England wins final test against SA to wrap up series 31
JOHANNESBURG: England bowled South Africa out for 274 runs yesterday to win the fourth test at The Wanderers by 191 runs and ensure an emphatic 31 series victory.
Mark Wood took four wickets as the home team crumbled in the evening session after threatening to offer stoic resistance earlier in the day.
England completed the task with a day to spare as South
Africa fell well short of its 466run target in what would have been the highest fourthinnings test chase.
The success is a massive boost for a young English team which overcame several obstacles on a tough tour and calms questions over Joe Root’s captaincy.
‘‘It took a lot to pick ourselves up after losing the first test and that’s been extremely pleasing.
‘‘It’s taken a big effort from everyone and it’s a very exciting time for English cricket,’’
Root said as he took the series trophy.
For South Africa, it marked a 108year low as it lost for the eighth time in its past nine tests for its worst run since 10 defeats in 11 tests from 1910 to 1912.
Wood took four for 54 to finish with nine wickets in the match.
Stuart Broad and Ben Stokes added two more for England as they took the last six South
African wickets for 39 runs.
The home team provided a flicker of resistance but lost wickets at crucial intervals.
‘‘England were better than us in every department with both ball and bat,’’ home skipper Faf du Plessis said.
‘‘We have to give them credit for being the better team.’’
Rassie van der Dussen scored 98, falling agonisingly short of a maiden test century, after being tricked into offering an easy catch, just five balls after Du Plessis had been bowled by Stokes for 35.
Their 92run partnership for the third wicket kept alive unlikely home hopes after South Africa was 90 for two at lunch.
Quinton de Kock hit another swashbuckling knock but, by the time he fell for 39 runs, with eight wickets down, the contest was already over.
Van der Dussen was given out lbw to Chris Woakes with just the third ball he faced yesterday and almost ran out of time as he dithered over whether to review, but then won a reprieve as the ball was shown to be missing the wickets.
He took advantage to hit 15 fours and two sixes in a boundaryfilled innings and will be livid with the way he went out, essentially ending hopes of a fairy tale for both himself and his team. — Reuters