Big lead for SA after Philander spell
CENTURION: Vernon Philander led a relentless bowling performance as South Africa took a first innings lead of 103 runs on the second day of the first Test against England at Supersport Park on Friday.
Philander took four for 16 in 14.2 overs as England were bowled out f or 181. Earlier England needed just 11 balls to take South Africa’s final wicket.
South Africa were bowled out for 284, adding seven runs to their overnight total of 277 for nine.
Philander scored all the runs before he was caught behind off Stuart Broad for 35.
Both Broad and Sam Curran finished with figures of four for 58. Joe Denly hit a half-century for England before three wickets in 17 balls swung the balance towards South Africa.
England were 157 for six at tea in reply to South Africa’s 284 all out. Denly survived a shaky s t art during which he was dropped on nought and took 28 balls to score his first run.
But he survived a South African fast bowling storm and gradually asserted himself to make 50 off 111 balls with nine fours.
Denly shared a fourth wicket stand of 72 with Ben Stokes (35) which got England exactly halfway to the South African total before Denly was caught behind off an inside edge to give allrounder Dwaine Pretorius his first Test wicket.
Fast bowler Anrich Nortje bowled Jonny Bairstow for one in the next over and then claimed the key wicket of Stokes when he switched to bowling around the wicket and induced a l oose drive f rom t he l ef t - hander which presented wicketkeeper Quinton de Kock—who had scored a crucial 95 in the first innings—with his fifth catch of t he i nnings. Triple strike hurts England From 142 for three, England had been reduced to 150 for six.
Stokes had looked in good form in making his runs off 46 balls with four fours as well as two sixes off successive deliveries from l e f t - a r m s p i nner Keshav Maharaj. Philander took the first wicket when Rory Burns fell for nine and followed up by dismissing England captain Joe Root for 29 soon after lunch.
Brief scores (incomplete, Day 2): South Africa 284. England 181 all out in 53.2 overs (V Philander 4/16, K Rabada 3/68) .