Manchester, United Kingdom: Jonny Bairstow made a dashing 99 before James Anderson struck from the newly-named James Anderson End to leave England well-placed in the fourth Test against South Africa at Old Trafford on Saturday.
The Proteas were 12 for one at lunch on the second day, a deficit of 350 runs, after Bairstow’s blizzard of boundaries had taken England to a total of 362 all out in their first innings.
Anderson, England’s all-time leading wicket-taker, then needed just three balls to enjoy a success from his ‘own’ end on his Lancashire home ground when Dean Elgar, fresh from a gutsy second-innings hundred in the Proteas’ 239-run defeat in the third Test at The Oval, was lbw for a duck.
Heino Kuhn was four not out and Hashim Amla six not out at lunch, with South Africa needing to win this match to end the four-Test series all square at 2-2.
England, who’d won the toss, resumed on 260 for six after Kagiso Rabada had yorked the dangerous Ben Stokes for 58 late on Friday.
Bairstow was 33 not out, having survived a contentious umpire review for a slip catch after initially being given out for just four.
A South Africa attack missing injured pacemen Vernon Philander and Chris Morris, both ruled out with lower back strains, remained on top in the early stages of Saturday’s play as Morne Morkel, so often unlucky this series, repeatedly beat the outside edge. Nightwatchman Toby Roland-Jones fell for four when he drove Rabada to Temba Bavuma at cover-point.
But Bairstow completed a 100-ball fifty, and raised England’s 300, when he cut Morkel through backward point for four.
It was a worrying sight for South Africa given they were all out for 175 in their first innings at The Oval.
Worse followed for the tourists when Quinton de Kock, who’d taken a brilliant catch to get rid of Tom Westley for his 100th Test dismissal on Friday, missed opposing wicket-keeper Bairstow when he could not hold a low diving chance off Rabada.
Bairstow was then on 53, with just last man Anderson for company.
He cashed in on his reprieve in style.
Recalled paceman Duanne Olivier’s first over on Saturday cost 14 runs, with Bairstow charging down the pitch to drive him back over his head for a six that took him to 90.
SCOREBOARD
England first innings (O/n: 260-6):
A Cook c de Kock b Maharaj46
K Jennings c de Kock b Olivier17
T Westley c de Kock b Rabada29
J Root lbw Olivier52
D Malan c du Plessis b Morkel18
B Stokes b Rabada58
J Bairstow lbw Maharaj99
T Roland-Jones c Bavuma b Rabada4
M Ali c du Plessis b Rabada14
S Broad b Morkel7
J Anderson (not out)4
Extras (B-6, LB-6, NB-2)14
Total (all out, 108.4 overs)362
Fall of wickets: 1-35, 2-92, 3-92, 4-144, 5-187, 6-252, 7-271, 8-303, 9-312.
Bowling: Morkel 26-5-92-2, Rabada 26-7-91-4, Olivier 21-3-91-2, Maharaj 30.4-9-58-2, De Bruyn 5-0-18-0.
South Africa first innings:
D Elgar lbw Anderson0
H Kuhn (not out)4
H Amla (not out)6
Extras (B-2)2
Total (For 1 wkt, 4 overs)12
Fall of wickets: 1-2.
Bowling: Anderson 2-0-5-1; Broad 2-0-5-0.
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