LONDON: Joe Root and Ben Stokes marked their first Test innings as England captain and vice-captain respectively with fifties as the hosts fought back on the first day of the series opener against South Africa at Lord’s on Thursday.
England were 182 for four at tea, having not lost a wicket in a session that saw them score exactly 100 runs after they had been in deep in trouble at 82 for four come lunch.
Root, who won the toss, was 79 not out and left-hander Stokes 52 not out, with the pair’s unbroken stand worth 106 runs.Stokes took the attack to the Proteas in the first of this four-Test series, driving spinner Keshav Maharaj for six.
Root, 33 not out at lunch, completed an 89-ball fifty including seven fours and showed plenty of deft touches, including a late cut boundary off Morkel.Earlier, Alastair Cook, in his first Test since resigning as England captain in February, had made just three when he chased a Vernon Philander delivery outside off stump and was caught behind. Keaton Jennings fell next on his home debut. Cook’s fellow left-handed opener was lbw to Philander for eight after not getting that far forward.
Root, meanwhile, was fortunate, when on five a top-edged hook off Kagiso Rabada just cleared substitute fielder Aiden Markram at long leg.
England won toss
England 1st innings
A Cook c de Kock b Philander 3
K Jennings lbw b Philander 8
G Ballance lbw b Morkel 20
*J Root not out 79
†J Bairstow lbw b Philander 10
B Stokes not out 52
Extras (nb10) 10
Total (4 wkts, 52 overs) 182
To bat: M Ali, L Dawson, S Broad, J Anderson, M Wood
Fall: 1-14, 2-17, 3-49, 4-76
Bowling: Morkel 14-1-62-1 (6nb); Philander 11-2-28-3 (3nb); Rabada 14-3-45-0 (1nb); Maharaj 10-1-38-0; De Bruyn 3-1-9-0
South Africa: *D Elgar, H Kuhn, Hashim Amla, J P Duminy, T Bavuma, T de Bruyn, †Q de Kock, Vernon Philander, K Maharaj, K Rabada, M Morkel
Umpires: Paul Reiffel (Australia), S Ravi (India). TV umpire: Simon Fry (Australia). Match referee: Jeff Crowe (New Zealand)