A BRIDGE OF SIGHS
Reality check for Root as Proteas take charge
JOE ROOT saw his short-lived honeymoon period as England skipper come to a sudden halt in Nottingham yesterday as South Africa took control.
Everything went Root’s way at Lord’s in the first Test when he notched 190 and his side won the match by 211 runs.
But here at Trent Bridge things have been very different.
Root led a lone fighting effort in England’s innings with a fluent 78 and James Anderson impressed with 6-17 (over two innings) on an eventful second day, when the Proteas got on top.
England face a daunting challenge to prevent the South Africans from squaring the four-match series.
Day two started so well for Root’s men when Anderson removed the last four remaining wickets in helpful, murky conditions, as the tourists were all out for 335.
But England collapsed immediately to 3-2 before Root’s brave rally.
They looked to have got themselves back in the game at 143-3 but then collapsed to 205 all out.
At stumps South Africa were in a solid position at 75-1, with dependable opener Dean Elgar 38 not out and the unflappable Hashim Amla on 23.
The steady start to their second innings meant South Africa led by 205 runs at the close and England would have been glad to get off and start afresh today.
Only rookie opener Heino Kuhn perished for the Proteas, edging Anderson to Root at second slip for eight.
Elgar took a blow on the arm and played and missed on several occasions to Stuart Broad but once he settled, neither he nor Amla looked to be in any trouble.
It is a shame the same could not be said of England, whose innings lasted just four hours and six minutes.
Alastair Cook fell early to the ever-probing Vernon Philander, managing just three before an inside edge on to his pad was caught by wicketkeeper Quinton de Kock.
Keaton Jennings is doing little to confirm himself as Cook’s long-term opening partner and he nicked Morne Morkel to De Kock for a duck.
Gary Ballance temporarily stopped the rot with Root, taking the score to 86 before he was cl e a ned up by Philander.
Yorkshire pair Root and Jonny Bairstow looked more assured and Root sped to his 50 off just 40 balls, with nine counter-attacking boundaries
The skipper was threatening Graham Gooch’s record for the quickest Test century by an England captain – 95 balls against India in 1990 – before his free- flowing innings ended.
It seemed likely he would play one crashing drive too many and that was the case when he nicked Morkel to de Kock for 78 off 76 deliveries. It was a brave fighting effort from Root but England needed more than a cameo, as his team-mates failed to support him.
Ben Stokes looked out-of-sorts in his 12-ball duck, edging to the keeper off left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj, who then bowled Bairstow for 45 with the ball of the match that spun sharply.
Moeen Ali surrendered meekly with a lofted drive to point off Chris Morris, who blew away the England tail with figures of 3-38.
Maharaj was also effective in seaming conditions with 3-21.
England conceded a first-innings deficit of 130, which would seems too great a gap to claw their way back from.
South Africa were blown away in the first hour by King of Swing Anderson on his most productive ground.
He took 4-4 in his 3.2 overs of the morning session, as the floodlights dazzled against the dark grey sky.
Philander prodded a short ball to Liam Dawson at cover for 54 and Maharaj edged to Root for a duck.
All-rounder Morris scored a useful 36 until he made a mess of another shorter one and then Morkel edged behind to give Anderson figures of 5-72.
Anderson said: “We are in a tricky position. It was not a great day for us.
“We did well to bowl them out for 350 but didn’t get it right with the bat.
“We are up against it but we will dust ourselves down and try to get back in the game. They batted well in the final session. Elgar and Amla are world-class players.
“The batters have been fantastic over the previous months and you are going to have days like this, especially with a young side. You just have to keep them to a minimum.
“Joe Root was just fantastic and played a great counter–attacking knock when we were struggling. The first Test was plain sailing for him as captain but it’s a real test here.”
South Africa all-rounder Morris said: “We’re pretty happy.
“It’s been an excellent day’s cricket for us and the guys fought hard at the end to stick it out.
“We worked hard to get the wickets so we’re pretty chuffed.
“The guys that are swinging it and nibbling it off the seam with a slightly wobbling seam have done best on the day.
“Morne Morkel and Vernon Philander were excellent this morning.
“They hit the deck hard and they hit areas that kept asking questions.
“I think that is pretty much the key.
“To just keep asking the right questions and hopefully then it will pay off.”