Key events
England win hour one, South Africa hour two. But it remains very much to the advantage of the hosts, three wickets in the first stanza exactly what they needed to open up this third day with the visitors 176 away from making them bat a second time. All three of England’s seamers got into the act; Anderson’s set-up and finishing move to extract Dean Elgar’s off-stump is already going viral. Robinson picked up from where he left off on day one and Broad provided the usual flurry of activity, knocking Markram over with a no-ball before knicking him off mintues later.
It’s to the credit of Petersen for the calm he showed during that testing stretch, and van der Dussen who has played himself in well despite carrying a finger injury into this second innings. But if the Proteas are any chance of scrapping their way back into the Test, it’ll be this pair who need to occupy the crease for a long time yet.
I’m going to grab a bite to eat; I suggest you do the same. Back with you shortly.
LUNCH: 36th over: South Africa 88-3 (Petersen 20, van der Dussen 14)
Root helps the extras column along by four to begin the final over before lunch, well down the legside. van der Dussen does as he must from the rest, defending Root without a bother. They walk off with an unbeaten stand of 34. Nicely played.
35th over: South Africa 84-3 (Petersen 20, van der Dussen 14) Leach races through again in order to make sure they get one more over in before lunch – back to back maidens from him to Petersen. He’s faced 60 balls for his 20 and has been the most organised batter on show through the session. Also had a handy stint for Durham earlier in the season, so he’s been over here for four months now in these conditions.
34th over: South Africa 84-3 (Petersen 20, van der Dussen 14) I’m no Root Basher when it comes to him sending down spells – he’s better than a part-timer. But I’m not sure why he’s finishing the session from the Anderson End rather than the bloke who has the end named after him. South Africa made a similar calculation 24-hours ago but not bowling Nortje and Rabada until well after the long break and it backfired, with Stokes and Foakes pretty well set when the main men returned. Anyway, now I’ve said all of this Jimmy will take a wicket with the first ball after the long break. Oh, and van der Dussen found his second boundary here too, a classy cover drive.
33rd over: South Africa 80-3 (Petersen 20, van der Dussen 10) Leach to Petersen from around the wicket and he races through a 75-second maiden. The last of the over is the most threatening with a bit of extra flight and a snifter of turn, finding the outside edge of the right-hander’s bat. But it is met with nice soft hands.
“Went yesterday and admired the Team Spirit shown by England and the quality and responsibility applied by Stokes and Foakes,” says Mike. “It was a great day to be there.”
Sounded it! I’ve got a theory, which I advanced at a Final Word live show in Manchester a few years ago, that Old Trafford is the best Ashes venue. And along with Headingley, no better place to be in the stands when England are up and about.
32nd over: South Africa 80-3 (Petersen 20, van der Dussen 10) Joe Root started the session and it looks like he’ll finish it as well, replacing Jack Leach. And whaddayaknow, a juicy full bunger to begin his new spell, Petersen placing it past extra cover for a nice little pressure-release boundary. Then a couple more out to the temporary/permanent stand on the eastern side of the ground later in the over, with the crowd giving plenty of love to YJB, the man sweeping on that side of the ground. Nothing much going on here from Joey. Give the ball back to Anderson.
“Good afternoon.” And to you, Jamie Tucker. “I think there are a lot Canadians who throw right and bat (usually baseball) left, due to it being very useful in ice hockey to have an equal mix of right- and left-handed players. I certainly grew up this way, and now bat very badly indeed as a lefty with no power in the bottom hand.”
Makes a lot of sense! Much like the Gladwellian theory on why so many Canadian professional hockey players are born in January and February. I note that my daughter was February and our next is January. Pack them off to the NHL?
31st over: South Africa 73-3 (Petersen 13, van der Dussen 10) 17 minutes until lunch and Broad goes again for his sixth as he begins. So, if they want to go back to Anderson before lunch it would be for two at most – do it, Ben. Again, there isn’t quite the carry from that Anderson End for Disco Stu and van der Dussen looks to be playing himself in a bit here with his finger allowing him to play normally. For now.
“Morning, Collo; morning everyone.” And to you, Iain McKane. “On Trueman’s ‘gun’ left-arm, it is, of course, a bit of a myth that Fred drank pints of (Yorkshire) bitter. Not saying he only drank the ‘committee-man’s’ G&at, with or without extended pinky-finger. The pint thing largely came from his ITV days of presenting a pub-game show, which he ended with an ‘Ah’ll sithee!’ to camera and a raised pint glass full of … tea? On the no-ball issue: I’ve always believed Richie B was correct to promulgate the return of the back-foot law… much more sensible. A bit of dragging might occur, but that may be a fair trade-off for speeding up the game.”
I’ll take your word on Trueman! In relation to no-balls, the system works really well now – what happened to Broad before (accepting he was just over) is exactly how the system is meant to work. It was a shambles in the decade before they gave that front line to the TV umpire for reasons I bored you all about on the OBO back before August 2020 when the change, at long last, was agreed to be the powers-that-be.
30th over: South Africa 72-3 (Petersen 12, van der Dussen 10) Better from Leach, who is asking good questions of van der Dussen throughout this maiden. On Sky commentary, Nick Knight and Mark Butcher are reflecting on the pace he now bowls at, which has increased with each year he has played for England – by design. Jeetan Patel, they explain, has worked a lot on that with Leach as their Test spin coach.
29th over: South Africa 72-3 (Petersen 12, van der Dussen 10) Broad finds Rassie’s edge but it doesn’t carry to Crawley at second slip, sneaking between him and Bairstow and reaching the rope. Not the first we’ve seen die off an edge this morning, making life challenging for the wicketkeeper Foakes and his cordon.
28th over: South Africa 67-3 (Petersen 12, van der Dussen 5) Forgive me, I’ve slipped an over behind. But there wasn’t much going on in Leach’s second either.
“Hello Adam.” Afternoon, Tim Sanders. “You’ve rather understated Shai Hope’s achievement in that 2017 Headingley Test. It was the first time ever that anyone had scored a century in each innings at the ground. Astonishing really – various Yorkshire greats had achieved the feat at Scarborough and elsewhere in the county, but never at HQ; and Bradman managed a couple of triples there all in one go. Since then, an England player has made a century in each innings for the first time ever in the County Championship at Headingley. He has Test caps in the past 12 months. I’ll leave it there in case it makes a half-decent quiz question.”
Right! I knew it was a big deal, this puts meat on those bones. He’ll have a bat on the wall at the Kingston Cricket Club at Sabina Park, where every player to achieve the fabled twin tons in the history of Test Matches is recognised. Very cool place.
27th over: South Africa 65-3 (Petersen 10, van der Dussen 5) van der Dussen gets into position early enough to hook the first short ball we’ve seen in this Broad spell but he’s not in control of the top edge with his troubled hand coming off the blade. Still, it brings him a first boundary. That’s Broad’s fourth over. I wonder whether Stokes might throw the ball back to Jimmy for a few more from that end before lunch?
26th over: South Africa 61-3 (Petersen 10, van der Dussen 1) We all thought Leach would be a major player today, and maybe he will be if this pair can put on a bit of a partnership. But this is his first twist, with just over half an hour until lunch. Not the best first over either, finding his range by the end though. And Rassie is off the mark.
Jeremy Boyce replies to John Starbuck’s earlier email – I’m just watching. “John must surely be aware that in village and social cricket, alternative arrangements already exist. It’s called the Beer Match. Both teams bat in reverse order, and everyone has to bowl at least 1 over, including the wicketkeeper. This could be great, and would help square the circle between the elite game and its historic roots.”
25th over: South Africa 60-3 (Petersen 10, van der Dussen 0) The Manchester crowd are giving it big, like it’s about four hours and six pints down the track. They sense that the hosts are perhaps two wickets away here from finishing the job well inside three days. Broad completes a maiden to Petersen – he’s very much up for this.
“Dear Adam.” Robert Wilson! What I’d give for a night out with you in Paris some point soon. “What the hell is going on? Those two wicket-balls were absolute corkers, first-session arse-kickers. I’m no great reader of a pitch but was this strip sulking before now? Did it have a hangover? Can’t remember seeing a resurrection this surprising since like, you know, the actual Bible. Warm congrats on the expected little one.”
The pitch was livin’ la vida loca on morning one – there was that CricViz factoid about how much movement there was off the seam compared to other Test Matches this summer. But it really did go to sleep yesterday. As Ben Foakes said at stumps last night, it went from “wet nip” to “dry nip.” Cricketers’ jargon, gotta love it.
And thank you. As soon as I’m done on the OBO today we’re heading to the hospital for the 20-week scan, as it happens. Only right given that the arrival of our first born, as you’d remember, was so kindly first announced publicly here via Tim de Lisle.
24th over: South Africa 60-3 (Petersen 10, van der Dussen 0) Another no-ball from Robinson, who looks destined to take another that’s taken back by the end of this spell – he’s waaay over too, the TV replay shows. He misses his mark for the first time in this spell as well, spraying so far down leg that not even Foakes can catch up with it – four byes. Oooh back on it with a sharp delivery angled in at van der Dussen later in the over, prompting a big appeal from the bowler… turned down. No review. Yep, good call from both the umpire and Stokes, that’s also going down leg.
“Morning Adam.” Geoff Wignall, nice to see you pop up in my inbox. “On Not That Andy Flintoff’s question, at my very low level of playing I both bowled and batted right handed but threw with my left. I’d also play racket sports and golf and carry heavy bags right handed; while writing, drawing/ painting, chopping veg and sawing wood with my left. I’ve always thought of this as being left handed and right armed, if that makes sense.”
Blessed. Isn’t the ~science~ now that if you are a dominant right-hander as a youn kid then you are best to then bat left-handed? Three West Australians of a certain generation jump out on this point: Mike Hussey, Adam Gilchrist and Chris Rogers.
23rd over: South Africa 54-3 (Petersen 9, van der Dussen 0) Big Rassie takes an age to walk out to the middle, carrying a finger injury that we thought might preclude him from batting in this second innings. Well, they need him now. But it’s nearly two in an over, Broad going past his outside edge by no more than a rizla width! He’s got the crowd involved too, like a long jumper at the top of his run as Shaun Pollock notes on Sky. It’s all happening at Old Trafford with South Africa still behind by 210.
WICKET! Markram c Crawley b Broad 6 (South Africa 54-3)
Edged and taken! Conventional as you like, Markram won’t be saved by Broad’s boot this time with the easy catch pouched by Crawley. In quintissential Stuart fashion, he turns straight to the umpire to confirm that his foot was behind the line before celebrating. He gets the thumbs up and joins the cordon. Ever the entertainer.
“What with all the ideas about the future,” begins John Starbuck. Do we need contingency plans for extra matches, given that three-day Tests seem to be a thing?” After the Broad/Markram moment, the latter will be batting this time tomorrow.
Steve Hudson on players with two strong arms: “Another England player who could throw equally well with both arms was Fred Trueman. He ran a few batters out because they didn’t expect a left arm throw from a right arm bowler.”
I did not know that. Perhaps helped by lifting pints with his left hand? David Kelsey reminds me that it is Tymal Mills who, in the modern game, bowls with one arm (his left) and throws with the other. Hopefully we’ll see him for England again soon.
One more on this before play resumes, via Jeremy Boyce. “In tennis there are a few players, including one pro, Cheon-Eui Kim, who can hit with both hands, so they change hands between shots and have two forehands/backhands. Kim can also serve with both hands. Have there ever been any pro/Test cricketers similarly blessed, bowling or batting equally well with both hands?”
I’ve seen Glenn Maxwell switch hit a 100 metre six at Canberra two years ago. But that’s Maxi, who can do pretty much whatever he wants with a bat in his hand.
22nd over: South Africa 54-2 (Petersen 9, Markram 6) Robinson oversteps now, as he does quite a bit. Markram has been freed up since the dismissal-that-wasn’t, steering a couple of singles either side of point to end a compelling first hour. DRINKS!
21st over: South Africa 49-2 (Petersen 7, Markram 4) I said earlier that Anderson’s se-up to Elgar is the stuff fast bowlers dream of. Well, had Broad’s boot been behind the line this also would have met that criteria too. We get another look at the replay between overs and that’s clipped the top of the off bail having nipped away expertly – urgh! The big quick tries to re-litigate the case with Umpire Gaffaney between overs but there’s nothing he can do – the line is the purview of the TV umpire these days, Niton Menon. As it should be, by the way – a vastly improved system. My pet topic. And sure enough, Markram is off the mark from the next ball, clipping a boundary.
NO BALL! Oh No! Broad’s first trundle of the innings and it has taken him five balls to hit the top of off. But wait a minute! Markram is reprieved! The most beautiful piece of bowling won’t earn him a wicket as he’s overstepped, called by the TV ump. It’s as tight as tight as tight can be – Broad is ticking; Stokes gives him a pat on the back. They go back to where they started with a couple of balls to come in the over.
20th over: South Africa 43-2 (Petersen 6, Markram 0) Markram’s dismissal was a poor one the first time around and he’d know it – he’s a very good Test cricketer, with plenty of experience now. But there’ll be no easy first run here against Robinson, who has started splendidly this morning after Root got the first couple ahead of him (weird that, wasn’t it?). Another maiden; no inch given.
“Morning Adam.” Brian Withington! “As instructed I googled #RootMaths and ended up idling away a quarter of an hour or so on Cricket365. As well as dealing with the habit of excluding a significant performance to make a point, I also liked the exposure of the fallacy of ‘previous highest run chase’ lists which have long enraged me as a basis for broadcasters trying to hurry a declaration. I really must get out more. Fourth day Oval 1968 Ashes was my first btw. Day before Underwood cleaned up after the storm.”
Feels like we are all guilty of #RootMaths from time to time when covering cricket but the work of Dave Tickner and co that you refer to has helped temper that a bit.
19th over: South Africa 43-2 (Petersen 6, Markram 0) Earlier in the over, Petersen picked up a couple more down the ground – he’s started pretty well. Then two more, albeit with less control from the outside part of the bat behind point.
“Hi Adam.” Matt Fordham, hi to you. “I’m thinking of the Unwin family day out today while also at the ground with my older son. He’s now 14 but our first test was day 4 at Headingley in that match we eventually lost to the West Indies a few years back. He was about 9 but insisted on watching every ball. My other son, in his first test, managed about 20 minutes before asking when half time was and if he could have his iPad. I guess it’ll be somewhere in between in most cases.”
Great win from the Windies, that – Shai Hope’s twin tons for the first time that was achieved at Headingley by a tourist, something along those lines? My daughter (two and a half) has her own bat has a sense that I do cricket things. Enjoys me throwing the soft ball at her head when she faces up, so maybe she’ll be a nuggety opener.
DOES JIMMY HAVE A THIRD? Petersen is given out caught behind and sends it straight upstairs. Rightly so; that’s missed by a fair margin. NOT OUT! That’s the second time this week Chris Gaffney has been forced to chance a decision like that.
WICKET! Erwee c Foakes b Robinson 25 (South Africa 39-2)
The change of angle does it! Robinson back over the wicket to Erwee, in that ever-challenging corridor from the big quick just outside the off-stump. He wants to play, then wants to leave – he eventually does neither and feathers through to Foakes who does a good job diving forward with the ball dying into his gloves. Both openers are gone and the Proteas are exposed early on this third day, still 225 in the red.
18th over: South Africa 39-2 (Petersen 2)
“When does the Broad inspired spell start?” asks Matthew Doherty. I’m tipping that will come the moment Jimmy needs a blow. They’ve picked the right attack for this Test, that looks certain. All three of these fellas have made their living hitting the seam and getting the ball nipping around. Which isn’t to say that Anderson can’t hoop it as well, but his subtle movement has always been just as dangerous.
17th over: South Africa 39-1 (Erwee 25, Petersen 2) Athers notes on comms that Jimmy is now hiding the ball in his left hand on his approach, which means he’s decided the time is right to switch to reverse swing. He certainly has that club in the bag. Petersen is giving it everything in defence, watching the ball all the right onto his bat with the ball routinely en route to his stumps. He gets an inside edge to finish – the cordon oohs and aahs, but it spills away without a bother. Tough stuff.
“Morning Adam, morning everyone.” Not That Andy Flintoff, hallo to you. “Just a quick question – Jack Leach bowls with his left hand, but fields with his right, there surely can’t be many other cricketers who do, can there? I’m not talking about bowling with the opposite hand to batting (there are plenty of those – Broad, Anderson, Stokes in this game alone).”
I know there’s another high-profile player from yesteryear who did this? Tip of my tongue, somebody will be able to tell me. Ian Harvey, of course, was able to throw with both hands with equal accuracy and force. Wonthaggi’s finest, love that man.
And here’s that Elgar set-up from before… the stuff fast bowlers dream of.
16th over: South Africa 39-1 (Erwee 25, Petersen 2) Edged… and doesn’t carry to Crawley who is diving forward with one hand at second slip. Yorked him, as Mark Butcher notes. There was plenty of chat yesterday about where the cordon should be as this surface slows down, I wonder if they took an extra step up this morning? But it’s an imperfect science, as we saw one explore from Anderson take off from a similar length just a few moments ago. Robinson has picked up a genuine yard since last playing for England, hitting 87mph in this over. Surely linked to the fact that it’s very clear that he looks a lot fitter than he did last summer/winter. Good on him.
15th over: South Africa 35-1 (Erwee 22, Petersen 1) Petersen off the mark from the first ball of Anderson’s fresh over, a compact push wide of mid-off for one. At the southpaw Erwee, he takes two balls to beat him – naturally. But the experienced opener keeps his cool and forces the next delivery away for another single. That’s all they need to do here – get through this spell. Especially with Anderson getting deliveries to rise and move as he does to Petersen when getting back on strike – the number three does well to get his bat well out of the way. Such good bowling.
“Hey Adam.” Tom Bowtell, gidday to you. “Following extremely cursory thinking I wonder if yesterday was the first time two England Men’s batters with the same first name scored tons in the same Test innings since Thorpe and Gooch at this very ground 29 years ago. Open to counter offers.”
Talk about knowing your audience. I suspect I’ll have no fewer than 100 emails answering this question in the next ten minutes. Drivers, start your engines.
14th over: South Africa 33-1 (Erwee 21, Petersen 0) With the captain gone, that’s the end of the Joe Root spell and it isn’t Jack Leach as we theorised, rather, Ollie Robinson gets a crack from the Statham End. And just as it was on the first morning he’s landing it in a shoebox right away, his maiden punctuated by a delivery that leaps off a length at Erwee from over the wicket, hitting him in the tummy.
13th over: South Africa 33-1 (Erwee 21, Petersen 0) “I don’t think it was just the previous ball in terms of the movement,” notes Mel Jones. “It was the length as well.” Spot on, as ever. Watching it back, Elgar tried to cover the line but didn’t get far enough forward, surely as a natural response to the delivery before. “Such a huge breakthrough,” adds Butch. “Knocking him over before the ball is reversing.”
“Fell off a boat onto my boat in Croatia,” reveals Tim Lindsay, who attaches a pic for me (which I don’t know how to add to the blog, sorry). Also bust my wrist.” Yikes! “Upside is I can now stay comfortably in our friends’ gorgeous villa watching the match on their pirated Sky signal while that mess around on the water. Result.”
WICKET! Elgar b Anderson 11 (South Africa 33-1)
Oh Jimmy, Jimmy! That is quite superb. Around the wicket to the visiting captain he beats him with one that jags away like an off-break. Next up? Fuller, back the other way, through the gate, off-stump out of the ground. He’s a freak. An absolute freak.
12th over: South Africa 32-0 (Erwee 20, Elgar 11) Right, ignore my theory about Root/Leach: the former is getting a second over here. I wonder if that was the plan or if Stokes is keeping him on after the former skipper looked a bit of a handful with his first offering of the morning? In at Elgar, he’s bowling from very wide of the crease with a slip, a leg slip and a short leg – Bairstow’s prowling at short cover too. Good over this too, probing away. Oooh, and there’s some sharp turn and bounce! Great work from Elgar not to follow it with his blade and Foakes to glove it. Interesting.
11th over: South Africa 32-0 (Erwee 20, Elgar 11) “Bowling from his own end, it’s Jimmy Anderson,” says the ground announcer. That was the end where Leach finished last night, bolstering the argument that the Root over was designed to swing the senior spinner around. Anderson starts over the wicket at Erwee and finds his line and length immediately, as you’d expect. With a tiny bit of extra length later in the over the left-hander is happy to carefully drive through cover, timing it well enough to reach the rope but Jack Leach is scampering after it like he’s Carl Lewis, dragging it in at the last. A lot to like about his attitude this summer. Speaking of.
“I think the thing about Leach that the new regime (and Stokes in particular) admire most is his mental toughness,” says Mark Hooper. “That famous 1 not out has meant Stokes backs him to always stand up when he’s needed, which is arguably the most important trait at this level where you’re dealing in the ‘one per cent difference’ or whatever the new buzzword is.”
Back to Jimmy, who beats Erwee with one that nips away to finish – nice. “Absolutely no shape,” says Jonny Bairstow at the end of the over, so no swing then.
10th over: South Africa 28-0 (Erwee 17, Elgar 11) Root gets one to skid on first up at Erwee and hits him on the pad, prompting an ambitious appeal – not out, no review. It’s a handy start, targeting the stumps on that wide angle with his tweakers – he does have 47 Test wickets, remember. Oh, as soon as I type that he gives Erwee a half-volley and he pops it through cover for the first runs of the day, a boundary. “It’s also a day that Dean Elgar will relish,” says Mark Butcher on telly. Absolutely.
The players are on the field! And it is… Joe Root to bowl the first over of the day! I suspect (I’m certain) this will be a changing-ends thing. PLAY!
“Morning Adam.” And to you, Mark Unwin. “Currently on the train on the way to Old Trafford with two 10-year olds going to their first Test match… Plenty of snacks, drinks, tech & money on hand for when they get bored… let’s see how long we last.”
Brilliant! Hope it is a special day for them and you. My first day at a Test Match was the fourth day at Melbourne, 1994-95 – the day before Warney’s Ashes hat-trick. David Boon completed his 20th Test ton before Damien Fleming bowled the house down before stumps, including this absolute beauty. I’m up to 137 Tests now, should hit 150 during next year’s Ashes if all goes to plan. Yes, that’s a horrible brag.
“A big day for Jack Leach?” asks Gary Naylor. “Take out his twin fivefers against New Zealand at Headingley, and he’s only taken eight wickets since the middle of May. I think he needs more variation in order to create more chances on decent pitches. Now’s his chance to show it.”
Morning, Gaz. I’m reluctant to #RootMaths (google it) him by excluding the ten at Yorkshire – that was an outstanding performance under enormous pressure. I can only speak for the radio commentary team I was working on for that series, but we pretty much all sacked him after Nottingham and we were wrong to do so.
There was a beautiful interview with him before this series, a couple of weeks ago with Felix White. The key passage in here is Leach now believing – or being, over time, forced by the new leadership axis to believe – that his ceiling is higher than he previously ever thought it to be in the previous regime. For someone without any natural bravado, my sense is that is quite a big deal. I’m backing him in today.
“Morning Adam,” tweets Harry Lang. “Can’t wait for today’s action. I’m on a boat somewhere off Lefkada in Greece. That is really the only motive behind this missive. Cheers for the updates!” As you do! Enjoy your holiday.
Wrapping up the coverage from yesterday, here’s Tanya Aldred’s write up of Ben Foakes’ comments when speaking to the press after his unbeaten 113.
Barney is up at Manchester too. One eye on the middle, the other on the balcony.
There was even time for a wonderful tableau on the England balcony: Stokes in Lennon-shades, hair swept back, sipping unbranded water; Brendon McCullum next to him, all beards and shades and guns, hundred in the bank, game tipping their way, Stuart Broad, in sleeveless singlet also loitering (yes, Stuart, we see you), basking in the late afternoon sun.
We have an early weather update from Ian Thompson. “Morning Adam. The forecast for Manchester is sunny intervals, a high of 21 and little chance of rain. Looks like a full days cricket.” Outstanding news. Looks great on telly. A tad muggy, perhaps.
“I am utterly disgusted!” roars Tim Maitland in Hong Kong to opening the bowling as far as today’s correspondence is concerned. “Outraged! I have searched the entire interweb and it seems no-one has taken the golden opportunity provided by yesterday’s two centuries to shoehorn in a headline of DIFFERENT STOKES FOR DIFFERENT FOAKES. I will be making an official complaint.”
By contrast to the 2019 World Cup Final, when I reckon six national newspapers went Champagne Super Over on the back (or front) page. Happy times.
Ben Stokes is talking to Nick Knight on Sky. “We are in a strong position and we can’t wait to get the ball in our hands. We’ve earned the right to be quite demanding today.” Gives a lot of love to Ben Foakes. “I’m absolutely chuffed for him. He’s the best wicketkeeper in the world and he’s shown what he can do with the bat.” On the style of play, explains that he wants to set the example with his own positive approach. Talks up their chances of getting the ball reversing today after what the South Africans were able to do in the first session yesterday on the dry Old Trafford square. Adds that he sees a big role for Jack Leach – he clearly backs his spinner.
Preamble
Adam Collins
Morning! Lovely where I am in London, hopefully the same in Manchester in Test where England have taken the honours, comprehensively, over the first two days.
As if it were foretold on the day his documentary was released, Ben Stokes slotted his 12th Test ton and first since taking over as skipper. Combining with Ben Foakes for a 173-run stand for the sixth wicket, they took the hosts from the red to a lead that looks massive in the context of this low-scoring series. For Foakes’ part, he saluted for a second Test century and his first since debut way back in 2018. He finished with a fantastic, unbeaten 113 by the time England declared 264 ahead at 415-9.
The Proteas had nine overs to deal with in their second dig and made it through unscathed, set to resume this morning on 23 without loss. It is stating the obvious that Dean Elgar and his crew will need to bat all of today, and probably half of tomorrow, if they are to give their very capable bowling group something meaningful to work with in the fourth innings. If they can, good luck to them.
But the pitch has noticeably slowed down from the surface the England seamers so enjoyed on the first day. If the South African openers can get through the first spells of Anderson, Robinson and Broad this won’t be a lost cause quite yet. On the other hand, early wickets could lead us down the path of a second three-day finish on the trot. And nobody wants that on a bank holiday weekend – right?
Okay, I’m going to grab a coffee, then I look forward to your company. You know the drill: drop me a line, fire me off a tweet. If you’re up for a slightly longer recap of yesterday’s events, here I am with the BBC’s Daniel Norcross – him at the ground, me in my backyard. And while you’re listening to that, here’s Ali Martin’s match report.
[ad_2]
Share this news on your Fb,Twitter and Whatsapp
Times News Network:Latest News Headlines
Times News Network||Health||New York||USA News||Technology||World News
