Anderson marks opening of his own end in inspirational style

Close of play report (fourth Test, second day)

England 362 South Africa 220-9 (Morkel 18*)

James Anderson backed up his words with actions as he celebrated the opening of his own end at Old Trafford in dramatic fashion to put England in a commanding position in the second Test.

Anderson, insistent that redemption Down Under remains a target after the 2013-14 Ashes drubbing, produced a wonderful spell after tea, clean bowling Temba Bavuma and Faf du Plessis in the space of three balls, then finding Theunis de Bruyn’s outside edge to have him caught at second slip.

It was the perfect answer to those who maintain that an Australia trip might be one too far for the Lancashire swing bowler, even though the alternatives are not exactly forming an orderly queue to replace him.

England’s leading wicket-taker had already marked the occasion by dislodging Dean Elgar, the mainstay of South Africa’s failed rearguard action at the Oval, with only his third ball, a perfect inswinger trapping him palpably leg-before.

By the time De Bruyn perished, providing a comfortable catch for Joe Root from an equally delightful outswinger, the tourists had subsided to 146 for six, still 14 short of the follow-on target and Anderson’s six-over spell had brought him figures of three for 13. A final analysis of 14-3-33-4 was his best in Test cricket at his home ground.

Bavuma, as composed as he has looked throughout this series but again failing to turn a solid start into something much more significant, had shouldered arms to one that came back and clipped the off bail – a motif for South Africa in this series – before Du Plessis, the captain, played on.

Moeen Ali, the leading wicket-taker in the series, also got in on the act, breaking the resistance of the underwhelming Heino Kuhn, whose seven innings in this series have brought him only 102 runs. After Anderson had wrought havoc, he also trapped Keshav Maharaj leg-before on the back foot.

With Toby Roland-Jones’s golden arm persuading Hashim Amla to leg glance an innocuous ball into the grateful gloves of Jonny Bairstow and Stuart Broad chipping in with the wickets of Quinton de Kock and Kagiso Rabada, the latter with the final ball of the day, it had been a dispiriting afternoon and evening for South Africa.

It hadn’t been a much better morning. That had belonged to Bairstow, who had led an England charge in which they added 102 in an hour and a half. He hit 66 of those from only 73 balls and shared in a last-wicket stand of 50 with Jimmy Anderson, whose contribution was four, before being rather unluckily judged leg-before to Maharaj a run short of a fourth Test hundred.

If there was a sense that South Africa had not had to work too hard to take their first three wickets of the morning as Roland-Jones, Ali and Stuart Broad fell cheaply, Bairstow had grabbed the initiative at the outset and when he was left with only Anderson for company, he switched up another gear, mixing textbook drives with innovative hitting.A Dil-slap straight out of the limited-overs manual was embellished by a commanding straight six.

Rather than being restricted by South Africa’s tactic of allowing him the single to enable them to focus their efforts on the England No 11, he prospered, picking off the twos to the outfielders when he judged nothing more lucrative was available.

When he was out, sweeping, he had hit 14 fours and a six in an innings lasting 145 balls.

Rabada was the bowler to benefit most from England’s almost indecent haste from an overnight position of 260 for six, Roland-Jones skewing a perfectly good length ball off the splice to cover, and Moeen flirting outside off to edge to second slip. That left him with figures of four for 91 while Morkel cleaned up Broad as he, Maharaj and Duanne Olivier finished with two wickets apiece.

Teatime report: (fourth Test, second day:) England 362 South Africa 93-3 (Bavuma 30*, Du Plessis 6*)

Toby Roland-Jones’s golden arm continued to serve him well on relocation to Old Trafford. The Middlesex seamer, so successful on debut at the Oval, made the breakthrough in the afternoon session, dismissing Hashim Amla for the third time in three innings with only his third ball.

Confirmation that the cricket gods are looking favourably on the pace bowler at the moment came when Amla, who had been untroubled on his way to 30 from 35 balls, was served up an innocuous delivery down the leg-side but glanced too fine and Jonny Bairstow accepted the unexpected offering.

He had added 35 in 7.4 overs with opener Heino Kuhn, who looks underwhelming at this level, but continued to offer stout if occasionally fortunate defence. That luck ran out ten minutes before tea, though, as he drove at Ali and edged to Ben Stokes at slip. His 24 had occupied 75 balls.

Temba Bavuma continued to bat, as he has throughout the series, with composure although he should have been run out moments before Kuhn departed. Sent back after a drive to mid-off, Ali missed the stumps when he gathered Cook’s throw, giving Bavuma a split second extra to get a successful dive in.

The morning had belonged to Bairstow who was unlucky to be given out leg-before on 99 after leading an England charge that helped them add 102 in an hour and a half. He hit 66 of those from only 73 balls and shared in a last-wicket stand of 50 with Jimmy Anderson, whose contribution was only four.

There was a sense that South Africa had not had to work too hard to take their first three wickets of the morning, Roland-Jones, Ali and Stuart Broad falling cheaply despite the addition of 52 in nine overs.

But Bairstow grabbed the initiative emphaticially when he realised he had only Anderson for company, he switched up a gear, mixing textbook drives with innovative hitting.

Rather than being restricted by South Africa’s tactic of allowing him the single to enable them to focus their efforts on the England No 11, he prospered, picking off the twos to the outfielders when he judged nothing more lucrative was available.

When he was out, sweeping at Keshav Maharaj – to the naked eye it looked like he had been hit outside the line of off stump, as well as getting a good stride in – he had hit 14 fours and a six in an innings lasting 145 balls.

Kagiso Rabada was the bowler to benefit most from England’s almost indecent haste, Roland-Jones skewing a perfectly good length ball off the splice to cover, and Moeen flirting outside off to edge to second slip, to leave him with figures of four for 91. Morkel cleaned up Broad as he, Maharaj and Duanne Olivier finished with two wickets apiece.

South Africa had four overs to negotiate before the lunch interval, but Dean Elgar lasted only three balls as Jimmy Anderson marked his inaugural over from the James Anderson End with an inswinger that trapped him palpably leg-before.

Lunchtime report: (fourth Test, second day): England 362 South Afria 12-1 (Amla 6*, Kuhn 4*)

Jonny Bairstow was cruelly denied a fourth Test hundred as England forced the pace on the second morning of the final Test at Old Trafford. In a compelling hour and a half Bairstow took his overnight 33 not out to 99 before he was ruled leg-before by umpire Kumar Dharmesena off the bowling of Keshav Maharaj.

Bairstow had thrust his front pad well forward and seemingly outside the line of off stump when he was struck by the left-arm spinner from round the wicket. Dharmesena upheld the appeal, which looked questionable to the naked eye, but HawkEye supported him in his ruling, suggesting the ball would hit even if contact was in line only on umpire’s call.

Jimmy Anderson then marked his inaugural spell from the newly-established James Anderson End by dismissing Dean Elgar, centurion in a losing cause at the Oval, before the tourists had scored a run.

If there was a sense that South Africa had not had to work too hard to take their first three wickets of the morning, Toby Roland-Jones, Moeen Ali and Stuart Broad falling cheaply, Bairstow had grabbed the initiative so emphaticially that England had already added 52 in nine overs. When he was left with only Anderson for company, he switched up another gear, hitting all but four runs of a partnership ultimately worth 50.

He cleverly took advantage of South Africa’s tactic of allowing him the single to enable them to focus their efforts on the England No 11, picking off the twos to the outfielders while striking some handsome fours – including a Dilscoop straight out of the one-day manual – and one commanding straight six.

When he was out, he had batted for 145 balls – half of them this morning. He had hit 14 fours and a six and helped England add 102 to their overnight score in 18.4 overs.

Kagiso Rabada was the bowler to benefit most from England’s almost indecent haste, Roland-Jones skewing a perfectly good length ball off the splice to cover, and Moeen flirting outside off to edge to second slip, to leave him with figures of four for 91. Morkel cleaned up Broad as he, Maharaj and Duanne Olivier finished with two wickets apiece.

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