Amateurs Afzaal Ahmad, Parvez Ahmed, and Arbaaz Ahmad shine with an Impressive 89-point performance at the Emirates Golf Club
sports10 hours ago
England proved devastating with both bat and ball on Saturday as they scored 400 runs in their first innings and then reduced sorry South Africa to 88 for six wickets at the close of play on the second day of the fourth test at The Wanderers.
A record 10th-wicket partnership saw England amass a formidable first-innings total before rampaging through the home's team batting order to take a stranglehold on the game and move closer to a series victory.
Quinton de Kock was 32 not out at the close after Anrich Nortje was caught in the slips on the last ball of the day, heightening the possibility of South Africa following on for a second successive test.
The home side's confidence had already taken a hefty knock when their bowlers were subjected to a bashing from tailenders Stuart Broad and Mark Wood, whose 82-run partnership was a record for the last wicket at the Johannesburg venue.
South Africa, 2-1 down in the series, would still have held out hopes of a fightback when they had England 318-9 but after leaking runs and then being tumbled out by the touring bowlers, they again have their backs to the wall.
Wood led the way in the evening session with 3-21 as England removed Pieter Malan (15), Rassie van der Dussen (0), Dean Elgar (26), Faf du Plessis (3) and Temba Bavuma (6) with their five-man seam attack generating real pace off the quick wicket.
Ben Stokes took two catches after a series of dropped efforts in the third test last weekend.
In contrast, South Africa's bowlers were punished as Broad, who made 43 off 28 balls, and Wood, not out on 35, thrashed the ball to all parts, forcing South Africa into the seldom-seen scenario of eight boundary fielders trying to defend against No. 10 and No. 11 batsmen.
There were also half centuries for captain Joe Root and Ollie Pope and a valuable 32 from Chris Woakes in his first appearance on the tour. Nortje (5-110) took a maiden test five-wicket haul.
England were 192-4 overnight when play began 45 minutes late because of a rain delay and steadily moved the scoreboard along as Pope, first, and then Root got to 50.
Pope (56) continued to build on his growing reputation and looked the senior batsman at times as he and Root (59) put on 101 runs for the fifth wicket.
Scoreboard England first innings (overnight 192-4) Z. Crawley c Van der Dussen b Philander 66 D. Sibley c De Kock b Hendricks 44 J. Denly c Van der Dussen b Paterson 27 J. Root c De Kock b Nortje 59 B. Stokes c Van der Dussen b Nortje 2 O. Pope b Nortje 56 J. Buttler c Elgar b Philander 20 S. Curran c De Kock b Nortje 0 C. Woakes c Du Plessis b Nortje 32 M. Wood not out 35 S. Broad c Malan b Paterson 43 Extras (lb9, nb3, w4) 16 Total (all out, 98.2 overs) 400 Fall of wickets: 1-107, 2-116, 3-150, 4-157, 5-258, 6-269, 7-269, 8-309, 9-318 Bowling: Philander 20-2-50-2 (2nb), Hendricks 23-3-111-1 (2w), Nortje 24-1-110-5 (1nb, 2w), Paterson 20.2-3-86-2, Pretorius 11-3-34-0 South Africa first innings D. Elgar c Woakes b Stokes 26 P. Malan c Buttler b Wood 15 H. van der Dussen c Stokes b Curran 0 F. du Plessis lbw b Woakes 3 Q. de Kock not out 32 T. Bavuma c Stokes b Wood 6 A. Nortje c Denly b Wood 6 Extras 0 Total (6 wkts, 41.5 overs) 88 Fall of wickets: 1-29, 2-37, 3-43, 4-60, 5-74, 6-88 Bowling: Broad 9-3-13-0, Curran 7-3-11-1, Woakes 10-5-16-1, Wood 8.5-1-21-3, Stokes 7-1-27-1 To bat: V. Philander, D. Pretorius, D. Paterson, B. Hendricks Toss: England |
Amateurs Afzaal Ahmad, Parvez Ahmed, and Arbaaz Ahmad shine with an Impressive 89-point performance at the Emirates Golf Club
sports10 hours ago
The Meteorological Organisation that it is closely monitoring what is being circulated on social media
mena10 hours ago
There have been a series of school fires in the country in recent years, many of them which have turned out to be arson
africa11 hours ago
Salama Alfalacy is into realistic art featuring landscapes and wildlife, while Meera Jamal Al Midfa is setting new grounds in performance art and filmmaking
arts12 hours ago
Dubai Police have asked drivers to be extra cautious
transport12 hours ago
The storm had already claimed the lives of at least two people in China's Hainan and 16 people in the Philippines
asia13 hours ago
Dubai Police have asked drivers to be extra cautious
transport13 hours ago
The former all-rounder has returned to cricket during the past year after a horrific car crash at the end of 2022
cricket13 hours ago