Proteas back on top at tea
South Africa clawed their way back to the top after a topsy-turvy morning session in which they lost three wickets.
|||Johannesburg - South Africa clawed their way back to ascendency after a topsy-turvy morning session in which they lost three wickets as they took a second-innings lead of 356 runs going into the tea break on 223 for four on the fourth day of the final Test against England in Centurion on Monday.
Hashim Amla and Temba Bavuma patiently forged a combined fifth-wicket stand of 117 runs while denying the English any kind of breakthrough during the second session.
Bavuma’s gritty 63-run innings earned him his second half-century from eight Test matches with Amla on an undefeated 96 runs.
Amla held the innings together after England forced their way back into the game with three wickets before lunch.
Frontline quick bowler James Anderson (3/33) was in a destructive mood as he took two wickets in quick succession to move into seventh place on the all-time list for Test wickets on 433.
South Africa only managed to add seven runs to the overnight total of 42/1 during the morning thanks to some disciplined bowling, before Stephen Cook (25) fell victim to Anderson.
Attempting to drive Cook edged the ball to Jonny Bairstow behind the wicket.
Two balls later Anderson removed South African captain AB de Villiers for his third consecutive duck in as many innings.
De Villiers’ short stint as captain of the Test side could not have been worst as he became only the second South African skipper to score a pair.
Anderson caught De Villiers lbw which was confirmed by Hawk-Eye after the Proteas captain appealed the umpire’s decision.
Anderson’s spell was worth its weight in gold with figures of 6-2-7-2 keeping South Africa under pressure as the home side looks to post a lead of more than 300.
Following the demise of De Villiers, JP Duminy made a stand of 29 runs before he callously tried to drive a Ben Stokes (1/36 ) delivery and edging to Bairstow.
Independent Media