| Second Test, Newlands, Cape Town (day five of five): |
|---|
| England 269 & 391-8 dec (Sibley 133*, Stokes 72) |
| South Africa 223 (Elgar 88, Anderson 5-40) & 248 (Malan 84, Stokes 3-35) |
| England won by 189 runs; series level at 1-1 |
| Scorecard |
England forced a dramatic 189-run victory over South Africa late on day five of the second Test in Cape Town to level the series at 1-1.
With the tourists still needing three wickets in the final hour, man of the match Ben Stokes claimed them all to cap a stunning all-round performance.
He removed Dwaine Pretorius and Anrich Nortje in consecutive balls before dismissing Vernon Philander to secure the win with just 8.2 overs remaining in the match.
The Proteas looked to be grinding their way to a draw, with opener Pieter Malan making a superb 84 off 288 balls, before Rassie van der Dussen and Quinton de Kock resisted for 33.5 overs.
England’s attack was also limited with all-time highest Test wicket-taker James Anderson missing most of the last two sessions because of injury.
But De Kock slapped a long hop from Joe Denly to mid-wicket to fall for 50 and Van der Dussen, who spent 140 balls over his 17, flicked Stuart Broad to leg gully.
England’s chance of victory was boosted but they still needed Stokes to seize it, the all-rounder finding seam movement and bounce in a devastating spell to secure the tourists’ first win at Newlands since 1957.
The third Test of the four-match series starts in Port Elizabeth on 16 January.
Improved England square the series
England were comfortably beaten by 107 runs in the first Test and failed to capitalise on a strong position in the first innings here, needing Ollie Pope’s enterprising 61 not out to at least post a competitive total.
Yet the tourists were much improved from that point on, putting in comfortably their best bowling performance of the winter to dismiss South Africa for 223 and claim a 46-run first-innings lead.
The top order then batted with the patience that has been lacking in recent years, with opener Dom Sibley compiling a sublime 133 not out, to lay a platform that allowed Stokes to blast a magnificent 72 off 47 balls and set up the declaration.
England may have had the best part of five sessions to bowl South Africa out, but the pitch had slowed and flattened out and the obdurate hosts had the likes of Faf du Plessis and Philander, who have experience of saving matches in similar situations.
So to force victory in this fashion was hugely encouraging and gives head coach Chris Silverwood a welcome first win of his tenure.
Stokes stars in Anderson absence
Anderson was excellent in his opening spell, pinning Maharaj in front and actually would have had Du Plessis out lbw too, but England failed to spot the ball had hit the Proteas skipper’s pad before his bat.
It did not matter as Du Plessis swept Dom Bess to Denly at square leg for 19 before Malan’s stoic stand was finally ended as Sam Curran found extra bounce to induce the edge, with Stokes taking a fine low catch.
With five wickets still needed in the final session, Anderson tried two overs but was clearly not fit and England needed others to step up.
Broad went first, getting Van der Dussen to glance a leg-side delivery to Anderson, who had been moved into that position after the previous delivery.
And after a majestic 2019 in which he starred in England’s World Cup final win and led his side to that remarkable one-wicket win over Australia at Headingley, Stokes went to the well once more.
Suddenly Newlands looked like a real fifth-day pitch, Stokes finding pace and bounce to have Pretorius and Nortje caught in the slips – the latter off a fine juggling effort by Zak Crawley – before a brutal ball saw Philander fend to Pope.
More to follow.
