England in command at Wanderers
JOHANNESBURG: England proved devastating with both bat and ball on Saturday as they scored 400 runs in their first innings and then reduced sorry South Africa to 88 for six wickets at the close of play on the second day of the fourth Test at Wanderers.
A record 10th-wicket stand saw England amass a formidable first-innings total before rampaging through the home’s team batting order to move closer to a series victory.
Quinton de Kock was 32 not out at close after Anrich Nortje was caught in the slips on the last ball of the day, heightening the possibility of South Africa following on for a second successive Test.
The home side’s confidence had already taken a hefty knock when their bowlers were subjected to a bashing from tailenders Stuart Broad and Mark Wood, whose 82-run partnership was a record for the last wicket at the Johannesburg venue.
Mark Wood led the way in the evening with 3-21 as England removed Pieter Malan (15), Rassie van der Dussen (0), Dean Elgar (26), Faf du Plessis (3) and Temba Bavuma (6) with their five-man seam attack.
STOKES FINED BY ICC
England all-rounder Ben Stokes has been fined 15 per cent of his match fee for swearing at a spectator on Friday.
Stokes also received one demerit point for a level one breach of the ICC Code of Conduct. Stokes apologised for his angry exchange with a fan during the fourth and final Test against South Africa but claimed he was the victim of “repeated abuse”.
Stokes described his reaction at the Wanderers as “unprofessional”. English cricket chiefs, however, claimed staff and players were also subjected to “personal abuse during and after the day’s play”. Stokes stopped briefly as he left the field after being dismissed for just two and appeared to challenge a spectator, who evidently insulted him. “Come say that to me outside the ground, you f***ing four-eyed c**t,” Stokes said, according to television footage captured as he left the field and started to climb the steps leading to the dressing room. Witnesses told the Guardian newspaper that a middle-aged man, wearing a South Africa oneday cricket team shirt, had targeted Stokes, allegedly calling him a “ginger c**t” and likening him to pop star Ed Sheeran. Brief scores: England 1st inngs , overnight 192-4, 400 all out (Z Crawley 66, J Root 59, O Pope 56, Philander 2-50, Nortje 5-110) vs South Africa 1st inngs 88-6 (D Elgar 26, Q de Kock 32*,
M Wood 3-21)