.6 -
C Morris to Stokes, no run, full in length and fired in from wide of the crease again, Stokes got forward and closed the bat face in defence
65.5 -
C Morris to Stokes, no run, angled in from wide of the crease, Stokes shuffled inside the crease to get behind the line and laid a dead bat to the ball
65.4 -
C Morris to Stokes, no run, a baby step forward to meet this length delivery off the front foot
65.3 -
C Morris to Stokes, no run, fullish in the channel outside off, Stokes doesn't bother with it and greets it with a lifted bat
65.2 -
C Morris to Root, 1 run, that back of a length ball perhaps kept a fraction low. Root was shaping to pull but adjusted last minute to sort of swipe it to backward square leg for a single
65.1 -
C Morris to Root, no run, back of a length on middle, Root explores the crease's depth with a skid backwards and works it into the on-side
Chris Morris [15.0-2-50-0] is back into the attack
64.6 -
D Piedt to Stokes, SIX, and this one's for the huge New Year's crowd at Newlands! Bowled slow, Stokes stretches forward, gets on one knee and murders the slog-sweep over deep mid-wicket
64.5 -
D Piedt to Stokes, no run, tossed up on middle, Stokes gets forward and exhibits the perfect forward defence
64.4 -
D Piedt to Root, 1 run, another one met off the back foot. Stays put inside his crease and works it to deep mid-wicket
64.3 -
D Piedt to Root, FOUR, such good timing again! Feels like the ball has legs. Gets deep into his crease and punches it off the back foot. No force but all timing. Off she goes!
64.2 -
D Piedt to Stokes, 1 run, shimmies down the track and creams the drive to long-off for a single
64.1 -
D Piedt to Stokes, no run, drifting down the leg side, Stokes half-turns to glance but couldn't meet the ball
63.6 -
M Morkel to Root, no run, gets some room outside off, Root goes hard on the cut shot and mistimes it to cover-point
63.5 -
M Morkel to Root, no run, full outside off, Root lets it go
63.4 -
M Morkel to Root, FOUR, that looked lovely and what a way to bring up the 200! Claps all around. Isn't this Test in South Africa? The ball was shortish outside off, Root backed away to give himself room, stretched his hands a touch as he punched it off the back foot. The ball pinged bat's middle and hurried to the deep extra cover fence
63.3 -
M Morkel to Stokes, 1 run, Stokes works this to deep mid-wicket for a single
63.2 -
M Morkel to Stokes, byes, FOUR, what was that? Wayward short delivery down the leg side, Stokes swivelled inside his crease to connect but failed. The ball zoomed off the pitch and was too wide to meet de Kock's leap to his right
63.1 -
M Morkel to Root, 1 run, back of a length delivery, Root stands tall on his toes and turns this delivery to deep mid-wicket for a single
62.6 -
D Piedt to Stokes, no run, very full and on the stumps, Stokes defends
62.5 -
D Piedt to Stokes, FOUR, friendly full toss and Stokes muscles the slog over mid-wicket. There was a fielder there but it went well to his right. Rare bad ball from Piedt
62.4 -
D Piedt to Stokes, no run, tossed up on the stumps, Stokes defends off the front foot
62.3 -
D Piedt to Stokes, no run, Stokes works this away to mid-wicket
62.2 -
D Piedt to Stokes, no run, slider on the stumps, Stokes flicks to mid-wicket, diving stop made
62.1 -
D Piedt to Root, 1 run, shortish and on the leg stump, Root pulls it to deep mid-wicket
Dane Piedt [16.0-5-33-0] is back into the attack
61.6 -
M Morkel to Stokes, no run, there were two sounds and that probably prompted the Proteas to go upstairs. However, the sounds were bat hitting the bottom of the front pad and then ball brushing the flap of the pad. There was no edge/glove on it to be given out caught behind and it was pretty high to be given out LBW as well. Morne needed to be at least 30-40 centimeters shorter for that to have hit the stumps. Good length delivery angled in, Stokes tried to work it into the on-side and missed it completely
Big shout for caught behind, not given and Amla has a chat with his team-mates, decides to review! Let's go through the DRS process. Morne's front foot is fine. The first replay suggests that the bat hit the bottom of the pad before the ball took the flap of the pad. No question of LBW as it was too high. The Ultra Edge doesn't show a wave when the ball passes the pad. They are checking the Hawk-Eye just to be sure, it says impact in-line and just bouncing over the middle stump. So Stokes survives and eats one of South Africa's reviews.
61.5 -
M Morkel to Stokes, no run, Stokes guides this back of a length off the back foot to point
61.4 -
M Morkel to Stokes, no run, round the wicket to Stokes, good length outside off stump, left alone
61.3 -
M Morkel to Root, 1 run, good length delivery on the off stump, Root works it to mid-on and takes a quick single
61.2 -
M Morkel to Root, 2 runs, short and outside off stump, Root plays the pull early, looked like the ball didn't bounce much and came slowly to him, managed to roll the wrists over the shot and sent it along the ground through backward square leg
61.1 -
M Morkel to Root, no run, short of length delivery outside off stump, Root leaves
60.6 -
C Morris to Stokes, 2 runs, short and on the stumps, Stokes pulls it to deep backward square leg, where van Zyl makes a sliding save
60.5 -
C Morris to Stokes, no run, oh that's good reflexes from Morris. Full and just tailing back in, Stokes plays the straight drive, the momentum drags him out of the crease, Morris collects the ball in his followthrough and quickly has a shy at the stumps. Stokes quickly grounds his bat back, anyway, the throw wasn't on target
60.4 -
C Morris to Stokes, no run, fullish and just outside off stump, Stokes defends it to mid-off off the front foot
60.3 -
C Morris to Stokes, no run, fullish and just outside off stump, Stokes defends off the front foot
60.2 -
C Morris to Stokes, FOUR, excellent looking clip shot from Stokes, so much bottom hand involved and he timed it so well. Length delivery on the leg stump, Stokes hops and works it past the man at mid-wicket and it races away
60.1 -
C Morris to Stokes, no run, good length delivery angling away from the left-hander, Stokes lets it go through to the keeper
59.6 -
M Morkel to Root, no run, "wait, wait, wait," says Root, after defending this fullish delivery with one hand to gully
59.5 -
M Morkel to Root, no run, full and outside off stump, Root ignores it
59.4 -
M Morkel to Root, no run, interestingly, this good length delivery keeps a little low, wasn't near the stumps and Root was just ball-watching on that occasion
Two slips and two gullies for Root
59.3 -
M Morkel to Stokes, 1 run, full and angled in, Stokes pushes it to cover for an easy single
59.2 -
M Morkel to Stokes, no run, on a length and wide outside off stump, left alone
Three slips and a gully in
59.1 -
M Morkel to Stokes, no run, big Morne starts his new spell with a back of a length delivery outside off stump, Stokes defends it towards backward point
Morne Morkel [12.0-2-36-1] is back into the attack
58.6 -
C Morris to Root, 2 runs, clipped away off the pads, Morris went wide of the crease and angled this full delivery in, there was a hint of inswing as well, Root sent it through mid-wicket for a couple of runs
58.5 -
C Morris to Root, no run, on a length and just outside off stump, Root defends
The physio helps Rabada with some stretching near the boundary rope
58.4 -
C Morris to Root, no run, Root allows the length ball to come and defends from the crease
58.3 -
C Morris to Root, no run, Root stands tall and punches off the back foot to mid-off
58.2 -
C Morris to Root, no run, back of a length tailing back in outside off stump, not close enough to make Root play though
58.1 -
C Morris to Root, no run, reverse swinging delivery down the leg-side, Root misses the glance, de Kock dives to his left and collects
57.6 -
Rabada to Stokes, no run, nice delivery! Good length and just outside off stump, Stokes covers the sticks and lets it go to the keeper. Stokes could have easily been drawn into the shot there, but he did well to stay calm and lift his bat
57.5 -
Rabada to Stokes, no run, Stokes presents the full face of the bat and drives it to mid-on
57.4 -
Rabada to Stokes, no run, on a length and angled across with a hint of outswing, ignored
Three slips and a gully for Stokes
57.3 -
Rabada to Stokes, no run, much better line and length, especially with the ball tailing away from the left-hander, full and outside off stump, Stokes though is solid in his front foot defence to cover
57.2 -
Rabada to Stokes, 2 runs, poor line, good length delivery down the leg-side, Stokes works it behind square leg for a couple of runs
57.2 -
Rabada to Stokes, wide, oopsy! That was so wide outside off stump that even umpire Bruce Oxenford didn't like it. He stretches his arms and Rabada has to rebowl that ball
57.1 -
Rabada to Stokes, no run, on a length and on the stumps, easily defended to short mid-wicket
56.6 -
C Morris to Root, no run, short of length delivery just outside off stump, Root is solid in his back foot defence
56.5 -
C Morris to Root, FOUR, Root drives and gets the edge this time, but it went along the ground and between second slip and gully. The length was full enough to draw the batsman forward and Morris almost won the battle
56.4 -
C Morris to Root, no run, full and asking the batsman to drive, but Root simply shoulders arms
56.3 -
C Morris to Root, no run, now there is a nice shape into the right-hander on this fullish delivery, Root covers the swing and defends well off the front foot
56.2 -
C Morris to Root, no run, the Proteas get a bit excited as Morris thuds one into Root's pads, but the bowler wasn't too keen for the LBW appeal as he knew that this was snaking down the leg-side, Root fell over on the flick and got hit on the pad
56.1 -
C Morris to Root, no run, good length delivery outside off stump, Root shoulders arms
Chris Morris [12.0-2-38-0] is back into the attack
55.6 -
Rabada to Stokes, 2 runs, too straight once again, Stokes tucks it through backward square leg
55.5 -
Rabada to Stokes, no run, good length delivery just outside off stump, Stokes covers the stumps and lets it go
55.4 -
Rabada to Stokes, no run, hat-trick ball safely negotiated by Stokes. Slightly disappointed with Rabada that he didn't bowl this in the 4th stump channel, this was around middle and leg and Stokes was easily able to defend
Ben Stokes, left handed bat, comes to the crease
55.3 -
Rabada to James Taylor, out Caught by de Kock!! Now Kagiso Rabada is on a hat-trick. This is his third wicket. James Taylor batted well in the first Test, but he's gone for a golden duck now. Hang on, hang on! The umpires are checking for the no-ball. Oh dear! Has he crossed the line once again? Third umpire Rod Tucker takes a long look. This is very tight. The zoomer is used, still not conclusive enough to say that there was nothing behind the line and the benefit of doubt goes to the bowler, much to the delight of the South African fans in the stands. Rabada breathes a sigh of relief. What a start for the Proteas after the tea break. This was such a poor shot from Taylor. England surely weren't needing 4 runs to win and this wasn't the last ball of the game either. Full and just swinging away outside off stump, Taylor plays the drive away from the body and he went hard at it as well. It could have easily been left alone but Taylor edges it to the keeper. James Taylor c de Kock b Rabada 0(1)
Rabada to James Taylor, THAT'S OUT!! Caught!!
Two slips, gully and short mid-wicket in
James Taylor, right handed bat, comes to the crease
A warm welcome back to Newlands. South Africa managed to snaffle two wickets in that session but the English run-making trudged along.
Right after lunch, England showed some aggressive intent and both Hales and Compton looked to score freely, especially against Piedt. Hales, in his bid to add a few quick runs, was lucky that a couple of his edges flew away from the fielders at slips and gully. Root has been amongst the runs in the series and he is the dangerman for the Proteas. South Africa have made a little comeback but still the way things are going at the moment, once again the onus will be on the hosts to create chances. First two sessions have clearly belonged to the English. Who will rule the last one? We shall be back in a while with the answer.
Tea, Day 1: In Bunsen burner like conditions, when things started to get dead dry for South Africa, Morne Morkel came in to provide a breakthrough by getting rid of Alex Hales. It was AB de Villiers, who jumped in front of Dean Elgar at first slip to get his 200th dismissal (195 catches, 5 stumpings) in Test cricket. And before the tea break, Rabada sent Compton back by hurrying him with a bouncer. However, things could have been a little brighter for South Africa had the ball stuck in Chris Morris' hand. Morris almost pulled off his second blinder of the day when Joe Root edged one off Morkel.
55.2 -
Rabada to Compton, out Caught by Bavuma!! What have you done, Nick Compton? Robin Jackman on air voiced a few minutes ago that he expects Compton to do something silly if South Africa kept him calm and he's been proven right. Last over before tea, probably Compton wanted to get the fifty before the break and he gifts his wicket. Nothing but a short of length delivery just outside off stump, wasn't threatening by any means, in fact Compton rocked back and nailed the pull shot to perfection, however, he didn't get the placement right and the man at mid-wicket moved low to his left and grabbed it with both hands. Rabada has his hands aloft in joy and why not! He's bowled well. With that scalp, the umpires have called tea. Compton c Bavuma b Rabada 45(105) [4s-5 6s-1]
Rabada to Compton, THAT'S OUT!! Caught!!
55.1 -
Rabada to Compton, no run, full and outside off stump, Compton mistimes the drive to mid-off. He hardly moved his feet forward there
Last over before tea coming up
54.6 -
D Piedt to Compton, 1 run, this is turned past Temba to deep square leg
54.5 -
D Piedt to Compton, 2 runs, short enough for Compton to go back and tuck past the diving Faf at mid-wicket, good enough for a couple of runs
54.4 -
D Piedt to Compton, no run, very full and outside off stump, blocked
54.3 -
D Piedt to Compton, no run, on the off stump, Compton turns it to the left of Temba at short leg
54.2 -
D Piedt to Compton, no run, tossed up and outside off stump, Compton defends into the off-side
54.1 -
D Piedt to Compton, no run, loopy delivery, luring the batsman to go hard at the drive, but plays and finds the man at cover
53.6 -
Rabada to Root, no run, short of length delivery angled in, Root turns it towards mid-wicket. Excellent over from Rabada, a maiden
53.5 -
Rabada to Root, no run, Rabada offers a friendly full toss and Root is kind enough to drive it softly to cover
53.4 -
Rabada to Root, no run, fullish and outside off stump, Root simply shoulders arms
53.3 -
Rabada to Root, no run, short of length delivery on the off stump, Root defends off the back foot
53.2 -
Rabada to Root, no run, Root covers the stumps and allows the short of length delivery to go through to the keeper
53.1 -
Rabada to Root, no run, in the airrrr, AB de Villiers rushes forward and puts in a full length dive but it falls short. That is so lucky for Root. The bumper from Rabada, came quickly and bounced extra as well, Root decided to leave very late, couldn't drop his bat down in time, it popped off the face of the bat, second slip ran forward but couldn't get there in time
52.6 -
D Piedt to Compton, no run, tossed up around off stump line, Compton is nicely forward as he defends
52.5 -
D Piedt to Compton, no run, shortish and on the leg stump, clipped to square leg, Compton wanted the run but Root sends him back. There was a slight fumble, but the England batsmen don't risk a run
52.4 -
D Piedt to Compton, no run, Compton advances and tries to drive through mid-on, gets a soft leading edge that rolls along the ground to cover
52.3 -
D Piedt to Root, 1 run, Root steps out and drives, waits for the ball to beat the diving fielder at mid-wicket and then takes the run
52.2 -
D Piedt to Root, no run, very full and outside off stump, Root defends it to cover off the front foot
52.1 -
D Piedt to Root, no run, Root goes on the back foot and clips this shortish delivery to mid-wicket
51.6 -
Rabada to Compton, no run, short of length just outside off stump, Compton defends off the back foot
51.5 -
Rabada to Root, 1 run, good length delivery down the leg-side, easily glanced away to fine leg
51.4 -
Rabada to Root, no run, defended off the back foot to point
51.3 -
Rabada to Root, no run, short of length outside off stump, Root thought about cutting it, but let it go through to the keeper
51.2 -
Rabada to Root, no run, Root's front foot comes across the sticks initially but then he gets into a nice position to flick well, finds mid-wicket though
51.1 -
Rabada to Root, no run, on a length and outside off stump, left alone
Kagiso Rabada [13.0-1-57-1] is back into the attack
50.6 -
D Piedt to Compton, no run, floated up just outside off stump, Compton plants his front foot forward and blocks
50.5 -
D Piedt to Root, 1 run, spinning back in on the off stump, Root turns it to deep square leg
50.4 -
D Piedt to Compton, 1 run, tossed up on the off stump, Compton steps out, nudges to mid-wicket and races to the other end
50.3 -
D Piedt to Compton, no run, oh that was interesting! Compton went back to cut as the length was short, but this one spun back in sharply and cramped him for room, in the end chopped towards point
50.2 -
D Piedt to Root, 1 run, Root steps out, Piedt drags his length back, Root adjusts and tucks this to deep mid-wicket
50.1 -
D Piedt to Root, no run, tossed up outside off stump, Root is solid in his forward defence
Dane Piedt [13.0-5-26-0] is back into the attack
49.6 -
M Morkel to Root, 1 run, full on the off stump, on-driven nicely off the front foot, but the man at mid-on dives to his left and saves three
49.5 -
M Morkel to Compton, 1 run, easy ball, full and down the leg-side, clipped away to Rabada at fine leg, Compton wanted the second, but Root sent him back. In fact the replay shows that Root was only jogging for the first run and never had an intention to steal two
49.4 -
M Morkel to Compton, no run, this is way outside off stump, Compton is obviously not going to play at those
49.3 -
M Morkel to Compton, no run, again inswing on offer for Morkel on this full ball, Compton drives with a straight bat, the Giraffe - Morkel - sticks his left hand out and half-stops the ball
49.2 -
M Morkel to Compton, no run, late inswing almost accounting for Compton. The batsman was on the front foot to off-drive, the inside edge crashes into the pad and rolls into the off-side. If not for the pad, that would have knocked the poles out
49.1 -
M Morkel to Compton, no run, short of length and outside off stump, ignored
48.6 -
Rabada to Root, no run, inswing on this full ball, Root drives and finds the man at cover
48.5 -
Rabada to Root, no run, short of length delivery just outside off stump, Root defends into the off-side
48.4 -
Rabada to Root, 4 runs, length delivery angled in, clipped away off the pads, Bavuma gives chase and makes a sliding save at deep square leg, the batsmen run three, but Rabada fails to collect the ball cleanly and allows the extra run to be taken. All that effort by Bavuma goes in vain
48.3 -
Rabada to Root, no run, short and wide outside off stump, cut well but Flying Faf stops the ball at backward point. He gets a good round of applause from the crowd for his effort
48.2 -
Rabada to Root, no run, "noooo," shouts Root after defending this fullish delivery to cover
48.1 -
Rabada to Root, no run, full and outside off stump, left alone
47.6 -
M Morkel to Compton, FOUR, a desperate dive by Rabada at fine leg, he actually flicked it back, but didn't have enough power behind it and it rolled back to touch the rope. Full and angled in on the pads, Compton easily glances it away behind square leg, fine leg was very square and he couldn't stop the boundary
47.5 -
M Morkel to Compton, no run, short of length and outside off stump, Compton lets it go
47.4 -
M Morkel to Root, 1 run, edgedddddd and Morris almost pulls off another left-handed stunner. Remember, he took a blinder to remove the England captain and he almost pulled this off as well. Extremely tough chance, credit to him for the effort. Root finally loses patiences and goes for the drive hard and away from the body, it was a fullish length ball, it flew off the outside edge, Morris at gully flew to his left, but it came very quickly, got his left hand to it but it popped out and rolled to third man
47.3 -
M Morkel to Root, no run, temping Root to play away from the body, but the batsman isn't ready to poke at it yet
47.2 -
M Morkel to Root, no run, slightly back of a length this time, ignored
47.1 -
M Morkel to Root, no run, pacy length ball at 142.2kph, Morkel got great bounce on this one, but Root covered the off stump and left it very well. The keeper reverse-cupped it near his left ear
46.6 -
Rabada to Root, 1 run, Root goes on the back foot and punches it to the left of mid-off and keeps strike
46.5 -
Rabada to Root, 2 runs, oh van Zyl fumbles one that comes almost straight at him at cover and gifts a couple of runs to Root. The back foot punch from Root, should have been a dot ball, instead he's got two
46.5 -
Rabada to Root, no ball, Aleem Dar has his left-arm outstretched because he spotted Rabada overstepping the line, Root defends the short of length towards point
46.4 -
Rabada to Root, no run, there is a bit of shape back into the right-hander on this 139.3kph good length delivery, but it's way outside off stump to make Root play
46.3 -
Rabada to Root, FOUR, top shot! Short of a length again from Rabada, not quick enough or short enough to trouble Root, who rocks back and swivel-pulls it in the air through square leg for four
46.2 -
Rabada to Root, no run, slightly back of a length and just outside off stump, Root blocks
Two slips and a gully waiting for the edge
46.1 -
Rabada to Root, no run, fullish and on the off stump, Root defends
Kagiso Rabada [11.0-1-45-1] is back into the attack
45.6 -
M Morkel to Compton, no run, straight bat aligned with the pad as Compton kept this length ball out
45.5 -
M Morkel to Root, 3 runs, sounds of "Rooooootttt" already and this is not even a boundary! Root went a little back and flicked it wide of mid-wicket. Nearly lost his balance as he had widened his stance a tad too much although the timing was good enough for three runs
45.4 -
M Morkel to Root, no run, back of a length delivery angled in, Root lets it come to him and forces the tap-defence towards cover-point
45.3 -
M Morkel to Root, no run, another leave to a full ball outside off
45.2 -
M Morkel to Root, no run, hurled on a fullish length outside off, Root lifts his bat and lets it go
45.1 -
M Morkel to Root, no run, back of a length delivery, Root goes deep and whips it to mid-wicket
44.6 -
D Piedt to Root, 1 run, Root goes deep in the crease and works this shortish delivery through mid-wicket
44.5 -
D Piedt to Compton, 1 run, very full and on the stumps, Compton flicks it to deep mid-wicket
44.4 -
D Piedt to Compton, no run, softly worked to short mid-wicket
44.3 -
D Piedt to Compton, no run, tossed up and inviting the batsman forward, blocked down the pitch
44.2 -
D Piedt to Compton, FOUR, this is way too short and it didn't spin much, Compton went back and cut it away easily through cover. The fielder there dived to his left but it escaped
44.1 -
D Piedt to Compton, no run, flatter and shorter from round the wicket, Compton defends off the back foot
43.6 -
M Morkel to Root, 2 runs, fullish and just outside off stump, Root tries to defend, gets a thick edge that rolls to gully, the fielder fumbles and allows Root to open his account
Joe Root, right handed bat, comes to the crease
43.5 -
M Morkel to Hales, out Caught by de Villiers!! Edged and taken. Good grab by AB de Villiers. In fact, he dived in front of first slip and took it with both hands. Thankfully he didn't spill it as it was going straight to Elgar at first slip. Good length once again from Morkel, the ball just holds its line and probably bounced a bit extra as well, Hales goes for the defence, he wasn't fully forward, played with hard hands and the ball took a healthy edge. It went at a good height, around knee-high and de Villiers made no mistake diving to his left. End of a fine innings from Hales. Hales c de Villiers b M Morkel 60(140) [4s-10]
M Morkel to Hales, THAT'S OUT!! Caught!!
43.4 -
M Morkel to Hales, no run, short of length delivery well outside off stump, Hales shoulders arms
43.3 -
M Morkel to Hales, no run, this back of a length ball seamed away a touch making the ball wider. Hales lets it go again
43.2 -
M Morkel to Hales, no run, full length delivery zipping off the pitch, Hales lets the ball go to the keeper
43.1 -
M Morkel to Compton, 1 run, back of a length delivery drifting in, tucked to backward square leg for a single
Morne Morkel [8.0-2-23-0] is back into the attack
Drinks are on the field now. No wickets but the first hour was eventful. South Africa came out with a more disciplined approach and a little skip in their steps, perhaps powered by the pep-talk during the lunch break. England, despite Protea efforts, looked comfortable, nudging singles and collecting runs under sunny skies. The p'ship has zoomed to 73. Not alarming yet but South Africa need a Morris moment yet again
42.6 -
D Piedt to Hales, no run, flatter on middle, Hales defends it solidly right under his eyes
42.5 -
D Piedt to Hales, no run, more intent in this bat-ball contact. Hales got forward for the nth time but times the drive straight to cover
42.4 -
D Piedt to Hales, no run, slower through the air, Hales went back and kept it out
42.3 -
D Piedt to Hales, no run, the line is well outside off and it's bringing Hales forward. The batsman got on his knees and defended into the covers again
42.2 -
D Piedt to Hales, no run, kneels well forward and defends the ball into the off-side
42.1 -
D Piedt to Hales, no run, floated on off, Hales hung back and then bunted it back
41.6 -
C Morris to Compton, no run, effort delivery that's in the drains because it was too wayward. Way too much room outside off and Compton doesn't even attempt to fiddle with the ball
41.5 -
C Morris to Compton, no run, length delivery that allows Compton to come forward and block it
41.4 -
C Morris to Compton, no run, bowled full, Compton lets out a front foot defence employing a straight bat
41.3 -
C Morris to Compton, no run, gets forward nicely and pushes the ball to mid-off
41.2 -
C Morris to Compton, FOUR, dangled full and Compton obliges with an attempted drive. The ball takes the outside edge and flew very wide of the gully to the deep backward point fence. Looked like a half-deliberate slice to the fences
41.1 -
C Morris to Compton, no run, fullish in length, Compton blunts it off the front foot
40.6 -
D Piedt to Compton, 1 run, slides back and turns the ball round the corner for a single to deep mid-wicket
40.5 -
D Piedt to Compton, no run, stays back to this back of a length delivery and digs the defence into the pitch
40.4 -
D Piedt to Compton, no run, flighted delivery on off, Compton drives it towards mid-off
Piedt is now round the wicket
40.3 -
D Piedt to Compton, no run, shimmies down the track but Piedt bowls it quick. Compton readjusts to clip it into the leg-side
40.2 -
D Piedt to Hales, 1 run, tossed up on middle, Hales nudges it to long-on
40.1 -
D Piedt to Hales, no run, bowled slower. The ball hung in the air as Hales was already in his tentative drive. The ball took the inside-edge and rolled behind. Periliously close to the stumps that
39.6 -
C Morris to Hales, 1 run, this attack-the-stumps should not turn into a leg-side run party. Like the first session. Too early to say that though. Another one within the stumps, Hales plays a good-looking one-legged clip to backward square leg. Easy single in the kitty
39.5 -
C Morris to Hales, no run, 137 kmph bumper but that looked pacier than that. Perhaps a touch high and Hales sanely ducked under it
39.4 -
C Morris to Hales, FOUR, fired in full but the ball swung across to make the line leg-stumpish. Hales bent forward and tucked it off his pads to collect a boundary to fine leg
39.3 -
C Morris to Hales, no run, would have been a brilliant delivery had it been around off. Length delivery that's bowled too wide and it was an easy leave
39.2 -
C Morris to Hales, no run, bowling full is allowing the ball to hoop in. Hales, this time, was well in front to cover that and defended it towards mid-on
Two slips and a gully in place
39.1 -
C Morris to Hales, no run, the ball curls in on off, Hales is on his front foot to middle the defence
38.6 -
D Piedt to Hales, 1 run, flatter trajectory on middle, Hales stood outside his leg stump and delicately flicked it to long-on for a single
38.5 -
D Piedt to Hales, no run, looped up in the air, Hales waits on it and then sort of stabs the defence to cover
38.4 -
D Piedt to Hales, no run, flighted delivery on off, Hales plays another forward defence
38.3 -
D Piedt to Hales, no run, tossed up on middle, Hales gets forward in defence
38.2 -
D Piedt to Hales, no run, Hales used his feet but Piedt bowled it a tad wide. Hales then widened his stance to get behind the line and pushed it awkwardly back to the bowler
38.1 -
D Piedt to Hales, no run, fullish in length and on middle, Hales defends it
37.6 -
C Morris to Compton, no run, this was wide of off. Similar fuller length delivery and Compton easily ignores it
37.5 -
C Morris to Compton, no run, full length saga continues and it looked like there was some swing too. Compton blunts it off the outside half of the bat. Needs to get further forward
37.4 -
C Morris to Compton, no run, that jagged back in from a length outside off. Compton had done well to get a big stride forward to cover his stumps. All safe in the end
37.3 -
C Morris to Compton, no run, length delivery. Pretty harmless if you decide to leave it and Compton does exactly that
37.2 -
C Morris to Compton, no run, that was sent down to take the throat of off. Compton had to get low and managed to defend it unconvincingly. The ball rolled off the outside half towards mid-off
37.1 -
C Morris to Compton, no run, pitched up outside off, bounces a touch high. Compton hops in his crease to immitate the extra bounce and hoists his bat
36.6 -
D Piedt to Hales, no run, stays back in his crease and pushes it into the off-side. No intention of a single whatsoever
36.5 -
D Piedt to Hales, no run, clips it along the ground but cannot beat silly mid-on
36.4 -
D Piedt to Hales, no run, again some width but not too wide. Hales is backing away to manufacture room and cuts it. Finds point yet again
36.3 -
D Piedt to Hales, no run, forced it back to the bowler with a straight bat. Piedt dives to his right and clasped it
36.2 -
D Piedt to Hales, no run, hint of width allows Hales to free his arms with a cut but he found point
36.1 -
D Piedt to Hales, no run, delicious flight making the ball dip well in front, Hales lets out a big stride and digs it into the ground
35.6 -
C Morris to Compton, 2 runs, another one speared into the leg-side, Compton gets half-forward and plays an airy clip towards backwards square leg for a brace
35.5 -
C Morris to Compton, no run, fires it in on the leg stump line, Compton falls over while trying to flick. Is rapped on the pads. Stifled appeal but that was always going down leg
35.4 -
C Morris to Compton, no run, leaves it alone to the keeper this time. Morris seems to have found the perfect line and length very early in his spell
35.3 -
C Morris to Compton, no run, beaten again! Full length outside off, Compton's feet were buried as he looked to feel ball on his bat with a drive. Thankfully managed to miss it
35.2 -
C Morris to Compton, no run, that was wild! Close-your-eye-and-throw-your-bat shot! Length outside off, Compton had a silly flay at that. Only manages to connect with thin air
35.1 -
C Morris to Compton, no run, fullish and within the stumps, Compton keeps it out with a straight bat
Chris Morris [8.0-1-27-0] is back into the attack
First session mood-changer Morris comes on
34.6 -
D Piedt to Hales, no run, good working for Piedt's fingers in this over. Rips the ball in the channel outside off, Hales played a firm-footed forward defence
34.5 -
D Piedt to Hales, no run, tossed up, Hales is on the back foot again to block it out
34.4 -
D Piedt to Hales, no run, backed away to give himself room and punched the ball straight to mid-wicket
34.3 -
D Piedt to Hales, no run, slower through the air, Hales is hit high on the bat as he played a shuffled-defence
34.2 -
D Piedt to Compton, 1 run, flight on offer, Compton lets out a forward stride and flicks it along the carpet to long-on for a jog-to-the-other-end single
34.1 -
D Piedt to Compton, no run, tossed up on off, Compton lunges forward and blocks it out
33.6 -
Rabada to Hales, no run, not as pretty but equally ineffective. Pushed into the off-side but straight to the extra-cover fielder
33.5 -
Rabada to Hales, no run, that was crunched but Rabada played the devil there! Hales had nicely got behind the line and push-drove it with a straight bat, Rabada got low and got a hand to it. Half-stopped it and there was not even a single taken off that
33.4 -
Rabada to Hales, no run, a harmless length delivery sans movement, Hales defends it solidly
33.3 -
Rabada to Hales, no run, short of length delivery that zoots back in, Hales presents a straight bat and the ball rolls to mid-wicket
33.2 -
Rabada to Hales, no run, full and tempting Hales outside off, the batsman resists and lets it go
33.1 -
Rabada to Compton, 1 run, back of a length on middle, Compton goes deep and tucks it with dough-soft hands to square leg. Quick single amidst shrills from the fielding side. Completed easily in the end
32.6 -
D Piedt to Hales, no run, goes deep in his crease, waits for the slower delivery on middle and stabs it straight to the bowler
32.5 -
D Piedt to Compton, 1 run, nudges to long-on for a pretty comfortable single
32.4 -
D Piedt to Compton, no run, loud appeal but I can't guess why. Compton shimmies down to clip to towards mid-wicket, missed and the ball rolled off the pads to cover. No way it was even close to an LBW
32.3 -
D Piedt to Compton, no run, dragged back a touch, Compton skids back in his crease and defends it under his eye-line with a straight bat
32.2 -
D Piedt to Hales, 1 run, flighted on middle, Hales lunges forward with a clip to long-on. Easy single on offer there
32.1 -
D Piedt to Hales, no run, draws him forward with the flight and snakes one past the outside edge
31.6 -
Rabada to Compton, no run, not a big stride forward this time. Just stayed put and forced the defence wide of the bowler
31.5 -
Rabada to Compton, no run, shows patience here. Length ball on fifth stump line, Compton watches it all along with a lifted bat
31.4 -
Rabada to Compton, no run, nudged it to the on-side but no run available there
31.3 -
Rabada to Compton, FOUR, the crowd went wild there. It was silked through the covers. Got on one knee and creamed the full ball to the fences. That was perhaps the dessert after lunch
31.2 -
Rabada to Compton, byes, 2 runs, banged in, too short and the bounce made it roar higher. Too high for a leaping QDK behind the stumps as the batsmen run a couple of byes
31.1 -
Rabada to Compton, no run, full and seaming in outside off, Compton lifts his bat and lets it go
Three slips and a gully in place now
30.6 -
D Piedt to Hales, no run, stoops low to blunt this tossed up delivery on middle
30.5 -
D Piedt to Hales, no run, lets the ball come onto him and shuffles across to punch but finds cover to perfection
30.4 -
D Piedt to Compton, 1 run, tickled down to short fine leg for a joggy single
30.3 -
D Piedt to Compton, SIX, ho ho! The New Year fireworks are here, finally! Compton uses his feet, doesn't get too close to the pitch and lofts it dismissively over the bowler's head for a king-sized maximum
30.2 -
D Piedt to Compton, no run, flat and quick, Compton can only get forward in defence
30.1 -
D Piedt to Compton, FOUR, flighted and drifting across, Compton gets on one knee and shovels it over the vacant leg slip with a cute little paddle
29.6 -
Rabada to Hales, FOUR, edged and four! And it's also his maiden half-century! Invitingly pitched up outside off, Hales is a little impatient after lunch. Goes hard on the drive, gets a thick edge that runs wide of the second slip and to the third man fence
29.5 -
Rabada to Hales, no run, back of a length angling in from wide of the crease, Hales wanted to tuck it fine but got a leading edge that rolled towards extra cover. A touch squared up was there Hales
29.4 -
Rabada to Hales, no run, good shorter one to follow up. Hales had to sway out of the line at the last minute and did well to get his bat out of the line as he arched his back
29.4 -
Rabada to Hales, wide, banged in way outside off, Hales only half-ducks. Too short to be threatening and the umpire had his arms outstretched
29.3 -
Rabada to Hales, no run, pitched up outside off, Hales gets forward and defends it with a straight bat. Mid-on gets across to his left to tidy up
29.2 -
Rabada to Hales, no run, definite plan to not get carried away with the bounce on offer. Fuller in length again, Hales tamely pushes it towards mid-off
29.1 -
Rabada to Hales, no run, width on a full ball outside off allows Hales to kneel and drive. Not much timing and placement as cover intercepts the shot
28.6 -
D Piedt to Compton, no run, good flight on off and middle, Compton clips it to mid-on and doesn't attempt a run
28.5 -
D Piedt to Compton, no run, drifter outside off, Compton covers for it and pushes it into the off-side
28.4 -
D Piedt to Compton, no run, turned round the corner but straight to backward square leg
28.3 -
D Piedt to Compton, no run, leaves his crease again. Piedt drops it shorter and Compton defends it off the inner half towards short leg
28.2 -
D Piedt to Compton, no run, flatter on off, Compton gets forward to defend
28.1 -
D Piedt to Compton, 2 runs, use of the feet first up trying to get to the pitch of a tossed up delivery. Doesn't connect the clobber well and the ball is dragged towards deep mid-wicket for a couple
27.6 -
Rabada to Hales, no run, veering down the leg-side, Hales half-turns to tickle but misses
27.5 -
Rabada to Hales, no run, attacks the stumps and sticks to the full length. Hales gets forward and defends it out towards the on-side
27.4 -
Rabada to Hales, FOUR, smidgen full, Hales is in the mood! Flays it hard, gets a thick top-edge that flies high over a leaping de Villiers at second slip and off she goes to the fences again
27.3 -
Rabada to Hales, FOUR, hurled on back of a length, Hales rocks back, opens the bat face and punches it past a diving gully. Four runs for the taking
27.2 -
Rabada to Hales, no run, fullish outside off, good bounce on offer and Hales lets it go
27.1 -
Rabada to Hales, 2 runs, dished full outside off first up after lunch, Hales is all too full to full-blood the drive. Not much timing and it is fielded near sweeper cover
Welcome back! England have marched ahead in the series with a near perfect first session under blue skies and in front of a packed crowd. Morris did produce the stunner to arrest the dominance and it did slow things down towards the end. This session has to be won by South Africa if they wish to stay at par on a pitch that promises to offer plenty of runs against a novice bowling attack. Rabada has the ball with two slips and a gully
Earlier, captain Cook and Alex Hales both looked solid and also made sure to put the bad ball away to keep the scoreboard ticking. Hales in particular punished everything that strayed on his pads. After the departure of Cook, Compton continued the good job and thwarted the opposition's plans of getting into the English middle order. The South African attack looked ordinary in the absence of Dale Steyn and Morkel will be under pressure to fill in the void by inspiring the bowling unit. It has only been a session so far in the match and it already looks as if the South African bowlers are going to have a long day at the office. Join us in a while for the post-lunch session.
Lunch, Day 1: After winning the toss on a bright, sunny day, this is the kind of start England would have hoped for. The pitch had bounce and carry on offer but the South African pacers, particularly Morkel, who is known to relish such conditions, failed to find the right line. No one from the pace trio of Morkel, Morris and Rabada was able to make early inroads. Rabada did manage to send Cook back but the credit for that dismissal would go to debutant Morris who pulled off a stunner by diving to his left at third slip.
26.6 -
D Piedt to Compton, no run, Compton keeps it out as he defends it back to Piedt. That will be lunch on day 1
Now round the wicket for the final delivery before lunch
26.5 -
D Piedt to Compton, no run, very full and Compton gets forward to ease a drive to mid-on where the fielder gets around to stop
26.4 -
D Piedt to Compton, no run, bit more air from Piedt, Compton is forward to defend
26.3 -
D Piedt to Compton, no run, flat outside off, Compton is forward to block
26.2 -
D Piedt to Compton, no run, Compton comes down the track and takes it on the full, drives it back to Piedt who half-stops
26.1 -
D Piedt to Compton, no run, tossed up and Compton gets back to block
One more over before lunch
25.6 -
M Morkel to Hales, no run, steady but unthreatening maiden from Morkel, outside off, left alone
25.5 -
M Morkel to Hales, no run, full outside off, Hales wanted to have a dabble at that and then left that alone
25.4 -
M Morkel to Hales, no run, fraction short outside off, Hales has cut that straight to the fielder at point. Missed out there
25.3 -
M Morkel to Hales, no run, full on off, Hales has his bat and pad close together as he defends to mid-on
25.2 -
M Morkel to Hales, no run, back of a length and rising outside off, Hales sees it and then leaves
25.1 -
M Morkel to Hales, no run, back of a length outside off, left alone
24.6 -
D Piedt to Compton, no run, defended to short leg and Bavuma is sharp once again, flicking the ball back at the stumps even as Compton stays rooted to the crease
24.5 -
D Piedt to Compton, no run, now he is forward and blocking
24.4 -
D Piedt to Compton, no run, short and allows Compton to go back to defend
24.3 -
D Piedt to Compton, no run, very full and Compton pushes it back to Piedt
24.2 -
D Piedt to Compton, no run, tossed up outside off, Compton gets forward to drive and the ball takes the thick inside half to roll to mid-wicket
24.1 -
D Piedt to Compton, no run, Compton comes down the track and flicks to mid-wicket
23.6 -
M Morkel to Hales, no run, full outside off, Hales aims for a big drive through cover and the ball takes the thick inside half before rolling back to Morkel
23.5 -
M Morkel to Hales, no run, good stop by Morkel on his followthrough. It was punched back by Hales at him and he bent down to field
23.4 -
M Morkel to Hales, no run, short of length on off, Hales shuffles across and defends to mid-wicket
23.3 -
M Morkel to Hales, no run, full on off, Hales gets forward and punches uppishly but a diving stop made by mid-on
23.2 -
M Morkel to Hales, no run, good length outside off, left alone
23.1 -
M Morkel to Hales, FOUR, Morkel begins with a loosener outside off, short and wide and Hales cuts in the air over point. Easy boundary. Got on top of the bounce and smashed it
Morne Morkel [6.0-1-19-0] is back into the attack
22.6 -
D Piedt to Compton, no run, flighted on off, Compton gets forward to defend to the bowler
22.5 -
D Piedt to Hales, 1 run, very flat and short outside off, punched off the back foot to long-on
22.4 -
D Piedt to Hales, no run, uses the feet and takes it on the full, can't beat Faf at a straight mid-wicket
22.3 -
D Piedt to Hales, no run, flighted on off, Hales stretches forward to defend
22.2 -
D Piedt to Hales, no run, air on off, Hales gets forward to block
22.1 -
D Piedt to Hales, no run, tossed up and turning in, Hales defends off the back foot to short mid-wicket
21.6 -
C Morris to Compton, 2 runs, down leg, clipped to deep backward square leg, quick two taken
21.5 -
C Morris to Compton, no run, good length outside off, Compton is forward and defending towards mid-off
21.4 -
C Morris to Compton, no run, pitched up outside off, left alone
21.3 -
C Morris to Compton, no run, back of a length and Compton is comfortable on the back foot
21.2 -
C Morris to Compton, no run, full outside off, Compton is hit on the bat hard and the thick outside edge dies on the way to gully. A diving stop made
21.1 -
C Morris to Compton, no run, back of a length and Compton is shuffling across to block with bat and pad close together
20.6 -
D Piedt to Hales, no run, flat and on the stumps, clipped to backward square leg
20.5 -
D Piedt to Hales, no run, there is that slight drift for Piedt and nearly the drive from Hales goes straight to the fielder at backward point. Tossed up outside off, Hales went hard on the drive and the ball bounced to Rabada
20.4 -
D Piedt to Hales, no run, Hales gets forward to push it back to the bowler
Interesting to see whether Piedt can get drift because there is breeze around
20.3 -
D Piedt to Hales, no run, almost yorker length, Hales digs it out back to the bowler
20.2 -
D Piedt to Hales, no run, flighted on off, Hales gets forward to block to short mid-wicket
Slip and a short leg in
20.1 -
D Piedt to Hales, no run, tossed up on off, Hales gets forward to block
Dane Piedt, right-arm off break, comes into the attack
19.6 -
C Morris to Compton, no run, short of length on the stumps, Compton takes one hand off the bat handle and defends it back down the pitch
19.5 -
C Morris to Compton, no run, pitched up outside off, Compton gets forward and defends solidly to point
19.4 -
C Morris to Hales, 1 run, back of a length outside off, Hales stands tall and punches wide of mid-off. Takes the single on offer
19.3 -
C Morris to Compton, 1 run, back of a length and on the stumps, Compton closes the face of the bat and tucks it to fine leg for a single
19.2 -
C Morris to Hales, 1 run, sliding into the pads, clipped to deep backward square leg, for a single
19.1 -
C Morris to Hales, no run, back of a length outside off and Hales pushes off the back foot to mid-on
Chris Morris [6.0-1-22-0] is back into the attack
18.6 -
Rabada to Compton, no run, short of length outside off, Compton shuffles across and defends with no trouble
18.5 -
Rabada to Compton, no run, solidly blocked after coming forward
18.4 -
Rabada to Compton, no run, good length outside off, Compton defends with soft hands and the ball rolls to gully
18.3 -
Rabada to Compton, no run, well outside off now, left alone
18.2 -
Rabada to Compton, no run, poor over from Rabada so far. Down leg, wasted
18.1 -
Rabada to Compton, no run, fullish outside off, Compton gets forward and defends to mid-off
18.1 -
Rabada to Compton, no ball, another no-ball. Rabada is stretching a long way forward and is clearly overstepping. It nips back in and Compton covered his off stump to leave that
18.1 -
Rabada to Hales, no ball, 3 runs, Rabada oversteps and delivers a full ball outside off, Hales drives through cover and the ball doesn't have enough to beat the chase from Amla. Three taken
17.6 -
M Morkel to Hales, 1 run, full on off stump, Hales defends wide of short leg and then sets off for the run
17.5 -
M Morkel to Hales, no run, pitched up outside off, Hales gets forward and mistimes the drive to mid-on
17.4 -
M Morkel to Hales, no run, outside off, left alone
17.4 -
M Morkel to Hales, 5 wides, far too short and no way de Kock was going to grab that even with a full length leap. The ball runs away and rightly called wides
17.3 -
M Morkel to Hales, no run, short of length on the stumps, Hales is caught in an awkward position, in trying to defend, gets an inside edge onto the thigh pad, the ball rolls to gully
17.2 -
M Morkel to Hales, no run, fires the yorker outside off, Hales digs it out
17.1 -
M Morkel to Hales, no run, full outside off, Hales lets it go
16.6 -
Rabada to Compton, no run, full on the stumps, Compton gets forward and shows the full face of the bat to drive to mid-on
16.5 -
Rabada to Compton, no run, short of length on the stumps, Compton defends awkwardly back down the track
16.4 -
Rabada to Compton, no run, outside off, left alone
Nick Compton, right handed bat, comes to the crease
16.3 -
Rabada to Cook, out Caught by C Morris!! Stunning catch by Morris at third slip. One-handed grab to his left at slip, that too from such a tall man - unbelievable from Morris. Mind you he is a fast bowler standing in the cordon. That is an achievement in itself. He has a reputation for being a fine fielder at slip in the domestic circuit and he has taken a blinder on debut. His team-mates surround him. Full and outside off, Cook was lured into the drive and got a thick outside edge, was dying on Morris but he grabbed it with no fuss. Rabada leaps in delight. South Africa needed some inspiration after a dull first hour and Morris has provided that. Cook c C Morris b Rabada 27(49) [4s-4]
Rabada to Cook, THAT'S OUT!! Caught!!
16.2 -
Rabada to Cook, no run, good length on the middle and leg line, Cook defends from the crease to point
16.1 -
Rabada to Cook, no run, there for the cut and Cook went too hard at that, horribly mistimed it into the covers
15.6 -
M Morkel to Hales, no run, back of a length outside off, Hales pushes to mid-off and shouts "wait" to Cook
15.5 -
M Morkel to Hales, no run, good length and brings Hales forward to that, he defends to point
15.4 -
M Morkel to Hales, no run, back of a length outside off, rising and Hales does well to leave for it was close to his glove
15.3 -
M Morkel to Hales, no run, good length outside off, Hales shoulders arms
15.2 -
M Morkel to Cook, 3 runs, back of a length outside off, Cook pushes that with soft hands wide of the slip cordon. Two men give chase and pull it back, three taken
15.1 -
M Morkel to Cook, no run, dug in short outside off, Cook does well to get everything out of the way to leave that
Morkel from round the wicket now with a leg gully in place
14.6 -
Rabada to Hales, no run, full outside off, left alone
14.5 -
Rabada to Hales, no run, pitched up outside off, Hales gets forward and pushes with a closed bat face back to the bowler
14.4 -
Rabada to Cook, 3 runs, fraction short outside off, Cook is quick to rock back to pull, doesn't come off the middle of the bat, off the toe and he gets it over mid-wicket. It is hauled back in but not before three is taken
14.3 -
Rabada to Cook, no run, slanted across Cook, who is content to leave that again
14.2 -
Rabada to Cook, no run, pitched up outside off, Cook pushes with soft hands to point
14.1 -
Rabada to Cook, no run, angled across Cook on a good length, he lets it go
Cook looks set to bat through the whole day in brilliant bright conditions on a hot and sultry day. South Africa badly need inspiration in the field. Who is going to provide that?
Time for drinks. England have done really well to be without loss. There is pace and carry on this pitch but no lateral movement. None of the South African bowlers could find any sort of control or the exacting line and length to keep Hales and Cook quiet. Far too many pressure-releasing deliveries on offer and it has been put away. Especially by Hales who has gorged on leg-side offerings. South Africa badly feel the absence of Steyn and Philander here.
13.6 -
M Morkel to Hales, no run, down leg and Hales missed the flick. Nice carry to de Kock
13.5 -
M Morkel to Hales, FOUR, all of Hales' boundaries bar one has come with flicks or tucks through leg. Full on middle and leg, easy for Hales as he gets the flick past short leg and away she goes
13.4 -
M Morkel to Cook, 1 run, back of a length on the hips, tucked through mid-wicket and Cook turns the strike over
13.3 -
M Morkel to Cook, no run, fourth stump line, on a good length, Cook lets it go
13.2 -
M Morkel to Cook, no run, pitches outside leg and beats Cook's flick, hit on the thigh pad and Morkel just turns around to go back to his run-up
13.1 -
M Morkel to Cook, no run, back of a length on the stumps, Cook goes deep in his crease and pushes it towards cover
Morne Morkel [3.0-1-5-0] is back into the attack
12.6 -
Rabada to Hales, FOUR, third or fourth time today that Hales has picked one off middle and leg, past the diving Bavuma at mid-wicket. Once it beat him it raced away. Rabada isn't a happy man for he drifted onto the pads of Hales which is his biggest strength
12.5 -
Rabada to Hales, no run, dug in short on the stumps, Hales ducks and takes one on his back
12.4 -
Rabada to Hales, no run, that's a good line and length but Hales has judged that well. It nipped back in and Hales left it as he knew it wasn't coming back enough to hit off
12.3 -
Rabada to Hales, no run, good length and outside off, Hales shuffles across to block
12.2 -
Rabada to Hales, no run, good length outside off, pacy at 141kph but Hales leaves
12.1 -
Rabada to Hales, no run, pitched up and Hales gets forward to drive it back to Rabada, who deflects it to mid-on, where Morkel slides to stop the quick single
11.6 -
C Morris to Cook, no run, good length on off stump, Cook goes deep in his crease and blocks with a straight bat to mid-on
11.5 -
C Morris to Cook, no run, easy leave as Morris keeps it outside off
11.4 -
C Morris to Cook, no run, pitched up outside off, Cook gets forward and shoulders arms
11.3 -
C Morris to Cook, no run, short of length and on the hips, tucked to mid-wicket
11.2 -
C Morris to Cook, no run, pitched up outside off, nips in slightly but not enough to hit off, Cook lets it go
11.1 -
C Morris to Cook, FOUR, even Cook felt he was gone when he flicked that in the air. He didn't want to run after hitting it but saw that the ball went wide of mid-wicket. To the fielder's left. A definite ploy from Morris and Amla to get Cook caught on the leg-side. This was tailing back in and Cook flicked and got lucky
10.6 -
Rabada to Hales, no run, back of a length outside off, rising too, Hales shoulders arms
10.5 -
Rabada to Hales, no run, fullish outside off, Hales is hit on the bat splice as he gets forward to drive. The ball rolls to mid-off
10.4 -
Rabada to Hales, no run, angling in on off stump, Hales gets forward and defends to cover
10.3 -
Rabada to Hales, no run, good length and hint of nip back in, Hales solidly defends after a slight shuffle
10.2 -
Rabada to Hales, 2 runs, back of a length outside off, Hales stays beside the line and then punches it wide of backward point. Faf gives chase and slides to keep it to two
10.1 -
Rabada to Hales, no run, back of a length on the stumps, Hales gets right behind the line to block to short mid-wicket
9.6 -
C Morris to Cook, FOUR, easy for Cook. On the pads and with no-one behind square except a fine leg, always runs there for the taking. Sliding into middle and leg and he flicks it away through square leg. Morris needs to go back over the wicket. This tactic isn't working at all
9.5 -
C Morris to Cook, no run, with that angle the ball will always slide down, that's what happened here, down leg, Cook flicks and misses
9.4 -
C Morris to Cook, no run, full outside off, Cook pushes away from the body and the ball goes off a thick inside edge to mid-wicket. A false stroke that from Cook
9.3 -
C Morris to Cook, no run, good comeback by Morris. Gets this to nip back in and strike Cook above the pads and on the thigh pad. Too high and it is going over
9.2 -
C Morris to Cook, FOUR, shouts of "catchhhhh" from the fielders but there were none at deep backward square to catch that. Dug in short outside off, Cook rocks back and swivels on the pull to hit it in the air over square leg. Away to the unmanned fence. Top shot too for he got on top of the bounce
9.1 -
C Morris to Cook, no run, well outside off, wasted delivery
8.6 -
Rabada to Hales, no run, pitched up outside off, Hales lets it go
8.5 -
Rabada to Hales, no run, good length outside off, Hales comes forward and defends solidly to point
8.4 -
Rabada to Hales, no run, good length on off, punched with a straight bat to mid-on
8.3 -
Rabada to Hales, 2 runs, back of a length and rising outside off, Hales pushes away from the body wide of gully for a couple. Rabada will be encouraged by those hard hands from Hales
8.2 -
Rabada to Hales, no run, good length outside off, left alone
8.1 -
Rabada to Hales, no run, all sorts happened in that delivery. Rabada fell over after delivering and then Hales was looking to duck a back of a length delivery on the stumps, but then realised it wasn't short enough and awkwardly defended it to gully
8.1 -
Rabada to Hales, no ball, Rabada oversteps but that is a poor stroke from Hales. Saw the fuller length delivery outside off and went for a big cover drive, missed it by a long way. Don't need to chase those so early on in the innings
7.6 -
C Morris to Hales, 3 runs, "wait on" was the initial call from Hales after he whipped that wide of a diving mid-wicket, but the ball passes the fielder and Morkel with a very ginger chase manages to prevent the boundary. When it is drifting into the pads, Hales times them really well
7.5 -
C Morris to Cook, 1 run, slanting down leg, clipped in the air to deep backward square leg, Rabada keeps it to one
7.4 -
C Morris to Cook, no run, nice and straight and full, on the stumps, Cook shows the full face of the bat to defend it back to Morris
7.3 -
C Morris to Cook, no run, short of length outside off, pushed off the back foot to point
7.2 -
C Morris to Cook, no run, again down leg, clips the pad on the way to the keeper. Cook missed the glance
7.1 -
C Morris to Cook, no run, huge shout for lbw and not given. Oxenford this time. Amla runs up to Morris and has a word. They don't take the review. It was full and slanting in, Cook missed the flick and was struck below the knee-roll on the front pad. Replays show that it was just clipping leg - so an umpire's call
Morris now from round the wicket
6.6 -
Rabada to Hales, no run, this one nips back in but Hales covers his off stump and then shoulders arms
6.5 -
Rabada to Hales, no run, 145.1kph delivery and it beats Hales outside off. No need to play at that but Hales was sucked into the forward push and got beaten. It didn't swing or seamed and just held its line and Hales with a shuffle across went to play the defensive stroke
6.4 -
Rabada to Hales, no run, nice stroke for no run. On a good length and outside off, Hales plays a chop but straight to the fielder at point
6.3 -
Rabada to Hales, no run, good length outside off, bit more pace in that delivery, left alone
6.2 -
Rabada to Hales, FOUR, width outside off, bounced extra but Hales got on top of it and cut that wide of the diving gully fielder. No third man and it will be consecutive boundaries for Hales. Has a chat with Cook after the boundary
Three slips and a gully for Rabada too
6.1 -
Rabada to Hales, FOUR, first ball from Rabada at home in Test cricket and he has been put away for four. Angling into off and middle, Hales gets forward and whips that wide of mid-on. Raced away
Kagiso Rabada, right-arm fast, comes into the attack
5.6 -
C Morris to Cook, no run, that's well wide and it will be the fourth leave in a row to end the over
5.5 -
C Morris to Cook, no run, closer to the fourth-fifth stump line, full too, Cook once again shoulders arms
5.4 -
C Morris to Cook, no run, this shapes away after pitching outside off, seam movement for Morris, and a good leave too by Cook as he shouldered arms to that
5.3 -
C Morris to Cook, no run, outside off, left alone
5.2 -
C Morris to Cook, 2 runs, on the pads and Cook flicks that through mid-wicket. Rabada gives chase and slides to relay the ball to his mate, seemed to be in contact with the ad-cushion while throwing the ball back, but the third umpire is happy with Rabada's foot and doesn't give it a boundary
5.1 -
C Morris to Cook, no run, oooh! Cook made an error there and got away due to the bounce on offer here. He didn't account for so much inward movement back in, shouldered arms and saw the ball flick his back leg on the way to the keeper. Missed the stumps as the ball shot through
4.6 -
M Morkel to Hales, no run, bouncer to end the over and Hales ducks under that
4.5 -
M Morkel to Hales, no run, back of a length outside off, Hales stays beside the line and taps it towards gully
4.4 -
M Morkel to Hales, no run, back of a length outside off, Hales is late in withdrawing the bat from the line of the ball. Since he was late, the ball rolls off the toe end and to the slip cordon on the bounce
4.3 -
M Morkel to Hales, FOUR, now Hales gets off the mark with a cracking flick. Morkel bowled that very full again and it drifted into off and middle, Hales flicked that past short leg and the outfield is very quick here. Nice timing on that shot too
4.2 -
M Morkel to Hales, no run, huge shout for lbw and not given. Morkel goes up to Amla and has a chat. de Kock stepped in and told Amla that it was going down. Replays prove that the keeper was spot-on. Very full and Hales fell over on the flick, missed and was hit above the knee-roll on the front pad. Hawk-Eye showed that the ball was missing leg. Aleem Dar got it right too. Morkel went up belatedly and seemed convinced
4.1 -
M Morkel to Hales, no run, well outside off, easy leave
3.6 -
C Morris to Cook, no run, this one hurried onto Cook a bit more, he goes deep in his crease and jabs it to mid-on. Morris already hitting the bat hard
3.5 -
C Morris to Cook, no run, back of a length on the stumps, Cook goes back and defends it to short mid-wicket
3.4 -
C Morris to Cook, no run, edged but doesn't carry to third slip. Cook got a tad squared up by that good length delivery on off stump, soft hands ensured that the edge didn't go to hand. Stopped with a dive by the third slip fielder
3.3 -
C Morris to Cook, FOUR, that's trademark Cook. Doesn't get fully forward but the bat comes down nice and straight and the cover drive purrs away to the fence. Morris bowled it full and outside off, no swing and that meant Cook could drive with no alarms. First boundary of the game and the first one in Test cricket in 2016
3.2 -
C Morris to Cook, no run, down leg, Cook flicks and misses. Morris lost his radar there
3.1 -
C Morris to Cook, no run, pitched up outside off, left alone
2.6 -
M Morkel to Hales, no run, that was there to be put away. Sliding into the pads on a fuller length, Hales fell over slightly on the flick and missed, the ball rolls off the pad to short leg
2.5 -
M Morkel to Hales, no run, good length outside off, Hales pushes from the crease to point
2.4 -
M Morkel to Hales, no run, Morkel drags the length back and bowls it on a back of a length, hint of shape back in, Hales shuffles across and defends solidly
2.3 -
M Morkel to Hales, no run, third leave in a row and de Kock takes it above his head as Morkel is steaming in
2.2 -
M Morkel to Hales, no run, full outside off, too wide to make Hales play
2.1 -
M Morkel to Hales, no run, good length outside off, nice carry to the keeper as Hales shoulders arms
1.6 -
C Morris to Cook, no run, Morris begins his Test career with a maiden. Another leave from Cook to a full ball outside off
1.5 -
C Morris to Cook, no run, very tentative from Cook. Missed out on a full toss outside off, juicy delivery to put away for four through cover and he pushed and missed
1.4 -
C Morris to Cook, no run, makes him play. On the off stump line and on a fuller length, Cook doesn't get fully forward but keeps it out
1.3 -
C Morris to Cook, no run, pitched fuller again outside off, Cook gets another sighter and leaves
1.2 -
C Morris to Cook, no run, full and outside off, slanted across Cook who shoulders arms
Three slips and a gully for him too
1.1 -
C Morris to Cook, no run, first ball for Morris in Test cricket. It is full and outside off, left alone
Chris Morris, right-arm fast medium, comes into the attack
Fine opening over from Morkel. Slowly gathered speed as the over went on. Right lines and lengths he hit as well
0.6 -
M Morkel to Hales, no run, moves away in the air again but the line is outside off and Hales can leave
0.5 -
M Morkel to Hales, no run, great take by de Kock. That's a serious lifter from Morkel. Bent his back and dug it in short, way over the ducking Hales and de Kock leapt to his left to snaffle that one-handed. Saved four byes
0.4 -
M Morkel to Hales, no run, pitched up outside off, a firm push to mid-off. The feet didn't move that much but he got in line nicely there
0.3 -
M Morkel to Hales, no run, swing for Morkel. Pitched up outside off, Hales got forward and saw that before leaving it to the keeper. That moved away in the air
0.2 -
M Morkel to Hales, no run, nice line and length outside off, and that's a good leave. Good length outside off, rises nicely to de Kock who takes it above his chest
Lots of crowd in. The Barmy Army are in their spirits and have plenty of hydration packed in to last this hot day. Beer glasses seen everywhere and it is time to sing as well. They have started clearing their throats
0.1 -
M Morkel to Cook, 1 run, Cook is off the mark first ball. On the hips on a back of a length, he closes the face of the bat and tucks it to fine leg
Cook and Hales are at the crease. Cook is on strike. M Morkel will open the attack
Welcome back. South Africa will certainly miss Dale Steyn here. It would have been a great sight to watch him run in hard and bowl his heart out at this stage of the game. The hosts will hope that one of Morkel, Morris or Rabada will do something similar. Cook and Hales are ready with their bats. Morkel it will be to open the bowling.
Skipper Amla led from the front with an excellent double-hundred - his 4th 200+ score in Test cricket, while young Bavuma showed good application to complete a hundred. The cheer that Bavuma got tells how much it meant to the Protea fans. After a poor 2015 and a horrible series loss in India, they desperately needed to turn things around and things have indeed gone well for them at Newlands - a venue where they have done well in Test matches. Can't forget the contributions made by de Villiers, du Plessis and debutant Morris as well. So England have a 2-run lead. How will they approach the innings? Can the hosts nip out a couple of wickets before close of play and make things interesting? We'll find out...
Bavuma gets a grand reception from his team-mates as he enters the dressing room. His father is standing and applauding and so are the others in the stands. Finally, after 11 full sessions, both teams have completed their first innings. Remember, there's only about 30 odd minutes for the 12th session to be done as well. Anyway, an excellent reply from South Africa after being thrashed to all corners by Ben Stokes.
210.6 -
Root to Rabada, 2 runs, shortish and outside off stump, Rabada goes on the back foot and guides it to backward point. Hashim Amla waves his hand from the balcony and South Africa have declared
210.5 -
Root to Rabada, no run, very full and outside off stump, Rabada tries to drive, gets a thick edge that rolls to backward point
210.4 -
Root to Rabada, no run, flighted delivery on the off stump, Rabada defends off the front foot
210.3 -
Root to Rabada, no run, very full and outside off stump, Rabada drives and picks out cover
210.2 -
Root to Bavuma, 1 run, flighted delivery down the leg-side, Bavuma tries to sweep, gets a top edge that lands safely at short fine leg
Now the crowd goes, "Temba, Temba."
210.1 -
Root to Bavuma, no run, tossed up just outside off stump, Bavuma defends
209.6 -
Finn to Bavuma, 1 run, short enough for Bavuma to rock back and pulls it to deep square leg
209.5 -
Finn to Bavuma, no run, short of length delivery just outside off stump, Bavuma defends off the back foot
209.4 -
Finn to Bavuma, no run, leans forward and drives to cover
209.3 -
Finn to Bavuma, no run, very full, squeezed out to point
209.2 -
Finn to Bavuma, no run, full outside off stump, left alone
209.1 -
Finn to Bavuma, FOUR, edgedddddd and it runs away for four! Temba Bavuma you beauty, maiden Test hundred and he gets it in the picturesque Newlands! Look at the joy in him. He jumps high, takes the helmet off and then swings the bat hard in joy. His father is pumped in the stands as well. Alviro Petersen, Makhaya Ntini and Michael Vaughan applaud Bavuma's effort from the stands. Meanwhile, is Ian Botham shedding a tear? Coming back to the ball. Full and outside off stump, Bavuma tries to drive, gets a thick edge that goes past the man at slip, Moeen gives chase at third man but loses the battle. What an innings from the little man
208.6 -
Root to Rabada, no run, good leave. Flighted delivery just outside off stump, Rabada leans forward and then leaves, wasn't far away from the sticks and it bounced a bit extra as well
208.5 -
Root to Rabada, no run, slider outside off stump, ignored
Slip and silly-point in
208.4 -
Root to Bavuma, 1 run, on the leg stump, Bavuma turns it to square leg
208.3 -
Root to Bavuma, no run, flighted delivery on the stumps, Bavuma defends
208.2 -
Root to Bavuma, 2 runs, top edgeeeee, but safe. Flighted delivery on the leg stump, Bavuma sweeps, doesn't control it, thankfully for him there was no one at backward square leg, calls for two and retains the strike
208.1 -
Root to Bavuma, no run, very full and outside off stump, Bavuma softly taps it towards point and looks for a single, Rabada responds, but Bavuma asks him to go back and rightly so. Could have been very tight
Joe Root [18.0-4-48-0] is back into the attack
207.6 -
Finn to Rabada, no run, full and outside off stump, Rabada softly drives it back to the bowler off the toe-end of the bat
207.5 -
Finn to Rabada, no run, Rabada waits for the back of a length to come and defends off the back foot
207.4 -
Finn to Rabada, no run, good length delivery on the off stump, Rabada defends
207.3 -
Finn to Rabada, no run, full and outside off stump from round the wicket, Rabada shoulders arms
Kagiso Rabada, left handed bat, comes to the crease
207.2 -
Finn to C Morris, out Caught by Root!! Finally, after dropping two, Joe Root takes a catch. Morris almost knocks the stumps out as he swings his bat in disappointment. Bavuma shakes hands with Morris for giving him good support. Morris gets a great ovation as he walks off and he's congratulated by the incoming Radaba as well. Morris raises his bat to the crowd as he leaves the field. Full and outside off stump, in the quest for quick runs, Morris drives and doesn't control it, hits it in the air and hits it straight to short cover. In fact, the replay shows that the bat turned in his hands and hence he could not get the placement right. End of a handy innings from the debutant and that ends an excellent 167-run stand as well. C Morris c Root b Finn 69(111) [4s-10]
Finn to C Morris, THAT'S OUT!! Caught!!
207.1 -
Finn to C Morris, FOUR, just two men on the leg-side and Finn bowls a half-tracker that wasn't far away from the off stump. Morris rocks back and pulls easily through the unmanned mid-wicket region
Steven Finn [37.0-5-123-1] is back into the attack
206.6 -
Moeen Ali to C Morris, 1 run, short delivery on the leg stump, Morris pulls it through backward square leg
206.5 -
Moeen Ali to C Morris, no run, Morris steps out but Moeen drags his length short and forces the batsman to remain calm
206.4 -
Moeen Ali to C Morris, FOUR, now Morris plays the reverse sweep too, much more authoritative this than the one Bavuma played. The line was down the leg-side, Morris hit it in the air through the vacant point region
206.3 -
Moeen Ali to Bavuma, 1 run, very full and on the leg stump, Bavuma flicks it to deep mid-wicket
206.2 -
Moeen Ali to Bavuma, FOUR, the reverse-sweep from Bavuma, Moeen made life easy by bowling it short, Bavuma had enough time to adjust and timed it from the middle of the bat through the short third man region. Into the 90s now
206.1 -
Moeen Ali to Bavuma, no run, waits for the ball to come and turns it to mid-wicket
205.6 -
Root to C Morris, no run, now Morris leans forward and drives along the ground to mid-on
205.5 -
Root to C Morris, no run, fullish and on the leg stump, Morris flicks it towards mid-on
205.4 -
Root to C Morris, no run, shortish and on the stumps, Morris defends off the back foot
205.4 -
Root to C Morris, wide, another one down the leg-side, easy call for the umpire
205.3 -
Root to C Morris, no run, Morris gets behind the line and nudges
205.2 -
Root to C Morris, no run, Morris waits for the ball softly plays into the on-side
205.2 -
Root to C Morris, 3 wides, down the leg-side, Morris tries to play the stylish flick, misses, the keeper doesn't collect as well, the ball runs away towards the fine leg boundary, Broad gives chase and just manages to flick it back in time. 600 up for South Africa
205.1 -
Root to C Morris, no run, flighted delivery on the stumps, Morris plants his front foot forward and blocks
204.6 -
Moeen Ali to Bavuma, no run, spinning down the leg-side, Bavuma tries to glance it fine, misses, the keeper takes the bails off, but Bavuma's back foot was unmoved
204.5 -
Moeen Ali to Bavuma, no run, Bavuma is solid in his defence again
204.4 -
Moeen Ali to Bavuma, no run, Bavuma leans forward to defend this flighted delivery
204.3 -
Moeen Ali to Bavuma, no run, shortish from Moeen, Bavuma goes on the back foot to tuck, misses and gets hit high on the pad
204.2 -
Moeen Ali to Bavuma, no run, very full and on the stumps, Bavuma defends off the front foot
204.1 -
Moeen Ali to Bavuma, no run, flighted delivery bowled at 84.9kph, Bavuma defends off the front foot
Moeen Ali [50.0-13-145-0] is back into the attack
203.6 -
Root to C Morris, 2 runs, very full from Root, Morris drives past the diving Root, Anderson slides and fumbles in the deep running from long-on and the batsmen easily complete the second
203.5 -
Root to C Morris, no run, Morris leans forward and softly nudges it to mid-wicket
203.4 -
Root to C Morris, no run, another one down the leg-side, Morris tries the reverse sweep but misses it
203.4 -
Root to C Morris, wide, this is down the leg-side, too wide and the umpire doesn't like it
203.3 -
Root to C Morris, no run, leans forward and defends
203.2 -
Root to C Morris, no run, flighted delivery from Root, worked to mid-wicket
203.1 -
Root to C Morris, no run, fullish and around the leg stump line, flicked to mid-wicket
202.6 -
Broad to Bavuma, no run, back of a length delivery outside off stump, Bavuma shoulders arms
202.5 -
Broad to C Morris, 1 run, now this is a clear dropped catch, by Joe Root. The second chance he's put down in the game, he grassed de Villiers on Day 2 as well. Short of a length delivery from Broad, again the leg-cutter, this one hit the seam and bounced a bit more, surprised Morris on the defence, took a healthy edge, went quickly as well. Root, who is standing with the helmet on at slip, sticks his right hand out but it pops out. He was a little late to react, hence he couldn't get into a good position to take the catch
202.4 -
Broad to Bavuma, 1 run, short delivery on the stumps, Bavuma pulls it uppishly to deep square leg
202.3 -
Broad to Bavuma, no run, this is edged and taken by Bairstow, but it hasn't carried. Bairstow himself doesn't claim the catch. Another of those leg-cutters that Broad opts to bowl when there's nothing happening - certainly the right ploy to a right-hander, Bavuma defends away from the body, thankfully he played with soft hands, hence the edge fell short of the diving keeper
202.2 -
Broad to Bavuma, no run, back of a length delivery angling into the right-hander, Bavuma lifts his bat and lets it go
202.1 -
Broad to C Morris, 1 run, full and outside off stump, Morris drives off the front foot through cover-point
Time for a drinks break. Amla and Faf are seen smiling in the dressing room, that should tell that the team is in a safe position now. Bavuma and Morris kept piling on the runs, got to their respective fifties and the former is also eyeing his maiden Test hundred. England look like they want to get off the field as soon as possible. But they still have over an hour or 18 overs to go till stumps...
201.6 -
Root to Bavuma, no run, flatter and on leg-stump, Bavuma goes back and fails to nudge it to the on-side, wears it high on the pad
201.5 -
Root to Bavuma, no run, teased up on off, Bavuma presses forward and blocks it to the on-side
201.4 -
Root to Bavuma, no run, pushed through down leg, Bavuma ignores it. Bairstow moves across and gets a glove, the ball dribbles to short fine leg
201.3 -
Root to C Morris, 1 run, tossed up on off, Morris drives it down to long-on
201.2 -
Root to C Morris, FOUR, fraction short and just outside off, Morris had all the time in the world, he goes back and punches it in front of square on the off-side, no one in the deep to stop that
201.1 -
Root to C Morris, no run, flighted on off, Morris works it to mid-wicket
200.6 -
Broad to Bavuma, no run, beaten! This was not the leg-cutter as it shaped back in, Bavuma was camping on the back foot to play the cut, is beaten by the inward movement on the inside edge
200.5 -
Broad to Bavuma, no run, back of a length just outside off, Bavuma walks across and blocks it to the off-side
200.4 -
Broad to C Morris, 1 run, banged in halfway down, just below chest height, Morris rolls his wrists and pulls it along the ground to fine leg
200.3 -
Broad to C Morris, no run, pitched up on off, Morris middles the drive towards mid-on, the fielder dives to his left and saves a certain boundary. That was travelling and Hales did extremely well to stop that
200.2 -
Broad to C Morris, no run, short and outside off, Morris cut straight to backward point
200.1 -
Broad to C Morris, FOUR, maiden Test fifty. He can afford a smile now. Not when he conceded more than 100 while bowling. Bavuma walks across to his partner and congratulates him. It's the leg-cutter on a driveable length, Morris leans into the drive and places it wide of mid-off, Moeen Ali gave up halfway through the chase. And every member of the South African unit were on their feet applauding
Finn is stretching. Cook and Broad have a chat. There are plenty of tired England players. Hardly any energy on the field. They are waiting for the end of the day's play or a declaration...
199.6 -
Root to C Morris, 1 run, that ends the 200th over. Not sure when was the last time a team batted for so long. Teased up on off, Morris wrists it down to long-on
199.5 -
Root to Bavuma, 1 run, floated up on the stumps, Bavuma brings out the sweep, nails it straight to deep backward square leg
199.4 -
Root to Bavuma, no run, flighted on the stumps, Bavuma brings his bat in front of his pad and blocks
199.3 -
Root to Bavuma, no run, drifting onto the legs, Bavuma fails to meet with the nudge, is hit on the pad
199.2 -
Root to Bavuma, 2 runs, another well tossed up delivery, Bavuma stays leg-side of the ball and drives through the vacant cover region, Hales gives chase from mid-off and keeps it to a brace
199.1 -
Root to Bavuma, no run, Root starts from round the wicket, plenty of air on this offie, Bavuma drives and picks out mid-off
Joe Root [14.0-4-32-0] is back into the attack
198.6 -
Broad to C Morris, no run, short of length around off, Morris goes on his toes and punches to short cover
198.5 -
Broad to C Morris, no run, very full and almost a yorker, Morris drives it to mid-on
198.4 -
Broad to C Morris, no run, short and outside off, Morris is not interested in that
198.3 -
Broad to C Morris, no run, leg-cutter on a fuller length, Morris pushes it off the toe-end to short cover
198.2 -
Broad to C Morris, no run, shortens the length outside off, Morris is happy to see it through to Bairstow
198.1 -
Broad to C Morris, FOUR, fabulous shot! Morris closes in on his fifty. That shot should make any top-order batsman proud. Not all that wrong with the delivery, full and around off, Morris presents the full face and punches it past the diving mid-on fielder
197.6 -
Anderson to Bavuma, no run, that was crunched. Fuller and outside off, Bavuma leans into the drive, gets it right off the screws, a dive from the cover fielder denied him a boundary. A fine stop from Root
197.5 -
Anderson to Bavuma, no run, full and wide outside off, Bavuma doesn't bother with it
197.4 -
Anderson to Bavuma, no run, seems like a ploy from Anderson, dishes another one well outside off, Bavuma reaches out and gets some wood on it, mistimes the drive to short cover
197.3 -
Anderson to Bavuma, no run, this time he does. Anderson dangles the carrot outside off, Bavuma's feet went nowhere as he attempted a wosh and missed. Wasn't too far away from kissing his blade
197.2 -
Anderson to Bavuma, no run, tempter from Jimmy. Short and outside off, there was plenty of width on offer, Bavuma might have thought about playing the cut, but doesn't go for it
197.1 -
Anderson to C Morris, 1 run, fullish and outside off, Morris drives it to deep cover
196.6 -
Broad to Bavuma, no run, fuller and on off, Bavuma plays the crisp looking on-drive, but close to the man at mid-on, Hales gets across and stops the ball
196.5 -
Broad to Bavuma, no run, shortens the length outside off, dabbed to the man at gully, Stokes shows good reflexes to field the ball
196.4 -
Broad to Bavuma, no run, fuller and around off, Bavuma drives wristily to mid-on
Root is standing at a shortish slip - with a helmet on. We have seen him do that before, while standing at third/fourth slip but not at first...
196.3 -
Broad to Bavuma, no run, leg-cutter outside off, Bavuma once again shuffles across, this time hoists his bat and lets it pass
196.2 -
Broad to Bavuma, no run, Bavuma walks across his stumps, gets a bit too full and squeezes the drive to extra cover
196.1 -
Broad to Bavuma, no run, Broad keeps bowling those leg-cutters, Bavuma watches it closely this time, presses forward and defends to point. Suggests to Morris that it was the leg-cutter
195.6 -
Anderson to Bavuma, 1 run, the length is short, Bavuma punches off the back foot square on the off-side, retains strike with that single
195.5 -
Anderson to Bavuma, no run, back of a length close to off, Bavuma stands as tall as he can and bunts it to the off-side
195.4 -
Anderson to Bavuma, FOUR, poor delivery and Bavuma helps himself to another boundary. The leg-cutter from Anderson goes wrong, ends up on Bavuma's pads, glanced away to the fine leg fence. With a 7-2 field, you can hardly err in line
195.3 -
Anderson to C Morris, 1 run, easily done. Just need to put bat on ball, give it direction and cross over to the other end. Yes, that simple. Good length ball on the fourth stump, Morris presses it past cover
195.2 -
Anderson to Bavuma, 1 run, short and outside off, Bavuma arches back, transfers his weight and cuts to the only man in the deep on the off-side
195.1 -
Anderson to Bavuma, no run, back of a length just outside off, Bavuma lifts his bat and lets it go
194.6 -
Broad to C Morris, no run, another edge that doesn't carry to Cook. Any bowler would be irritated by that. Fuller and teasing around off, Morris has a tentative poke, didn't go with hard hands and that saved him
194.5 -
Broad to Bavuma, 1 run, Broad is still showing his disappointment. Kicks the turf and gets warned by Aleem Dar. Short and outside off, Bavuma cuts square of the wicket and gets off strike
194.4 -
Broad to Bavuma, no run, grassed! And when an edge carries, it is put down. The leg-cutter from Broad, gets the bit of deviation, Bavuma has a flirt at that, the outside edge goes low to Bairstow, who dives to his right and goes with one hand. It hits his palm and goes to ground. Broad is a frustrated man
194.3 -
Broad to Bavuma, no run, edged and safe. That has become a norm. I have lost count on the number of edges that have fallen short. On a length and in the corridor of uncertainty, Bavuma has a poke at that, with soft hands though and the outside edge doesn't carry to Cook at first slip
194.2 -
Broad to Bavuma, no run, pitched up outside off, Bavuma drives without any timing to mid-off, the bat turned on impact and hence he didn't find the middle
194.1 -
Broad to Bavuma, no run, wide full delivery, Bavuma reaches out and jams it towards cover
Stuart Broad [29.0-7-81-2] is back into the attack
Oxenford is applying some cream on his hand. Sunburn? It is a pretty hot day in Cape Town. The short delay brings about another bowling change, Broad comes on.. No funky field for him... A more conventional one - a slip and gully in place...
193.6 -
Anderson to C Morris, no run, fuller and outside off, Morris eases the drive to mid-off
193.5 -
Anderson to C Morris, no run, bit of curl into the batsman, the length is short and that allowed Morris to keep it out, he stands his ground and blocks it to the on-side
193.4 -
Anderson to Bavuma, 1 run, short and outside off, Bavuma cuts it to sweeper cover
193.3 -
Anderson to Bavuma, no run, Bavuma tries to put Anderson off, but the England pacer is far too experienced to fall for that. Bavuma shuffled a long way across his stumps, Anderson keeps it short and outside off, in the end it is left alone
193.2 -
Anderson to Bavuma, no run, back of a length on the fourth stump, Bavuma stays in the crease and bunts it in front of gully
193.1 -
Anderson to Bavuma, no run, short and outside off, Bavuma doesn't go full throttle on the cut, relies on timing and finds backward point
192.6 -
Root to C Morris, no run, floated up outside off, Morris drives and picks out the mid-off fielder
192.5 -
Root to C Morris, no run, teased up invitingly, Morris doesn't take the bait, moves forward and defends it right under his eyes
192.4 -
Root to Bavuma, 1 run, there's another single. Bavuma rolls his wrists and milks it to the leg-side
192.3 -
Root to C Morris, 1 run, flighted on middle, Morris nurdles it square on the leg-side, the strike keeps rotating
192.2 -
Root to C Morris, no run, fuller in length and on the stumps, Morris drives it to the right of Root, he stops it with one hand
192.1 -
Root to Bavuma, 1 run, too straight from Root, Bavuma leans forward and wrists it wide of mid-wicket
191.6 -
Anderson to C Morris, no run, back of a length around off, Morris stands tall and knocks it to cover
191.5 -
Anderson to C Morris, no run, for the second time in the over Morris is beaten on the cut, he sees the width and goes hard. He went so hard that he lost grip on the bat. Went on his knee in disappointment
191.4 -
Anderson to C Morris, no run, fuller and just outside off, Morris moves forward and defends to cover
191.3 -
Anderson to C Morris, no run, back of a length and closer to the off-stump, Morris takes the sensible option to let it pass
191.2 -
Anderson to C Morris, no run, bit more zip on this short of length delivery, Morris flashes a cut and misses. He was beaten for pace and some away movement. Nothing to excite Anderson or the slip cordon, he just tilts his head and walks back
191.1 -
Anderson to Bavuma, 1 run, short and outside off, Bavuma cracks the cut square of the wicket
James Anderson [31.0-12-67-1] is back into the attack
Jimmy comes on for another crack. Only one slip in place. A silly mid-off comes in and a man slowly moves to gully..
190.6 -
Root to Bavuma, 1 run, pitches on middle and turns in, Bavuma milks it in front of square on the leg-side
190.5 -
Root to Bavuma, no run, teased up close to off, Bavuma dead-bats it to the off-side
190.4 -
Root to Bavuma, no run, slower and on off, Bavuma defends it back to the bowler
190.3 -
Root to Bavuma, no run, Bairstow enquired about a stumping. Oxenford doesn't send it upstairs. Root turns one down leg, Bavuma overbalances on the nudge, the back foot was up in the air, but got it back in the nick of time
190.2 -
Root to Bavuma, no run, too full and on off, Bavuma digs it back to the bowler
190.1 -
Root to Bavuma, no run, starts from round the wicket, Bavuma pushes it back to the bowler
Joe Root [12.0-4-28-0] is back into the attack
Cook, Anderson and Root have a conference. Root has been given the ball. I am just waiting to see Hales bowl. Come on Cook, bring him on..
189.6 -
Stokes to Bavuma, 1 run, Stokes keeps hitting that back of a length area, Bavuma camps back and guides it to backward point
189.5 -
Stokes to Bavuma, no run, sharp bumper from Stokes. No, Bavuma is not taking it on this time. He thought about for a while, but saw the ball rising and decided to let it sail over him. Good call that
189.4 -
Stokes to Bavuma, 2 runs, Bavuma keeps taking on the short ball and keeps collecting runs. More than 50 percent of his runs might have come from the pull shot, hits this one in front of square, Taylor had to make some ground, he slips, steadies himself and somehow manages to get there
189.3 -
Stokes to Bavuma, no run, shortens the length and Bavuma is back defending
189.2 -
Stokes to C Morris, 1 run, fine save from Finn. Fullish and just outside off, Morris drives it well and placed it wide of mid-off, Finn runs to his left and puts in a full length dive t stop the ball
189.1 -
Stokes to Bavuma, 1 run, back of a length on fourth/fifth stump, Bavuma punches it behind square on the off-side, another easy single
188.6 -
Moeen Ali to C Morris, FOUR, Morris is now using his feet as well, he must be eyeing a fifty. Chips down the wicket and doesn't try to overhit the ball, lifts it over the bowler's head, Root runs to his left and puts in a desperate dive, but the ball eludes his outstretched hand
188.5 -
Moeen Ali to C Morris, no run, flatter and on off, punched to mid-wicket off the back foot
188.4 -
Moeen Ali to C Morris, FOUR, that shot sums up the partnership. Morris is growing in confidence and is bring out some funky shots. Tossed up on off, Morris reverse sweeps it past the slip fielder, no one bothered to chase that down
188.3 -
Moeen Ali to C Morris, 2 runs, England fielders are falling a sleep. Straightforward ball for Hales and he fumbles. Morris works it with the spin to deep mid-wicket, the batsmen were never looking for two, Hales charged in and tried to pick it up with one, missed and the duo sneak in a second
188.2 -
Moeen Ali to C Morris, no run, touch quicker and on off, Morris goes back and keeps it out
188.1 -
Moeen Ali to C Morris, no run, tossed up offie just outside off, Morris lunges forward in defence
187.6 -
Stokes to C Morris, 1 run, slanting onto the batsman's legs, flicked away to the man at deep backward square
187.5 -
Stokes to C Morris, no run, cramps the batsman for room with the short of length delivery, Morris gets into an awkward position as he blocks it to the right of Stokes
187.4 -
Stokes to C Morris, no run, back of a length on the fourth stump, Morris stands tall and punches to cover
187.3 -
Stokes to Bavuma, 1 run, drags the length back, Bavuma taps it wide of extra cover and scampers across to the other end
187.2 -
Stokes to Bavuma, no run, on a length and just outside off, Bavuma drives it neatly but straight to extra cover
187.1 -
Stokes to Bavuma, FOUR, that is his 10th pull shot which has earned him a boundary, alright I might be overexaggerating. But why bowl short? On the stumps, Bavuma swivels on his front foot and pulls it behind square, right between two men in the deep
186.6 -
Moeen Ali to C Morris, no run, teased up around off, Morris presses forward and blocks
186.5 -
Moeen Ali to C Morris, no run, slower and on off, a flick of the wrists from Morris and the ball dribbles to mid-wicket
186.4 -
Moeen Ali to C Morris, no run, it was an optimistic review from Cook. Moeen Ali knew it was outside off, but the England skipper wanted to chance his luck. Floated up around off, Morris kneels down and misses the sweep, rapped on the pads - the impact was just outside off. Aleem Dar got it spot on
Cook has challenged an LBW appeal against Morris. It is a fair delivery. The impact seemed outside off. Certainly no inside edge. Height is also not an issue. Impact outside off. So, the onfield decision will remain..
186.3 -
Moeen Ali to Bavuma, 1 run, waits for the ball to turn, nudges it in front of square on the leg-side
186.2 -
Moeen Ali to Bavuma, no run, flighted outside off, Bavuma pushes it meekly to mid-off
Back over the wicket..
186.1 -
Moeen Ali to Bavuma, 2 runs, tossed up close to off, Bavuma stays leg-side of the ball, opens up the off-side field and drives through cover for a brace
185.6 -
Stokes to Bavuma, 1 run, Stokes keeps it on the fuller side, Bavuma eases the drive towards extra cover, calls for a quick single and gets it comfortably. Good response from Morris as well
185.5 -
Stokes to Bavuma, no run, fuller and just outside off, Bavuma drives and finds cover, either side and that would have been some more runs
185.4 -
Stokes to Bavuma, FOUR, top shot! Overpitched outside off, Bavuma leans forward, presents the straight bat and high elbow, caresses the drive past the diving cover fielder. Held the pose for the cameramen
185.3 -
Stokes to Bavuma, no run, looked like a leg-cutter from Stokes. Kept it on a length and just outside off, Bavuma has a flirt at that and is beaten. Hardly carried to Bairstow
185.2 -
Stokes to Bavuma, no run, pitched up outside off, Bavuma is not a big man to get a big stride forward, but uses his reach to drive crisply, times it well and finds the man at cover
185.1 -
Stokes to Bavuma, no run, back of a length on the fourth stump, Bavuma hangs back and blocks it to cover
Ben Stokes [25.0-4-84-1] is back into the attack
184.6 -
Moeen Ali to C Morris, 2 runs, looped up just outside off, Morris gets a good stride into the drive, places it past the non-striker, Root runs across from long-on and cleans up. The deficit has come down to below 100
184.5 -
Moeen Ali to C Morris, no run, slower and on off, Morris rolls his wrists and turns it to mid-wicket
184.4 -
Moeen Ali to Bavuma, 1 run, flatter and on middle, nurdled behind square leg, for a single. This is Bavuma's highest Test score
184.3 -
Moeen Ali to Bavuma, no run, tossed up around off, Bavuma pushes it gently to mid-off
184.2 -
Moeen Ali to Bavuma, 2 runs, Bairstow shouted "catch, catch", but it eluded the fielder comfortably. Fraction short and on the stumps, Bavuma goes back and pulls, not off the meat but enough to beat the mid-wicket fielder to his right
184.1 -
Moeen Ali to Bavuma, no run, flighted above the eyeline, Bavuma drives and picks out cover
Hello again.. Any hope of bowling South Africa out after Faf's wicket was nipped in the bud by the 76-run stand between Bavuma and Morris. The hosts will keep batting and any thought of declaration should be thrown out of the window because it is after a long time the Proteas have spent so much time at the crease. Mo Ali to resume the attack. Only a lone slip in place...
Lest we forget Morris' handy contribution who helped the scoreboard ticking with a few classy strokes. South Africa are still 104 runs behind and as the ever-humorous David Lloyd mentioned: "The pressure slowly started to drift towards England. One bad session with the bat and they might be in trouble." So both teams can't sit pretty. A long way to go in this Test match. But who knows, anything can happen in Test cricket and that's why people rate this format highly. Let's wait for the final session flips and flops. In about 20 minutes from now...
A session that was seized by the visitors in the first hour of play but the Bavuma-Morris stand dismissed England's hopes of bowling South Africa out. Temba Bavuma carried on from where his skipper left and racked up his 2nd Test fifty with a flurry of fluent strokes. He went onto show he's there in this South African team and one can affirm there's plenty of talent in the diminutive lad. Broad nipped out Amla and QDK while Anderson accounted for the growing-in-confidence du Plessis who was dismissed on 86.
183.6 -
Finn to C Morris, no run, another edge dipping and landing well in front of the slip cordon. Angled in on off, held its line slightly inducing a thick edge. Drops into the grave of Newlands. Tea it is. A session which teased in the first hour, before shoving us back to reality
183.5 -
Finn to C Morris, no run, lifting nicely from a short of length, Morris holds his arms nice and high to leave
183.4 -
Finn to C Morris, no run, on a good length outside off, left alone
183.3 -
Finn to C Morris, no run, ooooh, veers away from a length. Just a one-off I would imagine. Morris is drawn forward as he tries to defend. And is convincingly beaten on the edge. No interest whatsover from anyone. They're done
183.2 -
Finn to C Morris, no run, doesn't quite bounce as much as Morris expected from a back of a length outside off, he hopped and patted it off the bottom of the bat towards gully
183.1 -
Finn to C Morris, no run, short of length outside off, punched to extra-cover
Final over before Tea I suspect..
182.6 -
Moeen Ali to C Morris, 1 run, tossed up above Morris' eyeline, oh that's actually not possible. Lands full on middle, he drives it down to long-on
182.5 -
Moeen Ali to C Morris, no run, drifting wide of off, Morris prods across and defends into the off-side
182.4 -
Moeen Ali to C Morris, no run, quicker through the air and skidding on from a length towards middle, knocked back to the bowler
182.3 -
Moeen Ali to C Morris, no run, makes room by opening his stance, punches it to extra-cover
182.2 -
Moeen Ali to C Morris, no run, lunges forward to smother it this time
182.1 -
Moeen Ali to C Morris, no run, skidding on from a length across off, hits high on Morris' forward defence
181.6 -
Finn to Bavuma, no run, hops on the crease looking to whip this short of length delivery from off, chops it off a thick inside edge onto the thigh pad
181.5 -
Finn to Bavuma, 2 runs, a thick edge past gully. Compton trudges around from sweeper cover to tidy up. Again, the feet not quite there looking to push on the up. But the edges are all going down here
181.4 -
Finn to Bavuma, no run, such good judgement of length. Only slightly behind a good length and he is already on the back foot to defend. Guess the low centre of gravity helps
181.3 -
Finn to Bavuma, no run, another good length delivery which is introduced to the dirt beside the pitch with a defensive shot
181.2 -
Finn to Bavuma, no run, solid. Good length delivery around the fourth stump line, Bavuma bends his upper body forward and blocks it right under the eyes
181.1 -
Finn to Bavuma, no run, length ball just outside off, driven on the up towards cover
180.6 -
Moeen Ali to C Morris, no run, tossed up full outside off, driven firmly straight of mid-off, the fielder rushes across and puts in the dive to stop
180.5 -
Moeen Ali to Bavuma, 1 run, flicked through mid-wicket and there's another milestone. Young Bavuma reaches his second Test fifty. Gosh, he just sneaked up without me noticing. Well played lad!
180.4 -
Moeen Ali to Bavuma, FOUR, nah, too full. Too, too full. Ends up as a half-volley outside off, Bavuma blazes the drive through extra-cover. Lights up the grass on the way
180.3 -
Moeen Ali to Bavuma, FOUR, ah, the hack! He tried one in the previous over. Didn't come off. This one did. Drifting across off, Bavuma does well to get inside the line with the front foot and stabbed it fine
180.2 -
Moeen Ali to Bavuma, no run, prods forward to a floater on middle, taps it back down the pitch
180.1 -
Moeen Ali to Bavuma, no run, slanted across the right-hander on a shortish length, Bavuma tamely cuts it to backward point
Ali switches to round the wicket..
179.6 -
Finn to Bavuma, 1 run, neatly tucked off the hips again in that backward square region
179.5 -
Finn to C Morris, 1 run, swivels to a short of length delivery and short-arm pulls it from the hips behind square
179.4 -
Finn to C Morris, no run, length outside off, Morris defends it to cover
179.3 -
Finn to C Morris, no run, short of length delivery around off, Morris stands tall (is there any other way?) and blocks
179.2 -
Finn to C Morris, no run, oh right through Finn! Another chance. Fullish around off, punched back hard in the air. Came to Finn at around knee-height to his left. He bends, gets both hands but the ball just bursts through them. It was actually close to knocking down the stumps at the other end where Bavuma jostled to make his crease. Gone if it had hit. A tough chance with the caught and bowled. Always difficult to catch them on the followthrough
179.1 -
Finn to C Morris, no run, a short of length delivery sneaking down leg, Morris rushed to move inside the line. Did so with a jerk of the shoulders
178.6 -
Moeen Ali to Bavuma, FOUR, swished away! Moved well across on the front foot while sitting on the back knee, got it on a perfect length and walloped the sweep behind square
178.5 -
Moeen Ali to C Morris, 1 run, flatter and turning in from middle, catches a thick inside edge as Morris was looking to defend, rolls away through square leg
178.4 -
Moeen Ali to Bavuma, 1 run, tossed up, a bit too full allowing Bavuma to milk a single down to long-on
178.3 -
Moeen Ali to Bavuma, no run, well bowled. Shortened his length slightly while keeping the trajectory loopy, Bavuma is caught on the crease looking to defend, plays for some turn which is non-existent. Skids on to beat the edge
178.2 -
Moeen Ali to Bavuma, no run, dipping on a length outside off, Bavuma moves across and taps it into the off-side
178.1 -
Moeen Ali to Bavuma, no run, well floated up just outside off, not much turn, traces the middle of Bavuma's forward defence
A slip and short leg for Moeen as he twirls in from over the wicket..
177.6 -
Finn to C Morris, no run, length ball angled towards middle, he awkwardly angles it to cover
177.5 -
Finn to C Morris, no run, climbs till around Morris' chest from a short of length, he drops it with soft hands
177.4 -
Finn to C Morris, no run, it's all gone flat again it seems. Threatened to explode South Africa's lower order did England, but have ran up against a wall in Morris. Back of a length delivery, punched to extra-cover
177.3 -
Finn to C Morris, no run, such a gentle bouncer. 129ks around off stump. Allows Morris ample time to drop his wrists and sway his head away
177.2 -
Finn to C Morris, no run, skiddy back of a length delivery angled into the channel outside off, hangs back and stabs it towards cover
177.1 -
Finn to C Morris, no run, short of length delivery, doesn't look that intimidating in front of Morris who has a HUGE presence at the crease. Blunts it off the back foot
176.6 -
Moeen Ali to Bavuma, no run, tossed up just outside off, forward and blocked
176.5 -
Moeen Ali to Bavuma, no run, okay, looking to improvise. Plants his foot across and attempts a paddle, fetches it from just outside off and underedges onto the pad
176.4 -
Moeen Ali to Bavuma, no run, teased up on a fullish length outside off, gently pushed towards mid-off
176.3 -
Moeen Ali to Bavuma, no run, straighter and flatter on middle, turned to short-leg
176.2 -
Moeen Ali to Bavuma, no run, stomps across to a ball turning in from well wide of off, smothers it with bat and pad close. Not sure if he did manage any wood but down it went
176.1 -
Moeen Ali to C Morris, 1 run, shimmies down, gets close to the pitch of the tossed up delivery outside off, and cracks the drive towards extra-cover. Even the fielder is slightly taken aback by its velocity. Can only make a half-stop
Moeen Ali [43.0-13-110-0] is back into the attack
175.6 -
Finn to Bavuma, no run, flays a cut but finds a diving backward point fielder. Short, wide, asking for trouble. But is saved by his teammate
175.5 -
Finn to Bavuma, no run, short of length delivery just outside off, Bavuma stands on his toes and drops it with soft hands into the off-side
175.4 -
Finn to Bavuma, FOUR, don't bowl short, please don't. Haven't you seen enough of it yet? This time it's more of a jab than a pull. Didn't really get the opportunity to extend his arms after being cramped slightly by this short of length delivery, pivots on the back foot and dismisses it through mid-wicket
175.3 -
Finn to Bavuma, FOUR, and now off the back foot. This lad, he might be having some limitations, but is a plucky little fella. Back of a length outside off, Bavuma hops on the crease and deliberately slices his punch along the turf behind backward point
175.2 -
Finn to Bavuma, FOUR, good grief! He has timed the guts out of that cover-drive. Oh boy. Sumptious. Tilts the weight forward, moves the front foot across to get beside the line of the ball and unfurls it past a diving extra-cover
175.1 -
Finn to C Morris, 3 runs, half-volley on the pads, and here is more evidence that Morris can handle himself with the willow. Flicks it stylishly through mid-wicket. An easy jog for three before the ball is hauled back in
174.6 -
Stokes to C Morris, 1 run, creams a drive on the up through the vacant point region. Belted it from a length but there is protection in the deep
174.5 -
Stokes to C Morris, no run, gravitating down leg on a good length, Morris misses out on the opportunity to get a tickle, catches the pad along the way through to the keeper
And here we go. Has been a fairly good-natured Test this. But heating up now. Stokes has a little ding-dong with Bavuma as he ran past him. Prompted the umpires to summon the English skipper for a little dressing down
174.4 -
Stokes to Bavuma, 1 run, pulled from outside his right shoulder well in front of square. Always difficult to control those but Bavuma seems a compulsive puller.
174.3 -
Stokes to Bavuma, no run, nips away from a length outside off, Bavuma decided to leave it alone as soon as it left the arm. Well wide outside off
174.2 -
Stokes to Bavuma, no run, fraction full, enough for Bavuma to lean towards the ball and unleash a silky drive. Picks out Ali at mid-off
174.1 -
Stokes to Bavuma, no run, here is the double whammy. Pitched right up on off, Bavuma presses forward and mistimes the drive towards mid-off
Stokes to continue, now there is a man in the deep for the pull..
173.6 -
Finn to C Morris, no run, belted on a short of length but the line allows Morris a comfortable leave
173.5 -
Finn to Bavuma, 1 run, drags this one off the inside half of the bat towards mid-wicket. Just closed the bat-face at the last moment to pick it round the corner
173.4 -
Finn to Bavuma, no run, length delivery in the nagging zone, Bavuma gets half-forward and defends
173.3 -
Finn to Bavuma, FOUR, and again pulled off the front foot, not with as much authority as the previous one but a boundary nonetheless. Purposeless delivery from Finn. Not enough height or shoulder into it, climbs only around the mid-riff, Bavuma fetches it from just outside off and thuds it through the mid-wicket region
173.2 -
Finn to Bavuma, no run, short of length delivery fizzing into Bairstow's gloves after Bavuma shouldered arms
173.1 -
Finn to Bavuma, no run, that's risky stuff from Bavuma. Only a fraction full, nowhere near a half-volley and that too considerably wide of off. He doesn't get across too much and just punches it on the up towards mid-off. On a slightly spicier pitch, it would have been doom-seeking
172.6 -
Stokes to C Morris, no run, stingy bouncer angled in on middle, Morris sits low while swaying away from the line to evade
172.5 -
Stokes to C Morris, 2 runs, now uses his tall frame to ride the bounce and punches it past the diving point fielder. Well, almost. Compton dives across and gets a hand to take the pace off
172.4 -
Stokes to C Morris, no run, similar back of a length delivery just outside off, tapped towards cover
172.3 -
Stokes to C Morris, no run, back of a length delivery around off, hangs back and blocks
172.2 -
Stokes to Bavuma, 1 run, short of length delivery which doesn't quite get up as high as the previous one, Bavuma rises on his toes and tucks it from under his arm-pit in front of mid-wicket
172.1 -
Stokes to Bavuma, FOUR, oh Bavuma. Standing tall, as tall as he can be of course. Dispatches it with disdain. A short ball, came gunning for his badge, quickly transferred his weight on the back foot after the stride forward and muscled the pull in front of square. Didn't bother to keep it down
171.6 -
Finn to C Morris, no run, a nice lifter, banged into the middle of the pitch. But the line was slightly outside off allowing Morris to swerve his head away
171.5 -
Finn to C Morris, no run, a genuine edge which drops halfway on the journey to second slip. Just went underground off the bat. Full ball luring Morris into a loose drive, he doesn't shy away from the challenge, catches the outside edge and gets buried
171.4 -
Finn to C Morris, FOUR, sliced behind backward point. A real gift. Pitched right up wide of off, Morris crouches low without really moving across and helps it behind the fielder. Rolls down to the third man fence
171.3 -
Finn to C Morris, no run, short of length delivery around off, Morris stays leg-side of it and knocks it towards the cover region
171.2 -
Finn to C Morris, no run, did that move away a teensy bit? Nah, at least not to my eye. Morris just ended up playing miles inside the line. Pounded on a good length and angled towards off, beats Morris convincingly on the edge as he was looking to block
171.1 -
Finn to C Morris, no run, hits his natural back of a length in the corridor on off, Morris stays flat-footed to pat it towards cover
Steven Finn [30.0-3-95-1] is back into the attack
So that hour has woken me up. Teleported from the state of LIMBO to .. well .. still a dream. Not quite as intense though
That will be drinks. The most eventful hour of play in the last 2 days I must say. England looked entirely different with the new ball, claiming the crucial wickets of Amla and Faf. QDK got a bouncer and he showed his inexperience to handle the same. Now it's up to Bavuma and Morris to push the scoreboard as much as they can...
170.6 -
Stokes to Bavuma, FOUR, third boundary for Bavuma and he's proving my word right. Dealing in boundaries that is. This one's streaky though. Touch fuller just outside off, Bavuma hangs his bat in defence, the ball kisses the toe end and runs to the left of Bairstow, beating his dive
170.5 -
Stokes to Bavuma, no run, another one from a good length and in that troubling zone outside off, Bavuma lets it go through
170.4 -
Stokes to Bavuma, no run, in the corridor of uncertainty, Bavuma shoulders arms
170.3 -
Stokes to Bavuma, no run, short and down leg, Bavuma lifts his bat and lets it go
170.2 -
Stokes to Bavuma, byes, FOUR, four runs gifted! Stokes extracts venomous bounce off the surface and Bairstow tried his best to grab that, got a glove but couldn't prevent the boundary. Bavuma just sat under that
170.1 -
Stokes to Bavuma, FOUR, bouncer and all Bavuma needed to do was help it on its way. He does that and records his second boundary. In fact he's dealing in boundaries. Down leg and Bavuma pulls it sans any trouble, through short fine and into the fence
169.6 -
Broad to C Morris, no run, full and targetting off, Morris drives off the inside half towards Alex Hales at mid-on
169.5 -
Broad to C Morris, no run, bouncer just outside off, Morris half-ducks and lets it go
169.4 -
Broad to C Morris, no run, angled in slightly from a length, Morris stays inside the crease and offers a dead-bat towards cover
169.3 -
Broad to C Morris, no run, back of a length stuff outside off, Morris defends towards point
169.2 -
Broad to C Morris, FOUR, back-to-back boundaries for Morris. This one's via luck though. He makes a late decision to leave that ball, which is outside off. Ball slams the toe-end and runs wide of a lone slip, Morris won't mind that
169.1 -
Broad to C Morris, FOUR, half-volley on offer and Morris takes full toll of it. Gets a half stride forward and caresses the drive through cover, no point chasing that lads
168.6 -
Stokes to Bavuma, no run, perfect line and length, Bavuma is well forward to defend that
168.5 -
Stokes to Bavuma, no run, pitched up and just outside off, Bavuma drives and finds Moeen again
168.4 -
Stokes to Bavuma, no run, fullish outside off, Bavuma push-drives to Moeen at mid-off
168.3 -
Stokes to Bavuma, no run, smidgen short just outside off, solid defence from Bavuma
168.2 -
Stokes to Bavuma, no run, another one that's on and around off-stump, Bavuma continues to block
168.1 -
Stokes to Bavuma, no run, good length from Stokes, Bavuma defends from the crease
Ben Stokes [21.0-3-67-1] is back into the attack
167.6 -
Broad to C Morris, no run, wooooof! That pinged him right on the side of his helmet. Morris stood in an awkward position. He didn't try to play a stroke, didn't duck either. Throat-seeking bouncer from Broad and Morris turns his head late. As a result, he got hit and looks like he's in some pain. Ball hit him on the side of his helmet and deflected towards the slip cordon
167.5 -
Broad to C Morris, 2 runs, back of a length outside off, Morris punches it through cover and is off the mark with a couple
167.4 -
Broad to C Morris, no run, short and around middle and off, Morris turns it past FSL, looks for a quick single but sent back
Chris Morris, right handed bat, comes to the crease
167.3 -
Broad to de Kock, out Caught by Anderson!! That's a trap. Jimmy holds on to a good catch at backward square leg and flings the ball as high as he can. "Not the kind of shot you should be playing in a Test match" Michael Holding tells on air. This was short and hurried into de Kock who was looking to pull. It was a bit pacy and got good bounce too. QDK splices the pull and finds Jimmy to perfection. Anderson didn't even move an inch. de Kock c Anderson b Broad 5(10)
Broad to de Kock, THAT'S OUT!! Caught!!
167.3 -
Broad to de Kock, wide, bouncer down the wrong line, too high and called wide, QDK doesn't bother with it
167.2 -
Broad to de Kock, 2 runs, good length aiming off, de Kock clips aerially, but in the gap. Between mid-on and mid-wicket, keeps the scorecard ticking with another double
167.1 -
Broad to de Kock, 2 runs, on the pads and that's easy peasy for QDK. Flicks it off his pads and Joe Root puts in the valiant dive at deep mid-wicket to save a duo of runs for his team
Forgot to mention. Jimmy was seen having a heated discussion with Aleem Dar between overs. He already got a warning and he's certainly not the Jimmy we know in this game. Exhibited frustration, hurled the ball needlessly and ran on the danger area. Quite unlike Jimmy, isn't it?
166.6 -
Anderson to Bavuma, no run, another textbook-esque defence from Bavuma as he blocks this back to the bowler
166.5 -
Anderson to Bavuma, no run, lifter angled down leg, Bavuma ducks underneath it
166.4 -
Anderson to Bavuma, no run, stands still and blocks with soft hands towards short cover
166.3 -
Anderson to Bavuma, no run, good length on the stumps, Bavuma defends gently towards mid-on
166.2 -
Anderson to Bavuma, no run, oh! That must have hurt a little. Jimmy gets good bounce on this short of length delivery. It was angled in around off and struck Bavuma on the thigh pad, he was late on the back foot defence
166.1 -
Anderson to Bavuma, FOUR, ah, shot! What a way to get off the mark. Picture-perfect stuff from Bavuma. Back of a length outside off, Bavuma strokes the punch through cover. Just massaged it and got a good stride forward. Kids, are you watching the game?
165.6 -
Broad to de Kock, no run, fraction fuller on the stumps, de Kock goes across to block that back to Broad
165.5 -
Broad to de Kock, no run, effort ball, dug in short and directed down leg. de Kock was a smidgen late on the pull, miscues it to the right of Bairstow who gets across and fields
165.4 -
Broad to de Kock, no run, goes wide of the crease and angles it just outside off, QDK mistimes the clip towards mid-wicket, got it off the inside half
165.3 -
Broad to de Kock, no run, back of a length around fifth stump zone, de Kock walks across the stumps and bunts it into the leg-side
165.2 -
Broad to de Kock, no run, another one targetting the stumps, driven back to the bowler
165.1 -
Broad to de Kock, no run, fuller one on the stumps, de Kock drives firmly towards the man at mid-on
The barmy-army are all ecstatic and they have every reason to be so. Suddenly this Test match has come alive....
164.6 -
Anderson to Bavuma, no run, Bavuma yells out a loud "noooo" after blocking this length delivery with the full face of the bat
164.5 -
Anderson to Bavuma, no run, jittery times for Bavuma! He drops this length delivery in front of short cover and calls for a quick single. QDK isn't keen at the other end, sent back just in time
164.4 -
Anderson to de Kock, 1 run, Jimmy sprays one on the pads and de Kock is off and running with a single behind square on the leg-side
Two slips and two gullies for QDK
Quinton de Kock, left handed bat, comes to the crease
164.3 -
Anderson to du Plessis, out Caught by Stokes!! How often do we see this in cricket? Settled duo getting out in quick succession. The round the wicket ploy has worked wonders for Anderson and England. du Plessis departs with a sorry look on his face and all of a sudden England sense something optimistic. Jimmy angled this across from a back of a length and lured a stroke from Faf. The batsman was on the back foot trying to punch, gets the toe-end and the edge flies low to Stokes at third slip. He takes it near his bootlaces to his left. Much needed wicket for the tourists. du Plessis c Stokes b Anderson 86(216) [4s-11]
Anderson to du Plessis, THAT'S OUT!! Caught!!
164.2 -
Anderson to du Plessis, no run, on the stumps, blocked back towards the bowler
164.1 -
Anderson to du Plessis, no run, Anderson continues with the round the wicket tactic, full and angled wide, du Plessis drives gently towards point
Temba Bavuma, right handed bat, comes to the crease
163.6 -
Broad to Amla, out Bowled!! Crikey! Let me take a moment. A WICKET - That's not a typo. You've read it right. Nevertheless, it's a brilliant, brilliant knock from the South African skipper. He walks off to a standing ovation. He couldn't make most of the reprieve. This one seamed in a little from a good length and went through the defence of a stubborn-looking Amla. Disturbed the furniture and Amla is on his bike. Amla walked across and it seemed it might have taken a bit of inside edge on its way. Handshakes all around and Broad claims his first wicket of the game. As Mike Haysman pointed out 11 hours and 43 minutes of hard work from Hashim Amla. Amla b Broad 201(477) [4s-27]
Broad to Amla, THAT'S OUT!! Bowled!!
163.5 -
Broad to Amla, no run, lifter on the stumps, Amla spots it nice and early, ducks under it
163.4 -
Broad to Amla, no run, short and well outside off, Amla sways out of it
163.3 -
Broad to Amla, no run, back of a length just outside off, Amla blocks it towards cover
163.2 -
Broad to Amla, no run, length delivery on the stumps, Amla defends
163.1 -
Broad to Amla, no run, dropped. Keep counting England. That's a hard one though. Stuart Broad's immediate excitement was brought to an end. He angled this into the right-hander from a fullish length, Amla flicks and it flies low down towards Taylor's toes at short leg. The tiny lad got a hand but couldn't cling on to it. Broad looks frustrated and so does the England captain
163.1 -
Broad to Amla, wide, the short ball stuff continues from Stuart and it's a wide ball chirps umpire Aleem Dar, for height
162.6 -
Anderson to du Plessis, no run, back to over the wicket. Well outside off and du Plessis does the leaving dance
162.5 -
Anderson to du Plessis, no run, steams hard and creates the angle from a length, du Plessis defends solidly towards cover
162.4 -
Anderson to du Plessis, leg byes, FOUR, errs in line, delivers one on the pads. du Plessis misses out on the attempted flick and it runs away off the thigh pad towards the fine leg fence
Switches to round the wicket now...
162.3 -
Anderson to du Plessis, no run, this one came back in a touch, from a good length, du Plessis had a good look at it before he let that go
162.2 -
Anderson to du Plessis, no run, this one held its line in the corridor of uncertainty, du Plessis leaves
162.1 -
Anderson to du Plessis, no run, swinging away viciously from a good length, du Plessis ain't playing that
161.6 -
Broad to Amla, no run, ends the over with a bouncer and Amla hunkers under it, Bairstow took it above his head
161.5 -
Broad to du Plessis, 1 run, full and on the pads, du Plessis flicks, this time deep square leg is in situ to keep the duo down to a single
161.4 -
Broad to du Plessis, FOUR, he's such a good puller of the ball. Isn't he? Waits for the short stuff and dispatches with a well-timed pull stroke behind short leg, rolled his wrists and placed it to perfection
161.3 -
Broad to Amla, 1 run, the rib-tickler from Broad, Amla rises on his toes and fends awkwardly towards fine leg, good enough to grab a single
161.2 -
Broad to Amla, no run, back of a length just outside off, Amla hops inside the crease and blocks towards cover
161.1 -
Broad to Amla, no run, there it is, the bouncer that arrows down the leg-side, Amla sits on his knees and lets it go
Stuart Broad [24.0-6-59-0] is back into the attack
Stuart Broad to share the new-ball duties... One slip, short leg and a deep square leg in place. So, you know what's coming
160.6 -
Anderson to du Plessis, no run, short of length that extracts good bounce, the line's well outside off and du Plessis will leave that all day long
160.5 -
Anderson to du Plessis, no run, good length targetting off, very little swing on offer, bunted towards the fieldsman at point
160.4 -
Anderson to du Plessis, no run, tests du Plessis in the corridor of uncertainty, left alone to the keeper
160.3 -
Anderson to du Plessis, no run, slightly fuller outside off, du Plessis push-drives and finds mid-off
160.2 -
Anderson to du Plessis, no run, no swing on this one, length delivery angled in, du Plessis turns it towards mid-on
160.1 -
Anderson to du Plessis, no run, oh wow! A rarity! That swung! Yes it did. At least a little and Cook was excited to bits. Jimmy landed it on a good length and swung it away from du Plessis who shouldered arms
Welcome back! England could only claim 2 wickets with the 2 new balls they had taken so far. Remember one was a run-out. So, the third new ball is out and so are the players...Aleem Dar does the ball-showing duties and it's safely flinged towards a relatively fresh-looking Jimmy Anderson. 2 slips and a gully in place...
Well! Speaking of records, the South African skipper created one, a special one indeed! He became the first Protea to spend more than 10 hours at the crease (obviously with the bat) for more than 2 times in Tests. There was only half of half-a-chance England created and Jimmy was tad too close and tad too late to react at first slip. Faf was the survivor, on 61. Bar that, it was a two-hour-torture for the Englishmen. Amla, after spooning one up in the air on 197 (landed safely though), notched up his third double-hundred in Tests. So how long will this game go? Will the fortunes change with the new ball? England will have a crack with it post-lunch. Do remember to join us in about 40 minutes...
Wherever you're, take a deep breath and settle in. Here's a mind-blowing record from the Mumbai maidans: Pranav Dhanawade, a 15-year old, has recorded the first four-figure mark in a local school game which is an official match for the records. The Mumbaikar belted a gigantic 1,009 which comprised 127 fours and 59 sixes. The members of the commentary box, more often than not, eulogized the mammoth effort from the school boy and that must tell you there's nothing in this game which got them talking. England just bowled, bowled and bowled whilst South Africa batted, batted and batted.
159.6 -
Root to Amla, no run, down leg, defended to short leg. And that will be lunch. Another wicketless session like yesterday. Amla and du Plessis punch each other on the hand and walk off. du Plessis asks Amla to lead him into the dressing room first. Anderson and James Taylor clap Amla on the way back. Nice to see
Should be the last ball before lunch
159.5 -
Root to Amla, no run, down leg, wasted delivery
A man at silly point now
159.4 -
Root to Amla, no run, on off stump, Amla gets forward to block
159.3 -
Root to Amla, no run, on the stumps, forward and defended
159.2 -
Root to Amla, no run, again finds mid-wicket
159.1 -
Root to Amla, no run, on the middle and leg line, flicked to mid-wicket
158.6 -
Moeen Ali to du Plessis, no run, more of the same
158.5 -
Moeen Ali to du Plessis, no run, flat and defended off the back foot
158.4 -
Moeen Ali to Amla, 1 run, the mighty Hash is back! What a 200 this is. Unbelievable pressure coming into this game after a barren run. His first one for quite a while after the most purplest of patches in a batsman's career. And amidst all that he has made 200. Shows the character of the man. Gets to the landmark with a flick to mid-on, who is deep and takes the quick single. No real celebration, a raise of the bat to all corners of the ground, a smile and then a hug with du Plessis. So understated and so cool. The Protea dressing room are on their feet and as are the entire Newlands crowd. Stunning rearguard innings from a man who knows how to churn up the big scores. Third double in Tests!. On replays we see that Amla touched the crest on his shirt with his bat and pointed to someone. Also Steyn raised both his arms and sported a beaming smile. On one hand he had a canned drink. Stokes applauded Amla's effort by clapping. Graeme Smith and HD Ackerman were delighted too at this marathon effort by Amla. Such a class act Amla and looks like he is slowly back to his very best. Certainly this innings should set him up nicely for the rest of the series
158.3 -
Moeen Ali to Amla, 2 runs, where has that gone? Ooh! It has landed safely between Root and Cook from mid-on and mid-off respectively. Even Graeme Smith from the comm box looked worried that Amla had thrown it away. He uses his feet and doesn't get to the pitch of it, lofts it straight up in the air, thankfully for him it lands in no-man's land. Root was a bit late in picking it up and by the time he backpedalled, it was too late. Amla breathes a sigh of relief
158.2 -
Moeen Ali to Amla, no run, tossed up outside off, Amla gets forward to block
158.1 -
Moeen Ali to Amla, no run, turns in and bounces a bit more, cramps Amla on the cut, who adjusts and checks his stroke
157.6 -
Root to du Plessis, 2 runs, from the front of the hand, whipped wide of Mo at mid-wicket who gives chase and keeps it to two
157.5 -
Root to du Plessis, no run, uses his feet and takes it on the full, drives it back to Root who throws it back at the stumps, du Plessis is back
157.4 -
Root to du Plessis, no run, flat on leg, du Plessis gets back to keep it out
157.3 -
Root to du Plessis, no run, outside leg, du Plessis opens his stance to block
157.2 -
Root to du Plessis, no run, tossed up on middle, defended to mid-wicket
157.1 -
Root to du Plessis, no run, outside leg, defended
156.6 -
Moeen Ali to Amla, no run, tossed up outside off, Amla shuffles across and dead-bats
156.5 -
Moeen Ali to Amla, no run, driven straight to the fielder at mid-off
Back over the wicket
156.4 -
Moeen Ali to Amla, FOUR, drifting down leg, Amla goes back and flicks it to fine leg, no-one there and Bairstow gives chase to no avail. Just a hit away from a double ton
156.3 -
Moeen Ali to Amla, FOUR, Amla comes down the track and takes it on the full, doesn't hit it as well as he would've liked to, but it is safe and beats Root's desperate chase and a headbutt slide into the ad-cushions
156.2 -
Moeen Ali to Amla, no run, back to defending
156.1 -
Moeen Ali to Amla, no run, tossed up outside off, Amla mistimes the cover drive as the ball goes to the right of Moeen Ali
155.6 -
Root to Amla, 1 run, low full toss, Amla gets forward to drive wide of mid-on for a single
155.5 -
Root to Amla, no run, pitches outside leg and hits Amla's pad as he shouldered arms
155.4 -
Root to Amla, no run, well down leg, wasted delivery
155.3 -
Root to Amla, no run, flicked in the air momentarily but well wide of short leg
155.2 -
Root to Amla, no run, down leg, left alone
155.1 -
Root to Amla, no run, on middle, forward and blocked
154.6 -
Moeen Ali to du Plessis, no run, calmly turns this to mid-wicket with the spin that is on view
154.5 -
Moeen Ali to du Plessis, no run, slower and du Plessis is content to stride forward to defend
154.4 -
Moeen Ali to du Plessis, no run, on off stump, du Plessis brings out the forward defence
154.3 -
Moeen Ali to du Plessis, no run, more air on off, du Plessis gets forward to defend to silly mid-on
154.2 -
Moeen Ali to du Plessis, no run, gets back to whip it to mid-wicket
154.1 -
Moeen Ali to du Plessis, no run, "oh yes Mo, yes Mo" goes Bairstow as du Plessis gets forward to block it down the pitch
153.6 -
Root to Amla, no run, Amla calmly blocks off the back foot
153.5 -
Root to du Plessis, 1 run, pushed straight down the ground, Root dives to his left and deflects it wide of cover, that allows the single
153.4 -
Root to du Plessis, FOUR, driven and beats Broad's dive at mid-off. Root isn't happy that it has gone through and beat Broad. Tossed up outside off, du Plessis leant into the cover drive and even though the tall fast bowler did his best, the ball won the race
153.3 -
Root to du Plessis, no run, now goes on the back foot to block
153.2 -
Root to du Plessis, 2 runs, du Plessis kneels down and then paddles it to fine leg for a quick two
153.1 -
Root to Amla, 1 run, flat outside off, dabbed through backward point for a single
152.6 -
Moeen Ali to du Plessis, no run, whipped to mid-wicket but Anderson is there
152.5 -
Moeen Ali to du Plessis, no run, nudged to backward short leg where Taylor is sharp
152.4 -
Moeen Ali to du Plessis, no run, well outside off, du Plessis shuffles across and defends to cover
152.3 -
Moeen Ali to du Plessis, no run, bit more air and du Plessis defends off the front foot
152.2 -
Moeen Ali to du Plessis, no run, flat and du Plessis defends off the back foot
152.1 -
Moeen Ali to du Plessis, 2 runs, whipped off the back foot wide of mid-wicket where the fielder runs and deflects it to the man in the deep, two it is
151.6 -
Root to Amla, no run, a full toss and Amla nearly drives it straight back to Root, just bounces short of the bowler
151.5 -
Root to Amla, no run, pulls the length back, Amla defends off the back foot
151.4 -
Root to Amla, no run, well tossed up outside off, Amla lunges into a forward push
151.3 -
Root to Amla, no run, on the pads, flicked to mid-wicket
151.2 -
Root to Amla, no run, gently defended past the diving short leg
151.1 -
Root to Amla, no run, tossed up outside off, a firm drive and stopped at cover with a dive
150.6 -
Moeen Ali to du Plessis, no run, flat outside off, wristed to mid-wicket
150.5 -
Moeen Ali to du Plessis, no run, well tossed up outside off, du Plessis gets forward to block to cover
150.4 -
Moeen Ali to du Plessis, no run, sliding across du Plessis who shuffles across to block
150.3 -
Moeen Ali to du Plessis, no run, flat outside off, du Plessis defends off the back foot
Two slips and a backward short leg for Moeen Ali
150.2 -
Moeen Ali to Amla, 1 run, flat on the stumps, tucked to deep backward square leg, for a single
150.1 -
Moeen Ali to Amla, no run, whipped off the back foot to mid-wicket
149.6 -
Root to du Plessis, no run, from the front of the hand, du Plessis pushes off the back foot to short mid-wicket
149.5 -
Root to du Plessis, no run, lots of air and driven to Root's left who dives to stop
149.4 -
Root to du Plessis, no run, tossed up and du Plessis gets forward to block
149.3 -
Root to du Plessis, no run, now drives to mid-off
149.2 -
Root to du Plessis, FOUR, du Plessis takes the aerial route and goes over mid-off. Down the track and just a chip, made sure he cleared the man and did so comfortably
149.1 -
Root to du Plessis, no run, now du Plessis gets forward to block
148.6 -
Moeen Ali to Amla, no run, very full outside off, patted to cover
148.5 -
Moeen Ali to Amla, no run, flighted outside off, blocked
148.4 -
Moeen Ali to Amla, no run, lets that one angling across him go
148.3 -
Moeen Ali to Amla, no run, and again moves towards the ball to defend to cover
148.2 -
Moeen Ali to Amla, no run, Amla shuffles across well outside off to defend that slider
148.1 -
Moeen Ali to Amla, no run, tossed up from round the wicket, dead-batted by Amla
147.6 -
Root to du Plessis, no run, more forward defence
147.5 -
Root to du Plessis, no run, on the middle and leg line, du Plessis gets forward to block to the bowler
147.4 -
Root to Amla, 1 run, turning down leg, Amla goes back and nudges it to deep backward square leg
147.3 -
Root to Amla, no run, right forward to defend to short leg
147.2 -
Root to Amla, no run, bit more bounce and Amla handles that carefully off the back foot
Root is on from round the wicket with a slip and a short leg in
147.1 -
Root to Amla, no run, tossed up on off, Amla gets forward to block
Joe Root [5.0-2-12-0] is back into the attack
146.6 -
Moeen Ali to Amla, 1 run, Amla turns it past that man and takes the single
Short leg moves to a sort of backward short leg
146.5 -
Moeen Ali to Amla, no run, pushes it to the right of the bowler
146.4 -
Moeen Ali to Amla, FOUR, well played! Takes it from outside off and then paddles it around the corner. No-one there and Amla gets a boundary. Made sure he get outside the line to play that
146.3 -
Moeen Ali to Amla, no run, outside off, Amla gets back to leave
146.2 -
Moeen Ali to Amla, no run, tossed up outside off, solidly forward to block
146.1 -
Moeen Ali to Amla, no run, tossed up outside off, Amla gets forward and flicks to mid-wicket
145.6 -
Broad to du Plessis, no run, angled in towards off stump, du Plessis blocks solidly back to the bowler
145.5 -
Broad to Amla, 1 run, back of a length on the stumps, Amla gets back and glances it to fine leg, for a single
145.4 -
Broad to Amla, no run, short of length on off, punched to silly mid-on
145.3 -
Broad to Amla, no run, back of a length and gently nudged to mid-wicket
145.2 -
Broad to du Plessis, 1 run, full on off stump, du Plessis' bat turns and the thick outer half is found, beats the dive of cover and the batsmen take a single
145.1 -
Broad to Amla, 1 run, good length outside off, Amla dabs it square of the wicket, for a single
144.6 -
Moeen Ali to du Plessis, no run, turning in, but not enough to warrant a stroke from the shuffling du Plessis
144.5 -
Moeen Ali to du Plessis, no run, forward and blocked
144.4 -
Moeen Ali to du Plessis, FOUR, flies past Anderson's left-hand at slip. That is difficult to call it a chance. Went very quickly as Anderson is standing too close and had no time to react. Put his left-mitt out and the ball flicked the fingertips and raced away. du Plessis dug the drive out and the ball took off the bat. Why is he standing so close? Such a good fielder, but for the second time in the match, he has been made to look silly
144.3 -
Moeen Ali to du Plessis, no run, bit short and du Plessis punches to mid-off
144.2 -
Moeen Ali to du Plessis, leg byes, 2 runs, tossed up outside off, du Plessis gets outside off and looks to paddle, misses and the ball deflects off the pad wide of Anderson at slip
144.1 -
Moeen Ali to du Plessis, no run, punched off the back foot to cover
Time for a drink after the first hour is done. Soporific phase of play that. Quite similar to yesterday. Both batsmen patient and so are the England bowlers. It is a question of who will blink first. And Finn was outstanding yet again, his splice-jarring lengths causing Faf a few problems. Apart from that the serenity and the calmness of Amla has continued to blossom. If you are looking at anything else from that hour of play, then you are at the wrong place...
143.6 -
Broad to Amla, no run, full outside off, Amla gets forward and drives to cover who moves to his left to field
143.5 -
Broad to Amla, no run, good length outside off, Amla defends to backward point off the back foot
143.4 -
Broad to Amla, no run, pitched up outside off, Amla eases a drive to cover
143.3 -
Broad to Amla, no run, fullish outside off, Amla defends towards mid-off
Amla and du Plessis have a chat. Similarly Broad and Cook do as well. Probably a change of field. Slip and a gully. Silly mid-on in place
143.2 -
Broad to Amla, no run, outside off, left alone
143.1 -
Broad to Amla, no run, pitched up outside off, Amla gets forward to block to mid-off
142.6 -
Moeen Ali to du Plessis, no run, back to a defence, finds cover
142.5 -
Moeen Ali to du Plessis, no run, du Plessis jumps well outside off and then pads that. Not sure what Bairstow was appealing for
142.4 -
Moeen Ali to du Plessis, no run, again the forward defence
142.3 -
Moeen Ali to du Plessis, no run, flat outside off, pushed back to Moeen Ali
142.2 -
Moeen Ali to du Plessis, no run, tossed up outside off, du Plessis gets forward to drive to cover
142.1 -
Moeen Ali to du Plessis, 2 runs, a bit short and du Plessis goes on the back foot to cut that wide of cover for two
141.6 -
Broad to Amla, 2 runs, when it is too straight, Amla will flick that and that's what he does wide of Hales at mid-on
Looks like a deliberate ploy from Broad and England to frustrate Amla and Co. with a 7-2 field and bowl well outside off, drying up the runs with a defensive field
141.5 -
Broad to Amla, no run, well outside off, easy leave
141.4 -
Broad to Amla, no run, good length outside off, Amla defends off the back foot to cover
141.3 -
Broad to Amla, no run, wide of the crease and bowled outside off, left alone
Very quiet phase of play
141.2 -
Broad to Amla, no run, good length outside off, Amla shoulders arms
141.1 -
Broad to Amla, no run, well fielded by Root at gully. Pitched up outside off, Amla gets forward to defend and the ball bounces in front of Root who sticks his right-hand to stop
140.6 -
Moeen Ali to du Plessis, no run, slower and turns in, du Plessis had got outside the line of off and was beaten on the forward defence, pings the pad, but no real appeal
140.5 -
Moeen Ali to du Plessis, no run, flighted delivery outside off, du Plessis is forward to defend
140.4 -
Moeen Ali to du Plessis, no run, turning in, du Plessis defends off the back foot to short mid-wicket
140.3 -
Moeen Ali to du Plessis, no run, flat outside off, punched to cover off the back foot
140.2 -
Moeen Ali to du Plessis, no run, tossed up outside off, du Plessis defends with an open face towards slip
140.1 -
Moeen Ali to du Plessis, no run, well stopped by Compton at cover after he dives to his left. du Plessis hit the drive hard and Compton saved runs
139.6 -
Broad to Amla, no run, wasted over that, well wide of off, left alone
139.5 -
Broad to Amla, no run, finally makes Amla play, pitched up outside off, Amla defends solidly to cover
139.4 -
Broad to Amla, no run, Broad isn't learning, yet another one miles outside off
139.3 -
Broad to Amla, no run, can't bowl there, third one which is too wide of off
139.2 -
Broad to Amla, no run, way outside off, no way Amla will play that
139.1 -
Broad to Amla, no run, full outside off, left alone
Stuart Broad [20.0-4-54-0] is back into the attack
Anderson, Cook and Broad have a chat. Meanwhile the ball isn't going through the circular rings. So a replacement ball will have to be found. More ammo for Sir Ian against the Kookaburra. The ball is changed. So a old-new ball in place now. Broad will take over from Finn
138.6 -
Moeen Ali to du Plessis, no run, still the length is short and flat, flicked off the back foot to mid-wicket
138.5 -
Moeen Ali to du Plessis, no run, flat outside off, du Plessis punches without any timing back to the bowler
138.4 -
Moeen Ali to du Plessis, 2 runs, very full outside off, du Plessis squeezes the drive wide of cover for a couple
138.3 -
Moeen Ali to du Plessis, no run, flat outside off, pushed to cover off the back foot
138.2 -
Moeen Ali to Amla, 1 run, waits for the ball to turn in and then tucks it to deep backward square leg
138.1 -
Moeen Ali to Amla, 2 runs, Amla gets outside off and then flicks through square leg, Finn runs around and slides to prevent the boundary. Good work
137.6 -
Finn to du Plessis, no run, angled in towards off, du Plessis defends to mid-on
Sir Ian Botham on air isn't mincing any words about the Kookaburra ball. He says he doesn't equate the Kookaburra and a cricket ball in the same sentence. He feels on pitches like these, with the Kookaburra, the bowlers are denied a fair contest
137.5 -
Finn to du Plessis, no run, yorker length outside off, du Plessis digs it out back to Finn
137.4 -
Finn to Amla, 1 run, full on the stumps, flicked to fine leg
Just one slip and a gully now
137.3 -
Finn to Amla, no run, now attacks the off stump, Amla is serene in his defence
137.2 -
Finn to Amla, FOUR, cracking cut shot. Short and wide outside off, Amla slashed that through the vacant backward point and it raced away, beating the man in the deep at sweeper
137.1 -
Finn to Amla, no run, dug in short outside off, Amla drops his gloves and lets it go
136.6 -
Moeen Ali to du Plessis, no run, a very steady maiden as du Plessis defends off the front foot once more
A silly mid-on added now
136.5 -
Moeen Ali to du Plessis, no run, now pushes it back to Moeen Ali after getting forward
136.4 -
Moeen Ali to du Plessis, no run, more air outside off, du Plessis is content to defend off the front foot
136.3 -
Moeen Ali to du Plessis, no run, flighted outside off, du Plessis defends to cover
136.2 -
Moeen Ali to du Plessis, no run, tossed up again, du Plessis gets forward to block
Moeen Ali from over the wicket with a slip and a short leg in place
136.1 -
Moeen Ali to du Plessis, no run, very full outside off, du Plessis drives and finds cover
Moeen Ali [31.0-9-80-0] is back into the attack
135.6 -
Finn to Amla, no run, full on off, Amla's bat turns a little as he comes forward to drive, no major alarms though as the ball finds mid-off. Never in the air that one
135.5 -
Finn to Amla, 2 runs, full down leg, Amla gets bat on the flick, it brushes the pad and then rolls to fine leg for a couple of runs
135.4 -
Finn to Amla, no run, short of length outside off, Amla rides the bounce and punches to point
135.3 -
Finn to Amla, no run, short of length on off, Amla goes back to push it to mid-on
135.2 -
Finn to Amla, no run, back to a back of a length outside off, Amla hops to block to cover
135.1 -
Finn to Amla, no run, full outside off, Amla gets forward to block to mid-off
A bit of chirp from Anderson to du Plessis at the end of the over. Aleem Dar is quickly in to sort it out
134.6 -
Anderson to du Plessis, no run, du Plessis will leave that as it is well outside off
134.5 -
Anderson to du Plessis, no run, probing away is Anderson in the corridor of uncertainty, du Plessis doesn't budge yet
134.4 -
Anderson to du Plessis, no run, full outside off, good leave by du Plessis
134.3 -
Anderson to du Plessis, no run, another off-speed delivery, again outside off, du Plessis leaves
134.2 -
Anderson to du Plessis, no run, cutter outside off, left alone
134.1 -
Anderson to du Plessis, no run, full outside off, du Plessis defends solidly off the front foot
133.6 -
Finn to Amla, no run, predictable short ball from a fast bowler after being hit for a boundary. It is outside off and Amla lets it go
133.5 -
Finn to Amla, FOUR, that's Amla at his best. Close to recovering his very best form. Not a bad ball - just a touch of width outside off and that's enough for Amla to rock back and crash the cut late through backward point. Raced away
133.4 -
Finn to Amla, no run, Finn is running in with a lot of rhythm and bowling really well, outside off, rising through to the keeper as Amla leaves
133.3 -
Finn to Amla, no run, still Finn hits a back of a length outside off, Amla defends to cover off the back foot
133.2 -
Finn to Amla, no run, short of length outside off, Amla hops and defends to backward point
133.1 -
Finn to Amla, no run, back of a length outside off, Amla shoulders arms
132.6 -
Anderson to du Plessis, FOUR, now du Plessis gets into the act with a superb off-drive. Anderson overpitched that and du Plessis got forward to lace the shot wide of mid-off. A straight bat and since there is no lateral movement on this pitch, one can play that without any fear of edging behind
132.5 -
Anderson to du Plessis, no run, in the corridor of uncertainty, not much movement to threaten off, left alone
132.4 -
Anderson to du Plessis, no run, wide of the crease and angled in fuller outside off, du Plessis gets forward to block to cover
132.3 -
Anderson to du Plessis, no run, Anderson's frustration shows as he fields off his bowling and then throws wide of the stumps
132.2 -
Anderson to Amla, 1 run, and now he punches off the back foot and some good fielding by Compton at backward point saves yet another boundary. He dives to his left and gets a hand on that, can't prevent the single
132.1 -
Anderson to Amla, FOUR, easy for Amla. Anderson drifts a bit too full on the pads, Amla gets forward and flicks through mid-wicket for a boundary
131.6 -
Finn to du Plessis, no run, what a ball from Finn and even du Plessis is impressed. Has his mouth open in amazement. This was angled in on a good length around the fourth stump line, du Plessis played inside the line of that as he came forward to defend, the ball held its line and nearly shaved the top of off stump. Extra bounce taking it over the stumps. Also had it nipped back in slightly, would've kissed the bails
131.5 -
Finn to du Plessis, no run, good length outside off, du Plessis shoulders arms
131.4 -
Finn to du Plessis, no run, ooh! That's a splice-jarring length from Finn, rose from a good length and suprised du Plessis who did well to keep it down. Takes his bottom hand off after playing that
Stokes is off the field.. that's why Samit is on
131.3 -
Finn to du Plessis, 2 runs, short outside off, du Plessis controls the pull and even though there were shouts of "catch" the ball went wide of the substitute Samit Patel
Two slips and a gully for Finn too
131.2 -
Finn to du Plessis, no run, back of a length outside off, du Plessis shuffles across and then defends it back to Finn
131.1 -
Finn to du Plessis, no run, good length around the fourth stump line, du Plessis gets forward to block
Steven Finn [26.0-3-82-1] is back into the attack
130.6 -
Anderson to Amla, no run, full outside off, Amla stretches forward and defends to point. That will be a maiden to start for Anderson
130.5 -
Anderson to Amla, no run, angling in towards off stump, Amla punches without any timing to cover
130.4 -
Anderson to Amla, no run, bit fuller on off stump, Amla gets half forward and defends to short mid-wicket
130.3 -
Anderson to Amla, no run, good length angled in towards off and middle, Amla defends from the crease to mid-on
130.2 -
Anderson to Amla, no run, short of length outside off, Amla stands tall and defends to gully
Two slips and a gully
130.1 -
Anderson to Amla, no run, back of a length on off, Amla gets right behind the line to block
The players are out there in the middle. Amla and Faf walk out. Fourth day in a row where there isn't a cloud in the sky. 31 degree celsius is the current temperature. Will get hotter as the day goes on. Anderson is marking his run. Looks like he will start off. Yes he will. Amla will be on strike
The reason I mentioned that quote was, England offered a reprive to ABD on 5 before dropping Amla on 76 and 120. Situations like these will tell you how vital a drop catch is... 164 - combined runs scored by de Villers and Amla after Root and Anderson put them down respectively. I suspect Jimmy and Joe wouldn't have had a good night's sleep. We'll wait and watch if they can put that to bed and start fresh to stem the Amla-du Plessis flow, which has just started to threaten. Another exciting day's cricket beckons. Be with us....
Although AB and Amla were helped by a few drop chances/half-chances, the never-say-never attitude was thoroughly on display. England tried everything they could. Even Alex Hales rolled his arm over - so that must give you a hint of Cook's tedious day at the office. Ricky Ponting AKA Punter once famously said: "If I ever missed a run-out or dropped a catch while playing for Australia, I would barely sleep that night."
09:55 Local Time, 07:55 GMT, 13:25 IST: Hello all! Welcome to the penultimate day's coverage of the second Test between South Africa and England. Scorecard might tell you it's an inevitable draw, but let me tell you, one bad session for the hosts and as Geoffrey Boycott on BBC mentioned "they've (England) smidgen of a chance of winning." It was one-way traffic yesterday. Hashim Amla, in his very own style, smashed...oh no! That word doesn't quite suit him. He's a classy, staid player and he's exhibited all of it yesterday.
Special mention to Amla for playing a patient knock. He was under serious pressure, having not got a 100+ score in 14 innings. People started questioning if captaincy was affecting his performances, but now he has silenced all the critics with a classy old-school Test innings. He remained calm when the bowling was good, but at the same time was also not missing out on a boundary-scoring opportunity. To put it in simple words, he knew exactly when to switch on and switch off. The determination in his eyes was for everyone to see and he stood tall for his country when they needed him badly. England though could have had a better day had they not dropped a catch each off Amla and de Villiers. The pitch is so good to bat on and South Africa should firmly believe that they can avoid the follow-on quite comfortably. Join us back tomorrow for all the Day 4 action at 10:30 local time. Goodbye!
Finn, who was clearly England's best bowler of the day, achieved the breakthrough courtesy a good catch by Anderson at mid-wicket, thereby denying de Villiers a hundred by 12 runs. du Plessis edged one very early, but thankfully for him it didn't go to hand. Desperately short of runs, he couldn't have asked for better batting conditions as there was nothing available on the surface for both the pacers and the spinners. Much to the delight of the home fans, he stitched an unbeaten 85-run stand with the skipper and in the process recorded his first fifty in 12 innings.
Stumps, Day 3: It was a crucial day for South Africa and captain Amla decided to lead from the front. After 87 overs of hard toil, the Proteas have put on a solid response to England's mammoth first innings total. It actually didn't start all that well as Finn threatened to remove de Villiers anytime in his opening spell. The star batsman somehow managed to survive and eventually put on a 183-run stand for the 3rd wicket to help the hosts keep the England bowlers at bay all through the morning session and for most part of the second session as well.
129.6 -
Stokes to du Plessis, no run, Stokes comes from round the wicket. Smiles all round. Stokes and du Plessis share a wry smile and they had every reason to do so. Double bluff from Stokes as he bowls a fuller length delivery down leg. du Plessis was prepared for the bouncer, he ducks early and the ball pings his left pad before Bairstow snaffles behind the stumps. That will be stumps on day 3 and Michael Holding on air sums it up aptly "TOUGH DAY FOR THE BOWLERS."
129.5 -
Stokes to du Plessis, no run, full and on leg-stump, du Plessis drives to Broad at silly mid-on
129.4 -
Stokes to du Plessis, no run, lifter going down leg, du Plessis lets it pass over his head
129.3 -
Stokes to du Plessis, no run, nearrrrrrrrly. The short ball ploy nearly worked. Lapse in concentration? du Plessis opts to pull this short ball and was beaten for pace, is fortunate not to have got an edge
129.2 -
Stokes to du Plessis, no run, short and just outside off, du Plessis jumps high and fends it onto the ground
129.1 -
Stokes to du Plessis, no run, short and angled on middle and leg, du Plessis stays firm and pulls all along the ground towards Root at backward square. There was a misfield but the duo don't risk a single
This could well be the final over of the day. The wind has picked up and it has gone pitch dark out there. Right then! Ben Stokes will bowl the final over..
128.6 -
Finn to Amla, no run, the short ball barrage continues and so does the leaving dance
Oh hang on! What's happening out there? One bail came off after Faf crossed over for a single. He was nowhere near the stumps. The umpires have gone up to check? NOT OUT says the TV umpire and surely wind might have been the reason. England never looked optimistic and rightly so...
128.5 -
Finn to du Plessis, 1 run, down leg and all du Plessis needed to do was get bat on ball. He rolls his wrists over the pull and fetches an easy single
128.4 -
Finn to du Plessis, no run, finally bowls one on a good length, not too close enough to draw a stroke from du Plessis
128.3 -
Finn to du Plessis, no run, short of length around off, du Plessis defends off the back foot
128.2 -
Finn to du Plessis, no run, short again, du Plessis camps back and tucks it towards leg-side
128.1 -
Finn to du Plessis, no run, Finn who's bowled well all day, for some strange reason is pitching it short in this spell. Tired legs or trying different tactics? Must and should be the second option I guess. Short and down leg, du Plessis lifts his bat and lets it go
The floodlights are on at Newlands. Only 10 minutes of play left though...
127.6 -
Stokes to Amla, no run, pitched up this time, Amla drives gently towards mid-off
127.5 -
Stokes to Amla, no run, continues with the bouncer tactic, Amla hunkers under it
Stokes switches to round the wicket now
127.4 -
Stokes to Amla, no run, Stokes hurls in the bouncer and Amla had enough time to let that go through
127.3 -
Stokes to du Plessis, 1 run, much-needed 50 for Faf du Plessis. His first in 12 innings. His last fifty came against West Indies at the same venue last year. He got there with a flick through mid-wicket. Dressing room stands and applauds - they all know what it means to Faf
127.2 -
Stokes to du Plessis, no run, keeps it short again, du Plessis rises on his toes to tuck that in front of FSL
127.1 -
Stokes to du Plessis, FOUR, Stokes errs in line, short and down leg, du Plessis is quick to jump onto the back foot to time the pull through backward square. He's timed that to perfection and no point chasing that
Amla seems to be having cramps. He is being treated by the physio while du Plessis has a drink. Amla - what a player! I don't think there is any player who played more number of balls/ spent most time with the bat than Hashim Amla in the last 2 months. Remember his stubborn innings at Delhi. The BLOCKATHON as they famously call...
126.6 -
Finn to Amla, no run, bouncer sprayed down the wrong line, Amla spots it early and lets it pass
126.5 -
Finn to Amla, no run, angled in from a length, Amla rose tall and dropped it wide of FSL
126.4 -
Finn to Amla, no run, dug in short and just outside off, Amla ducks underneath it
126.3 -
Finn to Amla, no run, ambitious appeal for a strangle down the leg-side, but nothing from the umpire. This was short and slipping down leg, Amla shouldered arms and the ball brushed the thigh pad on its way to the keeper
126.2 -
Finn to Amla, no run, short and outside off, Amla jumps inside the crease and watches it sail through to the keeper
126.1 -
Finn to du Plessis, 1 run, short pitched delivery on leg-stump, du Plessis mistimes the pull but manages to do so by keeping it all along the ground, towards deep backward square
125.6 -
Stokes to du Plessis, 1 run, shortish and slipping down leg, du Plessis stays back and rolls his wrists over the pull, all that for an easy single to keep strike
125.5 -
Stokes to du Plessis, 2 runs, 142ks from round the wicket, du Plessis waits on the back foot and threads the gap between mid-on and mid-wicket - with a well-timed flick for a duo of runs
125.4 -
Stokes to du Plessis, no run, keeps it tight around off from a fuller length, du Plessis gets half-forward and digs it into the ground
125.3 -
Stokes to du Plessis, no run, back of a length on off, du Plessis punches solidly back to the bowler
125.2 -
Stokes to du Plessis, no run, not much of pace on this length delivery outside off, left alone to the keeper
125.1 -
Stokes to du Plessis, no run, fraction fuller outside off, du Plessis push-drives in front of cover
For the umpteenth time today, ball goes through the rings. England are certainly not happy with the shape of the ball but the umpires feel it's absolutely fine
124.6 -
Finn to Amla, no run, fuller and on Amla's pads, he gets across and clips to mid-on. Broad has been kept busy in that position
124.5 -
Finn to Amla, no run, wide of the crease and angled in from a good length, blocked back to the bowler
124.4 -
Finn to du Plessis, 1 run, full and hurled in on the stumps, du Plessis on-drives wide of Stuart Broad at mid-on and hustles for a quick single
There's some issue behind the bowler's arm and du Plessis pulls away at the last instant...
124.3 -
Finn to du Plessis, no run, pitched up on off, blocked solidly back to the bowler
124.2 -
Finn to Amla, 3 runs, the crowd come alive as finally there's some unusual action. An overthrow and then Stokes fumbles trying to stop the same. Cook sees the funnier side of it. This was full and angled in around middle and leg. Amla flicked it to Broad at mid-on and ran for a quick single. du Plessis responded late but Broad too was late to get to the ball. He hits the bulls-eye at the bowler's end and Stoksey had to cover a lot of ground to save a few runs for his team. Amla was well in and England didn't even bother to appeal
124.1 -
Finn to du Plessis, 1 run, back of a length on the stumps, du Plessis hangs back and tucks off his hips through backward square
Steven Finn [23.0-3-75-1] is back into the attack
The rings are out and as expected, the ball went through the rings. So no change. Finn gets the ball and he has 2 slips in place. A short leg too is in place...
123.6 -
Stokes to du Plessis, 1 run, shortish around du Plessis' hips, helped to fine leg and du Plessis is inching closer to his fifty
123.6 -
Stokes to du Plessis, wide, bouncer at 129ks, Stokes throws his head back in disappointment as the umpire signals a wide for height
123.5 -
Stokes to Amla, 1 run, goes wide of the crease and flings full one on the stumps, Amla wristily flicks to Moeen at deep mid-wicket for an easy single
123.4 -
Stokes to Amla, no run, length ball around off, Amla jumps inside the crease and clips with soft hands towards mid-on
123.3 -
Stokes to Amla, no run, dug in short but down the wrong line, Amla hunkers unders it
123.2 -
Stokes to du Plessis, 1 run, another one slipping down leg from a similar length, Faf glances it towards fine leg
123.1 -
Stokes to du Plessis, 2 runs, Stokes starts his new spell with a poor delivery. Short and sliding down leg, du Plessis jumps on his toes and tucks behind square for a couple of runs
Ben Stokes [17.0-2-53-1] is back into the attack
122.6 -
Root to Amla, no run, full on Amla's pads, Amla goes on the back foot and flicks to mid-wicket
122.5 -
Root to Amla, no run, quicker and on the stumps, Amla flicks and finds mid-wicket
122.4 -
Root to Amla, no run, "Rootey, Rootey" yells Bairstow behind the stumps as Amla defends this back to the bowler
122.3 -
Root to Amla, no run, slower in the air, Amla dead-bats back towards the bowler
122.2 -
Root to Amla, no run, full toss around leg-stump, Amla drills the drive towards mid-on
122.1 -
Root to Amla, no run, flighted on the stumps, Amla pushes gently off the front foot
The ball has yet again gone through the ring and Aleem Dar says it has passed the examination meaning there is no change of ball..
121.6 -
Anderson to du Plessis, no run, leading edge and fell short! Anderson angled one in from a good length and du Plessis was a smidgen early on his flick shot. Got a thick leading edge which tantalizingly falls short of an incoming mid-off. Steven Finn was the fielder and seemed like he was a bit late to react. As Michael Atherton on air pointed out "He wouldn't have made it anyway." Tired legs!
121.5 -
Anderson to du Plessis, no run, good length outside off, nothing off the surface and du Plessis will leave that all day long
121.4 -
Anderson to du Plessis, no run, touch short and wide, du Plessis brings out his soft hands into play as he guides this gently towards the same fieldsman
121.3 -
Anderson to du Plessis, no run, ample width on offer again, du Plessis opens the face of the bat and dabs this towards backward point
121.2 -
Anderson to du Plessis, no run, drags his length back and offers width, punched off the back foot towards extra cover
121.1 -
Anderson to du Plessis, no run, length delivery just outside off, du Plessis defends and finds the diminutive James Taylor at short cover
It has gone a bit dark out there....
120.6 -
Root to Amla, no run, flighted on the stumps, Amla nudges towards short mid-wicket
120.5 -
Root to Amla, no run, full on the pads, Amla flicks but can't get it past mid-wicket
120.4 -
Root to du Plessis, 1 run, drifting into middle and leg, du Plessis wrists it to mid-wicket and scampers across for an easy single
120.3 -
Root to du Plessis, no run, floated up just outside off, du Plessis answers with a forward stride
120.2 -
Root to du Plessis, no run, an action-replay of the previous ball, just that du Plessis placed the drive to the right of Moeen who slid across and saved a single
120.1 -
Root to du Plessis, no run, bowls it too full on middle, du Plessis jams it towards Moeen at mid-on
Joe Root [3.0-1-11-0] is back into the attack
Time for Joe Root to chance his arm for the second time in the day...
119.6 -
Anderson to Amla, no run, full and straight again, Amla gets across and blocks to Samit Patel (the substitute) at mid-on
119.5 -
Anderson to Amla, no run, keeps it full again, the line though is around middle and off, Amla blocks with the full face towards mid-off
119.4 -
Anderson to Amla, no run, pitched full and there's driving width on offer, Amla drives firmly but finds Stokes to perfection at backward point
119.3 -
Anderson to Amla, no run, touch fuller hurled in around off, Amla leans forward and presses it towards short cover
119.2 -
Anderson to Amla, no run, 137ks, good length outside off, Amla covers his off-stump and shoulders arms
119.1 -
Anderson to Amla, no run, on a length and outside off, Amla stands still and punches towards short cover
118.6 -
Hales to du Plessis, no run, slower through the air, du Plessis hangs back and turns it to the on-side
118.5 -
Hales to du Plessis, no run, full and straight and Amla might have just denied his partner a boundary. du Plessis drove it hard but Amla's bat was in the way, the ball deviates towards mid-on
118.4 -
Hales to du Plessis, no run, flatter and on off, du Plessis blocks it back to the bowler
118.3 -
Hales to du Plessis, no run, drifting in around middle, pushed back to the bowler
118.2 -
Hales to du Plessis, no run, shortish and on the stumps, du Plessis jumps back and punches to Hales
118.1 -
Hales to du Plessis, no run, too full on middle, du Plessis digs it out towards the fieldsman at mid-on
117.6 -
Anderson to Amla, no run, goodie from Jimmy! Pitched it full and lured Amla into a stroke. Amla got forward and went for the aerial drive. Just like all day, luck's with him and hence no outside edge found, Anderson and the rest of the Englishmen got excited
117.5 -
Anderson to Amla, no run, bowls at the same pace, keeps it a tad fuller and angles it in late, Amla though lifts his bat and lets it go
117.4 -
Anderson to Amla, no run, 137ks, good length aiming off-stump, blocked back to the bowler
117.3 -
Anderson to Amla, no run, short of length just outside off, Amla camps back and punches to James Taylor at short cover
117.2 -
Anderson to Amla, no run, dished full and wide, Amla drives off the front foot towards cover
117.1 -
Anderson to Amla, no run, angled in from a length, Amla defends from the crease
116.6 -
Hales to Amla, 1 run, width on offer, Amla cuts square of the wicket and keeps strike
116.5 -
Hales to Amla, no run, flat and outside off, Amla is solid in his back foot defence
116.4 -
Hales to Amla, no run, slower through the air around off, Amla goes back and across to block that
116.3 -
Hales to Amla, no run, another one on middle and leg, Amla gets forward and blocks towards mid-on
116.2 -
Hales to Amla, no run, flat and straight, Amla wristily works it to mid-wicket
116.1 -
Hales to Amla, no run, very full and around off, Amla gets a leading edge on the forward push
115.6 -
Anderson to du Plessis, no run, back of a length outside off, du Plessis lets it go
115.5 -
Anderson to du Plessis, FOUR, full toss on the stumps - candyfloss for Faf. He clubs the drive past the South African skipper, who exhibits good awareness by getting his bat/leg out of the way and allowing the ball to race through
115.4 -
Anderson to du Plessis, no run, probing away outside off from a good length, du Plessis jumps back and shoulders arms
115.3 -
Anderson to du Plessis, no run, well outside off and du Plessis ain't chasing that
115.2 -
Anderson to du Plessis, no run, a bit fuller and targetting the stumps, du Plessis drives gently back to Anderson who flings an unnecessary throw back to the keeper - aimed at the stumps but couldn't get anywhere close
115.1 -
Anderson to du Plessis, no run, back of a length on and around fifth stump, punched towards cover
Time for the drinks break. These two have survived the first hour in the final session. Nothing much happened, apart from Amla getting to his 150 and Faf blocking his way to 30. If the pitch doesn't wake up, we can safely say this match is heading towards a draw. Vernon Philander is in the house. He's seen chirping something to his wife with a toothpick in his hand. He should be a happy man - with the way things have gone so far today...
114.6 -
Hales to Amla, no run, plenty of loop on this offie, Amla gets bat and pad close as he defends it back to Hales
114.5 -
Hales to Amla, no run, tossed up on off, Amla is half-forward to dead-bat it
114.4 -
Hales to Amla, no run, Amla missed out there. Nice friendly full toss on off, Amla works it to mid-wicket, should have put that away
114.3 -
Hales to Amla, no run, floated up on off, Amla drives it to mid-on
114.2 -
Hales to Amla, no run, flighted on off, Amla presses forward and blocks
114.1 -
Hales to du Plessis, 1 run, drifting down leg, du Plessis helps himself to a single with a nurdle to backward square leg
Alex Hales, right-arm medium, comes into the attack
This is interesting. Alex Hales to roll his arm over. What does he bowl? It shows right-arm medium. But looks like it is offies..
113.6 -
Anderson to Amla, no run, driveable length just outside off, Amla drives without any timing to mid-off
113.5 -
Anderson to Amla, no run, fuller and slight away movement, Amla is not sucked into the drive, lifts his bat and lets it go
113.4 -
Anderson to Amla, no run, Anderson probes away outside off, left alone by Amla
113.3 -
Anderson to Amla, no run, much closer to the off-stump, Amla waves it through to the keeper
113.2 -
Anderson to Amla, no run, keeps it short and outside off, Amla decides to play that, punches and finds Stokes at backward point
113.1 -
Anderson to Amla, no run, short of length outside off, Amla is not interested in playing at that
112.6 -
Moeen Ali to du Plessis, no run, flatter and on the stumps, du Plessis clips it straight into Taylor at FSL
A slip, silly point and FSL in for Faf
112.5 -
Moeen Ali to Amla, 1 run, pitches on off and turns in, Amla calmly tucks it to backward square leg
112.4 -
Moeen Ali to Amla, no run, looped up around off, Amla meets the pitch of the ball and whips it to short mid-wicket
112.3 -
Moeen Ali to Amla, no run, floated up outside off, Amla gets a good stride on the forward defensive
112.2 -
Moeen Ali to Amla, no run, waits for the ball to turn, taps it to FSL
112.1 -
Moeen Ali to Amla, no run, appeal for lbw, rather optimistic one. Flighted outside off, Amla moves across and misses the nudge, is struck on the pad and the impact was outside off, Moeen Ali knew that and stopped halfway through the appeal
111.6 -
Anderson to du Plessis, no run, that kicked up from short of length, du Plessis lifts his gloves and allows it to sail past him. It was well played in the end as the ball wasn't far from kissing the glove
111.5 -
Anderson to du Plessis, 2 runs, bit of inward movement, too straight in line though, du Plessis flicks it uppishly through the vacant mid-wicket region, Moeen runs across from deep square leg and keeps it to a brace
111.4 -
Anderson to du Plessis, no run, pulls the length back outside off, du Plessis lifts his bat and lets it go
111.3 -
Anderson to du Plessis, no run, fuller and just outside off, Faf moves forward and blocks it to the off-side
111.2 -
Anderson to du Plessis, no run, gets a bit of lift on this back of a length delivery, the line is outside off and it is an easy leave for du Plessis
The field changes for Faf. A more conventional field. Two slips, a gully and a man catching at short cover..
111.1 -
Anderson to Amla, 1 run, short of length and at the batsman, Amla gets inside the line and turns it round the corner behind square leg
James Anderson [18.0-4-46-0] is back into the attack
Just around the hour mark and Amla has a drink. It is not the official drinks break. Finn given a rest and England's premier fast bowler, Jimmy Anderson returns to the attack. Bit more funky field set now. A silly mid-on, short cover and silly mid-off. No one at slip, but there is a man at around fourth slip...
110.6 -
Moeen Ali to du Plessis, no run, touch quicker, skids on after pitching, du Plessis goes deep in the crease and knocks it to short mid-wicket
Now the slip comes in..
110.5 -
Moeen Ali to du Plessis, no run, shortens the length around off, du Plessis is happy to hang back in the crease and keep it out
Cook places himself at silly point. No one at slip though...
110.4 -
Moeen Ali to du Plessis, no run, attacks the off-pole with the offie, du Plessis brings his bat in front and defends
110.3 -
Moeen Ali to du Plessis, no run, floated up just outside off, du Plessis pushes it softly to cover
110.2 -
Moeen Ali to du Plessis, no run, "good Mo, good Mo" cheers Bairstow, off-break on off, Faf lunges forward and dead-bats it
110.1 -
Moeen Ali to du Plessis, no run, tossed up on off, du Plessis is forward and blocking
109.6 -
Finn to Amla, no run, short and rearing up, Amla hops up and drops it dead to the off-side
109.5 -
Finn to Amla, no run, drags the length back slightly, Amla camps back and blocks it to Finn
109.4 -
Finn to Amla, no run, on a length and just outside off, Amla shoulders arms
109.3 -
Finn to du Plessis, 1 run, shortish and doesn't climb up, du Plessis swivels on one leg and pulls it along the ground to deep backward square leg
109.2 -
Finn to Amla, 1 run, 150 for Amla. The entire Protea dressing room are on their feet. The crowd applaud the skipper's effort as well. He waves his bat around, walks up to Faf and shakes hand. No Test hundreds in 2015 and starts 2016 with a big one. Back of a length on off, Amla knocks it in front of mid-on, there was an easy single on offer, but there was slight hesitation between the two men, in the end they get it comfortably
109.1 -
Finn to Amla, no run, short of length on off, Amla tucks it gently to the on-side, thought about the single but decided against it after seeing Finn charging towards the ball
108.6 -
Moeen Ali to du Plessis, no run, looped up close to off, du Plessis blocks it right under his eyes
Some disturbance behind the bowler's arm and Faf pulls away. Sorted out quickly though...
108.5 -
Moeen Ali to du Plessis, no run, teased up just outside off, du Plessis presses forward and keeps it out
108.4 -
Moeen Ali to du Plessis, no run, quicker and on off, whipped to the man at mid-wicket
108.3 -
Moeen Ali to Amla, 1 run, flighted around off, Amla gets close to the pitch and flicks it to the right of mid-wicket
108.2 -
Moeen Ali to Amla, no run, much better from Amla, gets bat and pad close together, defends to the off-side
108.1 -
Moeen Ali to Amla, no run, sharp turn for Moeen Ali, Amla was looking to force it off the back foot, gets an inside edge onto pad
107.6 -
Finn to du Plessis, no run, du Plessis is solidly behind that back of a length delivery, blocks it to mid-on
107.5 -
Finn to du Plessis, no run, shortens the length and gets a bit of lift, du Plessis covers his sticks, hoists his bat up and lets it pass
107.4 -
Finn to Amla, 1 run, back of a length just outside off, Amla punches it towards cover, Compton dives to his left and makes a half stop, can't prevent the single and the 50-run stand comes up. Another crucial partnership for South Africa
107.3 -
Finn to Amla, no run, fullish and around off, Amla presses forward and jams it onto his pad, the ball rolls to cover and Bairstow thought it was pad first. There was no support for his appeal and rightly so as it was clearly bat first
107.2 -
Finn to Amla, no run, good length ball on the fourth stump, Amla is half-forward and defending to the off-side
107.1 -
Finn to du Plessis, 1 run, short and around the rib area, du Plessis hops across and tucks it to fine leg
Anderson has some complaint regarding the ball. Shows it to umpire Bruce Oxenford, who examines it and gives it back to Jimmy.
106.6 -
Moeen Ali to Amla, no run, another solid forward defence from Amla to the flighted delivery
106.5 -
Moeen Ali to Amla, no run, looped up well outside off, Amla lunges forward in defence
106.4 -
Moeen Ali to du Plessis, 1 run, allows the ball to turn, milks it in front of square on the leg-side, for a single
106.3 -
Moeen Ali to du Plessis, no run, flighted on off, du Plessis dead-bats it back to Moeen Ali
106.2 -
Moeen Ali to du Plessis, FOUR, fraction short and around off, Faf gives himself a bit of room, opens up the off-side and punches it through extra cover, the ball teases the fielder all the way to the rope
106.1 -
Moeen Ali to du Plessis, no run, tossed up on off, blocked off the front foot to the on-side
105.6 -
Finn to Amla, no run, short and outside off, Amla rises on his toes, gets on top of the bounce and punches towards backward point, Stokes dives to his right and makes a fine stop, saved a certain boundary
105.5 -
Finn to Amla, no run, sharp bumper on off, Amla ducks underneath and lets it thud into Bairstow's gloves
105.4 -
Finn to Amla, no run, again short and width offered outside off, Amla would have been tempted in playing the cut, but decides against it
105.3 -
Finn to Amla, 2 runs, Finn for some reason has been short this over, Amla rides the bounce nicely and punches it to the left of cover, Stokes gives chase and does well to keep it to a brace
105.2 -
Finn to Amla, no run, Finn hits the bat hard with the short of length delivery, Amla is right behind that defending to backward point
105.1 -
Finn to Amla, no run, back of a length just outside off, Amla jumps and bunts it to cover
104.6 -
Moeen Ali to du Plessis, no run, pushed through outside off, du Plessis gets beside the line and punches to cover
104.5 -
Moeen Ali to du Plessis, no run, flighted on off, du Plessis stays in the crease and defends
104.4 -
Moeen Ali to Amla, 1 run, Amla waits for the ball to spin, nurdles it to long leg for a single
104.3 -
Moeen Ali to Amla, no run, straight roller on off, Amla closes the bat face on the nudge, the soft leading edge dribbles towards cover
104.2 -
Moeen Ali to Amla, no run, flatter and around off, Amla moves across and clips it to FSL, Taylor parries it to Bairstow
104.1 -
Moeen Ali to Amla, no run, tossed up on off, blocked down the wicket with the full face of the bat
103.6 -
Finn to du Plessis, no run, that's a beauty! Just goes a little wide of the crease, angles it in before getting it to straighten, du Plessis was playing for the angle, doesn't account for the movement and is beaten neck and crop. Blows a puff of air after surviving that
103.5 -
Finn to Amla, 1 run, targets the stumps with a fuller length delivery, Amla wrists it wide of mid-on and crosses over to the other end
103.5 -
Finn to Amla, wide, bumper which is too high, Amla had no trouble dealing with it, umpire Oxenford signals wide
103.4 -
Finn to Amla, FOUR, Finn keeps finding the edge, but unfortunately for him they are not going to hand. Fuller and in the corridor around off, Amla is half-forward to defend, plays it with soft hands and hence the outside edge doesn't carry to second slip, Root got a hand but the ball had enough legs to reach the fence
103.3 -
Finn to du Plessis, 1 run, good cricket from the two batters. Short of a length on off, du Plessis drops it with soft hands in front of mid-on, calls for a quick single and gets the response from his skipper. Taylor charged in and fired at the bowler's end, but Faf had made it in
103.2 -
Finn to Amla, 1 run, drifting onto the pads, glanced away to fine leg
103.1 -
Finn to du Plessis, 1 run, Newlands applauds as the scorecard reads 300. Short and around hip height, du Plessis pulls it along the carpet to deep square leg
Finn steams in with two slips and a gully...
Steven Finn [19.0-3-60-1] is back into the attack
102.6 -
Moeen Ali to Amla, no run, floated up on the fourth stump, Amla brings out the forward defensive
102.5 -
Moeen Ali to Amla, no run, pushed through around off, Amla goes back and across, blocks it solidly
102.4 -
Moeen Ali to du Plessis, 1 run, almost, almost! That ball flew before Taylor could get his hand up. Sharp turn on this off-break, du Plessis lunges forward to defend, the ball takes the inside edge and goes to the right of Taylor at FSL
102.3 -
Moeen Ali to du Plessis, no run, fired into the blockhole, du Plessis jams it to the right of Moeen Ali
102.2 -
Moeen Ali to du Plessis, no run, quicker and outside off, du Plessis forces it off the back foot towards cover, can't get it past the fielder
102.1 -
Moeen Ali to du Plessis, no run, looped up offie outside off, du Plessis presses forward and dead-bats it
101.6 -
Broad to Amla, FOUR, that's a freebie from Broad, he might have gone for the yorker, dishes out a juicy full toss outside off, Amla doesn't miss out, he just relied on putting it in the gap, drove it wide of mid-off and picked up four more
101.5 -
Broad to Amla, no run, lifter just outside off, Amla drops his gloves, bends down and sees it sail past him
101.4 -
Broad to Amla, no run, on a length and just outside off, Amla lifts his bat and lets it go
101.3 -
Broad to Amla, no run, teasing stuff from Broad, lands it in and around off, the length was good as well, Amla who is batting over 100 had no problems in waving it through to the keeper
101.2 -
Broad to Amla, no run, pitched up outside off, Amla doesn't move his feet much, reaches it with his fast hands and square drives it to backward point, straight to the fielder
101.1 -
Broad to Amla, no run, that would have gone anywhere. Broad can afford a smile as he almost had his man. Short ball outside off, Amla was ages early into the pull, it lobs off the toe-end and drops in no man's land at cover
100.6 -
Moeen Ali to du Plessis, no run, not much is happening for Moeen Ali, keeps tossing it up and Faf keeps blocking them
100.5 -
Moeen Ali to du Plessis, no run, flatter and close to off, du Plessis defends it off the back foot
100.4 -
Moeen Ali to du Plessis, no run, another textbook forward defence from Faf, played right under his eyes
100.3 -
Moeen Ali to du Plessis, no run, teased up on off, du Plessis brings his bat in front of his pad to defend
100.2 -
Moeen Ali to du Plessis, no run, plenty of air on this one, du Plessis eases it gently to mid-on
100.1 -
Moeen Ali to du Plessis, no run, flighted close to off, du Plessis goes back in the crease and keeps it out
99.6 -
Broad to du Plessis, 1 run, short and down leg, du Plessis helps himself to another single with a pull to fine leg
99.5 -
Broad to du Plessis, no run, bouncer outside off, du Plessis thought about playing the pull, but decides against it, drops his gloves and allows it to sail through
99.4 -
Broad to du Plessis, no run, Broad persists with the fuller length outside off to du Plessis, who plants his front foot and lets it through to Bairstow
99.3 -
Broad to du Plessis, no run, fuller and on the fourth stump, du Plessis presses forward and blocks it confidently
99.2 -
Broad to Amla, 1 run, dug in short but nothing substantial to trouble Amla, who hops across and helps it down to fine leg with a pull
99.1 -
Broad to Amla, no run, fullish and around off, Amla push-drives it to mid-off
98.6 -
Moeen Ali to du Plessis, no run, floated up outside off, du Plessis lunges forward in defence
98.5 -
Moeen Ali to du Plessis, no run, bit more bounce on this occasion, du Plessis rides it and taps it to FSL
98.4 -
Moeen Ali to du Plessis, no run, quicker and on the stumps, worked away to the man at mid-wicket
98.3 -
Moeen Ali to du Plessis, no run, gets the batsman forward with a tossed up delivery, du Plessis dead-bats it to cover
98.2 -
Moeen Ali to du Plessis, no run, pushed through on off, defended once again off the back foot
98.1 -
Moeen Ali to du Plessis, no run, flatter and around off, du Plessis goes back and across, blocks solidly
Moeen starts from over the wicket with a slip and FSL..
97.6 -
Broad to du Plessis, 1 run, another short delivery that doesn't get up - around waist height, du Plessis pivots on his front leg and pulls along the carpet to deep square leg, Hales fumbles but the batsmen don't risk a second
97.5 -
Broad to du Plessis, no run, back of a length and on the fourth/fifth stump, du Plessis gets nice and tight behind that, defends it back to Broad
97.4 -
Broad to du Plessis, no run, too full and on off, almost a yorker, du Plessis squeezes it to mid-off
97.3 -
Broad to du Plessis, no run, fuller and just outside off, du Plessis covers his sticks, lifts his bat and lets it go
97.2 -
Broad to Amla, 1 run, banged in halfway down, doesn't rise as much as Broad would have wanted, Amla swivels on one leg and plays a controlled pull to deep square leg
97.1 -
Broad to Amla, no run, starts with a sucker delivery - full and outside off, Amla doesn't take the bait, watches it closely and lets it pass
Welcome back for the final session of the day. The players make their way out under blue skies and it should be an interesting session of play. If England can nip out one of these two, then it will expose the inexperienced lower middle order. So, this partnership will be crucial for both the sides. Broad to resume proceedings. Only two slips in place...
Anderson, who dropped one earlier held onto a good catch to send ABD 12 short of what would have been a hard-earned hundred. Amla on the other hand, continued to pile on the runs and in the process notched up his 24th Test ton. He has had his share of luck in this session too. After being dropped on 76, the Proteas skipper was yet again given a life at 120 courtesy Compton's dropped catch off Finn. That might well be the difference if this Test match ends in a draw. That's too early for a prediction though. South Africa still have a lot of catching up to do. Post-tea session will only test the steel of Faf and Amla. See you back in 20 minutes...
Tea, day 3: Against the run of play, we finally saw the wickets column ticking for the first time in the day - that's the most noteworthy part of the session. Amla and de Villiers came out with an intent and they did bat more aggressively and positively, unlike the first session where they played the waiting game. Just when the England bowlers were made to look as mere bowling machines, Finn consumed ABD with a short ball.
96.6 -
Moeen Ali to du Plessis, no run, flatter delivery on the off stump, du Plessis defends off the back foot
Leg slip moves to silly-point
96.5 -
Moeen Ali to Amla, 1 run, tossed up on the leg stump, Amla flicks it through mid-wicket for an easy single
96.4 -
Moeen Ali to Amla, no run, nice and full from Moeen, Amla defends
96.3 -
Moeen Ali to Amla, FOUR, edged and past the man at slip. Slider outside off stump, Amla went back to guide it late, but it took the edge and rolled across the turf to the third man boundary
96.2 -
Moeen Ali to du Plessis, 1 run, shortish and outside off stump, du Plessis goes on the back foot and punches it to extra-cover
96.1 -
Moeen Ali to du Plessis, no run, very full from round the wicket, dug out back to the bowler
Slip, leg slip and short leg in
Moeen Ali [22.0-6-65-0] is back into the attack
95.6 -
Finn to Amla, no run, another short delivery, this is angled across, Amla drops his wrists and lets it go
95.6 -
Finn to Amla, wide, short and on the leg stump, Amla ducks under it, Bairstow jumps high to collect and the umpire doesn't like the height on that one
95.5 -
Finn to Amla, no run, good length delivery down the leg-side, Amla misses the glance, the ball rolls into the on-side off the thigh pad
Finn to come round the wicket
95.4 -
Finn to Amla, no run, short and outside off stump, Amla tries to cut, gets an under edge that rolls towards the slip cordon
95.3 -
Finn to du Plessis, 1 run, top edge, but it lands safely. Short delivery on the stumps, du Plessis plays a half-hearted pull, luckily for him the ball lands between fine leg and deep square leg
95.2 -
Finn to Amla, 1 run, this is short enough and high enough for Amla to jump and tuck to backward square leg
95.1 -
Finn to Amla, no run, Amla crouches low while moving across and then rises tall to defend this back of a length delivery
94.6 -
Stokes to du Plessis, FOUR, Stokes tries the yorker now after bowling a bouncer, but this one goes as a full toss, a freebie for du Plessis, who off-drives it past the bowler and beats mid-off. Stokes is livid with himself for bowling a bad ball
94.5 -
Stokes to du Plessis, no run, this is short and down the leg-side, ignored
94.4 -
Stokes to du Plessis, no run, on a length and on the off stump, du Plessis defends
94.3 -
Stokes to du Plessis, no run, on a length and outside off stump, du Plessis defends
94.2 -
Stokes to du Plessis, FOUR, good shot! Short delivery rising steeply, but du Plessis went back, rose on his toes and rolled his wrists on the pull to send it along the ground through mid-wicket
94.1 -
Stokes to du Plessis, no run, short of length delivery on the off stump, du Plessis stands tall and defends
93.6 -
Finn to du Plessis, 1 run, shouts of "Caaatch" from the England players, short of length delivery from Finn, du Plessis fends uppishly to the right of short leg, Taylor was stationed there, but it went well wide of him, Broad fumbles at short fine leg to allow du Plessis a single
93.5 -
Finn to du Plessis, no run, fullish and just outside off stump, du Plessis defends off the front foot
Now four slips in place
93.4 -
Finn to du Plessis, FOUR, edgedddd, but short of the man at third slip. Short of a length delivery outside off stump, du Plessis tries to defend, gets opened up slightly, probably the ball left him late, thankfully he played with soft hands and it fell short of the fielder, who was diving to his right
Three slips and a gully in place
Faf du Plessis, right handed bat, comes to the crease
93.3 -
Finn to de Villiers, out Caught by Anderson!! Finally, after three drops, England take a catch and it's Anderson, who dropped Amla earlier, taking a good catch at mid-wicket. That ends a wonderful 183-run stand. No hundred for AB de Villiers, but he gets a great ovation from the crowd as he walks back. He raises his bat to acknowledge the applause. Short delivery on the stumps, de Villiers stayed on the back foot and pulled well, but did not keep it down, Anderson jumped and then palmed it before holding onto the catch on the second attempt. Must say that it was a good catch as it was hit pretty well. de Villiers c Anderson b Finn 88(211) [4s-12 6s-1]
Finn to de Villiers, THAT'S OUT!! Caught!!
93.2 -
Finn to Amla, 1 run, short of length delivery on the stumps, Amla hops and tucks it behind square on the on-side
93.1 -
Finn to Amla, no run, short delivery on the stumps, Amla ducks under it
92.6 -
Stokes to de Villiers, no run, full and outside off stump, de Villiers drives and picks out the man at cover
92.5 -
Stokes to Amla, 1 run, short and on the stumps, this time Amla swivels and pulls it to deep square leg
92.4 -
Stokes to Amla, no run, this one takes the face of the bat and goes on the bounce to the man at slip. Short and outside off stump, Amla was late in taking his bat away, luckily it didn't go to hand
92.3 -
Stokes to Amla, no run, nasty bouncer, Amla is so lucky that it didn't travel much despite hitting the handle of the bat. Well directed indeed from Stokes, around Amla's left ear, the batsman was jumping to fend, took his bottom hand off and it popped in the air briefly, just landed near the pitch behind the stumps
92.2 -
Stokes to de Villiers, 1 run, on a length delivery on the off stump, de Villiers works it to fine leg
92.1 -
Stokes to de Villiers, no run, full and outside off stump, de Villiers shoulders arms
91.6 -
Finn to Amla, no run, oh this one keeps a bit low and also moves back into the right-hander, Amla, who was on the back foot, manages to adjust and fend to short leg
91.5 -
Finn to Amla, no run, short and outside off stump, easily left alone
91.4 -
Finn to de Villiers, 1 run, this isn't all that short, de Villiers helps it on its way off the back foot to fine leg
91.3 -
Finn to de Villiers, no run, there it is! Finn continues to trouble de Villiers. Short and rising steeply, de Villiers wanted to pull on one leg but the bounce unsettled him, awkwardly fended into the on-side in the end
Another meeting between Stokes, Root and Cook.
91.2 -
Finn to de Villiers, no run, short and outside off stump, de Villiers drops his wrists and lets it go
91.1 -
Finn to de Villiers, no run, back and across movement from de Villiers as he defends this short of length delivery into the on-side
90.6 -
Stokes to de Villiers, 1 run, pulled, but not in control, steep bounce for Stokes on this bouncer, no one at square leg to catch it and it rolls to the deep to allow de Villiers to retain strike
90.5 -
Stokes to de Villiers, no run, de Villiers went too hard at the drive, hence only managed to toe-end it to Taylor at cover
90.4 -
Stokes to de Villiers, no run, back of a length from Stokes, de Villiers defends
90.3 -
Stokes to de Villiers, no run, a slight jump across the stumps before defending this length ball towards backward point
90.2 -
Stokes to Amla, 1 run, short of length delivery on the off stump, Amla turns it to backward square leg
90.1 -
Stokes to Amla, no run, great piece of fielding by little Taylor at cover. Full and outside off stump, driven firmly off the front foot, but Taylor was quick to run to his left and make a diving stop
89.6 -
Finn to de Villiers, no run, bumper at 132kph, but it bounced a lot and beat de Villiers on the attempted pull, the keeper and the slips were interested for a brief moment for a catch, but there was nothing on it
89.5 -
Finn to de Villiers, no run, short of length delivery outside off stump, ignored
89.4 -
Finn to Amla, 1 run, Amla flicks this to deep square leg
89.3 -
Finn to Amla, 2 runs, Root, Anderson and now Compton puts down a catch at backward point. Compton took a good catch to dismiss Elgar yesterday, same area, similar attempt and this one pops out. Hands on head for Finn. Oh dear! The bowler must be a frustrated man. Hardly any help from the surface and the fielders aren't taking the catches. Short and wide outside off stump, Amla cuts, doesn't bother to keep it on the ground, looks like Compton moved a bit late to his left, went with both hands and only managed to fingertip it onto the ground. In fact, Compton suggests that he lost the ball in the background
89.2 -
Finn to Amla, no run, another nip-backer from Finn, Amla toe-ends his defence onto the pitch
89.1 -
Finn to Amla, no run, short of length delivery nipping back in, Amla defends into the on-side
88.6 -
Stokes to de Villiers, no run, de Villiers pushes this one to cover
88.5 -
Stokes to de Villiers, no run, it was a loud shout and Aleem Dar raised the finger in a flash, de Villiers reviewed and got the decision overturned, much to the delight of the crowd. Good length delivery angled in, de Villiers wasn't fully forward to defend, got an inside edge onto pad, the impact was right in front of middle. Umpire Dar raised his finger after a confident shout from England. However, he missed the edge. In fact, as soon as de Villiers reviewed, Stokes started walking back to his bowling mark and kicked the turf in disappointment because he knew de Villiers had hit it
AB de Villiers has been given out LBW, but he's reviewed this straightaway. When a batsman reviews immediately, that's a sign that he knows that he's hit it. Oh yes, inside edge it is and de Villiers can carry on batting.
88.4 -
Stokes to de Villiers, no run, crunchy front foot drive, but straight to the man at cover. A couple of yards either side of the fielder would have been four
88.3 -
Stokes to de Villiers, no run, de Villiers waits for the length ball to come and defends into the off-side with soft hands
88.2 -
Stokes to Amla, 1 run, short ball, Amla gets inside the line and helps it fine on its way to fine leg
88.1 -
Stokes to Amla, no run, good length delivery outside off stump, Amla lifts his bat and lets it go
Ben Stokes [13.0-2-40-1] is back into the attack
87.6 -
Finn to de Villiers, no run, length delivery from Finn, de Villiers defends
87.5 -
Finn to de Villiers, no run, overpitched delivery from Finn, de Villiers drives straight down the ground, Finn stretches his right hand out in his followthrough and fingertips it onto the stumps. Amla was outside the crease but he quickly managed to ground his bat back in time before the ball broke the sticks. Big cheer from the crowd as they see Not Out flash on the big screen. On the other hand, de Villiers will feel he missed out on a boundary there as it was hit pretty well
Run-out check has been sent upstairs. Amla is the man in question. It was a pretty confident shout from England. Can't really say that Amla is sure about this. Everyone's looking at the big screen. No doubt Finn got a hand on it and Amla is back. Not Out it should be.
87.4 -
Finn to de Villiers, no run, short of length delivery outside off stump, de Villiers stands tall and defends
87.3 -
Finn to de Villiers, FOUR, edged, but wide of the man at second slip. Hands on head moment for Finn. On a length and outside off stump, the ball just leaves the right-hander, de Villiers pokes away from the body and gets a thick edge that runs away to the third man boundary
87.2 -
Finn to de Villiers, no run, cracking back foot drive, but Hales dives full length to his left at cover and stopped it with his left hand. That shot deserved four runs. Short enough for de Villiers to rock back and hit that from the sweet spot of the bat
87.1 -
Finn to de Villiers, no run, short of length and slightly nipping back in, de Villiers hops and tucks it to short mid-wicket
Steven Finn [14.0-3-43-0] is back into the attack
This Test match (as of now) looks like it's heading towards a stalemate. After those two missed chances, nothing went England's way. Amla and ABD - inarguably the best South African batsmen in the current line-up have hung in and battled hard. They look all but settled at the crease. The new ball did excite the Englishmen but there was width on offer more often than not. England need something magical, a wicket or two might help. Let's wait and watch what unfolds in the next hour of play...
86.6 -
Anderson to Amla, 2 runs, full and well outside off, Amla drives well wide of mid-off and hares back for a couple and that will be drinks
86.5 -
Anderson to Amla, no run, touch fuller on off, Amla gets forward to defend and picks out mid-on
86.4 -
Anderson to Amla, no run, repeats the previous ball, no shot offered
86.3 -
Anderson to Amla, no run, in the corridor of uncertainty from a good length, Amla leaves
86.2 -
Anderson to Amla, FOUR, Anderson just flips his head and walks back to his bowling mark. He knows it's been a tough day and Amla's stroke will only add insult to injury. Short and wide, inviting Amla to have a crack at it. The South African skipper flays it square of the wicket with a well-timed stroke (cut shot that is)
86.1 -
Anderson to Amla, no run, keeps it full and around sixth, seventh stump, Amla defends gently towards point
85.6 -
Broad to Amla, 1 run, short and Amla had ample time to pull that through square leg, retains the strike with that run
85.5 -
Broad to Amla, no run, Anderson in the action again. Not a chance though- edged and fell short. Broad kept it full and drew Amla on the front foot. Amla was on the driving mode, gets a thick outside edge which dies down well in front of Jimmy at a wide second slip. Hands-on-head moment for Cook and his men
85.4 -
Broad to Amla, no run, Broad pulls his length back and provides some width to work with, Amla punches off the back foot, but straight towards cover
85.3 -
Broad to Amla, no run, angled in from a length. Amla, as usual, nudges with soft hands towards short mid-wicket
85.2 -
Broad to Amla, no run, pitched up and straight, driven back to the bowler
85.1 -
Broad to Amla, no run, fraction full on the stumps, Amla closes his bat face as he turns this with soft hands towards short mid-wicket
84.6 -
Anderson to de Villiers, no run, length just outside off, de Villiers is back and across to present a straight willow
84.5 -
Anderson to de Villiers, FOUR, splayed down leg - that's a horrific delivery and de Villiers takes full toll of it. Hangs back and tickles it fine, another boundary added in the column
84.4 -
Anderson to de Villiers, no run, Anderson continues to keep it full (I'm talking about the length). de Villiers played a classic straight drive, timed well too. Anderson, just in time, sticks his left boot to deny him a boundary
84.3 -
Anderson to de Villiers, no run, full and asking to be driven, ABD obliges and toe-ends the stroke straight to mid-off
84.2 -
Anderson to de Villiers, no run, good stuff from Jimmy. Good length that held its line in the corridor of uncertainty. As I mentioned, de Villiers looks settled, so he won't be chasing those
84.1 -
Anderson to de Villiers, no run, not much of swing, fullish on the pads, de Villiers clips and finds square leg to perfection
83.6 -
Broad to de Villiers, 1 run, shortish and straight, de Villiers pulls through short fine and keeps the strike, he looks to have settled now and that's not a good sign for any opposition
83.5 -
Broad to de Villiers, no run, Broad keeps peckering in that troubline zone (outside off), left alone to the keeper
83.4 -
Broad to de Villiers, no run, ambitious appeal from Stuart Broad - for lbw and not given. Back of a length that seamed in late to slam AB's pad, hit high and would have clearly missed the stumps, the umpire isn't interested one bit
83.3 -
Broad to de Villiers, no run, short and on off, de Villiers unveils the flamingo pull stroke, didn't time it as he would have liked, ball dribbles towards mid-on
83.2 -
Broad to de Villiers, no run, smidge short and slinged in late, ABD is on his knees - not to propose - just to let that ball go past him
83.1 -
Broad to de Villiers, FOUR, short and wide and AB couldn't have asked for any better. Jumps on the back foot and caresses the cut square of the wicket, fielder at point had no chance
82.6 -
Anderson to Amla, no run, floated full on middle, Amla nurdles to Alex Hales at short mid-wicket
82.5 -
Anderson to Amla, no run, fuller and wider, Amla's crisp drive is blocked at mid-off
82.4 -
Anderson to Amla, no run, right there in the corridor of uncertainty, Amla is circumspect, not remotely interested in playing at those
82.3 -
Anderson to Amla, no run, back of a length around fifth stump corridor, Amla blocks with an angled bat towards a forward-sprinting point
82.2 -
Anderson to Amla, no run, swung in a touch from a length, Amla defends with soft hands towards mid-on
82.1 -
Anderson to Amla, 2 runs, angled into Amla's hips, he camps back and tucks through mid-wicket to add another two to the scoreboard
81.6 -
Broad to de Villiers, no run, "good lines from Stuart Broad" lauds Bumble as Broad finishes his over. Coming to the delivery: Good length outside off, blocked with a closed bat face towards point
81.5 -
Broad to de Villiers, no run, back of a length just outside off, de Villiers goes on the back foot and punches that towards cover
81.4 -
Broad to Amla, leg byes, 1 run, angled into the pads, Amla fails to get bat on the flick. Ball takes the pad and the duo crossover for a leg-bye
81.3 -
Broad to Amla, no run, asking questions in the corridor of uncertainty, Amla lifts his bat and lets it go
81.2 -
Broad to de Villiers, 1 run, 150 of the partnership comes up as de Villiers mistimes the flick through mid-wicket. Got it off the inside half as Broad swung one in from a good length
81.1 -
Broad to de Villiers, no run, just like his partner, he swings one down the leg-side, de Villiers doesn't need to bother with it
Stuart Broad [14.0-4-39-0] is back into the attack
Here comes Anderson's partner-in-crime...
80.6 -
Anderson to Amla, no run, another peach! Beauty to end the first over of a new spell. Just short of good length and swung away late, Amla yet again, was trying to flirt with it, luck is still with him - meaning just missed the outside edge
80.5 -
Anderson to Amla, no run, top nut from Jimmy! Cook has a wry smile and he can sense something here. Pitched on a good length and held its line in the corridor of uncertainty, got venomous bounce too. Amla was lured into have a poke at it. He jumps back and tries to grope at that, pulls his bat belatedly, lucky not to have edged that.
80.4 -
Anderson to Amla, no run, Amla walks across and flicks this length delivery with soft hands towards mid-wicket
80.3 -
Anderson to Amla, no run, hurled into middle from a good length, Amla gets across and closes the bat face on the defence, the ball rolls away to mid-on
80.2 -
Anderson to Amla, no run, pitched fuller and aiming middle and off, Amla displays a classic forward defence towards mid-on
80.1 -
Anderson to Amla, FOUR, poor first ball from Anderson. Swinging one down leg, all Amla needed to do was to put bat on ball - ho does so with a well-timed flick to fine leg, no point chasing that lads!
James Anderson [14.0-4-30-0] is back into the attack
Yes! The second new ball has been taken. Umpire Aleem Dar waved the ball before he handed it over to the English swing-king Jimmy. Let's see if he can produce something..
79.6 -
Stokes to de Villiers, no run, fractionally full on off, de Villiers turns it to Jimmy Anderson at square leg
79.5 -
Stokes to de Villiers, no run, makes him play by keeping it close to off, de Villiers punches gently towards cover
79.4 -
Stokes to de Villiers, no run, the length is still short and de Villiers had enough time to shoulder arms
79.3 -
Stokes to de Villiers, no run, short of length on and around fifth stump, de Villiers rose tall to punch that towards Joe Root at cover
79.2 -
Stokes to Amla, 1 run, a bit too straight from Stokes, Amla nudges towards mid-wicket and jogs for an easy single
79.1 -
Stokes to Amla, no run, hits the good length and keeps it outside off, Amla is happy to let that go
Finn is seen heading back to the dressing room. Might be a causal break I guess. Just one over due before England get the second new ball. Will they go for it straightaway? My answer is an absolute yes...
78.6 -
Moeen Ali to de Villiers, no run, tossed up on off, de Villiers defends towards point
78.5 -
Moeen Ali to de Villiers, no run, loopy delivery on middle and leg, de Villiers defends solidly
78.4 -
Moeen Ali to de Villiers, FOUR, short and that's more than enough for a player of AB's class. Jumps on the back foot and pulls it over James Taylor at FSL, that raced away in a hurry
78.3 -
Moeen Ali to de Villiers, no run, targetting the stumps for the umpteenth time, de Villiers prods forward to block that
78.2 -
Moeen Ali to de Villiers, no run, floated up on the stumps again, block, block, block from ABD
78.1 -
Moeen Ali to de Villiers, no run, fuller on the stumps, de Villiers exhibits a solid forward defence
77.6 -
Stokes to Amla, no run, hits the deck hard, short and splayed down leg, Amla half-ducks and lets it pass
77.5 -
Stokes to de Villiers, 1 run, back of a length stuff again, easy peasy for de Villiers who works a single square on the leg-side
77.4 -
Stokes to de Villiers, 2 runs, back of a length on AB's pads, de Villiers rises on his toes and flicks through mid-wicket for a duo of runs
77.3 -
Stokes to de Villiers, no run, short of length just outside off, punched towards cover
77.2 -
Stokes to Amla, 3 runs, shortish and around fifth, sixth stump channel. Amla rocks back and times the punch through cover. For a fleeting moment, it appeared as if it's a boundary. Compton puts in the desperate dive at sweeper cover to save a run for his team
77.1 -
Stokes to Amla, no run, good length delivery in the non-troubling zone for a right-hander, Amla shoulders arms
76.6 -
Moeen Ali to de Villiers, no run, de Villiers dances down the track and smothers the spin
76.5 -
Moeen Ali to de Villiers, no run, floaty delivery around off, solid-forward defence from de Villiers
76.4 -
Moeen Ali to de Villiers, SIX, don't bowl short to ABD, never ever. He had all the time in the world to smack that anywhere. He opts for the mid-wicket area and sends it with a smashing pull, just watch that sailing over the ropes!
76.3 -
Moeen Ali to de Villiers, no run, flatter on middle, defended down the pitch
76.2 -
Moeen Ali to de Villiers, no run, full and driving width on offer, de Villiers obliges and strokes it to the left of the English skipper at mid-off who moves swiftly and denies ABD a single
76.1 -
Moeen Ali to de Villiers, no run, straightroller on off, de Villiers is well forward to block that
75.6 -
Stokes to Amla, no run, attacking the stumps, Amla blocks it to the floppy-hat Stuart Broad at mid-on
75.5 -
Stokes to de Villiers, 1 run, short and hurried onto de Villiers - who was camping on his back foot trying to pull. Might have been a smidgen late on the shot and hence de Villiers could only splice that in the air behind the square leg umpire
75.4 -
Stokes to de Villiers, no run, another one that's in the outside off zone, de Villiers does the leaving dance
75.3 -
Stokes to de Villiers, no run, keeps it on a good length and outside off, not close enough to entice a stroke from AB
75.3 -
Stokes to de Villiers, wide, bouncer down the wrong line, de Villiers ain't chasing that, called wide for height
75.2 -
Stokes to Amla, 1 run, tad short and sprayed down leg, Amla tries to execute the flamingo pull behind square. Doesn't quite time it well, manages to sneak a single through backward square - got it off the upper half I reckon
75.1 -
Stokes to Amla, no run, touch fuller just outside off, Amla's gentle-drive is intercepted at cover
74.6 -
Moeen Ali to de Villiers, no run, drifting into the pads, de Villiers clips gently in front of square leg
74.5 -
Moeen Ali to de Villiers, no run, an action replay of the previous ball, just that ABD had that extra time to play the stroke
74.4 -
Moeen Ali to de Villiers, no run, straighter one again, de Villiers punchily drives to the right of Moeen who gets across and fields
74.3 -
Moeen Ali to de Villiers, no run, a bit fuller on middle and leg, de Villiers drives to mid-on who half-stops and takes the pace on the shot, denying ABD a single
74.2 -
Moeen Ali to de Villiers, no run, flatter and on the stumps, ABD leans forward and dead-bats to the right of Moeen
74.1 -
Moeen Ali to de Villiers, no run, tossed up on off, de Villiers blocks towards cover
73.6 -
Stokes to Amla, no run, on a good length and wider of off, Amla will leave that all day long
73.5 -
Stokes to Amla, no run, drifted full and on the stumps, Amla is well forward to drive that to mid-on
73.4 -
Stokes to Amla, no run, tests him in the corridor of uncertainty, Amla covers his off-stump and shoulders arms
73.3 -
Stokes to Amla, no run, pitched on a good length on middle, Amla hangs back and blocks to mid-on
73.2 -
Stokes to de Villiers, 1 run, too straight from Stokes, de Villiers works off his pads behind square for an easy single
73.1 -
Stokes to de Villiers, no run, low full toss around off, de Villiers softly drives towards cover
72.6 -
Moeen Ali to Amla, FOUR, there it is! The most awaited 100 for Hashim Amla. The 2016 century calendar begins for the South African skipper - his 24th in Test match cricket. Takes his helmet off, raises his bat and hugs ABD. He gets there with a late-cut behind backward point
72.5 -
Moeen Ali to Amla, no run, another compact defence from the South African skipper
72.4 -
Moeen Ali to Amla, no run, floated up around fifth stump line, Amla is solid in his back foot defence
72.3 -
Moeen Ali to Amla, no run, tossed up just outside off, Amla goes back and across to block that
72.2 -
Moeen Ali to Amla, 2 runs, width on offer again, Amla drives and this time there isn't enough power to travel to the fence, can only get a couple through cover
72.1 -
Moeen Ali to Amla, FOUR, straightaway Moeen offers a candyfloss to Amla. Full and wide. Amla ain't missing out on those. Brings up 7000 runs in Test cricket with a classic drive through cover
Hello again! The Anderson-Root pair didn't work. Fielding I meant. Yesterday Root dropped ABD of Anderson and today Anderson spilled Amla off Root. Well! How about this convo between them? Root: 'Hey, why did you drop that mate?' Anderson: 'Remember you dropped the superman last evening. So Quits! What say mate.' Root: 'Facepalm moment.' Well then! Fun apart. Let's move on and talk some cricket as the players make their way out to the middle. Moeen to open with a slip and FSL in place
There was a brief moment of hope when Root was introduced into the attack. However, Anderson was caught napping at first slip offering a reprieve to Amla on 76. Overall, it was a story of two relatively similar hours of play. Just that South Africa's scoring rate got better in the second hour. South Africa though still have a mountain to climb. The one that's as tall as the Table Top mountain at Cape Town. The highlights of the session were de Villiers going past 8000 Test runs and South Africa registering the first 100-run partnership in over an year. Join us back at 13:10 local to catch the post-lunch proceedings...
Lunch day 3: It was the most searing day so far (in this Test match) at Cape Town. The surface still looks much like a patio. Finn found superman AB's edge and troubled him with the extra bounce which he usually extracts on any cricketing pitch. Obviously of his height! Amla was serene at the other end waiting for the freebies to appear and then dispatching them at will. England's highly-rated fast bowling pair Broad and Anderson were ineffective. They did bowl good lines and lengths but couldn't draw any edges from the settled pair.
71.6 -
Stokes to de Villiers, no run, pitched up outside off, the sucker one, but de Villiers doesn't fall for it, lets it go and that will be lunch. Amla has a smile with de Villiers as they both walk off. A wicketless session that
71.5 -
Stokes to de Villiers, no run, Stokes tries to dig it in short outside off, the ball barely rises and de Villiers is on his toes to defend
71.4 -
Stokes to de Villiers, no run, back of a length outside off, pushed back to Stokes
71.3 -
Stokes to de Villiers, 2 runs, off-cutter from Stokes, de Villiers closes the face of the bat and nudges it to fine leg for a couple
71.2 -
Stokes to de Villiers, no run, short down leg, de Villiers lets it go
71.1 -
Stokes to de Villiers, no run, pitched up outside off, left alone
Should be the last over before lunch
70.6 -
Moeen Ali to de Villiers, 1 run, flat and short, punched off the back foot to long-on
70.5 -
Moeen Ali to de Villiers, no run, turning in, de Villiers blocks
Short leg moves to silly point
70.4 -
Moeen Ali to de Villiers, no run, slower and outside off, de Villiers defends
70.3 -
Moeen Ali to de Villiers, no run, tossed up and de Villiers gets across to block
Back over the wicket
70.2 -
Moeen Ali to Amla, 1 run, flat outside off, Amla chops it through point, no timing on that
70.1 -
Moeen Ali to Amla, no run, sliding across Amla, who lets it go
69.6 -
Stokes to de Villiers, no run, wide of the crease and angled in, de Villiers shuffles across and defends solidly
69.5 -
Stokes to de Villiers, no run, tempter outside off, full, de Villiers lets it go
69.4 -
Stokes to de Villiers, no run, further wide of off, left alone
69.3 -
Stokes to de Villiers, no run, shifts his line to outside off, de Villiers shoulders arms
69.2 -
Stokes to de Villiers, no run, another back foot defence as Stokes bowls on a length outside off
69.1 -
Stokes to de Villiers, no run, good length outside off, de Villiers shuffles across in defence and finds mid-off
68.6 -
Moeen Ali to Amla, no run, Amla is solidly behind that once again as Moeen Ali lands full outside off
68.5 -
Moeen Ali to Amla, no run, more flight, but still defence from Amla
68.4 -
Moeen Ali to Amla, no run, whipped off the back foot through mid-wicket
68.3 -
Moeen Ali to Amla, no run, right back and turned to short leg
68.2 -
Moeen Ali to Amla, no run, very full and Amla defends
68.1 -
Moeen Ali to Amla, no run, tossed up outside off, Amla gets forward to block
67.6 -
Stokes to de Villiers, no run, pitched up outside off, de Villiers pushes it back to Stokes
67.5 -
Stokes to Amla, 1 run, shortish on the stumps, Amla rises on his toes and nudges it behind square for another single
67.4 -
Stokes to de Villiers, 1 run, de Villiers nudges it with soft hands into the vacant short mid-wicket area, easy single
67.3 -
Stokes to Amla, 1 run, short of length on the stumps, tucked through square leg, for a single
67.2 -
Stokes to Amla, FOUR, that's Amla of old. Brilliant square drive. On the rise too. Opens the face of the bat and then times it wide of the diving Compton at point. Very classy and it raced away
67.1 -
Stokes to Amla, no run, back of a length outside off, Amla defends to point off the back foot
Ben Stokes [6.0-1-20-1] is back into the attack
66.6 -
Moeen Ali to de Villiers, no run, more forward defence
66.5 -
Moeen Ali to de Villiers, no run, de Villiers goes back to punch and hits it into the ground and then it lobs off the boot/pad to Bairstow, no real appeal as it was a clear bump ball
66.4 -
Moeen Ali to de Villiers, no run, very full outside off, de Villiers dead-bats
66.3 -
Moeen Ali to de Villiers, no run, on the stumps, defended to short leg
66.2 -
Moeen Ali to de Villiers, no run, flat and de Villiers punches it back to Moeen Ali
66.1 -
Moeen Ali to de Villiers, no run, tossed up outside off, de Villiers defends softly
65.6 -
Root to Amla, no run, round the wicket for the last ball, sliding across Amla who lets it go
65.5 -
Root to Amla, FOUR, the 100-run stand is up. This is the first one for South Africa in 2016. They didn't have one in 2015. Can you believe that? This one is a touch short and wide outside off, Amla delays the back foot punch and opens the face of the bat to send it wide of backward point. Him and de Villiers punch gloves and share a hug and a smile. Nice to see
65.4 -
Root to Amla, FOUR, he missed out in the last over, not this time. Short and wide outside off, Amla rocks back and flashes a cut wide of backward point. Broad just stood there and watched the ball go past him
65.3 -
Root to Amla, no run, tossed up outside off, Amla gets forward to block
65.2 -
Root to Amla, no run, back over the wicket, turning in, Amla goes back and punches it to cover
65.1 -
Root to Amla, no run, slower and on the stumps, nudged to short leg
64.6 -
Moeen Ali to de Villiers, no run, punched off the back foot to short mid-wicket
64.5 -
Moeen Ali to de Villiers, FOUR, 8000 Test runs for de Villiers! Fifty as well. His 39th one in Tests. Gets there with a shimmy down the pitch, and slams it back over the bowler's head. A raise of the bat and that's it. Back to business for him. Only the third South African after Kallis and Smith to get to 8000 runs
64.4 -
Moeen Ali to de Villiers, no run, slower on middle and leg, turned to short leg
64.3 -
Moeen Ali to de Villiers, no run, and again
64.2 -
Moeen Ali to de Villiers, no run, tossed up and de Villiers gets forward to block
64.1 -
Moeen Ali to de Villiers, no run, kneels down to paddle and edges it onto his helmet grille, that could've been nasty
63.6 -
Root to Amla, no run, width there for the cut but Amla rocks back and finds point
63.5 -
Root to Amla, no run, on the middle and leg line, turned to short leg
63.4 -
Root to Amla, no run, slower and on the stumps, punched off the back foot to cover
63.3 -
Root to Amla, no run, softly turned past short leg
63.2 -
Root to Amla, no run, flicked to square leg
63.1 -
Root to Amla, no run, dropped by Anderson at slip! What a miss that is. Root nearly strikes first ball. Amla saw the tossed up delivery outside off and went for a big drive, Anderson at slip is standing a bit too close, saw it late and went for the reverse cup, it went to him very quickly and the chance goes down. Since he was so close, the momentum nearly topples him over
Joe Root [1.0-0-3-0] is back into the attack
62.6 -
Moeen Ali to Amla, 1 run, now gets this wide of the diving short leg, and down to deep backward square leg, for a single
62.5 -
Moeen Ali to Amla, no run, quick on middle and leg, Amla defends to short leg
62.4 -
Moeen Ali to Amla, no run, tossed up on middle, Amla shuffles across in defence
62.3 -
Moeen Ali to Amla, no run, flat and Amla defends off the back foot
62.2 -
Moeen Ali to de Villiers, 1 run, now kneels down and sweeps to deep backward square leg, just the single as there is a fielder
62.1 -
Moeen Ali to de Villiers, no run, on off stump, de Villiers defends off the front foot
61.6 -
Broad to Amla, no run, again short and Amla this time hops to quell it down
61.5 -
Broad to Amla, no run, dug in short outside off, Amla drops his hands and lets it go
Now round the wicket
61.4 -
Broad to Amla, no run, fullish and outside off stump, not close enough to make Amla play
61.3 -
Broad to Amla, no run, the bouncer from Broad, Amla bends his head down and leaves it to Bairstow
61.2 -
Broad to Amla, no run, Amla stands tall and gently tucks it towards short mid-wicket
61.1 -
Broad to Amla, no run, short delivery on the stumps, Amla ducks under it
60.6 -
Moeen Ali to de Villiers, no run, an accurate if not unthreatening maiden from Moeen Ali, de Villiers defends softly
60.5 -
Moeen Ali to de Villiers, no run, on the middle and leg line, de Villiers blocks to short mid-wicket
60.4 -
Moeen Ali to de Villiers, no run, slower on off, de Villiers defends to short leg
60.3 -
Moeen Ali to de Villiers, no run, now right forward to block
60.2 -
Moeen Ali to de Villiers, no run, flat and de Villiers defends off the back foot
60.1 -
Moeen Ali to de Villiers, no run, lots of air on the stumps, pushed back to Moeen Ali
59.6 -
Broad to de Villiers, 1 run, short and wide outside off, slapped square of the wicket, for a single
Back over the wicket
59.5 -
Broad to de Villiers, no run, pitched up outside off, de Villiers drives and finds that man at silly mid-off
59.4 -
Broad to de Villiers, no run, flung well wide of off, wasted delivery
Change of angle, now round the wicket
59.3 -
Broad to de Villiers, no run, still outside off, no movement again, de Villiers shoulders arms
59.2 -
Broad to de Villiers, no run, pitched up outside off, left alone
59.1 -
Broad to de Villiers, no run, full outside off, de Villiers drives and finds short cover
Now a man at silly mid-off for Broad and one at short cover
58.6 -
Moeen Ali to Amla, no run, sliding across Amla who is content to go back and defend
58.5 -
Moeen Ali to Amla, no run, tossed up outside off, driven straight to the fielder at mid-off
58.4 -
Moeen Ali to de Villiers, 1 run, flat on middle and leg, tucked to deep backward square leg
58.3 -
Moeen Ali to de Villiers, FOUR, well played by de Villiers. He reverse sweeps and even though Anderson was anticipating it to his left at slip and moving, the ball eludes him and races away to the third man fence
58.2 -
Moeen Ali to Amla, 1 run, allows for the ball to turn and gently nudges off the back foot to deep backward square leg, for a single
58.1 -
Moeen Ali to Amla, no run, turned to short mid-wicket
57.6 -
Broad to de Villiers, FOUR, pumped straight down the ground and de Villiers affords himself a smile. Broad went full and de Villiers smoked that past the big man's right shin for four. All along the ground
57.5 -
Broad to de Villiers, no run, pitched up outside off, no movement whatsoever, left alone
57.4 -
Broad to de Villiers, no run, pitched up outside off, de Villiers gets forward to block it back to the bowler
57.3 -
Broad to de Villiers, no run, back of a length outside off, de Villiers shuffles across and defends
57.2 -
Broad to de Villiers, no run, Broad has his hands on his head as de Villiers gets forward and flicks airily to mid-on. On the bounce to the fielder
57.1 -
Broad to Amla, 1 run, pitched up outside off, Amla gets forward and eases a drive to deep extra cover, just a single
56.6 -
Moeen Ali to Amla, 1 run, turned around the corner to deep backward square leg, for a single
56.5 -
Moeen Ali to Amla, no run, tossed up on off, Amla is forward to block
56.4 -
Moeen Ali to Amla, no run, bit more air on middle, turned to short mid-wicket
56.3 -
Moeen Ali to Amla, no run, quick on off, Amla gets forward and defends to cover-point
56.2 -
Moeen Ali to Amla, no run, flat on off, Amla goes back to push to short mid-wicket
56.1 -
Moeen Ali to Amla, no run, on the stumps, Amla defends it
Time for drinks as well. First hour done. Today's play has been all about dogged South African watchfulness against some disciplined, relentless and probing bowling in the corridor of uncertainty by England. Both de Villiers and Amla are content to wait for the loose ball - which hasn't come very often - and are respecting the good ones. Typical old-fashioned 80s Test match cricket on display. Expect more of the same till England get a second new ball or if one of these two get out, then we may see a change in pattern of play. Engrossing and enthralling stuff though it must be said...
55.6 -
Broad to de Villiers, no run, good length outside off, de Villiers this time shoulders arms
55.5 -
Broad to de Villiers, no run, that's a leg-cutter and de Villiers is well beaten. Far from the outside edge though. Broad rolled the fingers on that and released it, it went like a leg-break and de Villiers was in line to play the back foot defence, but the ball gripped and went away beating the bat. Lovely ball
55.4 -
Broad to de Villiers, no run, full outside off, de Villiers waves it through to the keeper
55.3 -
Broad to de Villiers, no run, pitched up outside off, de Villiers plays a soft drive towards mid-off
55.2 -
Broad to de Villiers, no run, well outside off, left alone
This is a battle of attrition out there, England very disciplined and South Africa content to block and be very watchful out there
55.1 -
Broad to de Villiers, no run, nice line and length outside off, but de Villiers lifts his bat over his head to leave
54.6 -
Moeen Ali to Amla, no run, floated up outside off, no turn, defended off the front foot
54.5 -
Moeen Ali to Amla, no run, a soft leading edge as Amla went for the flick, doesn't carry though to the bowler. Amla played that early, that's why there was a leading edge
Slip and a short leg in
54.4 -
Moeen Ali to Amla, no run, quick and flat, but not near off, Amla goes back and lets it go
54.3 -
Moeen Ali to Amla, no run, again sliding but Amla gets forward and blocks
54.2 -
Moeen Ali to Amla, no run, sliding across Amla who lets it go
54.1 -
Moeen Ali to Amla, no run, tossed up outside off from round the wicket, Amla bottom-hands the drive towards de Villiers and the ball deflects off AB's bat and that prevents the single that Amla was looking for
Moeen Ali [9.0-1-30-0] is back into the attack
53.6 -
Broad to de Villiers, no run, perhaps de Villiers is bored of leaving all those ones outside off, he tries to on-drive and mistimes it to mid-on, went off the inside half of the bat
53.5 -
Broad to de Villiers, no run, still outside off, no stroke
53.4 -
Broad to de Villiers, no run, pitched up outside off, de Villiers shoulders arms
53.3 -
Broad to Amla, 1 run, back of a length outside off, bounced more than Amla anticipated, he takes the bottom hand off the bat as he mistimes the cut square of the wicket
53.2 -
Broad to Amla, no run, wide of the crease and bowled full outside off, Amla gets forward to drive to mid-off
53.1 -
Broad to Amla, no run, well wide of off, easy leave. That was a loosener from Broad
Stuart Broad [9.0-2-32-0] is back into the attack
52.6 -
Anderson to Amla, 1 run, full on the pads, flicked to deep square leg
52.5 -
Anderson to de Villiers, 1 run, good length outside off, de Villiers pushes it wide of point and takes the single on offer
52.4 -
Anderson to Amla, 1 run, back of a length on off, Amla swipes it with one leg in the air, down to deep backward square leg
52.3 -
Anderson to Amla, no run, full outside off, Amla leans into a fine off-drive but can't beat mid-off
52.2 -
Anderson to Amla, no run, full and heading towards off, Amla gets forward to defend back to the bowler
52.1 -
Anderson to de Villiers, 1 run, good length and angled in, de Villiers works it to square leg, and takes the single
51.6 -
Finn to Amla, no run, short of length outside off, Amla defends off the back foot to mid-off
51.5 -
Finn to Amla, no run, dug in short and that's a good leave. Amla dropping his gloves and leaving that. It was close to kissing the hanging blade as Amla pulled out of the shot
51.4 -
Finn to Amla, no run, good length outside off, Amla plays the solidest of forward blocks
51.3 -
Finn to Amla, no run, nips back in and raps Amla on the thigh pad, no real shout from any of the Englishmen. Finn into a nice little spell here
51.2 -
Finn to Amla, no run, back of a length again and this time Amla defends to cover off the back foot
51.1 -
Finn to Amla, no run, back of a length on the stumps, Amla hops to block
Just 15 runs in the first 8 overs of the day. Contrast that to yesterday when it was mayhem from Stokes and Bairstow
50.6 -
Anderson to de Villiers, no run, good length around the fifth-sixth stump line, de Villiers shuffles across and blocks
50.5 -
Anderson to de Villiers, no run, absolutely nil lateral movement as Anderson pings on a fuller length outside off, de Villiers shoulders arms
50.4 -
Anderson to de Villiers, no run, wide of the crease and angled in, still not enough to hit off, de Villiers can leave that and does so
Looks like Anderson is bowling well within himself. Also the pitch is flat which doesn't aid him. Still he is trying different things to make something happen
50.3 -
Anderson to de Villiers, no run, very full and well wide of off, won't make de Villiers play
50.2 -
Anderson to de Villiers, no run, back of a length outside off, de Villiers shuffles across and lets it go
50.1 -
Anderson to de Villiers, no run, back of a length outside off, de Villiers goes back to defend
49.6 -
Finn to Amla, no run, Finn goes for the attempted yorker, doesn't land it perfectly, a foot short, but Amla digs it out
49.5 -
Finn to de Villiers, 1 run, back of a length outside off, de Villiers softly stabs it and the ball goes on the bounce to the right of a diving gully, who flies and makes a half-stop. Allows de Villiers to get off strike and away from the heat of Finn
Finn getting a lot of encouragement as he runs in
49.4 -
Finn to de Villiers, no run, back of a length and heading towards off, de Villiers defends off the back foot to mid-wicket
The Barmy Army are right behind Finn
49.3 -
Finn to de Villiers, no run, now Finn bowls a splice-jarring length and pings de Villiers high on the bat, it was heading to middle, and de Villiers took one hand off the bottom handle as he pushed it to cover
49.2 -
Finn to de Villiers, no run, that is another close shave for de Villiers. He grimaces. Not the delivery to be pulling, rising and near chest height, de Villiers sort of rolls his wrists on the shot and is lucky that it didn't carry to mid-wicket. Was in an awkward position as he played that. Nearly carried to the diving man
49.1 -
Finn to de Villiers, no run, Finn was tumbling forward to take that. He thought that it went straight off the boot and up in the air after de Villiers dug that out, but replays show that it went into the ground before striking the boot. Wouldn't have counted even if Finn had caught that
48.6 -
Anderson to Amla, no run, that's a maiden over of leaves! Anderson bowling full and wide of off
48.5 -
Anderson to Amla, no run, fifth leave in a row from Amla. Pitched up outside off and moved away after Amla left it
48.4 -
Anderson to Amla, no run, Anderson is relentlessly plugging away outside off, Amla doesn't budge
Two slips and two gullies now
48.3 -
Anderson to Amla, no run, this one moves after Amla leaves outside off, swung into Bairstow's gloves
48.2 -
Anderson to Amla, no run, well outside off, easy leave
48.1 -
Anderson to Amla, no run, back of a length outside off, Amla hoists his bat over his shoulder to leave
47.6 -
Finn to de Villiers, no run, good length and de Villiers shows the full face of the bat to punch it to the right of the bowler
47.5 -
Finn to de Villiers, no run, full outside off, de Villiers shuffles across and then shoulders arms
47.4 -
Finn to de Villiers, no run, back of a length outside off, de Villiers goes back and punches to mid-off
47.3 -
Finn to de Villiers, no run, Finn hurries de Villiers on the back foot with a length delivery, kept out
47.2 -
Finn to de Villiers, no run, did that carry to Compton at point? Short outside off, de Villiers hopped and forehanded the cut in the air, luckily for him it just bounced short of the fielder. Compton is a fine fielder and AB is very fortunate that it didn't carry
47.1 -
Finn to de Villiers, no run, back of a length outside off, de Villiers dabs softly to point
My colleague - Raju points out that Anderson did that in the third Test at Edgbaston. Thanks for that!
46.6 -
Anderson to Amla, no run, goes wide of the crease and still doesn't get any movement on that full one outside off, comfortably left alone
46.5 -
Anderson to Amla, no run, very full on off, Amla gets forward and drives forcefully but straight to the fielder at mid-off
46.4 -
Anderson to Amla, no run, shifts his line to outside off, Amla won't play at that
46.3 -
Anderson to Amla, no run, good length on off, defended
Anderson is bowling with a wobble-seam. Splitting the fingers on the seam and getting it to seam rather than move in the air. Did it in one of the Ashes Tests, can't remember which one it was
46.2 -
Anderson to Amla, no run, fullish outside off, Amla gets forward and shoulders arms
46.1 -
Anderson to de Villiers, 1 run, full on the pads, flicked to deep backward square leg, for a single
Now the ball is stuck in those rings. So they are changing it. Now AB stops Anderson in his run. Not happy with something behind the bowler's arm
45.6 -
Finn to Amla, no run, and again. Finn is plugging away on that fourth-fifth stump line and Amla is content to dead-bat after coming forward, the ball finds cover
45.5 -
Finn to Amla, no run, pitched up outside off, brings out a solid forward block from Amla. He seems to be getting into position nicely to play the ball
45.4 -
Finn to Amla, FOUR, wide of the crease and angled in, full on the pads, Amla doesn't miss out and flicks through square leg. Easy boundary. Was in the air but in the gap as well
45.3 -
Finn to Amla, no run, nice carry through to Bairstow after Amla gets forward and shoulders arms to a delivery outside off
45.2 -
Finn to Amla, no run, back of a length outside off, Amla is solid in his back foot defence to cover
45.1 -
Finn to Amla, no run, short outside off, Amla goes back and leaves, dropping his wrists
The ball has gone through those hoops which are used to measure the shape, since it has passed the test, the umpires throw it back to Finn
44.6 -
Anderson to de Villiers, no run, wide of the crease and on a back of a length outside off, de Villiers dabs it softly to cover
44.5 -
Anderson to de Villiers, no run, full outside off, de Villiers gets forward and defends solidly to cover
44.4 -
Anderson to de Villiers, no run, back of a length outside off, de Villiers goes deep in his crease and turns it to mid-wicket
44.3 -
Anderson to de Villiers, no run, pitched up outside off, left alone
44.2 -
Anderson to Amla, 1 run, good length on middle, Amla tucks it to deep backward square leg. First runs for him today
Similar field for Anderson, plus a man at silly mid-on
44.1 -
Anderson to Amla, no run, full and on off, Amla gets forward to defend to silly mid-on
James Anderson [9.0-2-24-0] is back into the attack
43.6 -
Finn to de Villiers, FOUR, magnificent on-drive from de Villiers. But Finn aided him there with a half-volley, all de Villiers needed to do was to put it in the gap which he did by creaming the shot wide of the fielder. Classy and that should get him going
43.5 -
Finn to de Villiers, no run, dug in short, de Villiers is on his toes to quell that down, played that well and into the ground
43.4 -
Finn to de Villiers, no run, tight forward defence as Finn hunts for off
Two slips and a gap at third before one at fourth slip
43.3 -
Finn to de Villiers, no run, another one down leg, de Villiers misses the glance
43.2 -
Finn to de Villiers, FOUR, a soft edge and that's gone wide of the diving second slip. On a good length and outside off, Finn produced the edge but de Villiers played that with soft hands and that's why it went down and raced away to the unmanned third man fence
The Barmy Army as is their wont have started singing. They do that at the start of play everyday. Still no chants of Hashim, Hashim
43.1 -
Finn to de Villiers, no run, wasted delivery first up. Down leg, de Villiers swipes and misses
Another superb day at Newlands. A cloudless day - similar to the first two days. Amla and de Villiers are walking out. The England players are already there. We are all set for another cracking day of Test match cricket. The first hour and the session will be crucial for South Africa. They wouldn't want to lose any wickets, if they can. Finn will start off day 3. Here we go...
As expected, it's another gorgeous day in Newlands with blue skies. During their warm-ups, a few of the South African players and the coaching staff congratulated Stokes for his stupendous effort.
The partnership is just a shade over fifty and these two need to bat long if South Africa are to post a strong reply. So how well will the Proteas tackle the England bowlers? We saw the bowlers get no help whatsoever in the morning session yesterday. In fact, no mercy was shown to them. How is it going to be today? But one has to remember that South Africa did not bowl the right lines and lengths. Anderson and Co. would have seen everything from the balcony and they wouldn't want to repeat the mistakes.
With a humongous total ahead, the hosts got off to the worst possible start, before Elgar and captain Amla steadied the ship. However, Stokes' all-round abilities came in handy for England as he dismissed the former. Things could have gone really bad for the Proteas had Root held on to a sitter from de Villiers. Much to the delight of the home fans, their superstar combined well with Amla and carried his bat through. The captain himself fought hard and recorded his first Test fifty in 12 innings.
Day 3: A number of records were broken yesterday. From the second fastest double-hundred ever in Tests to the highest ever 6th wicket stand in the longest format of the game. Day 2 was totally action packed and at the end of it all, England were an extremely happy side. A whopping 196 runs were scored in just the first session of the day. That set the tone for the rest of the day and both Stokes and Bairstow were unstoppable. South Africa were clueless when the duo hammered their bowlers to all corners of Cape Town. What do we have in store for today? Hello and a warm welcome to everyone to Day 3 of the second Test.
The hosts' most experienced pairing have shepherded them to the close showing that the pitch is no enemy. However, AB de Villiers was given a big reprieve with Root shelling a sitter at second slip. If there's any player you don't want to drop, it's him. That perhaps was England's only blot on a near-perfect day. So, Day 3, what have you got? Surely it can only be uphill for the Proteas from here. We'll find out. Until tomorrow, it's goodbye!
Wow, what a day of cricket. And what a day for England. They hammered home the advantage with Ben Stokes playing the innings of a lifetime. He had an absolute blast in the middle both figuratively and literally swinging away to glory. Records followed suit as they usually do when something thoroughly exceptional unfolds. The Durham lad romped to the second fastest double hundred in Test history - slaying some South African pride in the process. To rub it in further, he came back with the ball to unhinge the Proteas' stubborn dig-in master in Dean Elgar. A word of mention to Jonny Bairstow as well who registered his maiden Test ton, which was almost lost in his compatriot's hurricane.
42.6 -
Broad to Amla, no run, full and outside off stump, Amla leans forward and offers a compact defence. The clock has ticked and it will be stumps on Day 2. Good to see both Amla and de Villiers congratulate Stokes as the players leave the field
One minute left, can England squeeze another over in? Broad isn't rushing to his mark though!
42.5 -
Broad to Amla, no run, short of length delivery on the off stump, Amla defends off the back foot
42.4 -
Broad to Amla, FOUR, edged but it goes along the ground and beats the diving fielder at gully. Short of a length delivery outside off stump, Amla pokes at it away from the body, gets a thick edge, luckily he played with soft hands and it didn't go in the air
42.3 -
Broad to Amla, FOUR, top shot to bring up the fifty partnership. Full delivery on the off stump, Amla leans forward and drives with a straight bat, sends it between the sticks at the other end and de Villiers, mid-on gives chase but he was never going to win the race
42.2 -
Broad to Amla, no run, full and wide outside off stump, poor delivery at this stage of the game. Ignored. Have to make the batsman play when he's just looking for survival
42.1 -
Broad to Amla, no run, fullish and outside off stump, Amla defends
41.6 -
Finn to de Villiers, no run, on a length and just outside off stump, de Villiers defends off the back foot
41.5 -
Finn to de Villiers, no run, appeal for LBW, not given. Was that reverse-swing? Surely tailed back in. Good length delivery angled in, de Villiers covers the sticks and shoulders arms, the ball brushes the flap of the pad and goes to the keeper, there was a bit of extra bounce on it and was easily missing the off stump as well
41.4 -
Finn to de Villiers, no run, fullish and just outside off stump, de Villiers moves across and defends easily
41.3 -
Finn to de Villiers, no run, low full toss from Finn, de Villiers drives it to mid-on
41.2 -
Finn to de Villiers, no run, shortish and outside off stump, de Villiers goes on the back foot and punches it towards cover-point
41.1 -
Finn to de Villiers, no run, length ball wide outside off stump, de Villiers will not play at those with the close of play just 8 odd minutes away
Steven Finn [8.0-0-30-0] is back into the attack
40.6 -
Broad to Amla, no run, lovely cover-drive off the front foot, but Hales dives to his right at cover and deflects it to mid-off. That was heading to the boundary
40.5 -
Broad to Amla, FOUR, cut late and cut nicely in the gap between backward point and gully. Short of a length outside off stump, Amla plays late and plays with an angled bat to get the placement right
40.4 -
Broad to Amla, no run, full and outside off stump, left alone
40.3 -
Broad to Amla, no run, good length delivery angled in at 140.2kph, Amla defends off the back foot
40.2 -
Broad to Amla, no run, good length delivery outside off stump, Amla will not chase those
40.1 -
Broad to Amla, no run, gentle full ball outside off stump, Amla defends. That was a loosener from Broad to start his new spell
Stuart Broad [7.0-2-20-0] is back into the attack
39.6 -
Moeen Ali to de Villiers, no run, very full and outside off stump, de Villiers defends off the front foot
39.5 -
Moeen Ali to de Villiers, no run, the slider just outside off stump, de Villiers defends
39.4 -
Moeen Ali to de Villiers, no run, punched back to Moeen again
39.3 -
Moeen Ali to de Villiers, no ru, short enough for de Villiers to hang back and punch to the right of the bowler
39.2 -
Moeen Ali to de Villiers, no run, down the leg-side, de Villiers misses out on the tickle
39.1 -
Moeen Ali to Amla, 1 run, Amla goes back and turns this to square leg, once again Stokes is aggressive with the throw, this time at the bowler's end and this time Moeen collected it well in front of the stumps as Amla was safely home
38.6 -
Stokes to de Villiers, no run, well outside off stump, ignored
38.5 -
Stokes to de Villiers, no run, on a length and on the off stump, de Villiers defends
38.4 -
Stokes to Amla, 1 run, very full and outside off stump, Amla reaches out and digs it out to backward point
38.3 -
Stokes to Amla, FOUR, "just a flick of the wrists and away she goes," one of those famous commentary cliches. Amla gets a fifty, his 29th in Tests and this is his first fifty in 12 innings. Full and angled in, ended up on the leg stump, Amla easily flicks it away along the ground through square leg. AB gives him a hug and then the Proteas captain raises his bat to acknowledge the applause
38.2 -
Stokes to Amla, no run, full and outside off stump, Amla drives off the front foot, square-driven that was and backward point made a tumbling save
38.1 -
Stokes to Amla, no run, good length delivery outside off stump, Amla defends with soft hands to gully
37.6 -
Moeen Ali to de Villiers, no run, on the stumps, turned towards short mid-wicket
37.5 -
Moeen Ali to de Villiers, no run, de Villiers advances and pushes it towards mid-on
37.4 -
Moeen Ali to de Villiers, no run, flighted delivery on the stumps, de Villiers defends
37.3 -
Moeen Ali to Amla, 5 runs, shortish and on the stumps, Amla tucks it to mid-wicket, Stokes rushes to his right and has a shy at the striker's end, de Villiers just manages to make his ground, although it wasn't a direct-hit. No one backing up and Amla gets four extra runs to jump to 46. Stokes wasn't happy that Broad wasn't backing up
37.2 -
Moeen Ali to Amla, no run, quicker through the air, bowled at 90.2kph, Amla was late in his defence, but managed to defend
37.1 -
Moeen Ali to Amla, no run, flighted delivery on the off stump, defended off the front foot
36.6 -
Stokes to de Villiers, no run, on the stumps again from Stokes, tucked to mid-wicket again
36.5 -
Stokes to de Villiers, 2 runs, short of length delivery on the leg stump, de Villiers hops and tucks it to deep mid wicket
36.4 -
Stokes to de Villiers, no run, very full and wide outside off stump, de Villiers reaches out and digs it out to cover
36.3 -
Stokes to de Villiers, no run, full and on the leg stump, flicked to mid-wicket
36.2 -
Stokes to de Villiers, no run, this one keeps a touch low but no harm done as the line was well outside off, de Villiers shoulders arms
36.1 -
Stokes to de Villiers, no run, just short of a good length and just outside off, de Villiers stays back and gently defends it into the off-side
Ben Stokes [4.0-1-13-1] is back into the attack
35.6 -
Moeen Ali to Amla, no run, slower through the air and on the off stump, Amla defends off the front foot
35.5 -
Moeen Ali to Amla, no run, another good looking drive, but finds the man at cover again
35.4 -
Moeen Ali to Amla, no run, very full and outside off stump, Amla drives it to cover
35.3 -
Moeen Ali to Amla, no run, tossed up just outside off stump, blocked
35.2 -
Moeen Ali to Amla, no run, tossed up on the stumps, Amla wasn't in full control of the drive as he didn't move fully forward, driven back to the bowler
35.1 -
Moeen Ali to de Villiers, 1 run, very full from Moeen, de Villiers drives it down to long-on
34.6 -
Anderson to Amla, 2 runs, Hashim beats Moeen - I am talking about the fielding effort there. Full and angled in on the off stump, Amla drives it between the bowler and mid-on, Moeen runs across and dives, but it escapes, Broad hunts it down chasing from mid-off. By the way, these are the first runs Amla has scored in 21 balls
34.5 -
Anderson to Amla, no run, good length delivery outside off stump, Amla shoulders arms
Two slips and two gullies in
34.4 -
Anderson to de Villiers, 1 run, off stumpish from Anderson, de Villiers moves across and tucks it to deep square leg
34.3 -
Anderson to de Villiers, no run, on a length from Anderson, de Villiers defends
AB de Villiers has a problem behind the bowler's arm. Amla conveys it to umpire Aleem Dar, who then moved aside and waved at the people behind the screen to sit. It didn't work, then he yelled "sit downnnnn." Anyway, everything is sorted out now.
34.2 -
Anderson to de Villiers, no run, de Villiers comes on the front foot and defends again
34.1 -
Anderson to de Villiers, no run, fullish and just outside off stump, softly defended towards cover
33.6 -
Moeen Ali to Amla, no run, slower through the air and full in length, Amla leans forward to defend
33.5 -
Moeen Ali to Amla, no run, Amla goes on the back foot and defends this flatter delivery towards short leg
It's not just in the stands, now the real battle between "Hashim, Hashim" and "Moeen, Moeen" starts.
33.4 -
Moeen Ali to de Villiers, 1 run, driven off the front foot to long-on
33.3 -
Moeen Ali to de Villiers, no run, very full from Moeen Ali, de Villiers drives it back to the bowler
33.2 -
Moeen Ali to de Villiers, no run, similar delivery, just outside off stump, de Villiers defends it towards point
33.1 -
Moeen Ali to de Villiers, no run, flatter in trajectory from round the wicket, de Villiers defends off the back foot
Moeen Ali [5.0-1-22-0] is back into the attack
32.6 -
Anderson to Amla, no run, just a hint of outswing on this full ball, not much though, Amla was solid in his forward defence
32.5 -
Anderson to Amla, no run, good length delivery angled in at 135.9kph, but Amla had that nicely covered and defended it to mid-on
32.4 -
Anderson to Amla, no run, fullish and just outside off stump, Amla defends off the front foot
32.3 -
Anderson to Amla, no run, defended off the back foot to the man stationed at what looks to be a short cover-point
32.2 -
Anderson to Amla, no run, fullish and outside off stump, Amla lets it go
32.1 -
Anderson to Amla, no run, short and wide, deserved to be put away, but Compton saved a certain boundary with a full length dive to his right at backward point. Amla cut that very well but he couldn't find the gap
31.6 -
Finn to de Villiers, no run, good length delivery leaving the right-hander very late, de Villiers lets it go
31.5 -
Finn to de Villiers, no run, short delivery outside off stump, bowled at 135.9kph, but it bounced a lot, de Villiers was thinking about the cut shot, but dropped his wrists at the last momvent to leave it alone
31.4 -
Finn to de Villiers, no run, full and outside off stump, de Villiers covers the sticks and shoulders arms
31.3 -
Finn to de Villiers, no run, "shottt," say a couple of my colleagues on seeing de Villiers play a cracking cover-drive, but it went straight to cover. Must say that it deserved a boundary
31.2 -
Finn to de Villiers, FOUR, there's that pressure-releasing ball of the over. Full and slanted in, ends up on the pads, with no one at mid-wicket all de Villiers had to do was flick it past the man at mid-on and the South African star did just that
And Moeen Ali is standing right in front of where Hashim's Army are seated.
31.1 -
Finn to de Villiers, no run, short of length delivery just outside off stump, de Villiers hops and defends
30.6 -
Anderson to Amla, no run, left alone because Anderson wasn't keen at bowling at the stumps on that occasion
30.5 -
Anderson to Amla, no run, this is tight around off stump line, Amla surely had to play it and he defends well
30.4 -
Anderson to Amla, no run, good length delivery wide outside off stump, Amla won't play at those
Hashim's Army goes "Hashim, Hashim, Hashim" and the England fans respond with "Moeen, Moeen, Moeen."
30.3 -
Anderson to Amla, no run, drawing Amla forward with a full ball, defended to cover
30.2 -
Anderson to Amla, no run, fullish and outside off stump, Amla shoulders arms
30.1 -
Anderson to Amla, no run, good length delivery wide outside off stump, easily left alone
29.6 -
Finn to de Villiers, no run, oh this one kept a bit low, short of length delivery outside off stump, de Villiers was on the hop to block, but he adjusted for the lack of bounce and played it to cover
29.5 -
Finn to de Villiers, 2 runs, short of length delivery on the leg stump, de Villiers clips it away to deep mid-wicket
29.4 -
Finn to de Villiers, FOUR, no batsman will have a problem if you bowl that full Steven Finn. Overpitched and in the slot, the freebie from Finn and de Villiers was obviously not going to miss out on those. He waits for the ball to come and drives with the full face of the bat and sends it straight down the ground past the sticks at the other end
29.3 -
Finn to de Villiers, no run, beaten! AB de Villiers is tentative with his foot movement out there. The leg-cutter on a good length, de Villiers was trying to defend that off the front foot, but as the ball left him off the surface, he poked at it and almost edged it to the keeper
29.2 -
Finn to de Villiers, no run, good length delivery on the off stump, Villiers moves across and tucks it into the on-side
29.1 -
Finn to de Villiers, no run, short of length delivery just outside off stump, de Villiers hops and defends
28.6 -
Anderson to Amla, no run, similar line and length, Amla was just ball-watching on that occasion
28.5 -
Anderson to Amla, no run, good length delivery from Anderson, Amla lets it go
Anderson complains about the ball, Aleem Dar has a look, then goes to his partner at square leg to put it through the ball gauge. It goes through the rings and Anderson has to carry on with this very cherry.
28.4 -
Anderson to de Villiers, 1 run, full delivery from Anderson, de Villiers toe-ends the drive to mid off. Bit of eye contact between the bowler and the batsman as de Villiers completed that run
28.3 -
Anderson to de Villiers, no run, on a length and outside off stump, de Villiers lets it go again
28.2 -
Anderson to de Villiers, no run, fullish and outside off stump, ignored
28.1 -
Anderson to de Villiers, FOUR, edgeddddd and dropped, it's AB de Villiers. How did you drop that Joe Root? That was a sitter. Anderson looks away and turns back to the bowling mark in disappointment. Full and outside off stump, inviting the batsman forward, de Villiers drives with minimal foot movement, gets a thick edge that went to second slip, Root got a bit early and tried to take it sideways to his right, got both hands to it, but it burst through and ran away for four
27.6 -
Finn to Amla, no run, back of a length from Finn, Amla defends off the back foot
27.5 -
Finn to Amla, no run, there was a sound as the ball passed the bat. The keeper and bowler weren't excited, but the slip cordon was. Once again I'd like to say that Amla walks if he edges, but he was standing tall here. Ultra Edge confirms that there was no edge there. Strangely, there was a wave on Ultra Edge after the ball passed the bat. Shortish and outside off stump, Amla tries to pull and misses
27.4 -
Finn to Amla, no run, nice looking cover-drive off the front foot, but Amla doesn't hit the gap and picks out the man at cover to perfection
27.3 -
Finn to de Villiers, 1 run, short enough for de Villiers to hang back and help himself to a single with a tuck to mid-wicket. Can't bowl there to a newcomer
27.2 -
Finn to Amla, 1 run, clipped away nicely off the pads to deep square leg
27.1 -
Finn to de Villiers, 1 run, short of length delivery on the off stump, looked like it shaped back in a bit, de Villiers was on the front foot to defend, got an inside edge that rolled behind square on the on-side
Steven Finn [5.0-0-17-0] is back into the attack
26.6 -
Anderson to Amla, no run, good length delivery outside off stump, Amla lets it go
26.5 -
Anderson to Amla, no run, oh that should have been put away. Short and outside off stump, Amla mistimes the cut, the ball rolls into the off-side
Cook runs from slip to have a chat with Anderson. By the way, just two slips and a gully
26.4 -
Anderson to Amla, no run, fuller in length, Amla simply shoulders arms
26.3 -
Anderson to Amla, no run, another sighter for Amla as Anderson bowls outside off stump
26.2 -
Anderson to Amla, no run, fullish and outside off stump, Amla shoulders arms
26.1 -
Anderson to de Villiers, 3 runs, back foot punch, in great position was AB de Villiers to play that stroke. Should be a nice feeling to get off the mark with a shot from the middle of the bat. The short of a length delivery is hunted down by the man chasing from mid-off
James Anderson [4.0-0-13-0] is back into the attack
Just as the Elgar-Amla stand was blossoming, Stokes, who was brutal with the bat, managed to dismiss the former, courtesy a thick leading edge. The South African duo batted well until Elgar's dismissal, but the wicket has lifted the visitors. de Villiers is fresh at the crease and Broad seems to be hitting the right lines and lengths. The final phase of play on Day 2 is going to be exciting one feels...
25.6 -
Broad to Amla, no run, good length delivery on the off stump, Amla covers the line and defends. "That's the over and drinks," says umpire Bruce Oxenford
25.5 -
Broad to Amla, FOUR, this is not the away-going ball, full and in the slot, came in with the angle from over the wicket, Amla was fully forward and into a great position to drive with an angled bat, found the middle of the bat and found the gap at cover-point as well
25.4 -
Broad to Amla, no run, this one leaves the right-hander, bowled in the fuller length region from wide of the crease, the direction very wide to allow Amla to leave it alone
25.3 -
Broad to Amla, no run, similar length, but this was slightly closer, but not close enough to make Hash play
25.2 -
Broad to Amla, no run, once again Broad bowls wide of the stumps, wants Amla to play away from the body, but ignored again
Faf du Plessis is ready with his gear in the dressing room
25.1 -
Broad to Amla, no run, good length delivery outside off stump, testing Amla's patience, the Proteas captain simply shoulders arms
24.6 -
Stokes to de Villiers, no run, shortish and angled in, de Villiers moves across and works it towards short leg
24.6 -
Stokes to de Villiers, wide, short and down the leg-side, too high as well
AB de Villiers, right handed bat, comes to the crease
24.5 -
Stokes to Elgar, out Caught by Compton!! Leading edge and a well set Elgar has to walk back. Stokes battered them (the Proteas) with the bat and now he's hurting them with the ball as well. Must say that it was a very good catch by Compton at backward point. Short delivery angled in from round the wicket, probably it held its line a bit, Elgar was on the hop looking to work it into the on-side, gets a healthy leading edge and it flies in the air. The fielder at backward point dives full length to his right and takes it with both hands. So the partnership, which was promising has been broken at 78. Elgar c Compton b Stokes 44(71) [4s-6 6s-1]
Stokes to Elgar, THAT'S OUT!! Caught!!
24.4 -
Stokes to Elgar, no run, fullish delivery on the stumps, Elgar pushes it to mid-on
24.3 -
Stokes to Elgar, no run, Elgar wasn't sure about pulling/hooking and he gets beaten. Short delivery from Stokes, Elgar thinks about playing the shot and then bails out, very late and it almost took the edge en route to the keeper
24.2 -
Stokes to Elgar, no run, Elgar is not fully forward to this full delivery, but he defends, the ball races to mid-on from the middle of the bat. Broad has a needless shy at the striker's end and fires a direct-hit but Elgar was well in
24.1 -
Stokes to Elgar, FOUR, that's nicely hit in the gap. Short and outside off stump, Elgar stands tall, gets on top of the bounce and guides it between gully and backward point to pick up his 6th boundary
23.6 -
Broad to Elgar, 1 run, a loud call of "yeah, yeah" from Elgar as soon as he nudged this short of length delivery to the left of mid-on. Easily taken run in the end
23.5 -
Broad to Elgar, no run, short delivery from Broad, Elgar sits under it
Broad has a word with the umpire about the ball. Bruce Oxenford has a look and asks Broad to carry on. Broad then shows one side of the ball and explains something to Finn, who is at mid-on.
23.4 -
Broad to Elgar, no run, driven off the front foot, mid-on dives to his right and saves a certain boundary. Finn's extra height helped him stop the ball there
23.3 -
Broad to Elgar, no run, good length delivery outside off stump, Elgar shoulders arms
23.2 -
Broad to Elgar, no run, full and in the slot, driven back to the bowler, who half-stops the ball in his followthrough
23.1 -
Broad to Amla, 1 run, oh the inside edge is found! Luckily for Amla it escapes past the sticks. Fullish and outside off stump, Amla was late to come forward and drive, got a thick edge that rolled across the turf to long leg
22.6 -
Stokes to Elgar, no run, back of a length from Stokes, Elgar is solid in his back foot defence
22.5 -
Stokes to Elgar, no run, length delivery just outside off stump, Elgar tries to defend, plays with an angled bat and the ball goes on the bounce to gully after taking a thick outside edge
22.4 -
Stokes to Elgar, no run, yorker from round the sticks, dug out
22.3 -
Stokes to Elgar, no run, short of length delivery just outside off stump, defended
22.3 -
Stokes to Elgar, wide, oh that went straight to first slip from over the wicket. Even Stokes smiles. Short delivery angled across, but Stokes got the radar wrong and bowled that way outside off stump
22.2 -
Stokes to Elgar, no run, shortish and on the stumps, Elgar moves across and gently fends it into the on-side
22.1 -
Stokes to Elgar, no run, length delivery just outside off stump, Elgar defends
21.6 -
Broad to Amla, FOUR, the swivel and the pull. Amla rotated full 360 degrees as he played that shot. The bumper from Broad, was high enough and at an awkward height, but Amla managed to control the pull and hit it over mid-wicket for four
21.5 -
Broad to Amla, no run, Broad goes for the yorker, but just misses the mark, bowls a full ball on the leg stump, Amla turns it softly into the on-side
21.4 -
Broad to Amla, no run, cracking back foot punch from Amla, but this short of length delivery goes straight to Compton at cover. Amla stood tall and met that right under his eyes
Back over the wicket to Amla
21.3 -
Broad to Elgar, 1 run, awkwardly pulled, but there is no one close at mid-wicket. Elgar rises tall and tries to pull the short ball, but it rose steeply on him and he couldn't control the shot. That was the cross-seamer from Broad, hence the bounce
21.2 -
Broad to Elgar, no run, slightly back of a length, Elgar hops and defends
21.1 -
Broad to Elgar, no run, good length delivery angled in from round the sticks, Elgar defends off the front foot
20.6 -
Stokes to Amla, no run, appeal for a strangle down the leg-side, Root has his hands aloft questioning the bowler if he thought there was an edge. Cook too enters the scene and they don't review. Good call it turns out from both Aleem Dar and Cook. Short of a length delivery down the leg-side, Amla misses the tickle, the ball brushes the thigh pad en route to the keeper. Remember, Amla is a walker and he was unmoved on that occasion
20.5 -
Stokes to Amla, 2 runs, a forward press and then a firm push from Hash, the ball runs away between cover and point before one of them hunts it down
20.4 -
Stokes to Amla, no run, on a length and angled in off stump, Amla defends from the crease
20.3 -
Stokes to Elgar, 1 run, once again poor line from Stokes, easily clipped away off the pads to deep square leg
20.2 -
Stokes to Elgar, FOUR, a controlled flick from Elgar, no one at mid-wicket and the fielder at deep square leg has too much distance to cover, he loses the race. Full and on the leg stump, Elgar made full use of the freebie and sent it all along the ground
20.1 -
Stokes to Elgar, no run, fullish and angled across, left alone
19.6 -
Broad to Amla, no run, short of length delivery on top of off, Amla jumps inside the crease and drops it into the off-side with soft hands
19.5 -
Broad to Elgar, 1 run, short of length delivery outside off, Elgar taps it in the gap between cover-point and extra cover, the batsmen scamper across for a quick single
19.4 -
Broad to Elgar, no run, this one comes back in from outside off, but not enough to make the batsman play as Elgar covers his stumps and lets it go
19.3 -
Broad to Amla, 1 run, bowls it slightly short and on the stumps, Amla gets on his toes and nudges it through the square leg region, just a single available
Two slips and a gully for Amla. Broad will come from over the wicket to the right-hander
19.2 -
Broad to Elgar, 1 run, just short of a good length and on middle and leg, Elgar once again shuffles across and tucks it away through mid-wicket, there's protection in the deep and it will only be a single
19.1 -
Broad to Elgar, 2 runs, angling in on middle stump line, Elgar comes across and works it through mid-wicket, the batsmen have ample time to return for the second run
Stuart Broad [3.0-2-4-0] is back into the attack
Three slips in place. He will come from round the wicket first up. There's a silly mid-off in place as well
There's a discussion going on between Cook and Broad. James Anderson was also present earlier. Immediately, Broad's being introduced in place of Finn
18.6 -
Stokes to Amla, no run, length delivery on off, Amla presses forward to keep it out, blocks it to mid-off
18.5 -
Stokes to Amla, no run, fuller in length and around off, Amla comes forward and drives it towards mid-off
18.4 -
Stokes to Amla, no run, half a shout for a caught behind but it was never a confident shout. Good bumper from Stokes, rears onto Amla, who looks to hook it away but fails to make any sort of connection. Stokes was not even interested in looking back at the umpire after that stifled appeal
18.3 -
Stokes to Amla, no run, targetting the stumps with a fuller length delivery, Amla clips it straight to mid-wicket
18.2 -
Stokes to Amla, no run, another one in the same channel and on a similar length, Amla this time confidently defends it to mid-off
18.1 -
Stokes to Amla, no run, on a good length outside off, keeps a bit low as Amla presses across to defend, ends up getting it off the toe-end and the ball rolls behind the pitch
Ben Stokes, right-arm medium, comes into the attack
Can Ben Stokes be the hero with the ball as well? He's coming on to chance his arm now
17.6 -
Finn to Elgar, no run, down the leg-side, Elgar has nothing to do with it as he lifts his bat, the keeper moves across to his right and gloves it
17.5 -
Finn to Amla, 1 run, back of a length delivery just outside off, Amla hangs back and works it towards the mid-wicket region, calls his partner through for a quick single and gets it easily in the end
17.4 -
Finn to Amla, no run, once again Amla hops in the crease to wrist this short of length delivery towards widish mid-on
17.3 -
Finn to Amla, no run, shortish on top of off, Amla turns it into the leg-side with soft hands
17.2 -
Finn to Amla, no run, hardly any movement for Finn in the channel outside off, Amla is happy to ignore it
17.1 -
Finn to Amla, no run, on a good length and on off, Amla comes half-forward and defends it back to the bowler with his bat and pad close together
Bairstow has some issues with the taping around his ankle area. Gets some repairs done on it and we are ready to continue now
16.6 -
Moeen Ali to Elgar, FOUR, nicely done by Elgar. Floated up outside off, Elgar presses forward and caresses the drive to the left of mid-off, who dives across but the ball was out of his reach. Crashes into the fence in no time. Fifty of the partnership also comes up with this boundary
16.5 -
Moeen Ali to Amla, 1 run, goes deep in the crease and turns this flatter delivery past the short leg, he hit it hard onto the ground and it bounced over the fielder at short leg, that allows the batsmen to take a single
16.4 -
Moeen Ali to Amla, no run, puts his front foot forward and wrists this slowish delivery just outside off to short leg
16.3 -
Moeen Ali to Amla, no run, once again Amla moves across his stumps and punches this flatter delivery towards cover
16.2 -
Moeen Ali to Amla, no run, quicker delivery just outside off, Amla comes across and defends it back down the pitch
16.1 -
Moeen Ali to Amla, 2 runs, flatter outside off, Amla goes on the back foot and punches it past a diving cover, the batsmen take two before the ball is hunted down
Moeen comes over the wicket now
15.6 -
Finn to Elgar, no run, fuller in length and just outside off, Elgar leans forward and pushes it into the off-side employing soft hands
15.5 -
Finn to Elgar, no run, back of a length delivery on leg stump line, Elgar looks to tuck it away, fails to connect and the ball lobs up in front of short leg off the thigh pad. Got the Englishmen excited for a moment there
15.4 -
Finn to Elgar, no run, this one kicks up from a short of length outside off, Elgar was looking to defend after hopping, the ball got a little big on him, takes the shoulder of the bat and rolls away towards the slip cordon. The key there was that he played it with soft hands and that's why it didn't carry to anyone
15.3 -
Finn to Elgar, no run, this time Elgar clips this to the right of short leg, where Taylor does well to dive across to his right and stop it, saved at least a run for his side
15.2 -
Finn to Amla, 1 run, short of length delivery on middle stump line, Amla turns it uppishly past short leg, who got a hand to it, but he'd have to be Superman to catch that. Or these kind of catches just stick. The batsmen take a single as the ball dribbles away through backward square leg
Two slips and two gullies in place
15.1 -
Finn to Amla, no run, short of length delivery that's bowled well outside off, Amla lets it go
14.6 -
Moeen Ali to Elgar, no run, slower through the air and turning away outside off, Elgar stays back, opens the face of the bat and pushes it into the off-side with soft hands
14.5 -
Moeen Ali to Elgar, no run, this one goes on with the arm on off stump line, Elgar blocks off the front foot
14.4 -
Moeen Ali to Elgar, no run, leans across and clips this flatter delivery towards mid-wicket
14.3 -
Moeen Ali to Elgar, SIX, that's a great strike from Elgar. Comes down the track to get to the pitch of the ball and lofts it over the long-on fence, first signs of aggression from the South Africans
14.2 -
Moeen Ali to Elgar, no run, pushed through quicker on the stumps, Elgar looks to force it into the on-side off the back foot, gets an inside edge onto the thigh pad and the ball rolls away into the off-side
14.1 -
Moeen Ali to Amla, 1 run, quicker on leg stump line, Amla goes back and whips it to fine leg off the pad
13.6 -
Finn to Elgar, no run, on a good length and angled across off, Elgar bends low and defends it to the right of backward point with an angular bat
13.5 -
Finn to Amla, 1 run, angling in on middle and leg, Amla tucks it away off his pads through mid-wicket and the batsmen cross over
The crowd has once again started chanting, "Hashim, Hashim. Moeen, Moeen'. Good fun for the people in the stands
13.4 -
Finn to Amla, no run, continues to target the region just outside off, another back of a length delivery in that area, Amla is happy to leave it alone
13.3 -
Finn to Amla, no run, another one in the same channel as the previous one, once again Amla hops inside the crease and defends it back to the bowler
13.2 -
Finn to Amla, no run, short of length delivery just outside off, Amla gets on his toes and defends it in front of mid-off
13.1 -
Finn to Elgar, 1 run, on a fuller length and just outside off, Elgar taps it through the cover region and the batsmen gets across for a single
12.6 -
Moeen Ali to Amla, FOUR, shortish and on the stumps, Amla whips it away off his pads, gets in the gap at mid-wicket and collects another boundary
12.5 -
Moeen Ali to Amla, no run, once again Amla is steadfast in his backfoot defence
12.4 -
Moeen Ali to Amla, no run, darted on off, Amla tries to squeeze it out, jams it hard onto the ground, the ball takes the boot on its way towards the bowler
12.3 -
Moeen Ali to Amla, no run, once again Amla goes on the back foot to defend this quicker delivery towards mid-wicket
12.2 -
Moeen Ali to Amla, no run, flatter on the stumps, Amla turns it towards short leg, who dives across to his left and gets a hand on it, prevents any chance of a run
12.1 -
Moeen Ali to Amla, no run, pushed through just outside off, Amla goes deep in the crease and punches it in front of mid-on
11.6 -
Finn to Elgar, no run, on the pads this time around, Elgar turns it into the on-side, his bottom hand came off the bat handle as he made contact with the ball
11.5 -
Finn to Elgar, no run, well-directed short ball at the batsman, once again the ball kicks up from the surface and that made Elgar uncomfortable, tries to fend it at the last moment but ends up wearing it on the body. Finn is definitely posing some questions with his short deliveries
11.4 -
Finn to Elgar, FOUR, pitched up around off, once again Elgar offers the full face of the bat as he punches it straight back past the non-striker, races away to the fence, two fielders went after it but to no avail
11.3 -
Finn to Elgar, no run, another good pacy bumper around off, this time Elgar looked much more comfortable as he ducks under it
11.2 -
Finn to Elgar, FOUR, that's better from Elgar. Overpitching outside off, Elgar squeezes out the drive back past the bowler, who dives across to his right but can't stop it, the fielder from mid-off gives chase, only to come second
11.1 -
Finn to Elgar, no run, what happened there? Banged in short and outside off, Elgar was looking to pull it at first, the ball got a little too big on him, he bails out of the shot a little too late and the ball had passed him by the time he decided to do so, the keeper collects
Steven Finn [1.0-0-5-0] is back into the attack
10.6 -
Moeen Ali to Amla, no run, bit slower through the air and on the stumps, Amla blocks it back down the pitch off the back foot
10.5 -
Moeen Ali to Amla, no run, flatter around off, Amla goes deep in the crease and defends it towards mid-wicket
10.4 -
Moeen Ali to Amla, no run, now Amla gets a good stride forward as he lunges forward in defence
10.3 -
Moeen Ali to Amla, no run, the straighter one on off stump line, Amla blocks it back to the bowler
10.2 -
Moeen Ali to Amla, FOUR, pushed through down the leg-side, Amla comes across and tickles it fine off his pads, races away to the fine leg fence in a jiffy
A slip and a short leg in place
10.1 -
Moeen Ali to Amla, no run, starts off with a shortish delivery wide outside off, Amla cuts it hard but picks out backward point to perfection
Moeen Ali [1.0-1-0-0] is back into the attack
Moeen Ali to continue bowling. Change of ends for him in this session
9.6 -
Root to Elgar, no run, darted quicker just outside off, Elgar defends it off the front foot
9.5 -
Root to Elgar, 2 runs, pushed through on middle and leg, Elgar works it through mid-wicket, comes back for the second with ease
9.4 -
Root to Elgar, no run, floated up outside off, Elgar presses forward to block, gets an inside edge onto the pad and the ball rolls away into the off-side
9.3 -
Root to Elgar, no run, tossed up just outside off, Elgar leans forward and smothers the spin
Just a slip and a leg slip in place for Elgar
9.2 -
Root to Amla, 1 run, bit fuller this time around and on leg stump line, Amla clips it to deep mid-wicket and gets off strike
9.1 -
Root to Amla, no run, flatter and turning in on middle and leg, Amla tucks it away to mid-wicket
Joe Root to start off proceedings. Probably, it's being done to change ends for a particular bowler
The South Africans have a huge task on their hand. But foremost, they would want to bat solidly in this session. We haven't seen them put up a fight in a long time. But now is the time. On the other hand, the Englishmen will be high on confidence. The pitch is not offering a lot to the bowlers and going by how Stokes and Bairstow batted, there are no demons on the pitch. Let's find out how the two teams fare in this session. The men who matter, are striding out to the centre.
Tea, Day 2: The players head off and South Africa keep sinking deeper as every session passes by. The visitors are strolling off towards the dressing room - not a worry in the world. They swelled their score further, enforced a declaration and even managed to dislodge the opening pair. Albeit, under cringeworthy circumstances. The hosts look to be mentally shot. Why wouldn't they? Stokes was hammering away with gay abandon all through today. Treated someone like Morkel like a County floater. He finally fell though after a mind-boggling 258. 258 of the most dominating Test runs you will ever see. Bairstow though, did manage to carry his bat through doing a fantastic job of playing second fiddle in a partnership which is now ingrained in the record books as the highest ever for the sixth wicket. Need to really show some spirit now with the bat, do the Proteas. Join us back in around 10 minutes..
8.6 -
Finn to Elgar, FOUR, a nice way to end the session, in which they were .. well .. MAULED to put it politely. Just a fraction full around the fourth stump, and Elgar lays into it with a solid punch straight of mid-off. So that will be Tea
8.5 -
Finn to Elgar, no run, length delivery on off, defended back down the pitch
8.4 -
Finn to Elgar, no run, that natural back of a length for Finn. Slanted across off, Elgar hops before leaving it alone
8.3 -
Finn to Elgar, no run, hmm, Elgar better restrain from doing this. Drifting across off on a length, he angles it towards point. Safely along the ground this time. Next time he might not be so lucky
8.2 -
Finn to Amla, 1 run, dropped with soft hands into the off-side and Amla hustles across for the single. Got nicely on his toes to ride the bounce of this short of length delivery
8.1 -
Finn to Amla, no run, back of a length delivery on middle, Amla turns it past short-leg who is quick to run back and field
Steven Finn, right-arm fast medium, comes into the attack
7.6 -
Moeen Ali to Elgar, no run, tossed up on off, lunges forward and smothers it
7.5 -
Moeen Ali to Elgar, no run, Elgar reviews this in a flash. Given out LBW, but he doesn't like it. Indicative of an edge. Oh yes. Big one. Smashed it onto the pad. From round the wicket, it Skids on from a length just outside off, he played for some turn and ended up playing outside the line. Saved by the edge
7.4 -
Moeen Ali to Elgar, no run, nice and loopy on the stumps, defensively pushed towards mid-on
7.3 -
Moeen Ali to Elgar, no run, well flighted, skids on from a length on middle, Elgar prods forward to block
7.2 -
Moeen Ali to Elgar, no run, watch it, watch it! The running has been lackadaisical. Tucked to mid-wicket. Yes, no. But the batsmen abort the single in time
7.1 -
Moeen Ali to Elgar, no run, flatter trajectory from round the wicket, slides down the leg-side from a shortish length, Elgar fails to glance, rolls off the thigh pad towards backward square
Moeen Ali, right-arm off break, comes into the attack
Cook tosses it to Ali, for a twirl before tea. A slip and short-leg
6.6 -
Anderson to Amla, no run, just a fraction full around off, Amla presses forward and blocks to cover
6.5 -
Anderson to Amla, no run, length delivery extracting nice bounce off this pitch, the line was designed to tempt Amla. But he remains Zen-like for now
6.4 -
Anderson to Amla, no run, much more sedate with a similar short of length delivery outside off, blocks it into the off-side
6.3 -
Anderson to Amla, FOUR, aww, punched. He does load up on that bottom hand nicely. Stands on his toes to ride the bounce and belts it square of the wicket
6.2 -
Anderson to Amla, no run, back of a length delivery outside off, holds his bat aloft
6.1 -
Anderson to Amla, no run, homing in towards middle on a length, no mischief off the pitch allowing Amla to safely defend
5.6 -
Broad to Elgar, no run, back of a length delivery outside off, opens his bat-face in defence towards gully
Here are the Hashim chants again. Sounds kind of cool does that yoddle
5.5 -
Broad to Elgar, no run, short of length delivery outside off, patted away to point
5.4 -
Broad to Elgar, no run, on a length and slanting towards off and middle, pushes it with a closed bat towards mid-on
5.3 -
Broad to Elgar, no run, getting into his zone now Elgar - that junkyard dog kind of an innings which he executes so well. Length ball on off, forward and blocked
5.2 -
Broad to Elgar, no run, hops across to a shortish delivery before introducing it to the dirt with a dead-bat
5.1 -
Broad to Elgar, no run, length ball angled in towards off, Elgar stomps forward and blocks
4.6 -
Anderson to Amla, FOUR, sliced between the slip cordon and gully. Full ball outside off, lured Amla into the drive. He doesn't hold back looking to blaze one. The bat turns in his hands, and it goes all along the carpet
4.5 -
Anderson to Amla, no run, opens his bat-face to a length ball and steers it towards gully
4.4 -
Anderson to Amla, no run, length ball outside off, a completely out of touch Amla plays at it. No need actually. Defends it well enough
4.3 -
Anderson to Amla, no run, a splice-jarring short of length delivery which spits up. Amla does well to loosen his grip and drop it into the off-side
4.2 -
Anderson to Elgar, 1 run, rears up from a length on off, stunned Elgar who was looking to work it through the on-side. Might have jarred the right shoulder of his bat, rolls away wide enough of leg stump down to fine leg
4.1 -
Anderson to Elgar, 2 runs, gets down on bent knees to a full ball wide of off, and drives it away from his body through the cover region. Anderson won't mind. Hard to have control over the stroke playing this way. But this was actually too full to induce an error. Lumbers away through the gap before being chased down by Ali
3.6 -
Broad to Amla, no run, back of a length delivery wide of off, softly punched towards cover
3.5 -
Broad to Amla, no run, a wobbly seam, lands on a good length before being tapped into the pitch by a defensive Amla
3.4 -
Broad to Amla, no run, now nicely forward to a good length delivery coming in on off, before defending it towards mid-off
3.3 -
Broad to Amla, no run, floated on a back of a length outside off, I say floated due to the lack of purpose. Blunted out cozily on the back foot
3.2 -
Broad to Amla, no run, short of length around the fifth stump, hops on the crease and blunts it after raising his arms nice and high
3.1 -
Broad to Amla, no run, length ball fizzing through to Bairstow after being ignored
2.6 -
Anderson to Elgar, no run, moves across on the back foot to cover the line of a short of length delivery leaving him while standing on his toes and blocks
2.5 -
Anderson to Amla, 1 run, straying ever so slightly towards the hips, picked off down to fine leg
2.4 -
Anderson to Amla, no run, short of length delivery just outside off, Amla feels the need to play and does a good job of it. Stands tall and drops it into the off-side
Hashim Amla, right handed bat, comes to the crease
2.3 -
Anderson to van Zyl, out van Zyl Run Out!! There's South Africa's brain status right there. Numbed. van Zyl is in dreamland wandering down for a single without looking at his partner who has his arm up in disagreement. And now he looks after getting halfway, turns around trying to rush back. And is caught short by a yard. Patted this short of length delivery in front of cover-point and just set off. Compton swooped in like a buzzard, gathered and fired it on the bounce on top of the bails. Credit to Bairstow even for realizing the opportunity and sprinting forward to collect. Whips off the bails catching van Zyl a foot short. On a second glance, looks like Elgar initially responded before bailing out, leaving his partner stranded. van Zyl run out (Compton/Bairstow) 4(12) [4s-1]
Anderson to van Zyl, THAT'S OUT!! Run Out!!
2.2 -
Anderson to van Zyl, no run, leaving van Zyl on a good length, he lets it go
2.1 -
Anderson to van Zyl, no run, these experienced bowlers have quickly pulled their length back realizing there isn't much. Hits the back of a length around the fourth stump, blocked after standing tall
1.6 -
Broad to van Zyl, leg byes, 1 run, now loses his line, snakes down the leg-side. van Zyl collects a leg-bye after missing out on his glance. Rolled behind square off his thigh pad
1.5 -
Broad to van Zyl, no run, back of a length delivery angled into the corridor just outside off, tamely bunted to mid-on
1.4 -
Broad to van Zyl, no run, game enough to poke at it? No, van Zyl is smart enough not to
1.3 -
Broad to van Zyl, no run, back of a length delivery just outside off, van Zyl stays flat-footed and blocks into the off-side
1.2 -
Broad to van Zyl, no run, oh that's close. Looked very good in real time and no wonder Broad looked excited for the LBW appeal. Not given. Oh top call. Top, top call. Pitched up and fired towards middle. This time van Zyl does fall over slightly, but just about sneaks in an inside edge onto pad while looking to work it across the line
1.1 -
Broad to van Zyl, FOUR, angled into the pads, and van Zyl is away. No problem. Makes sure his head doesn't fall over too much. Rolls his wrists after leaning forward and flicks it along the turf
Stuart Broad, right-arm fast medium, comes into the attack
Broad must have closely observed his partner's first over. Realized there wasn't much in the air. And starting from round the wicket
0.6 -
Anderson to Elgar, no run, turned into the on-side in defence
0.5 -
Anderson to van Zyl, leg byes, 1 run, he's continuously looking to shape it away but the ball just isn't obeying his orders. Pitched up and on the pads, van Zyl is late on the flick and deflects off the pad into the on-side
0.4 -
Anderson to van Zyl, no run, pushed across the left-hander on a good length, van Zyl sees the line and shoulders arms
0.3 -
Anderson to van Zyl, no run, back of a length delivery with the seam pointing towards first slip, van Zyl doesn't move far forward. Taps it into the off-side playing close to his body
0.2 -
Anderson to Elgar, 1 run, and again, that hard roller used has squashed the pitch for the time being. Drifting onto the pads, Elgar clips it neatly - this time behind square and down to fine leg
0.1 -
Anderson to Elgar, no run, floated up on leg-stump looking for away swing, it just goes on straight with the arm ending up on the pads, tucked to mid-wicket
Elgar and van Zyl are at the crease. Elgar is on strike. Anderson will open the attack
That ends a fine Test match. Yes, there wasn't much for the bowlers for most part of the game, but the last day was very entertaining. Stokes, Bairstow, Amla, Bavuma were the talking points. Both teams now head to the Wanderers for the third Test. They get a much needed 7-day break before they battle again. Remember, the gap between this Test and the previous game was just 2 days. The bowlers must be very tired after a long hard toil. England still lead the 4-match series 1-0, but as Amla said, South Africa have gained a lot of confidence from this game. He reckons that both teams are well-matched for the next Test. The hosts would want their spearhead to be back in action. Still enough time left for recovery. We'll see you all on January 14 then for the Johannesburg Test. Goodbye!
Stokes: "We had a good score on the board when I went in. I just went for my shots and it paid off. I have worked hard on my technique for the last 14-15 months. Credit to Bairstow for playing well. He kept going and the way he went about his innings was so good. He let loose after crossing the hundred, which was great to see."
Stokes is the Man of the Match for his brutal knock in the first innings. He smashed 258 in 198 balls which included 30 fours and 11 sixes
Amla: "Conceding 620 odd in the first innings was difficult. Stokes and Bairstow batted very well and put us under pressure. Both teams are looking hungry and the remainder of the series is set up nicely. It was good to see the support for Test cricket. To react the way he (Bavuma) did was exceptional and we are all really glad for him that he got his maiden Test hundred. It is important to peak at the right time. Both teams are quite equally matched for the Wanderers Test, but we'll take a lot of confidence out of this game."
Cook: "I was a little bit nervous towards the end. I thought South Africa bowled very well today. It would have been very disappointing if we had not drawn this game after scoring over 600. The partnership between Stokes and Bairstow helped us accelerate. It was great to watch from up there. But credit to South Africa, they fought hard. The guys put the ball in the good areas, but we were bowling to a good batting unit. Hash and AB started it all and the rest followed suit. It was a pleasure to watch Stokes and Bairstow bat so well."
So, after all the theatre on this final day, a draw has been shoved down our throats like we knew it would be. However, South Africa should be chuffed. After being blasted to death by Ben Stokes in the first innings, their comeback has been stunning. Just imagine their psyche - letting the opposition away from 223-5 to a total of 629. Records fell like flies as Stokes and Bairstow laid siege at Newlands. And it's not just about records. The utter condescension with which that partnership went about its business can suck the spirits out of any unit. Then to come out of that, put a miserable 2015 behind, bat like champions, and finish as the team with the upper hand is astonishing. Believe me, it is. Amla, de Villiers, du Plessis all came to the fore, but it was the maiden Test ton of Temba Bavuma which fostered a lot of interest. He became the first black South African to score a ton. That too in his hometown. Enabled the Proteas to near-match England's score and have a jab at the visitors. Unfortunately, there was too much going in favour of a stalemate.
Dark clouds were threatening to stop play and soon after the tea-break, they did play spoilsport. The South Africans would be buoyed by their team's stellar performance after a taking a beating with the ball in hand. Today, Morris bowled his heart out and troubled the batsmen, while Morkel, Rabada and Piedt too formed good partnerships.
Root and Compton walked back before lunch to keep the game alive. Post-lunch, Stokes and Taylor departed in quick succession to put the England dressing room under serious pressure, but a stubborn stand between Bairstow and Moeen ensured that the visitors suffered no more damage. When Elgar came on, he almost had the former stumped, but the third umpire did not have enough evidence to press the red button and put more pressure on Cook's boys.
A draw was the first choice for many among all three results before play began today. However, with the dramatic twists that the game has seen over the years, a South African win or an England win wasn't fully ruled out. The visitors began with all 10 wickets in hand, but with Rabada strangling Cook in the very second over of the game and then Morris taking a blinder to remove Hales, there was a lot of belief in the Protea outfit.
16:56 Local Time, 14:56 GMT, 20:26 IST: One can see a few England players shaking hands with the umpires. Looks like that will be the end of this Test match. Now Amla comes down from the dressing room and has a chat with the umpires. It's official, play has been called off for the day. So the game ends in a draw. Both captains shake hands and their teams follow suit. "Well played mate, outstanding, top stuff," says one from the England team management to Temba Bavuma.
16:35 Local Time, 14:35 GMT, 20:05 IST: We are now seeing that the umpires have made their way to the England dressing room to have a chat with captain Cook. The word is that the umpires will inspect again at 17:00 local time.
16:30 Local Time, 14:30 GMT, 20:00 IST: The umpires are out in the middle to inspect. We should have some news shortly. In fact they are out with umbrellas, so it is clear that it hasn't stopped raining yet. The entire square has been covered now.
16:10 Local Time, 14:10 GMT, 19:40 IST: It has started to rain and it is pretty heavy as well. So it is just a matter of time before the umpires officially call time on this Test match.
15:46 Local Time, 13:46 GMT, 19:16 IST: The umpires are having a chat. It is about the light and they are walking off the field. Amla gave the ball to Morne and that is why the umpires came together to discuss the light. Remember, until now, spinners were operating from both ends. Bad light stops play. Faf shakes hands with Moeen. What does that mean? Is this the end of the game? Have both teams decided to conclude? Well, it's not officially off though. For the moment, the players have headed back to the dressing room. In fact, the South African players were seen signing autographs as they walked off. Will the light improve? It's highly unlikely though. The pitch is being covered as a precautionary measure as there are quite a few dark clouds around.
64.6 -
Elgar to Bairstow, no run, this is fired at 95.8kph, Bairstow was ready for it though, defended into the on-side
64.5 -
Elgar to Bairstow, no run, outside off stump, ignored
64.4 -
Elgar to Bairstow, no run, ho ho! Just 68ks on this one, Bairstow had to wait a long time for it to come and then defend off the front foot
64.3 -
Elgar to Bairstow, no run, short enough for Bairstow to go back and defend
64.2 -
Elgar to Bairstow, no run, full delivery at 93.2kph, Bairstow drives it to cover
64.1 -
Elgar to Bairstow, no run, tossed up on the leg stump, Bairstow defends off the front foot
63.6 -
D Piedt to Moeen Ali, no run, quicker delivery outside off stump, Moeen defends off the back foot
63.5 -
D Piedt to Moeen Ali, no run, flighted delivery on the off stump, defended
63.4 -
D Piedt to Moeen Ali, no run, Moeen played that quicker ball with soft hands and also had an angled bat at it, the outside edge fell short of the man at gully
63.3 -
D Piedt to Moeen Ali, no run, another easy looking forward block from Piedt
63.2 -
D Piedt to Moeen Ali, no run, tossed up just outside off stump, Moeen defends
63.1 -
D Piedt to Moeen Ali, no run, punched off the back foot to Faf at short cover
62.6 -
Elgar to Bairstow, no run, very full and outside off stump, Bairstow drives it to cover
62.5 -
Elgar to Bairstow, no run, tossed up now, Bairstow defends
62.4 -
Elgar to Bairstow, no run, the quicker ball, bowled at 87.2kph, Bairstow was slightly late in his defence and the ball rolled past the man at slip after taking the outside edge
62.3 -
Elgar to Bairstow, no run, very full and on the off stump, driven straight to the man at mid-off
62.2 -
Elgar to Bairstow, 2 runs, too short and too slow, bowled just at 72.7kph, Bairstow had enough time to rock back and punch through cover for a couple of runs
62.1 -
Elgar to Bairstow, no run, tossed up on the stumps, Bairstow plants his front foot forward and defends
61.6 -
D Piedt to Moeen Ali, no run, nice and tight from Piedt, Moeen offers a compact forward defence
61.5 -
D Piedt to Moeen Ali, no run, tossed up at 78.5kph, Moeem waits and defends
61.4 -
D Piedt to Moeen Ali, no run, darted on the stumps, Moeen defends off the back foot
Slip, silly-point and a very close short cover in
61.3 -
D Piedt to Moeen Ali, no run, too full to trouble the batsman, blocked
61.2 -
D Piedt to Moeen Ali, no run, full enough for Moeen to come on the front foot and defend
61.1 -
D Piedt to Moeen Ali, no run, shortish and on the stumps, Moeen defends off the back foot
60.6 -
Elgar to Bairstow, 2 runs, edged but past the man at slip. This is even slower from Elgar. Just around 71kph. Bairstow was surely beaten in the flight, it was very full and around the off stump line, Bairstow goes for the inside-out drive, gets a thick edge and gets away with it
60.5 -
Elgar to Bairstow, no run, floats this up at 75.5kph, the line is slightly down the leg-side, easily kept out by Bairstow
60.4 -
Elgar to Bairstow, no run, slow, slow and now the quicker one, Bairstow goes back and pushes it towards mid-on
60.3 -
Elgar to Bairstow, no run, once again Elgar gives it a lot of air, Bairstow defends well though
60.2 -
Elgar to Bairstow, no run, nicely floated up this time, Bairstow comes forward to defend this
60.1 -
Elgar to Bairstow, no run, Elgar fires it around off stump line from round the wicket, Bairstow defends off the back foot
59.6 -
D Piedt to Moeen Ali, no run, shortish and on the stumps, Moeen works it into the on-side
59.5 -
D Piedt to Moeen Ali, no run, now this has turned quite a bit, disturbed the surface as well, hence enough movement to catch Moeen's outside edge on the forward defence, played with soft hands, hence no alarms
59.4 -
D Piedt to Moeen Ali, no run, this one doesn't as much as Moeen expected, probably was the slider, Moeen played outside the line and got an inside edge that rolled into the on-side
59.3 -
D Piedt to Moeen Ali, no run, tight around the off stump line and drawing the batsman forward, Moeen is solid in his forward defence
59.2 -
D Piedt to Moeen Ali, no run, another forward press from Moeen as he keeps this flighted delivery out
59.1 -
D Piedt to Moeen Ali, no run, flighted delivery from round the wicket, Moeen Ali defends off the front foot
Slip, short leg and two close catching men at cover
Welcome back for the final session of the game. England have a lead of 157. With a bit of rain and the dark clouds around, we might not get through with the entire session. In fact, the covers were on for a brief while, before the groundsmen removed them. There is no rain at the moment and it is great to see the players walking out to the middle. Can we get a result here? One feels the chances are very remote!
England have held on. They have held on for dear life. And with the clouds opening up, I think it's safe to say that a South African win would only be through some sort of miracle. The visitors have hung on. Especially this pair, after the dismissals of Stokes and Taylor in quick succession. Now time is running out, the weather is playing tricks and the lead keeps stretching which has left the Proteas with a lot to do in this upcoming final session. But credit to them, for we have been treated to a riveting day's play which has certainly exceeded all expectations. Still, it would take a hard bet to rule them out completely. We'll wait and see what the final chapter has in store for us.
58.6 -
Elgar to Bairstow, no run, presents a textbook-esque defence to this straighter delivery and walks back immediately meaning it's time for TEA. He and the rest of the English players must be relieved. What a fantastic session and day's cricket this has been for South Africa!
58.5 -
Elgar to Bairstow, no run, slightly shortish around off, Bairstow tucks and picks out mid-wicket
58.4 -
Elgar to Bairstow, no run, fuller and just outside off, driven back to the bowler
58.3 -
Elgar to Bairstow, no run, Bairstow strides forward and defends this delivery to the left of Temba Bavuma at FSL
58.2 -
Elgar to Bairstow, no run, tossed up just outside off, Bairstow presses forward in defence
58.1 -
Elgar to Bairstow, no run, slower on the stumps, Bairstow nudges it towards the fieldsman at mid-wicket
57.6 -
M Morkel to Moeen Ali, no run, yorker aiming off and middle, Ali manages to dig it out towards mid-on
57.5 -
M Morkel to Moeen Ali, no run, lifter on the stumps, Ali doesn't bother with it
57.4 -
M Morkel to Moeen Ali, no run, curled in late from good length, well outside off, Ali is a good leaver of the ball and he lets this one go
57.3 -
M Morkel to Moeen Ali, no run, low full toss this time, Ali responds with a serene drive towards mid-off
57.2 -
M Morkel to Moeen Ali, 2 runs, Moeen is very strong there - on the pads that is. He flicks this full delivery that's sprayed on his pads and comes back for a double
57.1 -
M Morkel to Moeen Ali, no run, hurled back in from a length, not close enough to draw a stroke from Moeen Ali
56.6 -
Elgar to Bairstow, no run, tossed up on the stumps, Bairstow gets forward and defends this with soft hands
56.5 -
Elgar to Bairstow, 2 runs, serves up full and offers width, Bairstow drills the drive wide of KG Rabada at mid-off, another 2 runs added to his name and England's total. The clock is ticking and so does England's scoreboard
56.4 -
Elgar to Bairstow, no run, on the pads and Bairstow is on the back foot wristing that towards mid-on
56.3 -
Elgar to Bairstow, no run, quicker one targetting stumps, Bairstow turns it towards mid-on
56.2 -
Elgar to Bairstow, no run, loopy delivery just outside off, Bairstow lunges forward and blocks it to the off-side
56.1 -
Elgar to Bairstow, no run, flatter and around fifth, sixth stump channel, Bairstow lunges forward and lets it go
55.6 -
M Morkel to Moeen Ali, no run, length delivery outside off, Ali gets an inside edge onto his pad as he tried to block off the back foot
55.5 -
M Morkel to Moeen Ali, no run, makes him play by keeping it fullish and straight, Ali push-drives only to find mid-on
55.4 -
M Morkel to Moeen Ali, no run, goes wider of the crease and thuds Ali's front pad from a good length. That was a smidgen too high to appeal and might have gone down leg too. Ambitious appeal from the Proteas and as expected the umpire is unmoved
55.3 -
M Morkel to Moeen Ali, no run, back of a length outside off, Ali lifts his bat and lets it go
55.2 -
M Morkel to Moeen Ali, no run, bumper angled down middle and leg, Ali is happy to let that go
As if we didn't have enough surprises already there is a slight drizzle. Will rain have the final say?
55.1 -
M Morkel to Moeen Ali, no run, short of length rose steeply across Moeen who defends right under his eyes
Morne Morkel [14.0-6-24-1] is back into the attack
54.6 -
Elgar to Bairstow, no run, spinning outside off, left alone to the keeper
54.5 -
Elgar to Bairstow, FOUR, short and slightly wide, Bairstow rubs salt on Elgar's wound. Rocking back and cracking the cut square of the wicket
54.4 -
Elgar to Bairstow, no run, this was a well flighted delivery from Elgar. Draws Bairstow forward who attempts a drive. He was beaten by the dip and turn and QDK was quick to disturb the bails. The appeal is for a stumping chance and it really looked tight to the naked eye. Seems Bairstow's foot is in the air. Is there something behind the line? The replays aren't quite conclusive. The TV umpire is trying different angles. "50-50" chirps Michael Atherton with a not-so-confident tone. England Engine room look nervous. The square leg umpire isn't sure. He goes up for a TV umpire review and after a long, long wait it's been adjudged not out and rightly so. One angle certainly showed that some part of Bairstow's foot was jusssst behind the line
Crikey! What happened there? Bairstow is out? Is it? I think so. The appeal is for a stumping chance and it really looked tight to the naked eye. QDK was quick to dislodge the bails. Seems Bairstow's foot is in the air. Is there something behind the line? The replays aren't quite conclusive. The TV umpire is trying different angles. "50-50" chirps Michael Atherton with a not-so-confident tone. England Engine room look nervous. Can someone guess the heart-rate of Bairstow now? Well, well. After an eternity. Here comes the decision. Oh no! Still the big-screen flashes "Decision pending." The barmies are awake meaning it's a NOT OUT and Bairstow can breathe a sigh of relief. Elgar can't believe it
54.3 -
Elgar to Bairstow, no run, tossed up just outside off, Bairstow prods forward in defence
54.2 -
Elgar to Bairstow, no run, strides forward and defends solidly
54.1 -
Elgar to Bairstow, no run, flat and outside off, left alone
Dean Elgar, left-arm orthodox, comes into the attack
The pitch has turned such that, if you're batsman batting on 99 you still can't say "I'm in." Not that scary but the Proteas are bowling well. In fact bowling their hearts out. Meanwhile here is Elgar to deliver left-arm offies
53.6 -
C Morris to Bairstow, 3 runs, full and on the stumps, Bairstow flicks square on the leg-side, he's running hard and this time gets back for three, retains the strike as well
53.5 -
C Morris to Bairstow, no run, beauty! Pitched short and evaded Bairstow's grope. He was hanging his bat to block but the ball straightened to beat the outside edge
53.4 -
C Morris to Bairstow, no run, serves up a short one that nipped back in a touch, catches Bairstow's thigh pad as he was late on the defence
53.3 -
C Morris to Bairstow, no run, smidge full just outside off, Bairstow drives and finds Amla at short cover
53.2 -
C Morris to Bairstow, 2 runs, Bairstow is pouncing on the short stuff. He punches this back of a length delivery wide of mid-off and hustles quickly. Gets desperate for a three but had it not been for that humorous slip (after completing the second), he would have made it
53.1 -
C Morris to Bairstow, no run, fuller just outside off, Bairstow creams the drive but to no avail, finds short cover to perfection
52.6 -
D Piedt to Moeen Ali, no run, sits inside the crease to present a solid block
52.5 -
D Piedt to Moeen Ali, no run, flatter around middle and leg, Ali blocks towards mid-on
52.4 -
D Piedt to Moeen Ali, no run, fuller from Piedt again, Ali strides forward and drives, only to find short cover
52.3 -
D Piedt to Moeen Ali, no run, slower through the air, Ali drives and finds short cover
52.2 -
D Piedt to Moeen Ali, no run, on the stumps, driven back towards the bowler
52.1 -
D Piedt to Moeen Ali, no run, floaty delivery, Ali leans forward to defend this to silly point
51.6 -
C Morris to Bairstow, no run, Morris is at his best today. He bowled really so far. This short delivery hurries onto Bairstow who was trying to fend. The ball pings the glove and dies down well in front of an excited backward short leg
51.5 -
C Morris to Bairstow, FOUR, as I mentioned earlier Bairstow ain't missing out on any short stuff. He jumps back and cuts fiercely behind backward point, well timed and no point chasing that lads
51.4 -
C Morris to Bairstow, no run, touch fuller in length, Bairstow blocks that towards short cover
51.3 -
C Morris to Bairstow, no run, down leg from a short length again, Bairstow lets it go
51.2 -
C Morris to Bairstow, leg byes, FOUR, oh! That looked like it has hit one of those cracks. Plenty of excitement as QDK dived in vain. That one rose higher than Bairstow expected as he tried to flick, the ball crashes the thigh pad and races away to the fine leg fence, beating QDK's desperate dive to his left
51.1 -
C Morris to Bairstow, no run, back of a length arrowed in to hit the off peg, Bairstow is on the walk punching that towards mid-off
50.6 -
D Piedt to Moeen Ali, no run, dished fuller and just outside off, Ali gets forward and blocks
50.5 -
D Piedt to Moeen Ali, 2 runs, Ali drives uppishly, places it through cover. That was a risky shot but he just managed to get it wide of the fielder. Van Zyl gives chase from point and does well to slide behind the ropes, to save a duo of runs
50.4 -
D Piedt to Bairstow, 3 runs, Bairstow is too good a player to miss out on short stuff. He sees the length and rocks back to chop this through cover to move into double-figures
50.3 -
D Piedt to Bairstow, no run, length on the stumps, Bairstow goes back and defends it to short mid-wicket
50.2 -
D Piedt to Bairstow, no run, looped full around off, Bairstow gets forward and drives to the floopy-hat Hashim Amla at mid-on
Well then! The floodlights are on at Newlands...
50.1 -
D Piedt to Bairstow, no run, floated on the stumps, Bairstow is well forward to defend that
49.6 -
C Morris to Moeen Ali, no run, repeat and repeat, Ali isn't taking any risks, judging the ball well, he's in the let-it-go mode
49.5 -
C Morris to Moeen Ali, no run, one can see the sorry look on captain Cook's face. The conditions look bleak and so do the England dressing room. They wouldn't have expected this for most part of this Test match. Coming to the delivery: same stuff, outside off, left alone
49.4 -
C Morris to Moeen Ali, no run, Morris keeps peckering that corridor of uncertainty, Ali judges well and shoulders arms
49.3 -
C Morris to Moeen Ali, no run, length on the stumps, Ali defends this onto the ground to the left of the bowler
49.2 -
C Morris to Moeen Ali, no run, angles in late but not close enough to make Moeen play
49.1 -
C Morris to Moeen Ali, 2 runs, drifts this full delivery into Moeen's pads, flicked elegantly through mid-wicket. But there is deep mid-wicket in situ and hence Ali can only get a double. "Oh I'm on strike again" - just guessing Ali's expression!
Chris Morris [9.0-4-13-1] is back into the attack
48.6 -
D Piedt to Bairstow, no run, sits on the back foot and negates the spin on this delivery. So England's intent is clear. BLOCK, BLOCK AND STAY IN THERE
48.5 -
D Piedt to Bairstow, no run, Bairstow hangs back and tucks this flattish delivery towards the same man, mid-wicket that is
48.4 -
D Piedt to Bairstow, no run, "nice ball DP, nice ball DP" yelps QDK behind the stumps after Bairstow clipped this towards mid-wicket
48.3 -
D Piedt to Bairstow, no run, floated full around off, Bairstow toe-ends the drive towards mid-off
48.2 -
D Piedt to Bairstow, no run, slower through the air, tucked to FSL
48.1 -
D Piedt to Bairstow, no run, spinning down leg, Bairstow turns with the spin but fails to make any contact on the tickle
47.6 -
Rabada to Moeen Ali, no run, this one's wide too and doesn't bounce much, QDK collects well after Ali left it alone
47.5 -
Rabada to Moeen Ali, no run, good length wider of off, Ali watches it sail through to the keeper
47.4 -
Rabada to Moeen Ali, no run, well looks like Ali is still jittery! He presses forward and dabs this short of length delivery with an open face, the ball lands well in front of an incoming backward point, lots of oohs and aahs
Morne has a word with Rabada and the youngster decides to bowl round the wicket now. Good piece of advice Morne? Only time will tell
47.3 -
Rabada to Moeen Ali, no run, well wide again, Moeen doesn't bother with it
47.2 -
Rabada to Moeen Ali, no run, angled further across, with vicious bounce too, doesn't draw any stroke from Ali who lifts his bat and lets it go
47.1 -
Rabada to Moeen Ali, no run, angled across the regal-bearded Moeen Ali who has a good look at it and lets it go
46.6 -
D Piedt to Bairstow, no run, goes back and across to dead-bat this flighted delivery in front of the helmeted FSL
46.5 -
D Piedt to Bairstow, no run, Bairstow isn't steady at the crease, especially when spinners are bowling. He moves a long way across to smother the spin on this delivery, no harm done though
46.4 -
D Piedt to Bairstow, no run, another one on the stumps, Bairstow clips but can't get it past mid-wicket
46.3 -
D Piedt to Bairstow, no run, walks across and presents a straight willow to this floaty delivery, the ball dribbles towards short mid-wicket
46.2 -
D Piedt to Bairstow, no run, fuller and outside off, Bairstow blocks towards point
46.1 -
D Piedt to Bairstow, no run, tossed up around off, Bairstow strides forward and turns towards short mid-wicket
45.6 -
Rabada to Bairstow, 3 runs, on the pads and Bairstow will pick you all day long, gets across slightly and flicks wide of Morne Morkel at mid-on who gives chase and saves a run
45.5 -
Rabada to Bairstow, no run, outside off from a good length, Bairstow lifts his bat and lets it go
45.4 -
Rabada to Bairstow, no run, targetting off from a fullish length, Bairstow walks across, presents the full face of the bat and yells out a loud "no no no no" to his partner
45.3 -
Rabada to Bairstow, no run, 134ks from Rabada, around the sixth, seventh stump line and Bairstow shoulders arms
45.2 -
Rabada to Bairstow, 2 runs, a bit fuller and that's enough for Bairstow who leans half-forward and drives crisply through cover
45.1 -
Rabada to Bairstow, no run, good length outside off, Bairstow exhibits solid defence towards short cover
"Dig in there, just conduct a sit-in," would be the orders from the dressing room. This has been rather tentative cricket from England. Being brought to their knees after posting over 600 in the first innings. Ben Stokes was the hero, and now he doesn't look as cool. Does he? Here's Rabada to start again...
44.6 -
D Piedt to Moeen Ali, no run, and the first hour is done with a stoic front foot defence. Time for some drinks!
44.5 -
D Piedt to Moeen Ali, no run, lobbed up on off and middle, forward and blocked
44.4 -
D Piedt to Moeen Ali, no run, slow, tossed up above Ali's eyeline, and lands on a fullish length on middle, Ali works it into the on-side in defence
44.3 -
D Piedt to Moeen Ali, no run, lots of air and dipping just outside off, Ali pokes it past silly point
44.2 -
D Piedt to Moeen Ali, no run, drifting in beautifully even as Ali had made his mind to leave. Didn't miss the off stump by a million miles
44.1 -
D Piedt to Moeen Ali, no run, teased up on off, Ali prods forward and defends
43.6 -
Rabada to Bairstow, no run, fraction full and wide of off, left alone
43.5 -
Rabada to Moeen Ali, 3 runs, oh boy, Ali's nerves are throbbing. He isn't sure whether to play or leave a delivery which is at least a foot outside off. Decides to leave in the end. But late to lift his bat. The ball runs off the face of the bat and wide of third slip. Again, it's de Villiers running sore from second slip and flicking it back in with a dive
43.4 -
Rabada to Bairstow, 1 run, squared up slightly but adjusts well to guide it in front of cover. Bairstow was on the hop to a back of a length delivery, straightened off the pitch on off, and he had to be quick
43.3 -
Rabada to Bairstow, no run, length ball very wide of off, Bairstow doesn't go searching for it
43.2 -
Rabada to Moeen Ali, 1 run, climbs awkwardly from a short of length, Ali works it off the gloves from under his arm-pit through mid-wicket
43.1 -
Rabada to Bairstow, 1 run, length ball angled into middle, works it through the vacant square leg region
42.6 -
D Piedt to Moeen Ali, no run, drifting in nicely from round the wicket, again a bit too full though. Ali defends it with bat and pad close
42.5 -
D Piedt to Moeen Ali, no run, too full on this occasion, Ali prods forward and defends
Moeen Ali, left handed bat, comes to the crease
42.4 -
D Piedt to James Taylor, out Caught by Bavuma!! Well, well. The wickets keep tumbling and South Africa keep believing. Turn and bounce, something which has been obsolete so far, now finds its voice. Tossed up outside off, enough revs imparted to make it dip further away from Taylor's defensive reach, kicks and spits on him while gripping, catches some part of the glove onto the thigh pad and pops up to Bavuma at short-leg. James Taylor c Bavuma b D Piedt 27(84) [4s-1 6s-1]
D Piedt to James Taylor, THAT'S OUT!! Caught!!
42.3 -
D Piedt to James Taylor, no run, not a lot of spin this time, Taylor pats it back down the pitch
42.2 -
D Piedt to James Taylor, no run, turning in from a length outside off, Taylor works it towards short leg
The depth of England's batting is such, geez there's Moeen Ali to come after this. Will take some doing to run through that lower order
42.1 -
D Piedt to Bairstow, 1 run, looped up on a fullish length outside off, Bairstow softly punches it wide of mid-off. Off the mark
41.6 -
Rabada to James Taylor, no run, tries to pick a back of a length delivery from off looking to work it away, fails to connect. Pinged on the thigh pad
41.5 -
Rabada to James Taylor, no run, fraction full outside off, draws Taylor across to defend, catches a thick inside edge towards mid-wicket
41.4 -
Rabada to James Taylor, no run, much wiser option. Wider outside off and left alone
41.3 -
Rabada to James Taylor, no run, dangles his bat away from the body to defend a back of a length delivery just outside off
41.2 -
Rabada to James Taylor, no run, back of a length delivery angled into off, Taylor shuffles across and works it towards mid-wicket
41.1 -
Rabada to James Taylor, no run, did that stay low? I think it was a combination of that and the fact that Taylor was late on his forward defence. Sneaked under the bat and through to de Kock
Jonny Bairstow, right handed bat, comes to the crease
40.6 -
D Piedt to Stokes, out Caught by M Morkel!! Swept again, this time in the air, and .. GONE! Oh Ben Stokes, what can you say? He's amazed us with some of the most belligerent Test match batting in the first innings. Now he's fallen trying to play that way. Actually, Piedt consulted Amla and a fielder was placed in the deep precisely for this after the previous ball. Tossed it in the same region outside off, this time pulled the length back slightly meaning Stokes wasn't able to keep his sweep down. Morkel backtracked from deep square leg, cupped it over his face and then stopped his momentum within a yard of the ropes. Stokes c M Morkel b D Piedt 26(34) [4s-4]
D Piedt to Stokes, THAT'S OUT!! Caught!!
40.5 -
D Piedt to Stokes, FOUR, shoveled! Plants his foot across with back knee bent, picks it from a length outside off, and sweeps it hard behind square. A real daisycutter
40.4 -
D Piedt to Stokes, no run, flatter trajectory outside off, left alone
40.3 -
D Piedt to Stokes, no run, lunges forward to a well flighted delivery drifting in nicely towards off, blocked
40.2 -
D Piedt to Stokes, no run, short and cut hard towards backward point. van Zyl dives to his left to field
40.1 -
D Piedt to Stokes, no run, ooooh, Stokes misread the length there. Played back to a ball very full and sliding towards middle. Perhaps played for the trajectory. Manages to keep it out
Dane Piedt [8.0-1-28-1] is back into the attack
39.6 -
Rabada to James Taylor, no run, forces Rabada to bowl to him. Right there to be flicked away off the pads. But misses out. Late to get his bat across and wears it on the thigh
39.5 -
Rabada to James Taylor, no run, and again. As I said. Anything shorter than a fuller length outside off, Taylor is ignoring it like one would ignore those tramps
39.4 -
Rabada to Stokes, 1 run, now overcompensates with one on the hips, tucked away through mid-wicket. There is protection in the deep
39.3 -
Rabada to Stokes, FOUR, lashed over gully. Too short, too wide, there is a flash and the top-edge flies out of the reach of any homosapien
39.2 -
Rabada to Stokes, 2 runs, a bit too short to cause trouble. Width as well. Stokes doesn't quite nail the square cut and ends up chopping it in front of point. Chased down
39.1 -
Rabada to Stokes, no run, what's happening? Everyone is coming in and tossing grenades now. Bowled on a length on middle, jags away off the deck beating Stokes's hanging willow
Kagiso Rabada [8.0-0-39-1] is back into the attack
38.6 -
C Morris to James Taylor, no run, another one of those comfortable leaves where you just don't need to do anything. Hardly need to spend a thought
38.5 -
C Morris to James Taylor, no run, short of length delivery slipping down leg, Taylor misses with his glance
38.4 -
C Morris to James Taylor, no run, jammed it back to the bowler. Very full and bending back in towards off, Taylor comes forward bending his back knee and looks to drill the drive. That was his undoing. Went too hard and chopped it into the turf
38.3 -
C Morris to James Taylor, no run, he is judging length well. Another short of a fuller length is being left alone
38.2 -
C Morris to James Taylor, no run, hops on the crease to mimic the bounce on this short of length delivery and fends it off with a loose grip
38.1 -
C Morris to James Taylor, no run, good length delivery around the fifth stump, Taylor ignores
37.6 -
M Morkel to Stokes, no run, length ball on off, Stokes props forward and offers a defensive push to mid-on
37.5 -
M Morkel to Stokes, no run, what a corker! Angled in on a back of a length and rips away, perhaps off a crack. Stokes looked to work it through the on-side with the angle, got in a complete tangle and was basted on the back thigh
37.4 -
M Morkel to Stokes, FOUR, ahh! Amazing on-drive. Pitched up and Stokes creams it straight of mid-on. Half a stride forward and punched
37.3 -
M Morkel to Stokes, no run, belted on a length way wide outside off, left alone
37.2 -
M Morkel to Stokes, no run, a nice, assured forward stride across to defend a length ball
37.1 -
M Morkel to Stokes, no run, short of length delivery just outside off, Stokes stands tall and drops it with soft hands
36.6 -
C Morris to James Taylor, no run, straying on the hips this time, tucked away to square leg
36.5 -
C Morris to James Taylor, no run, not quite balanced on the front foot and works it on the walk to mid-wicket
36.4 -
C Morris to James Taylor, no run, he's bowling really well here. Getting it to move and move late. Another indipper angled into the channel outside off, Taylor expects a little more movement and ends up playing inside the line. Lucky not to graze the edge
36.3 -
C Morris to James Taylor, no run, hooping back in late, rocks the splice of Taylor's forward defence
36.2 -
C Morris to James Taylor, no run, rearing up from a length but unfortunately Taylor had already shouldered arms given the line
36.1 -
C Morris to James Taylor, no run, falling down the leg-side, takes a piece of Taylor's pads through to the keeper
35.6 -
M Morkel to James Taylor, 1 run, crowd cheering for the 100 run-mark. What's this match come to. Back of a length delivery banking in towards Taylor's hips, bounces a bit more than he would have thought. Gives his gloves a pounding as he works it down towards fine leg
35.5 -
M Morkel to James Taylor, no run, and this is still further away outside off, Taylor wouldn't have been able to reach even if he tried
35.4 -
M Morkel to James Taylor, no run, back of a length delivery thudding into de Kock's paws. Too wide to be contemplated
35.3 -
M Morkel to James Taylor, 2 runs, that's the indipper, dished right up and angling in towards middle and leg. Taylor does have the tendency to fall across a bit too much. This time controls the flick well wide of fine leg
35.2 -
M Morkel to James Taylor, no run, plants his foot across and taps a length delivery towards gully
35.1 -
M Morkel to James Taylor, no run, shuffles across to cover the line of a back of a length delivery and blunts it into the on-side
Morkel loses his run-up and pulls off in his delivery stride..
34.6 -
C Morris to Stokes, 2 runs, now falls to the temptation of the open off-side field. Moves across on the back-foot and steers a back of a length delivery through the cover region. An easy couple before its hauled back in
34.5 -
C Morris to Stokes, no run, leaving Stokes on a good length, left alone
34.4 -
C Morris to Stokes, no run, a hint of inswing from a length on off, Stokes presses forward and pushes it on the up towards mid-on
34.3 -
C Morris to Stokes, FOUR, oh de Villiers, check your body please. Don't want to be losing him to some freakish injury, surely. Pitched right up on off, Stokes' feet aren't quite there as he aims a drive. Squeezes it off a thick edge between the slip cordon and gully. AB charges from second slip and throws himself head-first to flick it back. Doesn't get enough of a finger to do that
34.2 -
C Morris to Stokes, no run, and another. On a back of a length and angling away, nothing doing
34.1 -
C Morris to Stokes, no run, feelers keep getting sent for Stokes outside off, he is happy waving them by
Chris Morris [6.0-2-7-1] is back into the attack
Just one over after the break, and Piedt has been taken off. Here's Morris..
33.6 -
M Morkel to Stokes, 1 run, short ball seeking to rupture Stokes' rib-cage, he swivels a full 360 degrees on the back foot while helping the pull along the turf to fine leg
33.5 -
M Morkel to Stokes, no run, fraction full and outside off, but it's the new angle which gets Stokes pressing towards it. Pushes it with an open bat-face towards point
Switches to round the wicket..
33.4 -
M Morkel to Stokes, no run, jadzooka! That's speared into the blockhole. And with a hint of inswing as well. Stokes certainly had to hurry up. Does so and digs it out
33.3 -
M Morkel to Stokes, no run, waaay outside off, just one drive please? Not now, Morne
33.2 -
M Morkel to Stokes, no run, a tempter dangled out there on a length just outside off, Stokes is fighting all ingrained instincts so far. Holds his bat aloft
33.1 -
M Morkel to Stokes, no run, slanted across the left-hander who has another comfortable leave to boot
Three slips and a gully for Morkel as he steams in from over the wicket..
32.6 -
D Piedt to James Taylor, no run, whipped off the pads but picks out mid-wicket
32.5 -
D Piedt to James Taylor, no run, looped up and turning in towards off from a length, Taylor prods forward and blocks
32.4 -
D Piedt to Stokes, 1 run, short again, fingers a bit stiff I would imagine after Lunch. Cut hard through the point region. Sweeper cover does well to run around and keep the scoring to a single
32.3 -
D Piedt to Stokes, no run, slowish and shortish wide of off, Stokes rests his machete-like bat above his shoulders. Must have been tempted to wield it hard, but no
32.2 -
D Piedt to James Taylor, 1 run, lots of flight which tempts Taylor to use his feet, works it to the right of the bowler who dives across to make a half-stop
32.1 -
D Piedt to Stokes, 1 run, and drops it short first ball. Stokes camps back and chops it to sweeper cover
The clouds have been blown away by a pompous sun as the players walk back out. Can the hosts sustain their out-of-the-blue momentum? Certainly can't relent in intensity to make something out of it. Piedt to start off. Round the wicket to Stokes. Slip, short leg and leg-slip in place
For the first time in the match, a cloud cover welcomed the players as they strode out. And South Africa's pacers made the most of it extracting appreciable movement. Although, you could say they were lucky to unhinge the rival skipper with a strangle down leg. But there was nothing lucky afterwards. A stunning grab from Morris sent Hales packing, and he followed it up with an even better delivery to Joe Root. Just imagine if Rabada had held onto his flying effort to catch Taylor's top-edged sweep. Join us back to see if England manage to somehow blow this away..
Lunch, Day 5: England's dressing room - it's rumbling currently. They were looking relaxed 5 minutes earlier with Compton and Taylor looking solid. But with Piedt doing a brilliant dipping-job on the former, it's back to nervous-stations. The visitors didn't have much to play for coming into today, and now need to hold onto their horses. Another couple of quick wickets and we have a serious match on.
31.6 -
M Morkel to James Taylor, no run, "South Africa leave for lunch with a spring in their step" as Michael Atherton concludes the session on air. Well said Athers! Coming to the final delivery, smidgen fuller outside off, Taylor gets across and exhibits a solid, straight bat in defence
31.5 -
M Morkel to James Taylor, no run, still doesn't make him play, the line isn't threatening and Taylor will leave that all day long
31.4 -
M Morkel to James Taylor, no run, steams in hard and bowls a good length outside off, Taylor doesn't bother with it
31.3 -
M Morkel to James Taylor, no run, 142kmph from Morne, swinging down leg and beats Taylor's attempted flick, there was some noise as the ball passed the bat and QDK's appeal was more of an optimistic one
31.2 -
M Morkel to James Taylor, no run, well outside off and Taylor is happy to let that go through
31.1 -
M Morkel to James Taylor, no run, fuller just outside off, Taylor's gentle drive is intercepted at mid-off
30.6 -
D Piedt to Stokes, 2 runs, shortish and on the stumps, Stokes clips through mid-wicket and is off the mark with a double
30.5 -
D Piedt to Stokes, no run, floated up by Piedt, Stokes drives it to short cover
30.4 -
D Piedt to Stokes, no run, flighted delivery around off, blocked down the ground
Ben Stokes, left handed bat, comes to the crease
30.3 -
D Piedt to Compton, out Caught by du Plessis!! Goneeeeee! Faf ain't dropping that. Suddenly my mind goes back to Steven Smith's dismissal in the Ashes. It was a trap from Moeen and Cook and the Aussie skipper fell for it. It looked the same here. There was a straight short mid-wicket in place and why do you want play an on-drive, that too in the airrrrrr. This was looped up fuller and around off, Compton couldn't resist himself from driving. Gets it off the middle and hits it at around chest height to Faf who crouches low and accepts the offer. Replays showed that Compton's bat turned on impact and I reckon he was a tad too early on the shot. Compton c du Plessis b D Piedt 15(60) [4s-2]
D Piedt to Compton, THAT'S OUT!! Caught!!
30.2 -
D Piedt to Compton, no run, on middle and leg, Compton turns it to FSL
30.1 -
D Piedt to Compton, no run, on the stumps, Compton defends it to short leg
29.6 -
M Morkel to James Taylor, no run, serves up another length delivery outside off, Taylor is well forward defending this towards short cover
29.5 -
M Morkel to James Taylor, no run, good length outside off, Taylor defends off the back foot
29.4 -
M Morkel to James Taylor, no run, this one swung away outside off from a length, Taylor judges well and lets it go
29.3 -
M Morkel to James Taylor, no run, another jaffa from the giraffe! Draws Taylor forward with another full delivery that seamed away late, this time beats him on the outside edge, tough times for Taylor!
29.2 -
M Morkel to James Taylor, no run, beaten neck and crop! This full delivery nipped back in a touch and beat Taylor's attempted forward prod, beating him on the inside edge
29.1 -
M Morkel to James Taylor, no run, full on the stumps, driven to mid-on
Morne Morkel [9.0-4-16-1] is back into the attack
28.6 -
D Piedt to James Taylor, 1 run, put down by KG Rabada. That's a tough one but should have been taken. Cries of disappointment from the South Africans and one can understand why. Taylor kneels down and attempts a sweep to this full delivery from Piedt. It took the top-edge and travelled to the right of Rabada at short fine leg who made good ground to get there. Dived aerially and caught it with his right hand, somehow lost the balance when he landed onto the ground. Lots of oohs and aahs. He had control till his elbow hit the ground and the moment he landed he lost the grip of the ball
28.5 -
D Piedt to James Taylor, no run, quicker and attacking the stumps, Taylor tucks to FSL
28.4 -
D Piedt to James Taylor, no run, goes back and across to block this flighted delivery
28.3 -
D Piedt to James Taylor, FOUR, when there is plenty of air on the ball Taylor doesn't miss out. Stretches forward as far as he could and times the drive to perfection, beating Amla's dive (to his left) at mid-off
28.2 -
D Piedt to James Taylor, no run, on the bounce to Bavuma at FSL, floated up on the stumps, Taylor turns it with soft hands
28.1 -
D Piedt to James Taylor, no run, spun in slightly outside off, Taylor camps back and defends
27.6 -
C Morris to Compton, no run, Michael Atherton sums it up nicely - the story of the fifth day so far that is "More movement in the air than any other time in the game." This low full toss swung in sharply and Compton inside edges the drive onto his boot before it rolled towards backward point
27.5 -
C Morris to Compton, no run, pitched up on and around off, Compton drives off the inside half back towards Morris
27.4 -
C Morris to James Taylor, 1 run, tad short and at the batsman, Taylor rocks back and mistimes the pull past Bavuma at short leg, manages to sneak in a single as the ball dribbles towards mid-wicket
27.3 -
C Morris to James Taylor, no run, good length flinged in with good pace, angled in around off and Taylor blocks solidly into the ground before finding Amla at short cover
27.2 -
C Morris to James Taylor, no run, short of length and well outside off, Taylor jumps across and shoulders arms
27.1 -
C Morris to James Taylor, no run, fuller one around off and middle, Taylor drives gently and picks out short mid-wicket
26.6 -
D Piedt to James Taylor, 1 run, good use of the feet again, gets to the pitch of this delivery and drives past the bowler to keep strike
26.5 -
D Piedt to James Taylor, 2 runs, too full and Taylor slaps it through extra cover for a duo of runs, didn't time it that well. Got it off the toe-end and hence could only get a couple of runs
26.4 -
D Piedt to James Taylor, no run, another one fired full, Taylor turns it towards short mid-wicket
26.3 -
D Piedt to James Taylor, no run, spinning in from a fullish length, Taylor is solid in his defence
26.2 -
D Piedt to James Taylor, no run, on the stumps, blocked
26.1 -
D Piedt to James Taylor, SIX, twinkling footwork from Taylor, gets to the pitch of this flighted delivery and smacks it high and saling over long-off, stand and admire stuff
25.6 -
C Morris to Compton, no run, bouncer angled down leg, Compton tries to hook/pull but doesn't get any bat on that, stifled appeal but nothing from the umpire
25.5 -
C Morris to James Taylor, 1 run, on the pads and that's easily picked, clipped behind square for a single
25.4 -
C Morris to James Taylor, no run, another 140+ks stuff and Taylor just about manages to defend this with the full face of the bat
25.3 -
C Morris to James Taylor, no run, oh! Taylor affords a wry smile but I'm pretty sure he must be grimacing in pain. Rapped on the gloves is James Taylor and that's pacy, venomous stuff from Morris. Got good bounce and it climbs onto Taylor who was trying to block, got big on him and you would expect that as the tallest lad (I guess) is bowling to the shortest in this match
25.2 -
C Morris to James Taylor, no run, ooooof! Morris is making the ball talk, in fact he can make it sing with the kind of mood he is in today. Short of length angled in wildly as Taylor leaves and de Kock collects well (diving to his left)
25.1 -
C Morris to James Taylor, no run, the gangly Chris Morris steams in and bowls a length delivery to Taylor, the tiny lad got into a bit of tangle as he walked across and managed to defend this into the leg-side, looked funny to the naked eye
24.6 -
D Piedt to Compton, no run, floated up around off, Compton hangs back and blocks to short mid-wicket
24.5 -
D Piedt to Compton, no run, fraction fuller and outside off, Compton gets across and bends forward in defence
24.4 -
D Piedt to Compton, no run, slower and just outside off, Compton gets a good stride forward as he blocks this down the ground
24.3 -
D Piedt to Compton, no run, gets back and bunts this flighted delivery into the leg-side
24.2 -
D Piedt to Compton, FOUR, too straight from Piedt and Compton takes full toll of it. Allows the ball to turn in and then clips wide of the keeper, neatly done and he records his second boundary
24.1 -
D Piedt to Compton, no run, tossed up and targetting the stumps, blocked
23.6 -
C Morris to James Taylor, no run, on the stumps, driven to mid-on
23.5 -
C Morris to Compton, 1 run, and there you go again. Another hands-on-head moment for South Africa. They had created several chances this morning and this certainly is a half chance. Very tough one to grab though. Full delivery on the stumps, Compton falls over on the flick, just a tad. The ball loops up and lands well wide of a diving Rabada at mid-on, to his right and Compton crosses over for a quick single
23.4 -
C Morris to Compton, no run, ohhh! This one came back in a long way. He's giving a tough time to the batsmen and Jeez! Didn't he have a good day already. Pitched on a length and nipped back in sharply, not close enough to entice a stroke from Compton
23.3 -
C Morris to Compton, no run, 142ks, good length right in the corridor of uncertainty, Compton can't do much about it, left alone
23.2 -
C Morris to Compton, no run, full and straight, Compton drives gently towards mid-on
23.1 -
C Morris to Compton, no run, sprayed full but down the wrong line, going down leg and Compton misses on the flick shot, Morris knows it wasn't the right line to be bowling. Immediately puts his hand up and apologises
22.6 -
D Piedt to James Taylor, no run, slower through the air, Taylor goes hard on the drive and toe-ends it towards the fieldsman at mid-off
22.5 -
D Piedt to James Taylor, no run, spun in on the stumps, Taylor goes back and across to block that
22.4 -
D Piedt to James Taylor, no run, straighter one from Piedt, Taylor continues to show solid defence
22.3 -
D Piedt to James Taylor, no run, full on middle, Taylor turns it towards mid-wicket
22.2 -
D Piedt to James Taylor, no run, another one that's fuller outside off, Taylor does the blocking dance
22.1 -
D Piedt to James Taylor, no run, tossed up outside off, Taylor strides forward and blocks
21.6 -
C Morris to Compton, no run, pitched up outside off, Compton lets it go
21.5 -
C Morris to Compton, no run, wide of the crease and angled in on a fuller length on off, Compton gets forward to defend that solidly
21.4 -
C Morris to Compton, no run, full outside off, Compton leans into a flowing off-drive but can't beat mid-off
21.3 -
C Morris to Compton, no run, good length and angled back in, Compton shuffles across to defend
21.2 -
C Morris to Compton, no run, full and wide of off, left alone
21.1 -
C Morris to Compton, no run, full on off, Compton drives it back to Morris who fields
20.6 -
D Piedt to James Taylor, no run, very full and James Taylor is forward to block
20.5 -
D Piedt to James Taylor, no run, flicked to short mid-wicket
20.4 -
D Piedt to James Taylor, no run, flat and James Taylor defends off the back foot to short mid-wicket
20.3 -
D Piedt to James Taylor, 2 runs, too straight and too full, allows James Taylor to get forward and flick it through mid-wicket, the deep fielder gets around to field
20.2 -
D Piedt to James Taylor, no run, attacking line outside off, James Taylor gets forward to smother it with bat and pad close together
20.1 -
D Piedt to James Taylor, no run, tossed up outside off, bit of dust as the ball pitches in the rough, a mistimed drive to mid-off
19.6 -
C Morris to Compton, no run, fullish on off, Compton opens his stance and defends to mid-on
19.5 -
C Morris to Compton, no run, now on middle, Compton shuffles across slightly and nudges it to mid-on
19.4 -
C Morris to Compton, no run, good length and angled in, Compton gets forward and blocks solidly to mid-off
19.3 -
C Morris to Compton, no run, short of length outside off, Compton defends with soft hands to gully, shouts at James Taylor to get back as the fielder closes in
19.2 -
C Morris to Compton, no run, outside off, this time he lets it go
19.1 -
C Morris to Compton, no run, now Morris beats Compton outside off, good length outside off, Compton fiddled at it in trying to block and the ball passed the outside edge
18.6 -
D Piedt to James Taylor, no run, flat and defended off the back foot
18.5 -
D Piedt to James Taylor, no run, nearly finds Faf at short mid-wicket. Bit of dip on that tossed up delivery outside off, James Taylor was early into the drive, it took the thick inside half and looped tantalisingly close to the fielder, but despite the dive, Faf couldn't get anywhere near it. Another nervy moment for England
18.4 -
D Piedt to James Taylor, no run, short and down leg, James Taylor pulls and finds Rabada at backward square leg, if he got it wide of the man, it would've been a boundary
18.3 -
D Piedt to James Taylor, 2 runs, turning in, James Taylor nudges it to backward square leg, confusion between Rabada and AB and that goes between the two of them, there is a man in the deep who prevents the boundary
18.2 -
D Piedt to James Taylor, no run, tossed up and turning in, James Taylor gets forward and flicks to mid-wicket
A slip and a short leg in
18.1 -
D Piedt to Compton, 1 run, flicked to mid-wicket and that's a tight, tight single, to Faf. But Compton made it comfortably, stretching and sliding his bat in
Dane Piedt, right-arm off break, comes into the attack
17.6 -
C Morris to Compton, 1 run, good length outside off, Compton defends wide of point and there is a single on offer, which they take
17.5 -
C Morris to Compton, no run, short of length on the stumps, Compton defends off the back foot
17.4 -
C Morris to Compton, no run, and again, this time to mid-off. Morris bowling a stump-to-stump line
17.3 -
C Morris to Compton, no run, good length on off stump, solidly defended by Compton
17.2 -
C Morris to James Taylor, 3 runs, and he is off the King Pair with a fine flick wide of mid-on. Bit too straight from Morris and James Taylor gets forward to time the shot. Good enough for three
James Taylor, right handed bat, comes to the crease
Time for drinks as well. The first hour has been very entertaining and action-packed today. Unlike the last two days when the hosts just batted for survival. Rabada started it all off in the second over, getting Cook out caught down the leg-side. He has been out like that often recently. Is that a weakness? Yes it is. Then Hales edged one and a blinder from Morris who took a one-handed stunner to his right. Morkel got Root caught but it turned out to be a no-ball. Then Morris struck first ball just before the drinks break. England are still some way away from safety and with the overcast conditions on offer, South Africa will smell blood and look for more wickets. Makes for great cricket I suppose. Anyway here is James Taylor on a King Pair.
17.1 -
C Morris to Root, out Bowled!! The stumps are flattened. What a start for Morris. He is pumped. Root made that ball look better than what it actually was. That's the great thing about replays. They make everything crystal clear. To the naked eye it looked a great, great delivery. But replays show that it was angled in on a fuller length on off, Root was opened up by that and the bat was pointing to leg as he closed the face, the ball straightened past the edge and clattered into off and middle. A sorry sight for the batsman as he trudges off. So Root hasn't made use of the life that he got when Morkel overstepped. Still game very much on! Root b C Morris 29(29) [4s-5]
C Morris to Root, THAT'S OUT!! Bowled!!
Chris Morris, right-arm fast medium, comes into the attack
16.6 -
M Morkel to Compton, no run, was there an inside edge onto the pad? There were two sounds as the ball nipped back in from a fuller length, Compton got outside the line of off to defend and was struck on the pad. The stifled appeal dies down quickly
16.5 -
M Morkel to Compton, no run, short again, this time Compton ducks under that
16.4 -
M Morkel to Compton, no run, good length outside off, left alone
16.3 -
M Morkel to Compton, no run, full outside off, Compton aims for a big drive through cover, but gets a thick inside edge to square leg
16.2 -
M Morkel to Compton, no run, pitched up outside off, left alone
16.1 -
M Morkel to Compton, no run, Compton arched his back as far as he could. The front knee touched the ground, so shows how much he twisted his back of his. Very good short ball and expertly played by Compton as it came towards him. Anyone watching out there, that's the way to deal with the bouncer headed at you. A photographer's delight too
15.6 -
Rabada to Root, no run, slipping down leg, wasted delivery
15.5 -
Rabada to Root, no run, pitched up outside off, Root drives and finds mid-off
15.4 -
Rabada to Root, FOUR, Root is a very classy player and this is a fine shot. Fraction too full from Rabada, no swing and Root leans into an on-drive, beating mid-on. That raced off the bat. All timing too
15.3 -
Rabada to Compton, 1 run, now Compton defends to the right of mid-wicket and takes the single
15.2 -
Rabada to Root, 1 run, good length on the middle and leg line, pushed wide of mid-wicket for a single
15.1 -
Rabada to Root, 2 runs, full around the fourth stump line, late movement away and Root is opened up on the forward push, luckily the ball takes the outer half of the bat and goes through cover for a couple
14.6 -
M Morkel to Root, 1 run, hint of shape back in, Root hangs back and pushes it in front of mid-wicket, a quick single taken
14.5 -
M Morkel to Root, no run, fullish and Root gets forward to push it back to Morkel's left
14.4 -
M Morkel to Root, FOUR, overpitched on off stump and that's put away for four. Root flicking it wide of mid-on, relied on timing and placement and ensured he got four for it. Morkel a bit too full that time and made to pay for that error
14.3 -
M Morkel to Root, no run, ooh! This one comes back in sharply and that is a risky leave from Root. Covered his off stump and then saw it jag back in wickedly, not far from hitting off
14.2 -
M Morkel to Root, no run, good length outside off, left alone
14.2 -
M Morkel to Root, no ball, Third one down and Morkel has his second. That's the perfect line and length outside off, forces Root to make the mistake. Edging it behind. But has Morkel overstepped here? Looks very tight. Marginally Morkel's heel maybe not behind the line. This could go either way. When the first contact is made on the ground, the heel is in the air and that is a no-ball. Root will come back. What a waste that is. Morkel has been guilty of overstepping on many occasions in the past and the old problem comes back to haunt him. Rod Tucker was the third umpire and he reckoned that the heel was not behind the line. Must say to the naked eye, looked like there was nothing behind the line. Caught by AB at third slip, but it all comes to nought. Disappointment all around for the hosts
14.1 -
M Morkel to Root, no run, fullish on off, Root gets forward to defend it back to Morkel
13.6 -
Rabada to Compton, no run, down leg, Compton glances and misses
13.5 -
Rabada to Root, 1 run, tucks this from around the fourth stump line wide of mid-on, Piedt gives good chase and keeps it to a single, sliding to make the stop
13.4 -
Rabada to Root, FOUR, hit really well. Split the two men in the deep for the pull/hook shot. Short on the stumps, Root swivelled on the pull and rolled his wrists slightly, still it went in the air and bisected the two men trying to field that. Root has already moved to 16 at run-a-ball
13.3 -
Rabada to Root, no run, good length outside off, Root stands tall and punches to Amla at mid-off
13.2 -
Rabada to Root, no run, good length outside off, this time Root shoulders arms
13.1 -
Rabada to Root, no run, that's a walking drive and nearly Root edges it. It was well outside off and swinging away, Root reached out and tried to drive, no balance or in any position to play that and he is very lucky not to get a feather
12.6 -
M Morkel to Compton, no run, sliding down leg, Compton is having trouble against those deliveries, fails to flick and the ball hits the thigh pad before rolling to short leg
12.5 -
M Morkel to Compton, no run, full outside off, Compton shoulders arms
12.4 -
M Morkel to Compton, no run, outside off, left alone and de Kock fumbles
12.3 -
M Morkel to Compton, no run, short on the stumps, Compton is hurried onto the pull, can only glove it onto his thigh pad. That really was quick from Morkel and Compton had nowhere to go after deciding to play the pull
12.2 -
M Morkel to Compton, no run, full and nipping back in from outside off, Compton covers off and shoulders arms. Showed good judgement once again
12.1 -
M Morkel to Compton, no run, just short of Morris at third slip. That's a lifter from Morkel and he did well to make Compton play, not well handled by the batsman as he fended out in the air, luckily the ball dropped short of the big man
11.6 -
Rabada to Root, 2 runs, Root is busy at the crease, gets back and punches a length ball outside off through the cover region for a brace. That's 8 off the over for him
11.5 -
Rabada to Root, no run, pitched up, swinging away, Root lets it go
11.4 -
Rabada to Root, FOUR, that's squeezed away past the diving backward point. Very full outside off, Root's bat came down late and he got it wide of the fielder. Four more as there is no third man
11.3 -
Rabada to Root, 2 runs, sliding into middle and leg, Root gets forward and flicks it wide of mid-on for two more
11.2 -
Rabada to Root, no run, full outside off, Root gets forward and shoulders arms
11.1 -
Rabada to Compton, 1 run, back of a length on the stumps, clipped to fine leg, for a single
10.6 -
M Morkel to Root, no run, disappointing length delivery outside off, not close enough to make Root play, left alone
10.5 -
M Morkel to Root, no run, good length outside off, solidly pushed off the back foot to mid-off
Morkel is getting carried away. Not bowling the perfect line and length, using the conditions on offer to aid him. He is too short this spell and not making the batsmen play. Needs to get it right for Rabada is bowling really well at the other end
10.4 -
M Morkel to Root, no run, very short outside off, easy leave for Root
10.3 -
M Morkel to Root, FOUR, poor delivery from Morkel, gives Root a sighter, down leg, flicked to fine leg, beats a sprawling full-length dive from Rabada. Root is off the mark
10.2 -
M Morkel to Root, no run, good length outside off, Root hoists his bat over his head to leave
10.1 -
M Morkel to Root, no run, short outside off, Root lets it go
9.6 -
Rabada to Compton, no run, wide of the crease and bowled well outside off, left alone
9.5 -
Rabada to Compton, no run, this one comes back in the other way, indipper, raps Compton on the thigh pad as he went back and across to defend
9.4 -
Rabada to Compton, no run, pitched up outside off, left alone as the ball thuds into de Kock's gloves
9.3 -
Rabada to Compton, no run, sound as the ball beats the bat. But that was bat hitting the pad as Rabada bowled a fuller length delivery outside off, Compton poked at it and hit the pad. South Africa knew it and rightly don't review. Nervy times though for the batsmen
9.2 -
Rabada to Compton, FOUR, ooh! Rabada nearly squared Compton up there, got the edge but it went to ground and wide of third slip. Length on the stumps, Compton's bat came down at an angle and he was lucky that he got four
9.1 -
Rabada to Compton, no run, pitched up outside off, Compton gets forward and checks his drive, finds Amla at mid-off
Joe Root, right handed bat, comes to the crease
8.6 -
M Morkel to Hales, out Caught by C Morris!! WHAT.A.CATCH! Chris Morris again! This time with his right-hand. He took one with his left in the first innings. This is an even better catch. Hales punching a back of a length delivery outside off, and getting a thick outside edge, it was flying low and to the right of third slip, where the tall Morris stuck his right-mitt out and it stuck. It was past him and he grabbed it stretching full-length. That is sensational and he is all smiles. As are the other South Africans. England in early trouble. Do we have a game on now? Hales c C Morris b M Morkel 5(26)
M Morkel to Hales, THAT'S OUT!! Caught!!
8.5 -
M Morkel to Hales, no run, much more solid and better from Hales. Full on off, a rock-solid block off the front foot
8.4 -
M Morkel to Hales, no run, Hales is in trouble against that sort of ball from Morkel, maybe this time he was expecting the short one, was caught in an awkward position and by the time he wanted to defend that, it was past him, so close to taking the bottom edge on the way. Again lots of oohs and aahs from the South Africans. Morkel generated nice lift and carry from a good length there
8.3 -
M Morkel to Compton, 1 run, back of a length outside off, Compton drops it with soft hands in front of Amla at mid-off and takes the quick single
8.2 -
M Morkel to Compton, no run, that has come back in a touch but Compton is a very good leaver of the ball outside off, covers his off stump and then shoulders arms
8.1 -
M Morkel to Compton, no run, dug in short outside off, Compton takes the bat and the gloves out of the way to leave
7.6 -
Rabada to Hales, no run, still further wide of off, easier leave
7.5 -
Rabada to Hales, no run, outside off, left alone
7.4 -
Rabada to Compton, 1 run, good length outside off, defended wide of Amla at mid-off and Compton is off the mark
7.3 -
Rabada to Compton, no run, good first ball from Rabada, gets it to shape back in and if not for the inside edge onto the pad from Compton the ball was crashing into middle and leg, Compton fell over on the flick and only the nick saved him. But that was a waste of a review from South Africa and now they have only one remaining till the 80th over. Rabada though seems to be running in well and bowling with good rhythm
Ooh! South Africa have gone up for a review against Nick Compton first ball. Not out for lbw. Big inside edge and that's a wasted review. Amla and Rabada had a chat and then the skipper went up. To the naked eye too, it looked like there was an edge and the replays proved it. Two sounds as the ball nipped back in
Nick Compton, right handed bat, comes to the crease
7.2 -
Rabada to Cook, out Caught by de Kock!! Cook has been strangled down leg. And he walks off. No review which suggests that he has nicked it. Swinging down leg, Cook got leg-side to clip the ball, got a faint edge and de Kock made no mistake. Up went the finger from Aleem Dar in a flash. That's the early wicket that South Africa were looking for and Rabada has provided it in the second over of the day. Cook c de Kock b Rabada 8(27) [4s-1]
Rabada to Cook, THAT'S OUT!! Caught!!
7.1 -
Rabada to Cook, no run, full down leg, Cook flicks and misses
6.6 -
M Morkel to Hales, no run, back to leaving as Morkel probes away outside off
6.5 -
M Morkel to Hales, no run, hands on heads for the South Africans. Good delivery, nipped back in towards off, Hales was late on the defence and the bottom edge didn't go back on to hit off, neither did it carry to the keeper. Hales should consider himself a bit lucky there
6.4 -
M Morkel to Hales, no run, dug in short outside off, left alone and taken with a leap by de Kock one-handed to his right
6.3 -
M Morkel to Hales, no run, the line is well outside off, easy leave
6.2 -
M Morkel to Hales, no run, pitched up outside off, Hales gets forward and drives to Amla at mid-off
6.1 -
M Morkel to Hales, no run, well outside off, wasted again
Bavuma is very deep at short leg
6.1 -
M Morkel to Hales, no ball, Morkel oversteps first up, delivers a wide length ball outside off, left alone
The South Africans are in a huddle. AB leads the cheerleading there. Everyone are in rapt attention to what he has to say. It is a slightly overcast day after four days of glorious sunshine. Should help the ball to swing and seam. Morkel has the ball and will bowl to Hales. Three slips and a gully in place. Here we go...
After some serious head-banging to predict the unfoldings of today, my mind went back to the Pakistan-England Test at Abu Dhabi which I had the misfortune to cover. That one saw the second innings (of the match) being declared on the final Day. And yet, hadn't it been for bad light, England would have emerged victorious with ease. Can something similar happen on this very day. Can't see South Africa losing it actually. No chance. But if they can fold England up within two sessions. Who knows?
10:00 Local Time, 08:00 GMT, 13:30 IST: "The game is ON," as the protagonist from my favourite TV series would say (no guesses which). Only, IT ISN'T here in Cape Town. But you know what, after seeing Sydney turn into Atlantis for the SCG Test, I'm grateful we will be getting some cricket to watch in the tranquility of the Table Mountain. I mean really, can we even complain? So on that note, welcome all to our live coverage on Day 5 here at - arguably the most must-visit grounds - Newlands.
After coming close enough to the opposition's score, Amla decided to have a little dart at the English openers before the close which didn't bear much fruit. It leaves us with a rather daunting Day 5 in prospect. Unless something utterly dramatic happens - to the level of Chris Gayle turning cold turkey - we know where this is headed. We'll see you tomorrow then. Cheers!
Amla and Faf du Plessis got us underway with some of the most obdurate blocking you'll ever have the pleasure of witnessing. That was before Amla got a tad restless and decided he needed to complete his double hundred before Lunch - which, by the way, he did achieve. The hosts threatened to blow their hard work in the second session which saw three wickets falling in quick succession before the now-ton-up Bavuma and Morris allayed those fears. The short-statured Bavuma found himself treated to a lot of short stuff which he dismissed imperiously with some stocky pulls. England were heroically bad with their catching. Can't quite remember how many they dropped because .. well, I was doing a finger-count and ran out of them.
Stumps, Day 4: There were two occasions that this Newlands crowd truly found its voice. First, when Temba Bavuma completed a fifty, and next when he converted it into a ton. Of course there were big cheers for Hashim Amla who went on to compile a double hundred but nowhere near the frenzy which the 25-year old hometown boy created. The rest of the day was .. if I might call it .. dull.
5.6 -
Rabada to Hales, 1 run, short of length delivery outside off stump, Hales pushes it off the back foot to cover. So the England openers have managed to survive a tricky period. The South African players congratulate Bavuma for his hundred as they leave the field. Big Morne hugs the little man and has a chat with him. In fact, Temba leads the South African players off the field
5.5 -
Rabada to Hales, no run, short of length delivery on the stumps, Hales defends off the back foot
5.5 -
Rabada to Cook, no ball, 1 run, another no-ball as Rabada crosses the line once again, oh looks like Cook has hit Temba at short leg with this pull shot. In fact, it hit him on the full on his left bicep, thankfully no harm done, certainly can't term that as a dropped chance
5.4 -
Rabada to Hales, 1 run, easy length delivery on the leg stump, Hales flicks it along the ground through mid-wicket and gets off strike
5.4 -
Rabada to Hales, no ball, short of length delivery on the stumps, Hales turns it to short leg. That's a big no-ball, he was over the line by a long distance. Anyway, he gets an extra ball to bowl at the batsman now
5.3 -
Rabada to Hales, no run, nicely bowled. Rabada attacks the off stump with a length ball, Hales defends off the front foot
5.2 -
Rabada to Hales, no run, short of length delivery on the off stump, Hales defends it to short leg
5.1 -
Rabada to Hales, no run, short and down the leg-side, Hales sits under it
Last over of the day coming up
4.6 -
M Morkel to Cook, no run, short of length delivery on the off stump, Cook defends off the back foot
4.5 -
M Morkel to Cook, no run, similar line from Morkel, the length was slightly fuller this time, Cook shoulders arms again
4.4 -
M Morkel to Cook, no run, good leave! Good length delivery angled across, Cook gets a stride forward, covers the off stump and then lifts his bat to let it go
Finn is padded up, just in case England need a nightwatchman
4.3 -
M Morkel to Cook, no run, full and outside off stump, Cook leans forward and lets it go
4.2 -
M Morkel to Cook, no run, down the leg-side, Cook won't play at those with the close of play just around the corner
4.1 -
M Morkel to Cook, no run, full and outside off stump, Cook shoulders arms
3.6 -
Rabada to Cook, 1 run, short ball from Rabada, Cook pulls it to long leg
3.5 -
Rabada to Cook, no run, can't say that's a good leave. That was too close for comfort. Cook trusted the bounce and left it on a length, the ball just flew over middle and off. If only it had kept a bit low, it would have shattered the sticks
3.4 -
Rabada to Cook, no run, short of length delivery on the leg stump, Cook defends into the on-side
3.3 -
Rabada to Cook, FOUR, short and on the stumps, Cook rocks back and pulls well, rolls his wrists on the shot to keep it along the ground, the ball runs away through mid-wicket
3.2 -
Rabada to Hales, 1 run, in the airrrr and Temba almost pulls it off at short leg. Short of a length delivery on the leg stump, Hales checks his flick, hits it uppishly, Bavuma flies to his left but it evades him. Couldn't even get a fingertip to it as it went quickly
3.1 -
Rabada to Hales, no run, full ball from Rabada, not close enough to make Hales play
2.6 -
M Morkel to Cook, no run, short of length delivery outside off stump, left alone
2.5 -
M Morkel to Cook, no run, beaten! Top nut from Morkel. Good length delivery drawing the batsman forward, it was just outside off stump and Cook had to play at it, the England captain, as always wasn't fully forward, tried to defend and almost outside-edged it to the keeper
2.4 -
M Morkel to Cook, no run, shortish from Morkel, Cook pulls it towards backward square leg
2.3 -
M Morkel to Cook, no run, on a length and angled across, ignored
2.2 -
M Morkel to Cook, no run, off stump line, Cook defends to mid-off
2.1 -
M Morkel to Cook, no run, short of length delivery outside off stump, Cook shoulders arms. Oxenford almost yelled "noooo" as he saw Morkel almost overstep the line and then apologised to everyone
So no help from the pitch for both the opening bowlers.
1.6 -
Rabada to Cook, 1 run, on the leg stump, worked away to mid-wicket and he'll keep the strike
1.5 -
Rabada to Cook, no run, short enough for Cook to defend off the back foot
1.4 -
Rabada to Cook, no run, short of length delivery on the leg stump, Cook turns it into the on-side
1.3 -
Rabada to Cook, no run, good leave. Cook knew exactly where he was standing, didn't cover the off stump but trusted himself and left it on a length, that one zoomed over the off stump
1.2 -
Rabada to Cook, no run, short and rising on the batsman, Cook hops and tucks uppishly, Temba moves to his right at deepish backward short leg and stops the ball. The South Africans were excited for a bit, but it fell well short of Temba
1.1 -
Rabada to Cook, no run, shortish and just outside off stump, Cook hops and defends
Kagiso Rabada, right-arm fast, comes into the attack
Nothing in the air or off the surface for Morkel in that opening over. Let's see what Rabada has in store!
0.6 -
M Morkel to Hales, no run, "wait onnnnn," says Hales, after defending this length delivery towards point off the front foot
0.6 -
M Morkel to Hales, no ball, Morkel bends his back for this bumper, but he crosses the line and umpire Bruce Oxenford spots it. Short and outside off stump, Hales lets it go. That one carried through nicely to the keeper
0.5 -
M Morkel to Hales, no run, short of length delivery outside off stump, too wide to make the batsman play
0.4 -
M Morkel to Hales, 2 runs, too straight and Hales is good off his pads, full and angled in, Hales flicks it through mid-wicket for an easy two
0.3 -
M Morkel to Hales, no run, good length delivery outside off stump, left alone
0.2 -
M Morkel to Cook, 1 run, Cook opens his account with a tuck off the back foot to mid-wicket, played with soft hands and hit the gap as well
Four slips and a gully waiting for the edge
0.1 -
M Morkel to Cook, no run, short and down the leg-side, not the ideal start from Morkel
Cook and Hales are at the crease. Cook is on strike. M Morkel will open the attack