Anderson and Broad tame South Africa

Bowlers hit their lengths to wear South Africans down Tourists target two early wickets as they lead by 54

There is life in the old dogs yet. England, after their modest opening bid of 269, needed their famous veteran pair of James Anderson and Stuart Broad to stand up and bring them back into this game, and both responded. Together they took five wickets for only 70 runs to give the tourists every chance of yet winning this match – and the series.

The game situation brought the best out of the pair, who have now taken the mind-boggling number of 1,058 Test wickets.

They had a position to defend in England’s modest total of 269; they did not feel compelled to attack as they had when Joe Root sent South Africa in at Centurion. A subtle difference, but Anderson and Broad have always felt more comfortable with runs on the board, like sun on their backs, and were content to hammer out a good old-fashioned length.

It would have been even better for England if Broad had not overstepped the line by an inch and been no-balled when Rassie van der Dussen had scored 16 and gloved a lifter to Jos Buttler. South Africa would have been 87 for four, and their only substantial partnership in their score of 215 for eight would never have existed

Sam Curran, who finished with two for 39, said: “It was great for me to learn to watch them bowl as a pair.

“They bowled that whole session in the middle and did not take any wickets, but didn’t go for many runs. That’s why I think I probably got my wickets later in the day because of the pressure they built up throughout the day. They showed why they’re world-class bowlers and it was great for me to watch and learn.

“Hopefully in the morning the ball will still be pretty new and hopefully we can get our rewards quickly.”

England could have done with Jofra Archer too, hitting the cracks around off stump which pace bowlers can exploit from the pavilion end and which are going to have ever more of an impact on this match as they widen – and, no doubt, an impact on batsmen’s ribs and gloves too.

At least Archer may yet recover from his elbow injury in time for the last two Tests. “The second scan has shown no serious issues, just bruising and swelling,” said an England and Wales Cricket Board statement.

When Anderson and Broad fired with the first new ball – before adding a couple more with the second – they made the hour before lunch a vivid one to illuminate the winter. The light was at its brightest, the brewery’s chimneys were not working, and Table Mountain was as majestic as Kevin Pietersen acknowledging the crowd.

For all their seniority though, Anderson and Broad started badly, which made their response all the more creditable: Anderson was cut for four by the debutant Pieter Malan, and Broad driven for four in his opening over, while Buttler made a hash and conceded four byes. England could have let things fall apart – it has happened, as recently as Centurion.

Instead, Broad was first to drag the game back England’s way. From the pavilion end he kicked up his heels with a following wind. Malan assisted with a poor shot, wafting outside off stump. Root has accepted all the chances to come his way at first slip this winter, while Ben Stokes was to swoop on four out of five feasible chances at second.

Steam up, with a wicket in his fourth over, Broad added another in his fifth.

Zubayr Hamza, a local lad from one of the country’s most fruitful schools, Rondebosch High, played one of his impeccable cover drives against Broad, but could not cover the bounce on fourth stump. No need for a third slip with Stokes diving so far and low to his right. This dismissal buoyed England’s belief that it could be their day, and game, as much as Broad’s no-ball deflated them later on.

When Broad was rested after his six overs for 12 runs and two wickets, Anderson switched ends at a critical juncture in his career. Already in his first spell he had run in more like his old self – the “poop out of his system” as bowlers say – and now he hit the deck as hard as he used to do. Rhythm, in a word, was back.

There was no swing for Anderson, but ritual accuracy, and hostile intent. Broad had worked himself up by underarming his first ball at Faf du Plessis back at the batsman’s pads. Anderson snarled at Van der Dussen, especially after he had edged through third slip. Lip-readers guessed on the lines of: “I’ve got one Christmas card left if you can send me your address, Rassie.”

Anderson landed the South African captain when Du Plessis, like Malan and Hamza, was undone by the bounce and edged to slip. It would have been 40 for four if Dean Elgar had been caught driving at the first ball by Dom Bess, floated up so alluringly for the left-hander.

Bess, in his third Test, went on to do a valuable job by holding the Kelvin Grove end. He was more economical – if not so threatening – than South Africa’s spinner Keshav Maharaj had been on day one. After his stint at the Lions training camp in Mumbai, Bess is using his body more, less reliant on his arm, and much improved on last season.

Elgar added 117 with Van der Dussen. Nothing looked more inevitable than another Elgar hundred, but there are no certainties in Test cricket now, if there ever were. Having been the tough uncrackable nut for more than four hours, Elgar lost patience and tried to loft a wide off-break over deepish mid-off – good captaincy by Root, himself in that position, to tempt Elgar.

Sam Curran, having been quiet when the ball was new, nipped in with a couple of wickets when the ball was old to slow South Africa down. So England were well in the game when Anderson and Broad were re-armed after 80 overs for the last five.

Anderson got his rewards with a couple of slip catches and took his total of Test scalps up to 580 – in tantalising reach of becoming the first pace bowler to reach 600, just as England are within reach of coming back from 1-0 down and any first-innings lead will be welcome.