‘Faf’s got a lot of respect from the players, which he’s earned over time’

Plays of Day 3 from Trent Bridge

PATIENCE IS A VIRTUE It was a day of hard graft for the South African batsmen, the goal being to score runs and set a big enough fourth innings target but also to bat out time and hopefully use up the best of the batting conditions. They got the target they wanted, the next goal is to get the wickets BRUTAL BEN Ben Stokes has all the tools to be a quality fast bowler, but too often his lines and lengths have been inconsistent. Not yesterday; he bowled a high-quality aggressive spell either side of lunch. Long-time watchers of Stokes reckon it was his best performance with the ball for England at Test level, not in terms of wickets, but the discipline he sustained for a lengthy spell. IN A SPIN There is plenty to worry England’s batsmen today; the new ball, the inconsistent bounce off the pitch and also Keshav Maharaj. Already he’s claimed three wickets in this Test, one with the perfect leftarm spinner’s dismissal to Jonny Bairstow. He’d have sat up straight yesterday when Liam Dawson ripped one from outside Morne Morkel’s off stump across the right-hander with the ball exploding off the surface. TUBTHUMPER It was tough day for the spectators, but spirits were raised after lunch when a member of the ground staff, had to dash onto the field to fix an area around where the quick bowlers went into their “take-off ” at the Radcliffe Road End. Utilising a tool with a long handle and a flat piece of concrete on the end, he thumped the offending spot about a dozen times, with the crowd very helpfully providing a countdown. CONDITIONS The clouds cleared away in the evening and the sun baked even more moisture out of the surface. The pitch had behaved most of the day until the “scuttler” Stokes served up to trap Faf du Plessis lbw.

QUOTE

“Faf’s got a lot of respect from the players, which he’s earned over time. If I’d been in the position more, then I’d earn that kind of respect too and the players would start trusting your knowledge of the game and your knowledge in terms of implementing game plans. That’s just human nature, and that only comes with time.” Dean Elgar on why Du Plessis has made such a massive difference after the first Test loss.