Second Test v South Africa 2022
Stokes Inspires England Revival
After England’s disappointing effort at Lord’s they needed to bounce back immediately at Old Trafford. Despite the fact that their batting had let them down twice, it was a bowler who was omitted, Ollie Robinson returning to the side in place of Matty Potts. Robinson had shown good form since his return from injury, and his success the previous summer gave him a strong claim. His selection did not, however, remove the criticism that England’s attack was looking a bit samey. Meanwhile South Africa also made one change, altering the balance of their side by leaving out Marco Jansen and bringing in Simon Harmer, who has been the most prolific wicket-taker in county cricket for some seasons now. This left the tourists with two spinners as opposed to England’s one on a Manchester track that has a reputation of having some pace, but they clearly hoped the dry conditions would favour spin, especially later in the match.
Dean Elgar won the toss and chose to bat, despite the overcast conditions; Ben Stokes did not seem at all unhappy to be bowling first. James Anderson, playing in his 100th home Test (a feat no other player has managed), bowling from the end that bears his name, took the new ball. But, for the first time they’ve appeared together since January 2010, Stuart Broad was not sharing it with him, as that honour went to Robinson. The Sussex man and Anderson probed away outside Sarel Erwee’s off stump, and soon it was the Lancastrian who found the inside edge and Ben Foakes took an excellent catch to remove him for 3. After averaging more than 55 earlier in the summer playing for Surrey Championship side Weybridge, this was a big step up. Robinson, his pace up on what we saw in Australia, nearly had Elgar caught in the slips but Stokes couldn’t quite hang on to a very difficult chance to give him the wicket he deserved. He then had Elgar caught at short square leg, only to be called for a no ball.
Elgar’s reprieve was short lived, as Jonny Bairstow caught him low at third slip off Broad. In his next over, Keegan Petersen edged him to Joe Root; as ever when questioned, Broad responded. Rassie van der Dussen came out to join Aiden Markram, who reached 2000 Test runs when he scored 12. Just before the lunch break, Stokes brought himself on for a short spell, and third ball Markram skied it to Foakes. In his second over, he got the benefit of the doubt on an LBW shout that accounted for van der Dussen. Things nearly got even better for England when Jack Leach found the bottom edge of Harmer’s bat, but Foakes couldn’t quite get his gloves down in time, and at the break the score was 77 for five.
It took half an hour into the afternoon session before Anderson struck, trapping Harmer in front, and the next ball Keshav Maharaj was also plumb LBW: 92 for seven, and Anderson on a hat-trick. Once more, with the arrival of Kagiso Rabada, England reverted to short-pitched bowling against the tail, but it was a fuller pitched delivery from Broad that removed Kyle Verreynne to make it 108 for eight. Rabada decided to play some shots and, with Anrich Nortje, took the score on to 143 for eight at tea. First ball of the evening session, Robinson finally picked up the wicket he’d deserved, Nortje LBW. Rabada was last man out, caught by Root off Leach, and South Africa were all out for just 151.
Alex Lees and Zak Crawley had a big job ahead of them, but in Lungi Ngidi’s first over he delivered a beauty that Lees feathered behind to the keeper. Ollie Pope played positively, but then Nortje blasted through his defences to bring Root out with the score on 34. Rabada then accounted for him, caught at first slip, and England were struggling on 43 for three. Jonny Bairstow joined Crawley and the pair put on fifty in just 62 balls, helped by a few wild deliveries from Nortje which flew unimpeded to the boundary. At the close, England were 111 for three.
On the second day, the sun was shining and batting conditions looked so much better, but Nortje’s pace can trouble even the best and he had Bairstow edging to Erwee at first slip to remove him on 49. Then Crawley was out for 38, caught behind off the same bowler, after battling away in uncharacteristic but encouraging fashion. That left England on 147 for five and, with their long tail after Foakes, the game was back in the balance, with much depending on him and skipper Stokes.
All too often this summer, Stokes has been frenetic at the start as he’s looked to impose himself, but this time he was more circumspect, though he did sweep Harmer for six early on – his 101st six in Tests, taking him to second in the all-time list, one ahead of Adam Gilchrist with just Brendon McCullum (107) ahead of him. The pair brought up the fifty partnership in 79 balls. Soon they were facing spin from both ends, and Maharaj nearly struck with his first delivery, but DRS proved the ball had pitched just outside leg to spare Foakes. At lunch England were 212 for five, and in control of the match.
Stokes brought up his fifty off 101 balls with a glorious straight six off Harmer that landed in the England dressing room. The hundred partnership came up in 210 balls, before a brilliant slower Yorker from Ngidi to Stokes was given LBW only for DRS to show a huge inside edge. Then Foakes reached his fifty off 116 balls; by this point the England captain dominating proceedings. By the time South Africa took the new ball, England were 288 for five, a lead of 137, and the tourists needed to make it work for them quickly. However, England went in to tea 20 runs further on, a lead of 157, with Stokes two short of a century.
Early in the evening session, after 158 balls, Stokes completed his 12th Test century, his fourth against South Africa, his second in Manchester and his first as captain; it was greeted rapturously by the crowd. When the partnership reached 170, the pair set a new record for the sixth wicket for England in Tests at Old Trafford. Sadly there wasn’t much more from Stokes as he mistimed one and skied it to his opposite number at mid-off to go for 103. Broad came in and walloped his fourth delivery straight down the ground off Harmer for six. But Harmer got his revenge when Broad ran past one and was stumped for 21. Robinson kept Foakes company as the latter went to his second Test century, off 206 balls. Maharaj then had Robinson caught at slip, before bowling Leach. Stokes declared with Foakes on a career-best 113 not out and England on 415 for nine, a daunting lead of 264. South Africa’s openers had a tricky spell to the close but got there with the score on 23 without loss.
England came up with a surprise at the start of Day Three, beginning with Root’s off-breaks, but unsurprisingly it was Anderson who struck first, going through Elgar’s defences and sending the off stump tumbling. Robinson nearly followed it up when he found the edge of Erwee’s bat, but the ball barely carried to second slip. Soon after, he found the edge again and Foakes did the rest. Broad came on and bowled a beauty to dismiss Markram, only for it to be called a no ball, but in his next over he found Markram’s edge. Despite a fractured finger, van der Dussen came out to bat with South Africa in deep trouble at 54 for three as the bounce grew ever more variable and reverse swing came into play. At lunch it was 88 for three.
After lunch, the partnership reached fifty off 116 balls, but the pressure from England’s bowling was intense. In the end, with the score on 127, Stokes decided the time was right to bring himself on for the first time in the innings, and could have had van der Dussen just on the cusp of tea, but failed to appeal when the batter feathered one. Instead, they went in to the break on 141 for three. It had been attritional stuff – just the 53 runs scored – but sometimes that’s exactly what Test cricket requires. And things can always change very rapidly.
Third ball after tea that change began when Stokes finally took the edge of van der Dussen, Foakes held on, and the South African was out for a gritty 41 off 132 balls. In his next over Stokes removed Petersen (42 from 159 balls) with an unplayable delivery that took off and moved away, edged to Foakes and it was 151 for five. South Africa got through to the new ball without further loss, reaching 172 for five, despite a mammoth 14-over spell from Stokes, who bowled exceptionally with the old ball.
Second delivery with the new ball and Anderson bowled Harmer through the gate. Robinson had Maharaj in all sorts of trouble before he edged to Pope. Anderson then dismissed Rabada, who nicked one to Root; it was his 100th Test wicket against South Africa (a record for England; Shaun Pollock has the most for South Africa against England, with 91). Nortje edged Robinson to the keeper second ball, and Ngidi was also out second ball, bowled by Robinson, who finished with four for 43. South Africa were all out for 179 as England wrapped up victory by an innings and 85 runs – it was only the second time in their history that they’d achieved an innings win immediately after an innings defeat. The last five wickets had tumbled in 31 deliveries with the new ball.
There’s now a break to next Thursday for the decider at The Oval, a venue where South Africa have won only once in 15 attempts. One senses that it will be a question of which batting line-up copes best that will have the major say in the outcome, as both bowling sides look formidable, with the revival of Robinson, who has been working hard in the gym, being particularly heartening.
