SOUTH AFRICA STRIKE BACK STRONGLY TO LEVEL SERIES
▶ Du Plessis’ side thrash England by 340 runs inside four days at Trent Bridge
Vernon Philander led an all-round effort as South Africa thrashed England by 340 runs in the second Test at Trent Bridge yesterday.
Victory saw the Proteas level the four-match series at 1-1 after they had been well beaten by 211 runs in the first Test at Lord’s.
England, set a mammoth 474 runs to win, collapsed to 133 all out 40 minutes before tea on Day 4.
Man-of-the-match Philander took 3-24 in 10 overs, which gave him a match-total of five wickets. He also scored 54 and 42 with the bat.
No England batsman made a fifty in a second innings, with former captain Alastair Cook’s 42 the top score.
Given the steep run chase, England’s more immediate task yesterday was to see if they could at least keep South Africa in the field.
They failed miserably, the hosts bowled out in 44.2 overs despite South Africa being without Kagiso Rabada after the fast bowler was suspended for swearing at England all-rounder Ben Stokes at Lord’s.
A sign of the difference in batting application between the teams was that South Africa’s first innings 335 lasted 96.2 overs, while the home team were bowled out twice in 96.1 overs.
“All the senior players put their hand up and made it easy for us,” a delighted Philander said.
“Coming into the Test I was a bit cold, but I got my groove going and I’m feeling a lot better.”
South Africa captain Faf du Plessis said: “We did our basics a lot better, put England under pressure for longer periods in the game.”
For Joe Root, his England counterpart, this chastening defeat was in marked contrast to his first match as captain at Lord’s.
“We weren’t good enough with the bat for the whole game,” Root said.
England resumed with Cook and fellow left-handed opener Jennings both unbeaten on nought.
Philander, known for his ability to move the ball at a lively pace, had a wicket with just his fifth ball yesterday. South Africa-born Jennings (3) was undone by a nip back delivery that uprooted his off-stump.
Gary Ballance, in his third stint of Test cricket and under huge pressure for his place, was then lbw to Philander on review for 4.
Philander had taken 2-8 in 19 balls, with Yorkshire batsman Root once more coming in after a top-order slump.
Root had made 190 in his first innings as captain at Lord’s and topscored with 78 in their meagre first innings 205 this match.
But he fell cheaply yesterday, Chris Morris producing a yorker to knock over his off-stump.
Cook’s close to two-hour innings ended when he was beaten for pace by a well-directed Morris bouncer and gloved down the leg-side, where wicketkeeper Quinton de Kock held a fine catch.
It meant Morris had taken two for two in 20 balls, with Cook’s exit the cue for England to lose their last seven wickets for just 61 runs.
The series continues at The Oval on July 27.