South Africa v England, First Test, day four: England in command after Proteas batsmen falter
England need six wickets to claim a 1-0 series lead in the Basil D’Oliveira Trophy after another dominant display on day four of the first Test against South Africa at Durban.
The visitors were bundled out for 326, before tea on day four, but picked up four wickets, including the crucial ones of Hashim Amla and Faf du Plessis as the hosts ended the day on 136/4, still needing another 280 runs for an unlikely victory.
Starting the day with a lead of 261 and seven wickets in hand, England would have wanted to bat until tea before any thoughts of a declaration would have crept in. But losing three wickets before the new ball was due, put a dent in their plans.
But Hashim Amla’s decision to let the game drift instead of forcing the tempo meant that England’s last four wickets added 102 runs and set the Proteas a stiff target, once they were eventually bowled out.
Joe Root was the first to go, as he fell on 73, which was the 10th time this year that he has been dismissed between 50 and 100. While he would have been disappointed with the manner of his dismissal, he did, in the process of his innings, make history, as he overtook Kevin Pietersen’s record of most runs in a calendar year by an English batsman.
Ben Stokes soon followed as he tried his repeat his successful reverse sweep from earlier in the Dane Piedt over, but only ended up gloving it to Dean Elgar. As England started to press the accelerator chances started coming thick and fast.
When James Taylor, seven shy of a well-deserved fifty, charged Piedt but missed the ball, AB de Villiers made no mistake behind the stumps. At 224/6, England would have been worried, but Jonny Bairstow ensured that England’s lead crossed 400 as he kept up the tempo and continued to play positively.
Cameos from Moeen Ali and Chris Woakes, coupled with Bairstow’s 79 meant that England had managed to overtake their own first innings score and the scoreboard had a lead of 415 by the time they were eventually dismissed for 326.
Piedt was the pick of the bowlers as he picked up his maiden Test five-wicket haul. But the biggest surprise was the figures of Stiaan van Zyl, who finished with 20/3, as he cleaned up the tail, with his dibbly-dobblers.
While the target of 416 was certainly daunting, the hosts began promisingly as they went into tea at 65 for 1 after a fifty-run opening partnership at the end of the 10th over. But van Zyl fell to Stokes after a brisk 33.
After tea, though, South Africa decided to change gears and go from going for the win, to deciding to block out for the remainder of the day, a tactic, which ended up costing them at the end of the day.
Amla’s departure with the score at 85 was soon followed by Elgar’s dismissal three runs later. That brought Ab and Faf du Plessis to the crease and the pair seemed intent on playing it safe until the end of the day.
But their resistance was almost broken when Bairstow missed a stumping off AB, but in what proved to be the final over of the day, du Plessis edged to first slip off Steven Finn and brought in a nightwatchman to see out the final few balls.
Although the Proteas still have two front-line batsmen to come in next, which way the game goes will depend on how long AB stays.
Brief scores: England