South Africa take charge in second Test

NOTTINGHAM, United Kingdom: South Africa captured the prize wicket of England captain Joe Root as they seized the initiative on the second day of their second Test at Trent Bridge on Saturday.

At tea, England were 184 for six in reply to South Africa’s first innings 335 — still a deficit of 151 runs.

Moeen Ali was 14 not out and Liam Dawson was on two after Root, in his second match as England captain, had fallen for a fine 78 on a day when batsmen on both sides struggled in the overcast conditions.

South Africa were without fast bowler Kagiso Rababa, suspended from this match after swearing at Ben Stokes during England’s 211-run win in the first of the four-match series at Lord’s last week.

But after Morne Morkel removed Root, left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj took two wickets for five runs in 11 balls, with Stokes out for a 12-ball duck and dangerman Jonny Bairstow falling for 45.

South Africa, 309 for six overnight, lost their last four wickets for 26 runs in 6.2 overs.

James Anderson, England’s all-time leading Test wicket-taker, did the damage with a burst of four wickets for four runs in 16 balls.

But England then slumped to three for two in reply.

Former skipper Alastair Cook was caught behind for three when he got an inside edge to Vernon Philander’s inswinger.

Next ball, Cook’s fellow left-handed opener Keaton Jennings fell for a duck.

He was undone by a brilliant Morkel delivery from around the wicket that cut away off the pitch and took an edge safely held by wicket-keeper Quinton de Kock.

Root counter-attacked by hitting Philander for three fours in an over.

And at lunch, he and Yorkshire team-mate Gary Ballance had taken England to 85 for two. Ballance, however, had added just one to his lunch score of 26 not out when the left-hander played on to Philander. Morkel then had Root edging an intended drive and de Kock held an excellent catch. —Agencies

Score Board

South Africa won toss

South Africa 1st Innings

D Elgar c Dawson b Anderson         6

H Kuhn b Broad        34

H Amla c Wood b Broad       78

Q de Kock c Cook b Broad   68

F du Plessis c Bairstow b Stokes     19

T Bavuma c Bairstow b Stokes       20

V Philander c Dawson b Anderson   54

C Morris c and b Anderson   36

K Maharaj c Root b Anderson         0

M Morkel c Bairstow b Anderson     8

D Olivier not out       0

Extras (lb12)  12

Total (all out, 96.2 overs)    335

Fall: 1-42, 2-66, 3-179, 4-194, 5-220, 6-235, 7-309, 8-317, 9-330, 10-335

Bowling: Anderson 23.2-6-72-5; Broad 22-4-64-3; Wood 17-3-61-0; Stokes 18-3-77-2; Dawson 7-1-26-0; Ali 8-1-21-0; Jennings 1-0-2-0

England 1st Innings

A Cook c de Kock b Philander         3

K Jennings c de Kock b Morkel        0

G Ballance b Philander         27

J Root c de Kock b Morkel    78

J Bairstow b Maharaj 45

B Stokes c de Kock b Maharaj        0

M Ali not out   14

L Dawson not out      2

Extras (b4, lb10, w1) 15

Total (6 wkts, 42 overs)      184

To bat: S Broad, J Anderson, M Wood

Fall: 1-3, 2-3, 3-86, 4-143, 5-168, 6-177

Bowling: Morkel 13-2-45-2; Philander 13-2-48-2; Morris 4-0-25-0; Olivier 7-0-39-0 (1w); Maharaj 5-0-13-2

Umpires: Simon Fry (Australia), Paul Reiffel (Australia). TV umpire: S Ravi (India). Match referee: Jeff Crowe (New Zealand)