Despite doing so much right, a series-levelling victory for England in Cape Town will not come easy. The surface has flattened, South Africa are dogged, but a late Jimmy Anderson strike has given them renewed hope that they can take the final eight wickets. This is shaping up as a thrilling final-day climax to a fine five-day Test.
Needing 438 – a special number in South African cricket after their extraordinary ODI chase against Australia in 2005 – to win, the Proteas closed on 126 for two having worked through 56 of the 146 overs they need to survive. They have form for epic rearguards, and the likes of Mark Boucher and Jacques Kallis close at hand to instil confidence. All four results remain possible, of course.
Just two breakthroughs for England would have been a surprise when Joe Root had the luxury of declaring earlier than he might have planned thanks to the clinical and selfless hitting of Ben Stokes, who made 72 from 47 balls, and remorseless accumulation of centurion Dom Sibley in a morning session played at fast forward. England knew they would need time to get out, especially with cloud cover about – which, conversely, has made batting easier in this series so far.
England bowled well, keeping the run-rate down to 2.5, but their only rewards were the wickets of Dean Elgar and, very late in the day, Zubayr Hamza. And Elgar’s was vaguely dubious, with the batsman’s review revealing the very thinnest of edges behind off Joe Denly, who had a maiden Test wicket. He will cause some trouble for the left-handers from the rough outside off stump on Tuesday, too.
They threw plenty – seven bowlers, indeed – at South Africa. James Anderson and Stuart Broad started with a conventional approach, three spinners of varying quality tried to land it in the rough, Sam Curran went round the wicket and Ben Stokes bowled some sharp short stuff. Stokes should be used sooner, as his was an epic late shift. In a game that he has shown his brilliance with the bat, his spectacular catching, here was his value with the ball.
In Elgar, Zubayr Hamza and particularly Pieter Malan, the debutant, England were met with resistance. While Elgar was troubled, and eventually dismissed, by Denly, and Stokes ruffled Hamza, Malan looked calm, organised and left very well to Anderson.
Broad thought he had him lbw early on, but England’s review revealed an inside edge. He grafted his way to a maiden Test half-century and will be a key figure on the final day. It is testament to South African cricket that, even with the Kolpak raids and the retirement of a golden generation, they continue to produce cricketers ready to make the step up to Tests. Rassie van der Dussen and Dwaine Pretorius are others in this series to look similarly at home.
Just as South Africa looked set to make it to stumps one down, Anderson found a terrific ball in a fine spell and had Hamza caught behind by the diving Jos Buttler.
So if the last two sessions were a little funereal, the early part of the day was anything but. England rollicked along, smashing 157 in the 27-over session, including six sixes. There was joy for Sibley at his first Test century and a sparkling cameo from Stokes.
Read More
This looked as if it would be one of those iconic Stokes innings: Lord’s, Newlands, Lord’s, Headingley… Newlands again? But he was cut short, looking for a fourth six.
By then, Sibley had a maiden Test hundred and even he, with his game built around steadiness and concentration, joined in the six-hitting fun with Jos Buttler. If England can force a victory, Sibley’s graft will live long in the memory, a reminder that Test wins are bloody hard earned.