Bug-hit England lose first Test to South Africa
▶ Losing captain Root admits illness took its toll on team as they fall to 107-run defeat in first Test
England failed to complete another mission impossible as they bowed out of 2019 with a 107-run defeat in the Boxing Day Test against South Africa yesterday.
The tourists arrived at Centurion’s SuperSport Park harbouring hopes of another improbable victory and a record chase of 376, channelling memories of their World Cup final win at Lord’s and the Ashes miracle at Headingley, but found themselves all out of escape acts.
Even Ben Stokes, the starring act in both of those dramas, could not find it in himself to defy cricketing logic one more time.
Against a talented South African attack they were bowled out for 268 late on the fourth afternoon to go 1-0 behind in the four-match series.
A virus that swept through the England camp hardly helped preparations.
Ten England players and four support staff had been laid up at one time or another over the last 15 days since the side arrived in South Africa as a mystery bug hit the squad, as they lost by 107 runs at Centurion Park.
Several were quarantined, including Ollie Pope, who missed out on playing, and key bowlers Jofra Archer and Stuart Broad battled to be fit in time for the opener.
The squad was also rocked when Stokes’ father suffered a stroke soon after arriving in Johannesburg to watch his son play but is now out of intensive care.
“We are not going to hide behind that as an excuse but a lot of our squad have been taken ill over the last two weeks,” Root said. “We’ve had to deal with a lot; Ben in particular with that horrible thing with his father.
“So there has been a lot thrown at the squad over the last weeks and I think everyone has tried to deal with it as best they can.
“There are certain things you try to control but some that you can’t. We’ve done very well that it did not affect as many it could. It was frustrating but it has happened now and hopefully the illness has now passed the camp and we can all be fighting fit and ready to go for Cape Town and bounce back very quickly from this match.”
Root said his team had shown much fight and character but mostly from a position of adversity.
Root felt England’s first-innings collapse was central to their defeat.
“That’s where the game was won and lost,” he said. “It’s really disappointing but in the same sense it’s really pleasing to see us very quickly put in a better performance in the second innings.” On the positives he would take into the second Test, Root said: “I think pretty much everyone has been ill now, so hopefully that’s out of the way!”
Kagiso Rabada proved the destroyer-in-chief with 4-103, assisted by Anrich Nortje who took 3-56.
“Our bowling unit was very effective and it is a massive confidence booster for our team,” said South Africa captain Faf du Plessis after ending a run of five successive Test defeats.
“We played with great skills over the last two days with contributions from everyone.” England had been hoping for heroics in a delicately poised contest as they started the day on 121-1 and still looked capable of a dramatic win despite losing two wickets by lunch.
But the turning point proved the key wickets of Root and all-rounder Stokes.
Stokes, who had led England’s highest ever successful run chase when they scored 362-9 at Headingley to beat Australia earlier this year, was bowled by spinner Keshav Maharaj for 14 just as he and Root were increasing the run rate after England had gone to lunch
on 171-3.The second new ball then accounted for Jonny Bairstow, who hit a boundary off Rabada before edging the second delivery of the 81st over to gully, where Zubayr Hamza took a sharp catch.
Root battled his way to 48 before being caught behind, effectively ending England’s hopes. He was undone by a fuller delivery from Nortje, playing a poor shot outside off stump and getting a nick through to wicketkeeper Quinton de Kock.
“We turned up today with a real belief that we could win but unfortunately we weren’t able to do it,” Root said. The last four wickets followed quickly thereafter as the tail was swept away by Rabada and Nortje.
Rory Burns (84) and Joe Denly (31) were dismissed before lunch to tip the contest in the home team’s favour.
South Africa have added uncapped batsman Keegan Petersen to their squad for the second Test that begins in Cape Town on January 3.
He replaces opener Aiden Markram, who broke a finger during fielding practice on Day 2 and has been ruled out of the rest of the fourmatch series.