Broad’s looking so sharp
DIVISION TWO leaders Nottinghamshire are well on their way to racking up another victory.
Trent Bridge visitors Gloucestershire buckled in the face of the hosts’ 430-9 declared and were dismissed for 149 despite a defiant 53 from skipper Phil Mustard.
Stuart Broad (below) and Luke Fletcher took three wickets apiece.
They were asked to follow on and ended day two on 37-1 to still trail by 244 runs.
Second-placed Kent are well in control against Sussex.
After posting 369 in their first innings, Kent dismissed their visitors for 164 with Darren Stevens taking 5-40.
However, skipper Sam Northeast decided not to enforce the follow on and his batsmen responded by reaching the close at 116-0 with Daniel BellDrummond on 68* and Sean Dickson 42*.
The runs continued to flow on day three at Derby as Derbyshire, replying to Leicestershire’s mammoth 619, reached 532-8 to trail by only 87.
There were centuries from captain Billy Godleman (141) and Shiv Thakor (132).
Stokes cashed in on his remarkable early fortune as his century helped England score 330-6 at the Ageas Bowl.
Half-centuries from Quinton de Kock (98), David Miller (71*) and AB de Villiers (52), and some late big hitting from Chris Morris, then took South Africa to the brink of a series-levelling victory.
But defending seven runs from the last over, Mark Wood (right) held his nerve to restrict the tourists to 328-5 and give England an unassaible 2-0 lead ahead of the final game at Lord’s tomorrow.
Stokes said: “It’s always nice hitting the ball well and knowing you’re in a bit of form.
“These one-dayers are a great opportunity for that, and for the whole team, and we’ve seen Jos hitting the ball nicely too, which is great for us going forward.
“Hopefully we can just continue this form into the Champions Trophy.”
Stokes, cleared to play after a knee injury scare in the series opener, was dropped twice before going on to equal his career-best 101, hitting 11 fours and three sixes from 79 balls.
On a day of six dropped catches by South Africa, it was Stokes who made them pay most heavily, along with Jos Buttler’s unbeaten 65 and telling runs too from skipper Eoin Morgan (45).
After England had been put in under heavy cloud cover, Jason Roy’s lean run continued when Kagiso Rabada took his off stump
Alex Hales had just been dropped at long-on off Keshav Maharaj when he edged an attempted cut to De Kock off Dwaine Pretorius.
Joe Root batted well but was then cut off in his prime, run out backing up when Pretorius deflected a drive by Morgan on to the stumps.
Morgan lived dangerously, but his fourth-wicket WORLD No.1: Murray