Key occasions
England 35-0 (Lees 14, Crawley 21) Just a single off it, have England determined in opposition to the 2 day end? ‘Je m’excuse’ emails Brian Withington:
“How could I ever have doubted young Master Crawley? Clearly he just needs the incentive of wrapping up a game within two days to free up his inner free-wheeling self. That and an opening partner who clearly has a train to catch.”
Lees could have simply realised he has an open return, the previous few overs have been a lot calmer.
England 34-0 (Lees 14, Crawley 20) Just three off Rabada’s over – booooo! Things have calmed down. Boooooo!
England 31-0 (Lees 13, Crawley 18) Alex Lees is throwing the kitchen sink, faucets, kettle and oven at nearly each ball. Bonkers stuff however extremely entertaining. A mis-timed pull loops simply over a diving Maharaj at mid-on and they scamper again for 2. An terrible lot of tried humpty however simply four runs off the over in the long run.
Thanks to Matt Sowrey and Mac Millings for emailing in with their ideas that KPs’ “soda, absolute soda” is supposed to imply soda pop – drop. Oh, easy as that’s it?
England 27-0 (Lees 10, Crawley 17) Crawley leans again and cuts Rabada by level for four. Next ball he leans on a full one to choose up four extra down the bottom. A few scampered singles see 11 taken off the over. England hurtling alongside.
England 16-0 (Lees 8, Crawley 8) Crawley punches down the bottom with a barely closed blade, the brand new ball traces away for four. Lees is then nearly run out as his associate calls him by for a fast single. A direct hit sees the replay referred to as for however Lees has simply, simply grounded his bat. South Africa attraction for a catch off Lees the subsequent ball however the DRS reveals Lees was nowhere close to it. Wishful considering with that overview. CLONK! The Durham opener biffs Jansen down the bottom for four extra to finish an eventful over.
England 6-0 (Lees 3, Crawley 3) DROP FIRST BALL! Lees fends a size ball from Rabada and it flies at a pleasant peak to Marco Jansen who shells the possibility! What a begin that might have been. KP on comms is in peril of bursting a blood vessel so GOSH DARN excited he’s! “An absolute soda” he purrs. Anyone? Me neither. Crawley steers by level to choose up three extra. Six off the primary over and a giant miss.
The heavy curler is on, will it do something to deaden this floor? Plenty to get caught into over the subsequent hour or so, Crawley and Lees are underneath strain and England are lacking their BazBaller in chief (there I stated it!) in Jonny Bairstow. Rabada and Nortje can be bang up for this with the sequence on the road. Early wickets will make issues very fascinating.
England want 130 runs to win and take the sequence 2-1
WICKET! Verreyyne c&b Anderson 12 (South Africa 169 all out)
Anderson will get the ultimate wicket! Verreyyne loses management of a pull shot and spoons the ball straight up within the air, Jimmy takes the skier in his comply with by. All smiles because the England openers dash from the sector.
56th over: South Africa 169-9 (Verreynne 12, Nortje 0) Broad conducts the group with this finger and offers a cheeky grin on the prime of his mark. He loves these things – solar on his again, crowd roaring him in. He beats Nortje with a gorgeous seaming supply final up.
WICKET! Maharaj b Broad 18 (South Africa 169-9)
Broad tickles the timbers with one other in-swinger and will get the breakthrough. He buzzes off in celebration, arms outstretched. The lead is 129. Anrich Nortje is the final man for South Africa.
fifty fifth over: South Africa 168-8 (Verreynne 11, Maharaj 16) A few singles off Anderson as this pair start to frustrate England after tea.
Skillz.
54th over: South Africa 164-8 (Verreynne 10, Maharaj 15) Broad into the assault, Anderson possible switching ends to change Stokes who completed his over and left the sector of play straight after. Maharaj picks up three extra useful runs with a look down to lengthy leg. The lead creeps up to 124.
53rd over: South Africa 160-8 (Verreynne 9, Maharaj 13) Surely that’s it from Stokes? He sends a weary brief ball down that Maharaj glances superb to choose up four extra. Maharaj has four fifties in Test cricket and a better of 84. He can hold round and notch up helpful runs.
52nd over: South Africa 154-8 (Verreynne 9, Maharaj 6) Just a single off Jimmy. Stokes goes to… keep on. He’s flaunting the fabled purple zone.
South Africa 147/7 at tea, main by 106 runs.
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) September 11, 2022
51st over: South Africa 153-8 (Verreynne 9, Maharaj 5) A welcome boundary for South Africa takes their lead to 113 – Maharaj liberating his fingers by a wide-ish supply from Ben Stokes. Surely the skipped wants to have a blow. He’s grimacing and grabbing his knee nonetheless, Andre Strauss on the television commentary says it’s “painful” to watch Stokes perform these self-flagellating spells.
fiftieth over: South Africa 148-8 (Verreynne 9, Maharaj 1) Anderson begins a brand new spell after tea. The ball continues to be transferring round, Maharaj manages a single and Verreynne slices by level to add one other to the goal.
Peter Metcalfe is having enjoyable delving into his X-file:
“Hello Jim, I wonder if Wiaan Mulder is aware that Glenda Scully played for Western Australia Women in 1987? The truth is out there but it will take something paranormal to get South Africa out of this one.”
I odor a cricketing double acts approaching OBOers…
WICKET! Rabada c Brook b Stokes 0
Stokes to end his over after the break and he eliminates Rabada immediately! A tentative poke sees the ball fly to Harry Brook within the slips. Stokes has two within the over. South Africa’s lead is simply 107 and they’ve simply two wickets left. The solar is thrashing down, England might wrap this Test match up inside two days.
forty ninth over: South Africa 146-8 (Verreynne 8, Maharaj 0)
WICKET! Jansen b Stokes 4 (South Africa 146-7)
Ben Stokes! He offers himself one other over, this time it’s the ultimate one earlier than tea however he solely wants four balls. A vicious in-swinger darts by Jansen’s sizeable hole between bat and pad and detonates the leg stump. Comprehensively bowled and a heroic spell from England’s talismanic captain.
With that, it’s time for tea.
forty eighth over: South Africa 139-6 (Verreynne 2, Jansen 4) Robinson continues, he seems to be purple confronted and fairly bushed too. Fair play to him for maintaining at it within the September sunshine. Hang about, SIX! Verreynne prime edges a pull that lands immediately on the boundary sponge. Vital runs. Robinson pitches up for the rest of the over and regular service resumes – 5 dots.
forty seventh over: South Africa 140-6 (Verreynne 2, Jansen 4) Stokes has Jansen caught at slip by Ollie Pope however celebrations are curtailed by the umpire’s outstretched arm – No Ball! Stokes can’t imagine it, he’s given every part on this spell and nicked Jansen off with a stunning outswinger solely to over step by a couple of inches and see it chalked off. He shakes his head and sweat drips off his fringe. South Africa’s lead goes to 100 because of the no ball too.
forty sixth over: South Africa 139-6 (Verreynne 2, Jansen 4) Ollie Robinson sends down his fifth maiden.
The final Englishman to attain 50 Test wickets in fewer appearances than Ollie Robinson (11) was Ian Botham (10)#SAvENG
— Ben Gardner (@Ben_Wisden) September 11, 2022
Decent numbers. Beefy numbers.
There’s little doubt England’s batting is their weaker go well with, Guy Hornsby. Their bowling, in English circumstances, is phenomenal. Strengthened additional by a leaner, fitter, hungrier Ollie Robinson. That stated, this recreation has a really feel of the early summer season about it, England will certainly seek out no matter South Africa set them, whether or not that be 100 or 250.
I do know that is all priced into the brand new period @Jimbo_Cricket however is not this simply one other case of the bowlers bailing out the batters’ profligacy? Or is the distinction between the Silverwood and McCullum period that now unfastened pictures are intentional not unintended?
— Guy Hornsby (@GuyHornsby) September 11, 2022
forty fifth over: South Africa 139-6 (Verreynne 2, Jansen 4) Stokes scuds one onto Verreynne that hits him within the nether nether. Breathe in, breathe out, Kyle. He properly will get a single to get off strike. Scratch what I stated concerning the impending break, tea isn’t for one more quarter-hour. Stokes is limping in order that may very well be the tip of his spell, he’s finished seven overs on the bounce and is hobbling like latter days John Wayne.
forty fourth over: South Africa 138-6 (Verreynne 1, Jansen 4) Marco Jansen is the brand new man. Robinson greets him with a brief ball that he does effectively to negotiate. Robinson is ticking. Jansen can bat, he’s proven that on this sequence. A full ball is leant on along with his lengthy levers and whistles away for four to get him off the mark. One extra over earlier than tea I reckon, Stokes to bowl it.
WICKET! Zondo lbw b Robinson 16 (South Africa 133-6)
Big booming in-swinger from Robinson that clatters into Zondo’s again leg as he’s late on a misjudged minimize shot. Given out on the sector… reviewed and stays out with the umpire’s name! Zondo has to go, Robinson is amped up right here. The lead is 93.
forty third over: South Africa 128-5 (Zondo 16, Verreynne 0) The recreation is alive abruptly after a soporific session. Both sides grappling, Zondo cuts Stokes away uppishly to choose up four. Stokes responds with a frankly ridiculous ball that geese in and seams away. Play that! He then goes for the complete ball however over pitches and Zondo drives handsomely by mid-off for four extra.
WICKET! Mulder b Robinson 14 (South Africa 120-5)
Ollie Robinson is wild eyed and jubilant after he will get one to carry on Mulder that the batter tries to chop away however serves solely to hack down onto his stumps!
England have the breakthrough within the minutes earlier than the tea break. We might nonetheless see a two day Test right here in South London. The lead is 80.
forty second over: South Africa 120-5 (Zondo 8, Verreynne 0)
forty first over: South Africa 118-4 (Zondo 8, Mulder 12) England, notably Joe Root are adamant that Zondo has received a feather on a Stokes brief ball. Hmmm, Stokes isn’t satisfied however is talked into it by his pal. Ultra edge reveals… NADA. NOWT. Flatline because the ball passes bat and England have burned their final overview. Will that be pricey? South Africa lead by 78. Root is flummoxed.
fortieth over: South Africa 111-4 (Zondo 7, Mulder 7) Robinson. Maiden. Like you wanted to ask.
thirty ninth over: South Africa 111-4 (Zondo 7, Mulder 7) Mulder will get in on the act too! Stokes is furious with himself as he serves up a rank half tracker and is duly dispatched to the fence. The England skipper is pawing at his knee a bit, barely regarding. Nelson up. 111. Thoughts flip to David Shepherd.
thirty eighth over: South Africa 106-4 (Zondo 7, Mulder 3) Hold on to your stovepipe! A boundary! A lesser noticed boundary! That’s the primary four for the reason that twenty fifth over by my reckoning. Zondo climbs into a brief and large ball by Robinson and clatters it by cowl for four. Normal service is resumed afterwards although, 5 deafening dots.
thirty seventh over: South Africa 102-4 (Zondo 3, Mulder 3) Stokes once more. Maiden once more. Shaun Pollock describes his countrymen as being in a “trough”. England are piling the strain on Mulder and Zondo, one thing has to give quickly, and it may very well be my state of consciousness…
thirty sixth over: South Africa 102-4 (Zondo 3, Mulder 3) Ollie Robinson peels off one other maiden. South Africa on the street to nowhere. England have the ball on a string and are beating the sting at will.
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