Ben Stokes Gives England Hope After South Africa Build First Test Advantage England V South Africa 2022

Day two against South Africa at Lord’s felt like a case in point. After two sessions, the English heads could have been forgiven for the slump, the tourists having obliterated their first innings for just 165 through Kagiso Rabada’s 12th five-wicket haul and then getting within seven runs of that total just two wickets down. And stumps are coming, as spectators who had turned out dressed in red and helped raise over £267,000 for the Ruth Strauss Foundation made their way to the exits, the balance of power was evident. South Africa were 289 for seven and led by 124 runs after a quick-fire 72-run seventh-wicket stand between Marco Jansen and Keshav Maharaj. But this was also an evening session that had seen England fight back impressively by five runs after tea. Ben Stokes had run to make three of those interventions and so, while logic suggests his side are miles behind in this series opener, a nagging feeling that things are tighter still lingers. So much of this exciting day revolved around Stokes. England’s Test captain is adamant that he cares solely about wickets with the ball these days and although his attack initially struggled to muster the same consistent threat as their counterparts, his consistent desire for a long slip line also offered easy routes. Once Rabada ended Ollie Pope’s solitary innings of 73 en route to five for 52 and a well-deserved place in the Lord’s honors table for a bowler of his class, Dean Elgar and Sarel Erwee were enjoying the gaps. South Africa do not return to England for Test cricket in the new schedule of future tours that runs until May 2027 and look a side determined to make this tour count. Sarel Erwee scored 73 runs off 146 balls to give South Africa a good start in their first innings against England. Photo: Ben Whitley/ProSports/Shutterstock The two left-handers combined for a largely serene opening stand of 85 runs. There was an early scare – Elgar put Matt Potts on for seven only for Zach Crawley to tip the ball over the post at second slip – but otherwise it didn’t look like it was a wicket and, as is often the case at Lord’s, the spectators began to stay more in bars. In the end it took a huge slice of luck to separate the pair in the afternoon, Elgar being bowled on 47 by Jimmy Anderson when a delivery fell on his pad, bounced up to his elbow and then stood back on the stumps to extract a bail. Elgar’s agony aside, this was the first time since 1961 that a 40-year-old front-line seamer had claimed a wicket for England. Erwee, who had earlier dropped Pope after four overs, plowed on and although Potts managed to remove one of his Durham team-mates this summer, Keegan Petersen, for 24 when a drive reached third slip, England are still struggling to take full advantage of the swing. and seam movement on offer. To that end, it was a little surprising that Stokes delayed the introduction of spin until the 42nd over of the innings. Jack Leach immediately found some purchase from the surface and then, early in the evening session, he scored, Aiden Markram offering a limp poke to a ball that turned and winged back to Ben Foakes. Subscribe to our cricket newsletter for our writers’ thoughts on the biggest stories and a review of the week’s action Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain information about charities, online advertising and content sponsored by external parties. For more information, see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and Google’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Lock picked, Stokes just went through the door at the other end in a thunderous five-volume spell that yielded two valuable wickets. Erwee bounced around for an otherwise well-crafted 73, unable to avoid a snoring 89mph, while Rassie van der Dussen was trapped for 19 six balls later off a clever bent delivery. Stuart Broad had had a day off by this point – despite his previous 15 – but was soon celebrating his 100th Test wicket at Lord’s. It was also a beauty, keeper Kyle Verreynne sent on his way with a seam swing that broke off the right-hander and tickled the outside edge. South Africa were struggling at 210 for six but then fought back with character, Jansen and Maharaj smashing 11 fours and a six for what convention would say was a match-defining stand. If England were the ones indulging in such overt shenanigans, people would be wandering into ‘Bazball’. Congratulations to Jimmy Anderson for dismissing Dean Elgar, becoming the first 40-year-old to take a Test wicket at Lord’s since Eddie Hemmings in 1990. Photo: Shaun Botterill/Getty Unnerved by it all, Stokes grabbed the ball and, despite visibly struggling with his wonky left knee and being taken for 16 by Jansen in one over, managed to close out Maharaj’s cameo for a brisk 41 with another short ball. The impressive Jansen, just 22, remained unbeaten on 41 but will continue with Rabada first. Stokes will no doubt remind his troops that a new ball is due in three overs and they came back from a 132-run first innings deficit against India. That victory required a record chase, of course, and this time they’re the ones setting the target. But given some of the silly Test cricket we’ve seen so far this summer, nobody can say with absolute certainty that this match is fixed.

title: “Ben Stokes Gives England Hope After South Africa Build First Test Advantage England V South Africa 2022 Klmat” ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-14” author: “Michael Smith”

title: “Ben Stokes Gives England Hope After South Africa Build First Test Advantage England V South Africa 2022 Klmat” ShowToc: true date: “2022-11-20” author: “Albert Gaddis”

title: “Ben Stokes Gives England Hope After South Africa Build First Test Advantage England V South Africa 2022 Klmat” ShowToc: true date: “2022-11-15” author: “Annie Hager”

title: “Ben Stokes Gives England Hope After South Africa Build First Test Advantage England V South Africa 2022 Klmat” ShowToc: true date: “2022-11-24” author: “Isaac Miller”