England vs South Africa 2017: 2nd Test day 2, 5 talking points
South Africa's best day with the ball since landing in England helped them take a decisive lead on Day 2 of the second Investec Test series at Trent Bridge. James Anderson completed a five-wicket haul by dismissing all of the remaining Proteas batsmen within 38 deliveries on Day 2 as South Africa's first innings was restricted to 335.
Philander and Morkel, however, made amends with the ball and started off with a bang, getting rid of Cook and Jennings off consecutive deliveries. Joe Root notched up his sixth consecutive 50+ score, this one coming at more than run a ball but a loose shot from the skipper triggered a collapse that saw England lose their last six wickets for a mere 62 runs. Keshav Maharaj and Chris Morris were at the centre of South Africa's sensational comeback in the day, sharing three wickets apiece.
Gritty knocks from Dean Elgar and Hashim Amla then took the Proteas to stumps with a mammoth lead of 205.
Brief Scores: South Africa 335 & 75/1 (Elgar 38, Amla 23)
England 205 (Root 78, Bairstow 45, Maharaj 3/21)
Here are the talking points from the second day at Trent Bridge.
#5 Anderson rips apart South African lower order
James Anderson had his tail up on a breezy Trent Bridge morning and accounted for the well set Philander off the third ball of the day. The delivery angled from wide of the crease bounced more than Philander expected and straightened inducing a top edge that Dawson at cover settled under.
Anderson then proceeded to bamboozle Maharaj with a mix of outswingers and inswingers. The test proved too much for the no.9 batsman who edged to Root at second slip. Chris Morris, South Africa's sole hope by then, played a good looking on-drive against Anderson which had the commentary team gasping in awe but fell the very next ball as a leading edge settled in the safe hands of Anderson.
He closed off the innings with Morkel's scalp to finish with his second fifer at Trent Bridge. His spell in the morning read 3.2-2-4-4 as England took a mere 38 balls to bowl out the tail.