S. Africa v. England Tests

[Donny]

8/180. de Kock has 6 catches.

Philander 3/16 from 14 overs.

[Donny]

All out 181.

Philander 4/16.

[K]

[K]

At stumps, S. Africa 284 & 4/72 (20), after England made 181.
S. Africa lead by 175 runs with 6 wickets remaining.

[K]

Injury news:

Markram fractured his left ring finger while fielding and is out of the series.

[K]

cricinfo:

"But the best teams don't rely on miracles. And despite all the drama of the last session in Centurion, the unsettling thought persisted that England - English cricket, even - has already hit the iceberg. The ship is going down. All that matters now is the number of survivors.
...

... The spin-bowling cupboard has never been so bare; the lack of openers has never been so obvious; the batsmen keep getting rolled and the bowlers keep looking toothless. You look around the world and other teams - certainly India, Australia, West Indies and South Africa - have fast bowlers who seem to hit the pitch harder and extract more life as a consequence. Kookaburra balls that seem dead in English hands come alive for the likes of Neil Wagner or Josh Hazlewood. And it keeps happening; to deny it is absurd and impossible."

[K]

Some worries now for S. Africa, who have largely controlled the Test.

After S. Africa made 272 in their second innings, England's highest opening partnership for the year is now into the 90s...


But a much-needed wicket for S. Africa!

England 1/92 (28 ).

England require another 284 runs with 9 wickets remaining.

[K]

At stumps, England 1/121 (41).
England require another 255 runs with 9 wickets remaining.
Burns 77* (117).

They are still a chance.

[K]

England 5/222 at drinks.

They are still a chance. The pitch seems to have flattened.
But S. Africa have the second new ball (which has struck once).

After his amazing bowling in the first innings, Philander is still wicketless in the second, though economical.

England's non-keeping keeper failed as a batsman and will probably make way for Pope in the next match (who will play as a batsman, which he is, after being made into a keeper in NZ when the current keeper was injured).

[K]

Nortje gets Root, nicking off.

England's hopes are fading now.

[K]

The new ball has done its work.

England now 8 wickets down and surely the end is near.

[K]

Three wickets in 11 balls now.


cricinfo's Miller noted:

"England needed 125 runs with three wickets in hand at the fall of Curran's wicket. Which is exactly what they conceded in yesterday morning's session".


cricinfo tells us:

"Jonny Bairstow ends 2019 with just 334 runs in his 19 innings, at an average of 18.55."

[K]

Four wickets in 15 balls.

Game over. England all out 268. S. Africa win by 107 runs.

The last five wickets, starting with Root's, fell in 35 balls.

............................................

To end the first innings, England lost 7/39 in 15.4 overs.
To end the second innings, England lost 7/64 in 20.4 overs, including 6/46 in 12.5 overs.

[K]

Earlier, controversy surrounding Archer's bowling of "beamers":

https://www.theage.com.au/sport/cricket/archer-escapes-bowling-ban-in-beamer-row-20191228-p53nah.html


Were they attempted slower balls?

[K]

"Pieter Malan is set to become South Africa's eighth Test debutant in five matches during the New Year's Test. Malan will replace the injured Aiden Markram..."
(cricinfo)


Rebuilding time for S. Africa.