da dobrowin： Faf du Plessis had cause to anticipate a satisfying return to the Test captaincy as South Africa took a potentially decisive first-innings lead of 130
da dobrowin： The Report by David Hopps15-Jul-2017
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsJoe Root took a sharp catch at second slip to remove Keshav Maharaj•Getty Images
Faf du Plessis had cause to anticipate a satisfying return to the Test captaincy as South Africa took a potentially decisive first-innings lead of 130 midway into the final session of the second day of the second Investec Test at Trent Bridge. The birth of a son followed by the prospect of a Test victory to square the series: personal delight and professional satisfaction in quick succession.South Africa’s lead at the close of the second day was 205, for the loss of Heino Kuhn, unpicked by James Anderson at second slip. England do have the consolation of a sunny forecast for the fourth day, but historically Trent Bridge surfaces deteriorate more than average in this country so it is hard to conceive of an escape route.They have already lost one review, failing in a cockeyed attempt to win an lbw decision against Kuhn: a long way down the pitch, a new ball, impact high on the pad: there was not much to like. Anderson therefore joined Ben Stokes and Stuart Broad in failed reviews. At least Joe Root is spreading his largesse to all, but he has some reflecting to do.The panache of Root, a young captain eager to assert himself, provided England’s main sustenance as they mustered only 205 in awkward batting conditions, dismissed in only 51.5 overs as they trusted to enterprise and came up short. Only late in the innings could England be described as reckless, but at no point did they deserve to be termed resilient.Root has slipped down to No 4 this summer in his first summer as captain, but wherever he bats, he bears an onerous responsibility. His elegance, at least, made light of the challenge posed by South Africa’s attack as he required only 76 balls for his 78. He played with authority from the outset, before a misjudgement against Morne Morkel saw him edge to the wicketkeeper.The rest of England’s first innings had less to commend it as South Africa held sway on a pitch that had quickened since the opening day and with plentiful swing and seam on offer under overcast skies. Root’s Yorkshire team-mates Gary Ballance and Jonny Bairstow sought a response. But the openers failed and Root’s dismissal began a sequence in which the last seven wickets evaporated for 62 in 22.4 overs. Still, at least it ensured regular activity on a day when the over-rate was a pitiful 12.5 an hour.Morkel and Vernon Philander, South Africa’s new-ball pair, posed most of the threat and Morkel, in particular, was unfortunate to finish with only two wickets on a day when he was always an imposing figure. When they were obliged to turn to the left-arm spin of Keshav Maharaj, with a holding operation in mind, he came up trumps with the wickets of Stokes, for nought, and Bairstow shortly before tea. Chris Morris, lightly used after a short initial spell – short in both senses of the word – adorned his figures with three late wickets.Alastair Cook and Keaton Jennings were rounded up in only 4.1 overs before lunch as it soon became apparent that South Africa’s 335 offered them the chance of a sizeable first-innings advantage.It took a review to remove Cook, with South Africa searching, initially at least, for an lbw as an inswinger from Philander flew off the pad to the wicketkeeper Quinton de Kock. That mode of dismissal was ruled out by an inside nick, only for Cook to be dismissed courtesy of the keeper’s catch.Jennings fell to the next delivery, this time from Morkel, a peach of a ball from around the wicket which bounced and left the Durham left-hander. He had no cause to berate himself about getting out to that.The rest of the morning was a story of South African ill-discipline as Root and Ballance included 14 boundaries in an 83-run partnership spanning, in all, only 84 balls. Root produced some princely off-sides drives from the outset and had another Test fifty to his name by the interval. Ballance, who got off the mark with a fortunate edge wide of gully off Philander, offering hunched support, sitting deep in his crease with the suspicious air of a mole peering out of a mole hill.South Africa’s challenge was much more focused throughout the afternoon, although their back-up seamers carried limited potency before Morris’ late intervention. They achieved this, lest we forget, without Kagiso Rabada.Ballance, very much Root’s pick, has laboured to prove his worth. Once again, he got a start but failed to prosper. He perished in the second over after lunch, bowled by Philander as he deflected the ball loosely onto his pads. Bairstow, who lacked Root’s certainty, was more of a bellwether. He reached 45, but survived two hairy moments against Morkel on the way, the ball twice flying perilously close to his stumps off a play-and-miss that escaped for four byes and an inside edge. Another edge spared him when South Africa reviewed a refused lbw appeal by Philander.Maharaj then took a hand. Stokes fell for a 12-ball duck, his inside edge onto his pads, finally clutched at the second attempt, off his shoulder, by de Kock as he changed direction. There was a suspicion of helmet involved, which would have spared him, but after innumerable replays he was sent on his way.Maharaj also found a hint of turn to bowl Bairstow, bringing South Africa their fourth wicket in a productive session.England’s problems intensified after tea as three wickets fell within eight balls. Moeen Ali fell tamely to a pre-conceived plan, flapping a full ball from Morris out of the footholes to du Plessis at point. Broad received the cheers awarded to a local boy, but his innings are always hair-raising affairs and this one did not make it past the first ball as South Africa successfully reviewed Morris’ lbw appeal.Liam Dawson had managed to escape a fourth successive Test duck – Bob Holland, Ajit Agarkar and Mohammad Asif hold the record with five – before overturning a caught behind decision against Morris, replays showing the ball had missed the bat by a distance. He did not make much use of his let-off, as he top-edged Maharaj to square leg.England’s increasingly tame affair came to a conclusion when Mark Wood deflected a rearing delivery from Morris to second slip.Earlier, James Anderson had demolished South Africa’s tail in a spell of 4 for 4 in only 20 deliveries to finish with 5 for 72, taking five in an innings for the 22nd time in his Test career.England had carped about the second new ball on the previous evening, and they managed to negotiate an immediate change on the second morning. The skies were grey, the floodlights were on and Anderson had a spring in his step, his 34 years falling off him with every delivery.The best of his wickets was Maharaj, for nought, outwitted by the inswinger/outswinger routine, his edge inviting Root to hold a flamboyant catch at second slip. He had provided a brief masterclass, but South Africa were to make good use of their own opportunity.
