Proteas’ backs against the wall
TEMBA BAVUMA STEADFAST AT THE CREASE ON 48 RUNS
Moeen Ali and Stuart Broad both starred with bat and ball to leave England wellplaced come the close of the second day of the first Test against South Africa at Lord’s yesterday.
Ali made 87 and Broad an unbeaten 57 – his first Test 50 in four years – as England piled up 458 all out in their first innings.
The pair then shared four wickets between them to reduce South Africa to 104/4, with Ali completing the Test all-rounder’s double of 2 000 runs and 100 wickets by striking twice with his off-spin.
But Temba Bavuma (48 not out) and Theunis de Bruyn (48) realised crease occupation alone would not get South Africa out of the hole they were in.
But de Bruyn, only playing because regular captain Faf du Plessis was on “paternity leave”, fell for 48 shortly before the close and at stumps the Proteas were 214/5 – still 244 runs behind in the first of this four-Test series.
Nightwatchman Kagiso Rabada was nine not out.
England resumed on 357/5, with Joe Root 184 not out in his first Test as England captain. Ali was 61 not out and just 12 runs away from reaching 2 000 in Tests.
England twice lost two wickets for no runs in three balls yesterday yet still got beyond 450 thanks to an entertaining last-wicket stand of between Broad and James Anderson.
Root had made the most of being missed several times on Thursday to lead an England recovery after the hosts had been in trouble at 76/4. But the first chance he gaveyesterday brought about his downfall on 190 – the highest score by an England captain in his first Test in charge, surpassing Alastair Cook’s 173 against Bangladesh in 2010.
There was no reprieve when the 26-year-old Yorkshireman was caught behind off fast bowler Morne Morkel – denied a wicket on Thursday by a no-ball.
Two balls later, Liam Dawson was lbw to Morkel for a duck.
The first over after the drinks break again saw England lose two wickets, with Ali falling in sight of a sixth Test century when bowled trying to drive Rabada.
An undaunted Broad, who made his Test-best 169 against Pakistan at Lord’s in 2010, struck shots worthy of his father Chris, the former England opener.
South Africa’s Dean Elgar tried to lead from the front in a match where he too was captaining in a Test for the first time.
After the early loss of debutant opening partner Heino Kuhn, the left-hander displayed his customary resilience during a 90-ball 50.
But Hashim Amla, so often a thorn in England’s side, was out for just 29 when lbw to a sharply turning off-break from Ali.
After tea, Elgar fell for his interval score of 54 when caught off bat and pad by Gary Ballance at short leg as Ali, in his 38th match at this level, became the fifth-quickest player in Test history to do the “double”.
South Africa’s 98/3 became 105/4 when JP Duminy (15) was plumb lbw to Broad. But Bavuma, unafraid to drive Ali down the ground, counter-attacked. De Bruyn offered good support until he was caught behind after carelessly pushing away from his body at Anderson. – AFP