Johannesburg — So that was entertaining, right?
A bit more than a third of the overs were bowled on the opening day at Lord’s before the forecast showers arrived to end proceedings shortly after 3pm SA time, but even with the pricey tickets at the “Home of Cricket”, the spectators would have felt they got their money’s worth in terms of action.
South Africa’s captain, Dean Elgar also got just what he wanted to start the match — with the coin falling in his favour at the toss. He couldn’t wait to blurt out “we’ll have a bowl”. His opposite number Ben Stokes would have done the same and not just because of his side’s fondness for chasing, which has led to their last four Test match wins.
The pitch, with a very good grass covering was set to assist movement of the seam and the cloudy overhead conditions, would help the ball swing too. The rain that was forecast also meant the bowlers could go full tilt, knowing they’d most likely get the afternoon off.
Still, you can have all that in your favour, the bowlers have to utilise the conditions. The Proteas quartet of quicks did just that.
Kagiso Rabada, over whom there were doubts in the build up, produced a stunning first spell from the Nursery End that accounted for both England openers, Alex Lees and Zak Crawley. There were no signs of the ankle ailment that had curtailed his participation in the T20 series, with Rabada moving the ball with mesmeric accuracy.
He set up Lees perfectly, angling a number of balls across the left-hand batter, then followed up with a quick short ball, after which came the wicket-taking delivery, just back of a good length that induced a drive with the edge going through to wicket-keeper Kyle Verreynne.
While all the talk has been about England’s attacking prowess with the bat, Crawley looked to be playing himself in, leaving a number of tempters outside his off-stump from Lungi Ngidi who shared the new ball with Rabada.
Crawley has been susceptible to driving loosely in his recent Test innings, and it felt like a matter of time before Rabada would get a delivery in the right spot. That arrived towards the end of the ninth over, with Crawley left with little option but to poke at a delivery just outside his off-stump, the ball flew low towards the slips, where Aiden Markram took a good low catch falling to his left.
That brought Joe Root to the crease early, which is an important part of South Africa’s strategy for this series. Root has been in sparkling form, but on a helpful pitch against a newish ball, and the kind of attack the Proteas possess, batting was going to be tricky.
Rabada got one to bounce nastily off a reasonably full length and there was some more peppering of the ribs from both Anrich Nortje and Marco Jansen, that unsettled the former England captain.
Jansen produced a gem that swung back into the right-handed Root and had him trapped lbw for eight, making the morning drinks taste that much sweeter for the tourists.
Amidst all the activity at the other end, young Ollie Pope had settled into a good rhythm, cheekily grabbing sharp singles, occasionally taking a stride or two towards the bowler — leaving Ngidi perplexed at one point — and finding the boundary when the Proteas offered any width.
There was absolutely no width for England’s man of the season Jonny Bairstow, whose middle stump was ripped out by a 150kph rocket from Nortje.
Stokes hit some lovely straight drives during a 45-run fifth wicket partnership with Pope, but his wicket on the stroke of lunch, as he edged one to third slip after being squared up by Nortje tilted the day emphatically the Proteas way.
There was a third wicket for Nortje shortly before the rain, with Ben Foakes chopping the ball onto his off-stump.
Pope on 61 and Broad, who is yet to score, will resume on Thursday with the weather set to be better than was the case on day one.
Scorecard
England 116/6 (Ollie Pope 61*, Ben Stokes 20, Anrich Nortje 3/43, Kagiso Rabada 2/36)
IOL Sport