Proteas skewer England to level series

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The Proteas bowlers led by Vernon Philander, Chris Morris and Keshav Maharaj made quick work of England to wrap up the second Test on day Four and level the series at 1-1.

England resumed on 1/0 and lost Keaton Jennings early with Philander blowing through the gate to castle the left-hander for a duck and the visitors had their tails up.

Gary Ballance joined Alastair Cook and survived a review for a leg before decision on height off the bowling of Morne Morkel when he had four but was unable to add to that score before he was dismissed in the very next over, with the South African skipper having a long think before reviewing.

Duanne Olivier gave England something to smile about as he came into the attack and took a pounding from Cook and Joe Root but down the other end Morris was probing and aggressive.

Morris got Root (8) with a ripper of an outswinging yorker that uprooted his off stump and sucked the air out of Trent Bridge with England wobbling at 55/3.

Cook topscored with 42 before a Morris bouncer got big on him, taking his glove and flying down the leg side where Quinton de Kock completed a diving one-handed catch.

England went to lunch on 79/4 and only the most optimistic of home fans expected anything other than a Proteas win before the close of play.

In the end the conclusion came before tea, Jonny Bairstow (16) gave Maharaj his first wicket of the innings as he mowed one to a deep mid on where a smiling Morris snaffled a simple grab.

Moeen Ali (27) showed some intent and was given a life when he had a caught behind decision overturned on review despite a small spike on ultra-edge before he too played a dreadful shot straight to Heino Kuhn at square leg to give Maharaj the wicket he thought he had earlier in the 40th over.

In the very next over Ben Stokes (18) slapped one low back to the bowler but Philander had his hands down there already and took a superb catch on his follow through.

Stuart Broad’s (5) awful slog sweep to give Maharaj his third epitomized England’s effort on day four and it wouldn’t be long until the match was over.

Du Plessis brought Olivier back into the attack sensing a deflated England could give the young man a confidence boost and Mark Wood (0) and Jimmy Anderson obliged nicking off to the seamer off successive balls giving the Proteas a 340 run win.

Highlights of the Test would be the dual half centuries of Hashim Amla and a team effort with the ball and Philander’s fighting fifty in the first innings as well as 42 in the second coupled with his exploits with the ball would earn him the man of the match award.

 

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