England in South Africa: Joe Root moves tourists closer to series win

[vagabondl.]

 

 

Fourth Test, Johannesburg, (day three of five):
England 400 (Crawley 66; Nortje 5-110) & 248 (Root 58, Hendricks 5-64)
South Africa 183 (De Kock 76, Wood 5-46)
South Africa require 466 to win

England are closing in on a series victory after setting South Africa an unlikely 466 to win the fourth Test in Johannesburg.

Mark Wood completed a five-wicket haul as the home side were bowled out for 183 before the lunch break on day three.

England had an advantage of 217 runs, but declined to enforce the follow-on, instead opting to bat the Proteas out of the match on a pitch starting to show signs of uneven bounce.

Dom Sibley made 44 in steady progress to 92-2, after which a cluster of wickets fell amid England's desire to push on after tea.

Captain Joe Root played a number of one-day strokes in his 58, sharing stands of 46 with Sam Curran and 34 with Wood.

Root was dismissed off the last ball of the day, his side 248 all out and now with two full days to take the 10 wickets that would seal a 3-1 series win - only their second overseas success in four years.

South Africa's hopeless situation was compounded by the loss of opening bowler Vernon Philander, who pulled up with a hamstring injury in what will be his final Test before international retirement.

Not only that, but Philander became the latest player in this series to be sanctioned by the International Cricket Council, being handed a fine of 15% of his match fee and one demerit point for using "inappropriate language" after dismissing England's Jos Buttler on day two.

 

England nail it down

 

 

In reality, England's decision to bat again ensured much of the day would lack drama and instead be about the tourists moving to a position from which they were happy to bowl again.

With the Proteas 88-6 overnight, England may have still been entertaining the follow-on when Philander fell to Chris Woakes in the first full over of the day, only for a stand of 79 between Quinton de Kock and Dwaine Pretorius to dispel that notion.

Therefore the match continued, but the contest was put on hold.

It is to South Africa's credit that England's second innings was not a complete procession. Every time Zak Crawley, Ben Stokes and Ollie Pope threatened to dominate the bowling, they were dismissed.

At one stage, England lost three wickets for 24 runs, but it was of little consequence as Root and Curran pushed South Africa's target to what would be the highest successful run-chase in Test history.

Given the choice, England probably would have liked for Joe Denly and Buttler to make big scores, only for both to fall for eight. Their long-term Test futures will continue to be the subject of debate.