BRITISH RIVALS ARE
FIGHTING TALK: Chris Eubank Jr (left) CHRIS EUBANK JR is hoping to fight George Groves within a year after promising to stop Arthur Abraham on Saturday.
Victory over the Armenian will earn Eubank a place in the new World Boxing Super Series, an eight-man knockout tournament which features Groves and Callum Smith.
The Englishman, 27, only stepped up to super-middleweight in his last fight but is already chasing Groves and James DeGale, who hold the WBA and IBF world titles. The
The Proteas toiled in the Lord’s sunshine and now face an uphill task to avoid defeat with two days to go. England closed on 119-1 for an overall lead of 216 that they will look to extend for most of today, before having a dart at the tourists on a wearing surface.
It has so far proven a happy Test baptism for new captain Joe Root, after his sparkling 190.
His predecessor Cook also appears to be enjoying his new life since he resigned the captaincy after more than four years in charge.
It was not the most fluent innings from the Essex man but nonetheless he denied South Africa any sniff of a fightback with his 164-ball effort. Gary Ballance was unbeaten at stumps on 22.
England’s James Anderson said of Cook: “He does seem more relaxed without the captaincy. It will have been a strange week for him with a new captain here, I’m sure he’s missing it.
“But at the same time it’s an opportunity for him to show people he’s still capable of scoring runs, like he’s been doing for Essex.”
Cook put on 80 for the first wicket with South Africa-born Keaton Jennings. He never let his lack of fluency bother him and was happy to battle on, in what was his 54th Test half-century.
England were largely untroubled on a lifeless pitch but Jennings was lucky not to be caught on 28 when he edged through vacant third slip off Morne Morkel.
He departed soon after, edging Morkel to wicketkeeper Quinton de Kock for 33 when flashing loosely outside off stump.
South Africa were operating with a skeleton attack having come into the match with just three seamers and one front-line spinner.
And one of those seamers Vernon Philander was unfit to bowl yesterday after being hit on the hand by an Anderson delivery.
England removed both overnight batsmen Temba Bavuma (59) and night-watchman Kagiso Rabada (27) after the introduction of spin.
Rabada nicked left-armer Liam Dawson to Jonny Bairstow, then Moeen Ali had Bavuma caught at slip by Ben Stokes after a deflection off Bairstow.
The double strike was followed by a battling 66-run stand between de Kock (51) and Philander.
De Kock’s enterprising innings included 10 boundaries and was the second-fastest Test match half-century in a Lord’s Test. Only Kapil Dev scored a faster Lord’s 50. The wicketkeeper, who opens in one-day cricket, was eventually caught by Stokes in front of point off Anderson. The impressive Moeen finished with 4-59. Bavuma said: “England are in a strong position at the moment, there’s no hiding from that. But we have been in this position before. “We will just try to stay as optimistic as possible and hope an opportunity comes our way.” NICK PARKINSON Brighton bruiser is expected to enter the Super Series which starts in September and target Groves if he beats former world champion Abraham at Wembley Arena.
Eubank said: “Entering that tournament is definitely an option that we will look into after the Arthur Abraham fight.
“Groves has the title and it’s naturally an option we will look into. A belt is a belt so