Ali Martin’s report from Old Trafford has landed, which is my cue to do one. Thanks for your company and emails – goodnight!
Ben Foakes speaks
“It’s a relief; I’m overjoyed. Getting a Test hundred… I got one in my first game, then there was a bit of a wait. I’ve realised how hard they are to come by! When you have a lean patch it makes it much more special. The whole journey makes you really value it – days like this are amazing.
“[Stokes and McCullum] are just so clear in what they expect from you. They don’t put too much pressure on you – they let you do it your way, and play with freedom. They’re so supportive and the message is always clear, which really helps.
“South Africa have got a fantastic bowling attack and it was tough out there, but that partnership has put us in a good position. Hopefully we can do the job tomorrow.
“This hundred is more special than my first. Fairytale-wise, it’s the one on debut, but you don’t know what’s to come after that. You don’t have any hardship behind you. But when you think back to places like Ahmedabad [in 2021], trying to figure out how to even hit the ball, and all the trials and tribulations you go through… yeah this one definitely touched me a bit more.”
Post-play reading
Nine of the England players stop near the boundary so that the Benjamins can lead them off the field, then Stokes playfully shoves Foakes out front. They made superb centuries – Stokes’, in particular, was an initiative-seizing gem – to give England a huge first-innings lead.
In the end, they were the last pair into the dressing-room, because they spent an age signing autographs and posing for selfies. When did England become so darned likeable?
Stumps
9th over: South Africa 23-0 (Erwee 12, Elgar 11) Leach has six men round the bat for the final over. Elgar gets a bit lucky when a desperate, curtain-rail edge flies wide of slip; that encourages Stokes to bring in another fielder. But Elgar survives, inelegant and thoroughly effective to the last, and he’ll be back in the morning.
South Africa trail by 241 runs, and I’m off to get my keys cut.
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8th over: South Africa 21-0 (Erwee 12, Elgar 9) This is a compelling struggle between Elgar and Robinson. The first ball is too straight and flicked for four; the second is perfect and snarls past the edge.
Elgar gives a hospital pass to Erwee by dropping a single on the off side. Actually, Erwee looks more comfortable against Robinson, possibly because of the change of angle, and he drives a couple through the covers. That prompts Robinson to switch around the wicket for the last ball; Erwee defends.
One over remaining.
7th over: South Africa 14-0 (Erwee 10, Elgar 4) I can understand why Stokes is bowling Leach, but the decision might be slightly too funky. The openers would surely prefer to be facing Leach than Jimmy Anderson at this stage, and Erwee gets through Leach’s second over without alarm.
6th over: South Africa 14-0 (Erwee 10, Elgar 4) Elgar is beaten by a beastly delivery from Robinson that kicks viciously from a length. He looks very uncomfortable against Robinson, who is stalking him from around the wicket, but he survives and that’s all that matters – now and forever. Three overs remaining.
“I always loved visiting Shiv Chanderpaul Drive in Georgetown, Guyana,” says David Jollie. “Sadly there is no Shiv Chanderpaul Block on that road that I am aware of.”
I assume the cars drive horizontally rather than vertically.
5th over: South Africa 13-0 (Erwee 9, Elgar 4) Ben Stokes brings Jack Leach into the attack as early as the fifth over – those two are going to make a helluva buddy movie one day – and Erwee survives a biggish LBW appeal after padding up to the second delivery.
Stokes thinks about a review but decides against it – England only have two left so they can’t afford to speculate. It’s a good decision: replays show it was missing off.
“Shaun Pollock says it would be a good idea if, before wasting a review, the captain could ask the umpire for a reason for a decision,” says Charl Engela. “As schoolboy cricketers we were always told the reason for a decision by our umpires if we asked. Why shouldn’t Test cricketers have the same privilege? Surely the umpire’s response of ‘pitched outside leg’ would make the captain think twice.”
I like the idea in theory, though in that instance I don’t think it would have made any difference – you could hear Anderson saying “Did it pitch on?”, so they knew it was 50/50. But it would help if there was, for example, doubt over both height and a possible inside-edge.
4th over: South Africa 12-0 (Erwee 8, Elgar 4) Anderson and Robinson are both bowling over the wicket to Erwee and around to Elgar. The former clips the latter through midwicket for three, which brings the latter on strike against the latter.
Elgar leaves a couple of deliveries, then cracks a short ball through the covers for two. Robinson made the openers play at almost everything during that excellent spell yesterday morning. Thus far he hasn’t been quite as relentless.
“We’re nearly at the close,” sniffs Ang Gilham, “and nobody has mentioned that Uxbridge CC’s address is Gatting Way?”
3rd over: South Africa 7-0 (Erwee 5, Elgar 2) Erwee gets off the mark with a high-class straight drive for four.
Okay, it’s not a street name, but I think Paul Griffin might be the winner after uncovering a store in Mohács, Hungary called, yep, Robkey.
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Erwee is not out! Yep, it pitched outside leg, so England lose a review.
It was a beautiful delivery from Anderson, which straightened sharply off the seam to hit the flap of the front pad. Here comes ball-tracking…
England review for LBW against Erwee! I suspect it has pitched outside leg but England are going for it.
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2nd over: South Africa 2-0 (Erwee 0, Elgar 2) Ollie Robinson has four slips and a gully for Elgar, who gets off the mark with a very thick edge for two. He plays a strange shot to the next ball, trying to manufacture a whip across the line that meets nothing but fresh air. But he’s solid enough for the remainder of the over.
“I’m a bit late to the (street) party,” says Lorraine Reese, “but may I offer Broad Sanctuary in London, for when Stuart feels things aren’t going his way...”
Or, as his father calls it, Oceania.
1st over: South Africa 0-0 (Erwee 0, Elgar 0) Sarel Erwee survives a huge LBW appeal after being beaten by a beautiful delivery from Anderson. It was too high, and deep down Anderson knew it – he barely discussed a review. But that’s a menacing first over from Anderson, with plenty of swing.
“Trevor Bailey got teased by his TMS colleagues for moving to a house in a road called The Drive,” writes Jezz Nash. “He replied that he couldn’t find a Forward Defensive Avenue.”
The players are back on the field, and Jimmy Anderson has mischief in mind.
The difference a day makes
This morning, Ben Foakes’ Test batting average was 26.91. This evening, it’s 31.82.
“Ben Foakes’ Test batting average is now higher than any of England’s top
three in this match,” says Romeo. “When Crawley was out it was 147 for 5, and all the plaudits will be for Stokes. He did very well, obvs, but if Foakes had got out early, it would have turned out very different. Ben Foakes is a very top Test cricketer.”
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WICKET! England 415-9 declared (Leach b Maharaj 11)
Leach is bowled by Maharaj, and Ben Stokes calls the players in. That means Ben Foakes will finish on 113 not out, and he walks off to a standing ovation. He raises the bat a little sheepishly to the crowd, but he is unable – and he’s trying, you can tell – to suppress a smile as he walks into the dressing room. It’s a really lovely moment for one of the good guys.
Right, brass tacks. England lead by 264 runs, and there are nine overs remaining tonight.
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106th over: England 412-8 (Foakes 113, Leach 9) Jimmy Anderson is getting his kit on, so maybe England won’t declare after all. There are 12 overs remaining after this one, with two taken off for the change of innings.
I should have said that this is now Ben Foakes’ highest Test score, surpassing the 107 he made on debut at Galle in 2018. This innings should secure his place for the winter, which is important with England going to Pakistan – Foakes is excellent against spin both with bat and (wicketkeeping) gloves.
England move to 411 for eight, an evocative score in this fixture, but Foakes stymies the nostalgia by pulling a single off the last ball.
Stokes and Foakes have now made more runs in partnerships in Test cricket (212) than Stokes and Woakes ever did (211).
— Richard Jolly 🇺🇦 (@RichJolly) August 26, 2022
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105th over: England 407-8 (Foakes 108, Leach 8) Foakes survives a stumping referral. He charged Maharaj and missed, but the ball turned so wide of off stump that Foakes had time to get back before Verreynne could break the stumps. It was tight, but he made it.
Leach plays an outrageous shot later in the over, switch-hitting Maharaj to the extra cover boundary. Stokes and Brendon McCullum loved that.
104th over: England 400-8 (Foakes 105, Leach 4) I’ve just realised that Benjamins is slang for a $100 bill, which must lend itself to a decent line after the centuries by Stokes and Foakes. Paxo wants to stuff… stuffing…
Meanwhile, Leach edge the new bowler Ngidi for four to bring up the 400. They’ve come a long way since this morning, when they were 147 for five and the game was in the balance.
103rd over: England 395-8 (Foakes 103, Leach 0) Jimmy Anderson is sitting on the balcony in a T-shirt, so it looks like England will declare when they lose their ninth wicket. That’s right, when. Deal with it.
“Hello Rob,” says Tim Sanders. “In Kent, there’s a Foakes Ton, homophonically.”
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WICKET! England 395-8 (Robinson c Markram b Maharaj 17)
Robinson’s breezy cameo – 17 from 22 balls – ends when he edges a lovely delivery from Maharaj to slip.
Ben Foakes makes his second Test hundred!
102nd over: England 394-7 (Foakes 103, Robinson 17) Foakes’s eyes light up when Nortje drops one short outside off stump, but his pull shot doesn’t beat midwicket. No matter: he forces the next ball to third man for four to reach his second Test hundred!
Foakes has a smile the size of Salford as he runs down to embrace Ollie Robinson, and there’s so much warmth in the reaction of the England balcony. Ben Stokes, in particular, looks utterly thrilled; of course he does. It’s been a typically precise, unobtrusive innings from Foakes: 206 balls, nine fours.
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101st over: England 389-7 (Foakes 98, Robinson 17) After four dot balls, Foakes works Maharaj for a single to move to 98.
“Just to add to the US contribution,” begins Angus Dawe, “if you drive east on highway 82 in Mississippi the last exit before the Alabama state line is Stokes Rd, leading, naturally, to New Hope.”
I can’t believe cricket hasn’t taken off in the US. Turns out all you need to do to fall in love with it is go on a roadtrip.
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100th over: England 388-7 (Foakes 97, Robinson 17) Robinson times Nortje sweetly through point for four, then works a high full toss through square leg for a couple. England’s lower order isn’t the best but they know how to party: between them Broad and Robinson have made 38 from 34 balls.
“Afternoon Rob,” writes Charles Sheldrick. “There is a small village near me in mid-Devon which, according to fast bowlers, most batsmen do not like... Upham. I will get my coat.”
It’s the topical references that really set the Guardian OBO apart.
99th over: England 381-7 (Foakes 96, Robinson 11) Hello! Foakes strolls down the track to chip Maharaj handsomely over wide mid-on for a two-bounce four. That’s a gorgeous shot, and a single off the next ball moves him within four of you-know-what. England lead by 230.
“There is apparently a Markwood in West Virginia,” writes Bob from Boston. “The ZIP code (US postal code) is 26710; would it have been higher but for a history of injury?”
98th over: England 373-7 (Foakes 91, Robinson 8) A short ball from Nortje is lifted over the cordon for four by Robinson. There was a bit of top-edge but he knew what he was doing, kind of.
After being beaten by two fine deliveries, Foakes drives through extra cover for two to move into the nineties. Few would begrudge him a century.
“Brian Close, Sandford, Dorset BH20,” writes the economical John Starbuck.
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97th over: England 366-7 (Foakes 89, Robinson 3) There are two right-handers at the crease now, so Harmer is replaced by Maharaj even though he dismissed Broad in his last over. With three cheapish wickets on offer, I bet Harmer is thrilled with that bit of data-driven captaincy.
Robinson drags Maharaj through midwicket for three to get off the mark.
“I suppose you could add Zabriskie Point in Death Valley (sounds appropriate to the English batting unit when faced with Aussie quicks), the village of Ruislip and a place apparently called Tea Tree Gully in South Australia,” says Colum Fordham. “Closer to home we have the Norfolk Broads which, like our doughty fast-medium seamer, are always appealing.”
96th over: England 362-7 (Foakes 88, Robinson 0) Robinson is beaten for pace by Nortje, who is two wickets away from a frankly deserved five-for. The next ball is a vicious bouncer that Robinson does well to avoid, snapping his head out of the way at the last second.
“There’s a Deep Point in Maryland,” says Jamie Tucker. “There’s also a Silly Point in Northamptonshire, but that backs onto a cricket ground and is surely no accident.”
95th over: England 361-7 (Foakes 87, Robinson 0) That’s the first wicket for Harmeraj in this game. Between them they have figures of 40-8-128-1. They were picked for the fourth innings, but there might not be one.
“Cow Corner, a beach in Dorset, seems like a lovely place to while away a late summer Friday listening to TMS...” writes Tom Irving.
Thanks for all these place names, which I’m trying to read when my addled brain allows.
WICKET! England 361-7 (Broad st Verreynne b Harmer 21)
Broad’s jolly romp is over. He ran past one from Harmer and was stumped by Kyle Verreynne, who just about kept the ball in his fingertips as he broke the stumps. That was the perfect cameo from Broad: 21 from 14 balls with two fours, a six and a statgasm.
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94th over: England 360-6 (Foakes 86, Broad 21) Nortje returns to the attack. He’s not exactly the poster boy for joie de vivre at the best of times, and you should see the puss on him when Broad slices another boundary over backward point.
This is great stuff from Broad, mental disintegration dressed up as lower-order biffing. He has 21 from 13 balls now. And even the false strokes – he’s just missed an almighty heave across the line – will increase South Africa’s agita.
A long over of the soul for Nortje concludes with a misfield at mid-on that allows Foakes to turn one run into three.
93rd over: England 352-6 (Foakes 83, Broad 16) It hasn’t been a great game for Harmer, who had been milked too easily and is going at more than three an over. Broad drags a sweep round the corner for four, which takes England’s lead to 200. Apparently Broad’s first five scoring shots have been 1, 2, 3, 4 and 6, and that’s Numberwang.
92nd over: England 346-6 (Foakes 82, Broad 11) So much for the serene seventies: Foakes has raced through them by pulling Rabada for consecutive boundaries. Broad then steers cleverly through the covers for three, and a single off the last ball makes it 16 from the over.
“After the first Test, it’s heartening to see England doing a bit of batting,” says Matt Dony. “And even doing it in what almost at times appears to be Test match style (more Foakes than Stokes, natch). But the best thing is, it looks like the game might go on a bit longer than last time. Which is great, as there is definitely no other sport happening this weekend. None at all. Nada.”
What did we do for those first few weekends of lockdown, before the Bundesliga returned to save us all. I am sometimes guilty of forgetting that, in May 2020, SC Paderborn were my life.
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91st over: England 330-6 (Foakes 72, Broad 6) Foakes clips Harmer into the leg side to move into the sedate seventies. His average is creeping back towards 30 as well; that’s slightly low for Foakes, though he has played on a few vile wickets in his short Test career.
Broad bats the same whatever the wicket, or the weather. He gets off the mark in style here, launching Harmer back over his head for six.
“There’s a Lloyd Gully in the Hawkesbury (N from Sydney, as I’m sure you’ll know),” says Nat Goodden. “Though in my recollection, that wonderful fielder Clive prowled more – Arlott’s term almost certainly, not mine – in the covers. Close enough? (not Brian!)”
90th over: England 321-6 (Foakes 69, Broad 0) Even with Ollie Robinson back in the side, Biffer Broad remains England’s No8. In fairness his Test average is more than double that of Robinson, who has underachived so far with the bat.
Broad misses an almighty slap across the line, with the ball bouncing just over middle stump.
“Cricketing place names, American edition,” writes James Golden. “Lords Point, Connecticut. There’s also a Leeds Point, New Jersey, which sort of does duty for Headingley. New Point, Virginia adjusts the field. Lastly, if David Boon were ever at point, he’d be Stumpy Point, North Carolina.”
I don’t suppose there’s a Growling Short Leg anywhere.
WICKET! England 320-6 (Stokes c Elgar b Rabada 103)
Ben Stokes’ brilliant innings comes to a slightly disappointing end. The ball after being hit amidships by a zinger from Rabada, Stokes had a zesty heave across the line and sliced the ball high in the air towards mid-off. Elgar backpedalled to take an excellent catch. Stokes isn’t happy as he walks off, but that should – should – be a matchwinning hundred.
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89th over: England 320-5 (Stokes 103, Foakes 68) I thought England needed a lead of 150 as insurance against batting last on this pitch. You would think this game is almost done, though there is the odd historical precedent to encourage South Africa. Stranger things and all that.
“Wotcha Rob,” writes our own James Wallace. “There’s an Atherton Drive round the back of Wimbledon, shown here on Google Maps with an accompanying bag of rubble in shot, surely an allegory for Iron Mike’s steadfast grittiness at the crease. That hedge needs trimming though...”
For production reasons too boring to explain, I can’t upload the image. But I can confirm the hedge needs trimming, quicksmart.
88th over: England 317-5 (Stokes 101, Foakes 67) Foakes steers Rabada for four more. This is comfortably his highest score in a home Test, surpassing the 56 he made against New Zealand earlier this summer. Most importantly, England lead by 166.
“Surely,” begins George Browne, “someone has already noted Cover Drive, located near Banbury Cricket Club?”
I wouldn’t want to zoom down there in a car with James Vince.
Ben Stokes hits his 12th Test century!
87.3 overs: England 311-5 (Stokes 100, Foakes 62) Stokes drives Rabada for a single to reach his first Test hundred as England captain! It’s been a majestic innings – mature and superbly judged, with the occasional bit of bish-bosh to keep us all happy. The numbers: 158 balls, 4x4, 3x6. It’s been one of his better hundreds, and he doesn’t really do bad ones.
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87th over: England 310-5 (Stokes 99, Foakes 62) Stokes taps the new bowler Harmer into the leg side to move to 99, and Foakes can’t get him back on strike for the remainder of the over. But he will be facing at the start of the next one, so start hammering that F5 button.
“Rob,” says John Starbuck. “How about Bowling in Dunbartonshire and Wicket near Wellington?”
The players are back on the field. Ben Stokes is 98 not out, and the exclamation marks are at the ready.
Tea: England lead by 157
86th over: England 308-5 (Stokes 98, Foakes 61) Foakes works the penultimate ball of the session for a single, which brings Stokes back on strike needing two for his century. Rabada ensures he doesn’t get it – yet – with a brutal delivery that jags bag to hit Stokes in a painful place and knock him off his feet.
Stokes gets to his feet, winces a bit, laughs a bit and then walks off to warm applause from the crowd and the England balcony. He and Ben Foakes played beautifully in that afternoon session, adding 96 from 30 overs to put England in a seriously good position.
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85th over: England 306-5 (Stokes 97, Foakes 60) Nortje, incidentally, has come back on to replace Ngidi. Stokes took a single later in the over to move within three runs of his first Test century as England captain.
Stokes is not out! It was close to the inside edge, and South Africa aren’t thrilled with the verdict from the third umpire, but I’m pretty sure that’s the correct decision. There was a lot going on: the ball hit both pads and I think Stokes’s bat hit his boot as well.
The LBW shout was a non-event.
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South Africa review for … something against Stokes
He whipped across a full delivery from Nortje that seemed to be missing leg. The ball flew to the keeper, who went up for the caught behind (I think), and eventually Dean Elgar went upstairs.
84th over: England 305-5 (Stokes 96, Foakes 60) Foakes works Rabada off the hip for a single to bring up the 300; later in the over he pings three more through midwicket. This has been such a well-judged partnership, one that has put England in complete control of this game.
“Did I hear Ian Ward on Sky saying the third umpire has to ignore the soft signal and it’s only there for if the tech fails?” says Luke Regan. “Is this a new law? (Incidentally, Soft Signal would be a good band name.)”
Did he say that? If so, it completely passed me by. You’re welcome!
83rd over: England 299-5 (Stokes 94, Foakes 56) A beautiful inswinging yorker from Ngidi beats and just misses the off stump. Then he draws a leading edge from Foakes that flies into the off side for a single. When these two came together, England were four runs behind; now they lead by 148.
“I think this partnership is huge for Ben Foakes,” says David Horn. “It’s my belief - based on nothing more than ‘a feeling’ - that a big part of Stokes backing Jack Leach over the past 12 months or so, was Leach’s role in the Headingley Ashes partnership. He showed cojones the size of Kansas - and Stokes backed that. Clearly, I’m not saying Foakes’ spot is under threat in any way - but a partnership like this could earn the undying respect of his captain. In the 1990s the ‘pure keeper’ (often, in my head, either Jack Russell or Bruce French) was always under threat from the ‘keeper who batted’ (often the admittedly outstanding Alec Stewart) - and I’d be delighted if we avoid slipping back into that tiresome discussion with Buttler/Billings/etc.”
I don’t disagree, but I fear Foakes – well liked but also unfashionable - will always be two bad games away from scrutiny. But I also agree that Stokes couldn’t really care what the outside world thinks, and that he has the ability to <2022> make people feel 10ft tall</2022>.
82nd over: England 297-5 (Stokes 93, Foakes 55) KG Rabada shares the new ball, and his teammates share his frustration when Foakes somehow survives a ferocious little working-over. A leading edge lands safely on the off side, and then Stokes is beaten by consecutive jaffas – one on the outside, one on the inside. Brilliant bowling.
“Just west of Dublin is the town of Leixlip which can be pronounced ‘leikslip’,” says Ian Davis. “Close enough?”
It’s gone to the third umpire – and it’s been given!
81st over: England 296-5 (Stokes 93, Foakes 55) A lively start with the second new ball. Stokes works Ngidi’s first delivery to fine leg for four, then charges the second and is dropped by Markram at short cover. It was a very sharp chance, two-handed to his right.
England’s lead is now a very healthy 145.
80th over: England 288-5 (Stokes 88, Foakes 54) After another quiet over from Harmer, it’s time for the second new ball.
“I always used to enjoy watching Graham Thorpe in his early England days,” says Robert Ellson. “He would come in all guns blazing, get to 20 or so, then throttle back and play more sedately, having moved the game on from whatever crisis faced England when he came in. Seems to me that England under McCullum have done a larger-scale version of that this summer, responding to the misery of the preceding 18 months by initially blazing away, changing the whole feel of their cricket, before calming things down and playing more conventionally. Really good to see. And all this is really by way of saying that I hope Thorpey is doing ok.”
Amen to that. A true hero, and those flamboyant counter-attacks were so uplifting at a time when England batters never really <2022>ran towards the danger</2022>. Thorpe 2.0 was even more productive, but the early version was just exhilarating to watch.
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79th over: England 286-5 (Stokes 88, Foakes 52) Foakes crouches to repel a straight delivery from Ngidi that keeps a bit low. This is an interesting pitch – placid at times, especially when the ball is old, but never completely trustworthy.
Later in the over, Foakes survives an unusual appeal for caught behind. He squeezed a yorker towards Verreynne, who dived low to his right to take a sensational catch at the second attempt. The decision went upstairs, where the third umpire decided it was a bump ball. It’s hard to be 100 per cent sure – Foakes may have bottom edged it a split second after the ball hit the ground – but the soft signal was not out so there was no way the decision could be overturned.
“I’m certain there’s a Sweep Lane either near or in Holmfirth,” writes Paul Steed.
78th over: England 284-5 (Stokes 87, Foakes 51) Harmer replaces Maharaj, presumably in an attempt to keep Stokes quiet(er) until the second new ball. And it works, at least for now, with Stokes taking just a single off the fourth delivery.
This has been a two-paced innings from Stokes: 41 from the first 98 balls, 46 from the next 43. When the second new ball is taken, there could be a whole lotta humpty. (Or a cartwheeling off stump in the first over.)
77th over: England 283-5 (Stokes 86, Foakes 51) Ngidi, such a crafty bowler, snaps a lovely delivery past Stokes’ defensive push. Stokes works a single off the next delivery, which allow Foakes to glide a couple of third man and reach an admirable half-century: 116 balls, four fours and oodles of commonsense. He doesn’t score gazillions in Tests – this is only his fourth 50+ score in 16 games – but he does make important runs.
@TimdeLisle Hope you're well, Tim.
— Michael Hann (@MichaelAHann) August 26, 2022
Surely it would be hard to beat Slip Gully Creek, a seasonal river in Tasmania? You'll find it if you just edge off the A3 (sorry).https://t.co/g8X6hIseVN
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76th over: England 280-5 (Stokes 85, Foakes 49) Stokes crunches Maharaj to the cover boundary for four more, a wrist-breaking stroke that has the commentator Ian Ward citing Jos Buttler. Am I the only one who goes slightly rubbery when they talk about batters breaking their wrists?
Alas, there’s no time for such chat, because Stokes is on the charge. He drives Maharaj over long-off for his third six, another glorious, effortless stroke. Stokes reached a hundred against South Africa in 2017, at the Oval I think, with a sudden burst of sixes off Maharaj; he might try something similar here.
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75th over: England 267-5 (Stokes 73, Foakes 48) It was a gorgeous delivery from Ngidi, a slower curving yorker that hit Stokes on the boot in front of middle stump. But he reviewed straight away, in expectation rather than hope, and the third umpire had an easy job.
Stokes had moved into the seventies off the previous delivery, walking down the track to clatter Ngidi over mid-off for four. That was a more familiar shot. But this largely sober partnership, worth 120 from 39 overs, has shown there is more than way to Bazball a cat. Or something.
STOKES IS NOT OUT!
He got a big inside-edge onto the boot, so the decision has been overturned on review.
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WICKET! England 266-6 (Stokes LBW b Ngidi 72)
Thanks Tim, hello everyone and goodbye Ben Stokes!
Drinks: England on top
74th over: England 262-5 (Stokes 68, Foakes 48) Stokes dances down the track to Maharaj, gets flummoxed in the flight, and still manages a push into the covers as the close fielders hold their heads in their hands. Stokes isn’t bothered: he’s alert enough to see that there’s a cheeky second to be stolen.
And that’s drinks, with England winning the hour after lunch just as surely as they won the one before it. They lead by 111. Time for me to hand over to the great Rob Smyth. Thanks for your company, correspondence and cricketing place names.
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73rd over: England 257-5 (Stokes 63, Foakes 48) Nortje, majestic as he has been in this series, does keep the scoreboard ticking – maybe that’s why Elgar was reluctant to bring him on after lunch. The batters take three singles off this over, so the lead is 106.
“There’s a place in Hitchen,” says Simon Thomas, “called Bowlers End. Which is happily by the cricket ground.”
Hundred lead!
72nd over: England 252-5 (Stokes 59, Foakes 47) Another over, another milestone. Stokes cuts Maharaj for three and takes England’s lead into three figures. Maharaj bites back with a beauty that is millimetres away from Foakes’s outside edge. But the breakthrough still refuses to come, and England are giving South Africa a very measured dose of their own medicine.
Hundred partnership!
71st over: England 249-5 (Stokes 56, Foakes 47) Stokes drives Nortje for two, then fends him to fine leg for a single to bring up the hundred partnership. What a vital one it has been.
“On cricketing place names,” says Chris Goater, “I rather think the Gower Peninsula rather sums the man up – a lone promontory of elegance admit stony-faced neighbours.” Lovely.
70th over: England 244-5 (Stokes 52, Foakes 46) Maharaj, who was taken off to make room for Nortje, returns immediately at the other end, replacing Harmer. Foakes helps himself to yet another of those clips for two.
“There’s a Midon just outside Lyon in France, and another one in Galicia in Spain,” says Geoffrey Smith. “Sadly, neither has a twin village called Midoff. There’s also a Kratonohy outside Prague, which translates as Short Legs. My imaginary friend Dipak Stracava told me all this.” Ha.
69th over: England 242-5 (Stokes 52, Foakes 44) Here is Nortje, at long last. No instant magic, but just a single and a leg-bye. This partnership is now the highest of the innings, pipping Bairstow and Crawley’s 91. South Africa’s highest one was 35, by Rabada and Nortje, so their best bowlers were also their most effective batters.
“The most thoroughly cricket place name,” says Robert Wright, “is surely Bat and Ball in Kent, no?”
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Fifty to Stokes! Reached with a six
68th over: England 239-5 (Stokes 51, Foakes 43) Suddenly, the runs are flowing: two singles, a three (open-faced glide from Stokes), another single, and then Stokes gives Harmer the charge and hits a sweet straight six. That’s a memorable way to reach a crucial fifty – 51 off 102 balls, so the strike rate is perfectly orthodox, even if some of the strokes have not been.
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67th over: England 227-5 (Stokes 41, Foakes 41) Another maiden, from Maharaj to Foakes. The spinners are bowling pretty well, but they’ve got through 28 overs without taking a wicket, whereas Nortje tends to strike once every 25 balls. It’s a mystery why he’s not steaming in.
“Really enjoying this spell of cricket,” says Adam Roberts. “Tight spin bowling asking questions of the batsmen who are having to be (for the most part) very vigilant. Remember when we couldn’t possibly pick a proper wicketkeeper because it would weaken the batting? Oh and (whisper it) no droning of the ever tedious Barmy Army yet.”
66th over: England 227-5 (Stokes 41, Foakes 41) A maiden from Harmer to Stokes, who has parked the reverse sweep, thankfully. The over rate is very perky, which is good for the game but bad for the OBO. I can barely read the emails, let alone publish them, so please bear with me if you’ve written one.
65th over: England 227-5 (Stokes 41, Foakes 41) Stokes is looking to attack again after a subdued five minutes or so. He cuts Maharaj for two, then pulls for a single.
“67th over,” says John Starbuck crisply. “Can one man actually be ‘round the bat’? He’d have to have a pretty wide circumference.” Ha, fair cop. It’s a role tailor-made for Paul Stirling, though it’s not often needed in the form of cricket he plays.
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64th over: England 224-5 (Stokes 38, Foakes 41) Three singles off Harmer, and England lead by 73.
“Cricketing place names,” says Oliver Blackstone. “There is a Rhodes Point in Maryland, USA. This combines both a fielding position and the name of the greatest ever to field there. Surely unique in world geography.”
63rd over: England 221-5 (Stokes 36, Foakes 40) Foakes, facing Maharaj, plays his signature shot, the clip for two. Mark Butcher points out, Foakes’s only Test hundred came in Sri Lanka (on debut), so he’s unlikely to be ruffled by the prospect of two spinners.
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62nd over: England 219-5 (Stokes 36, Foakes 38) Harmer is still bowling well, drawing an inside edge from Stokes, but Elgar has no runs to play with, so there’s only one man round the bat. England lead by 68. Over on CricViz, they are giving England a 93pc chance of a win here, SA 7pc. That may be showing a little too much faith in a team who always have a collapse in their back pocket, for emergencies.
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61st over: England 219-5 (Stokes 36, Foakes 38) A couple of singles off Maharaj as Stokes plays a better shot, a cut into the wide open space beyond cover.
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60th over: England 217-5 (Stokes 35, Foakes 37) Stokes, facing Harmer, goes for another big mow – not reverse this time, but still bone-headed – and gets away with it as it misses everything. The South Africans appeal for a stumping, but as with one or two of their reviews, you can smell the desperation.
“I’m not sure what’s going on with England’s batting,” says Bob O’Hara. “it seems too Test-like. Has the BazBall gone out of shape?” Ha. It’s only Test-like when Stokes is off strike.
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59th over: England 215-5 (Stokes 34, Foakes 36) Foakes, facing Maharaj, clips to midwicket for two – and edges ahead of Stokes, despite not playing any big shots.
58th over: England 213-5 (Stokes 34, Foakes 34) Harmer continues too, and well as he bowled before lunch, England will surely be delighted not to be facing Nortje’s thunderbolts. Ben Foakes gets the scoreboard moving with a late cut.
57th over: England 212-5 (Stokes 34, Foakes 33) I wonder if Stokes had a Red Bull with his poached salmon? He comes out itching to reverse-sweep Maharaj, making two attempts, neither of which connects with the ball.
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The players are out there and it’s going to be Keshav Maharaj to continue. He may have had a sharp word with HawkEye in the lunch queue.
Lunch: England lead by 61
56th over: England 212-5 (Stokes 34, Foakes 33) Harmer to Foakes, who just plays for lunch until a full toss suddenly turns up – and he pulls it for four. (It’s also a no-ball for height.) And that’s lunch, with England winning the second hour after Nortje dominated the first. Stokes’n’Foakes have added 65 off 20 overs of compelling cricket, with the ball turning enough to justify Dean Elgar’s decision to play two spinners, even if he’s been oddly reluctant to use them in tandem. When South Africa bat again, Jack Leach could be centre-stage. See you in half an hour or so.
55th over: England 207-5 (Stokes 34, Foakes 29) A belated bowl for Keshav Maharaj, and he almost strikes first ball! He found some textbook turn, brushed Foakes on the back pad and drew the finger of doom from Richard Illingworth, but England review and HawkEye reckons it was pitching outside leg. Not sure HawkEye got that one right. Foakes survives another LBW appeal, also mighty close, and we’re down to the last over before lunch.
54th over: England 204-5 (Stokes 32, Foakes 28) Harmer makes one spit out of the rough and beats Stokes all ends up. Stokes, suddenly remembering Brendon McCullum’s wish to go even harder, tries to retort with a reverse sweep, but connects only with thin air. “Another good over from Harmer,” murmurs Shaun Pollock. “He’s put three good ones together.”
53rd over: England 204-5 (Stokes 32, Foakes 28) A rare bad ball from Rabada and Stokes chops it for two to the cover sweeper. Elgar is having to attack and defend at the same time, pinned in a tight corner by England’s excellent bowling at his top order yesterday. England’s lead is 53.
52nd over: England 200-5 (Stokes 29, Foakes 27) Foakes, facing Harmer, keeps a few good balls out before dabbing a single behind square to bring up the 200. Riches when your opponents only managed 150.
51st over: England 199-5 (Stokes 29, Foakes 26) Another solid over from Rabada, another single to each batter. England have done well this morning at finding a balance – bashing the bad ball, and a few good ones, but letting the bowlers have plenty of dots too.
50th over: England 197-5 (Stokes 28, Foakes 25) A good over from Harmer, testing Foakes by landing the ball on a length just outside off, but the only edge is an inside one, into the thigh pad.
49th over: England 197-5 (Stokes 28, Foakes 25) Dean Elgar is worried enough to turn back to Kagiso Rabada, ahead of schedule. He’s a touch too straight, giving each batter a simple nudge into the leg side for a single. The second one, by Foakes, brings up the 50 partnership off 13.1 overs – just what England needed. The crowd, and the players on the balcony, respond with warm applause.
48th over: England 195-5 (Stokes 27, Foakes 24) Harmer to Foakes. The commentators are just describing it as a good battle when Foakes threads an on-drive for four, to add to a nurdle for two. He’s been admirably busy, making 24 off only 33 balls.
“Ken Andrew, from Duck, North Carolina, inspired me to do a bit of searching on a well known online mapping service,” says Michael Duggan. “Apparently there is a Cow Corner Bay near Lulworth in Dorset and a Deep Point in Maryland. There are a few places which have Deep Gully but not much for other fielding positions, and searching for Long Leg just leads to ‘adult entertainment club’.”
47th over: England 189-5 (Stokes 27, Foakes 18) Stokes repeats his trick against Ngidi, using his feet to straight-drive for four. Before that, he was watchful for a few balls. “Just the feeling,” said Ian Ward on Sky, “of two sides eyeing each other up.” I’m not sure that came out quite the way he meant it.
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46th over: England 184-5 (Stokes 23, Foakes 17) Again, a single to each batter off Harmer. Their partnership is 37 already, just what England needed after the double blow inflicted by Nortje.
45th over: England 182-5 (Stokes 22, Foakes 16) Stokes is the England captain, the last top-order batter left, one down in the series and nursing a sore knee. So what’s he going to do? Charge down the track to a fast bowler, of course. He does it well, turning a length ball from Ngidi into a half-volley and playing a measured push for four. Foakes adds two with a thick edge, all along the ground.
A few people have been asking for the TMS link. Dean Kinsella was one of them, but then he found it, and now he’s generously sharing it.
44th over: England 175-5 (Stokes 17, Foakes 14) Harmer continues and this time there are no fireworks, just a single to each batter. England lead by 24.
“The problem with the 1958-1959 version of the OBO,” says Richard O’Hagan, “was that England were playing in Australia, so everything was happening in the middle of the night and even when the OBO telegram did arrive it was usually too dark to read it.”
43rd over: England 173-5 (Stokes 16, Foakes 13) Another maiden from Ngidi as Stokes settles for keeping the reverse-swinging yorkers out.
The break came at the right time for Stokes, who is good to bat on, if not to go. He took his pad off, did some manipulation, and put his pad back on. Will it cramp his style? I wouldn’t bet on it.
Here’s Jeremy Boyce. “I think a lot of the OBO work in the north and midlands was done by racing/messenger pigeons, occasionally whippets. Whereas in the south it was indeed paper boys, or laboratory rats.” Oof.
“Anyway, i see BazBall is entering new territory, a first innings lead. Scary. I’m betting on Jimmy making a maiden Test 50 and we win by an innings. Or possibly not.” Jimmy will be a little insulted by that – he once made 81.
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42nd over: England 173-5 (Stokes 16, Foakes 13) Harmer thinks he’s got Stokes with a classic off-break that pitches on leg, straightens and hits the pad. Dean Elgar elects to review, but it’s not a wise move – the ball wasn’t doing quite enough, so South Africa lose one of their reviews. Stokes reverse-sweeps, gets a top edge, but picks up two as the ball loops into no-man’s-land. And then Stokes hurts himself running, clutching his left knee, the one that often gives him trouble when he’s bowling. Hope he’s OK.
And that’s drinks, with the game beautifully poised. England are 22 ahead, but the first hour belongs to the demon Nortje, who bowled with both fire and guile and removed both Bairstow and Crawley.
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41st over: England 170-5 (Stokes 13, Foakes 13) It’s a double change as Rabada gives way to Lungi Ngidi. He’s reversing it in too, keeping Foakes honest and collecting a maiden. Consistent though Ngidi is, I suspect England would rather face him than Marco Jansen.
“Good morning,” says Ken Andrew, “from Duck, North Carolina. There surely can’t be anyone following your updates today from anywhere vaguely cricket named.”
40th over: England 170-5 (Stokes 13, Foakes 13) Yes, Nortje gets a breather after a barnstorming spell, and here’s Simon Harmer for some off-spin, presumably targeting Stokes. He starts with a full toss to Foakes, who says thanks very much and cover-drives for four. The minute Stokes gets the strike, he sweeps for six! It’s the first six of the match, and possibly the end of Stokes’s abstinence for the day.
39th over: England 159-5 (Stokes 7, Foakes 8) Foakes, looking to put England ahead in style, hits a four off Rabada – via the bottom edge, past the keeper, as he cuts at one that keeps a bit low. That is very much in the spirit of this Test so far. Stokes plays a much better shot, a cover drive for four. Time for a bowling change or two, surely.
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38th over: England 150-5 (Stokes 3, Foakes 3) Foakes is equal to the task, waiting for the toe ball and tucking it away for a confident three. England trail by one.
“Kim Thonger asked about older OBOers, regarding 1958-1959,” says Martin Fairbrother. “I was wondering how the OBO worked back then. Did a paper boy come round every 5 minutes with a post-it-sized print out and check if you had a letter for the presenter?” Without doubt.
37th over: England 147-5 (Stokes 3, Foakes 0) Stokes, seeing the gravity of the situation, plays out a maiden from Rabada. The only problem is that this leaves Foakes to face a full over from Nortje.
36th over: England 147-5 (Stokes 3, Foakes 0) Stokes had just got off the mark with a chunky drive for three when the wicket fell. He is joined by Ben Foakes, who (as Mike Atherton points out) couldn’t cope with Nortje at all at Lord’s, falling to him twice for 6 and 0. Back at Old Trafford, England trail by four, and they badly need a partnership from these two.
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Wicket!! Crawley c Verreynne b Nortje 38 (England 147-5)
One brings two! And it’s Nortje again, finding a magic ball that Crawley does well to nick. That’s the end of the most admirable 38 you will ever see.
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35th over: England 144-4 (Crawley 38, Stokes 0) Crawley, now the senior partner in a sense, drives Rabada for two, then edges him, not once but twice, keeping it down in both cases. The second one squirts through the cordon and goes for four. Crawley adds a classy clip to deep square, warmly acclaimed by the crowd, and he already has 21 off 22 balls this morning, to go with 17 off 77 yesterday. Trevor Bailey’s records are probably safe.
“Geoff Saunders’ point regarding playing straight is a good one,” says Steve Hudson, “but a backlift to third slip like Crawley’s doesn’t necessarily stop you then bringing the bat down straight, and can make legside shots much easier. Bradman, famously, had a backlift like that, but played straight enough to average a touch under 100 over a 20-year career.”
34th over: England 134-4 (Crawley 28, Stokes 0) So here’s Ben Stokes. Will he play himself in, for once as captain? There’s so much time to play with that it would surely make sense. He seems to agree for now, greeting his first two balls with a studious leave and a solid block.
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Wicket! Bairstow c Erwee b Nortje 49 (England 134-4)
The big one! And it’s the ball that doesn’t reverse. Bairstow wafts outside off and Erwee, at first slip, takes a sharp, non-juggling catch.
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33rd over: England 134-3 (Crawley 28, Bairstow 49) Reverse swing has such an interesting effect on Test cricket: it makes it even more of a Test. For the new batter, it’s a nightmare, as the ball threatens his feet just when he’s trying to find them. But, for a good player who’s well set, it can add to the fun. Bairstow sees a full ball from Rabada, knows it’s heading for his toes, and flicks it with the swing, timing it so well that the man at long leg has no chance of stopping it. When Rabada compensates by going wide of off, Bairstow punches through the covers for three.
32nd over: England 127-3 (Crawley 28, Bairstow 42) Another quiet over, though not for Crawley, who takes a thunderbolt from Nortje in the box. I shudder to think what impression that may have left.
Here’s Robin Hazlehurst, picking up on Kim Thong’s question from 10.53. “Never mind Bailey’s slowest 50,” he says, “if Kim Thonger was born in 1958-59 then that is surely a record for the slowest ever birth.”
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31st over: England 126-3 (Crawley 28, Bairstow 41) Rabada keeps Bairstow quiet, and vice-versa.
“I know I am old-fashioned,” says Geoff Saunders. “Jack Robertson was batting coach at school. But, Crawley. His bat points at 3rd slip on the back-lift, so he is always playing across the line. Every single ball. He will never be a Test class opener with that deficiency.”
30th over: England 125-3 (Crawley 28, Bairstow 40) Dean Elgar, desperate for a breakthrough, goes straight to Anrich Nortje, the fastest tool in the box. He;’s reversing it too, at speed, but that brings the ball onto Crawley’s pads, where he likes it. He plays two comfy flicks for two, but he’ll have to watch out for the ball that holds its line and when it comes, an attempted tuck turns into a leading edge, looping over cover. He has made more runs in two overs this morning (11) than he managed in the last 14 overs yesterday (10). Bairstow reopens his account but he too flirts with danger, inside-edging past his stumps. It’s all happening!
29th over: England 117-3 (Crawley 22, Bairstow 38) It’s Kagiso Rabada to open the proceedings and he’s on the money right away. The first ball reverses in and whistles past the off bail as Bairstow opts for a leave that is either immaculate or inadvisable. It goes for a bye, so Rabada has an early crack at Crawley. He duly draws a nick, but Crawley manages to soften his hands, keep it down and pick up four through the slips. He’s into the 20s!
Jerusalem is ringing out and the South Africans are gathering in a tight huddle. Mood: determined.
“In the spirit of Jon Gerrard,” says Brian Withington. “can I offer: ‘Ollie stealing from male offspring, we hear (7)’.
“It’s the way I set ’em.”
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“I’m rather hoping,” says Kim Thonger, “to see Crawley beat Trevor Bailey’s record for the slowest Test 50, set in 1958-59, year of my birth. He scored 68 in total but I am unclear whether it was the 50 or the 68 that took 350 balls in 357 minutes. Can an older OBOer recall?”
“Morning from Old Trafford ,” says Guy Hornsby on Twitter. “It’s a perfect blue sky and dry, great conditions to try and work a soft ball around and get a big lead. So I half expect us to be out by lunch. It won’t be boring...” Ha. Perhaps you haven’t seen the new-look Zak Crawley. He’s made 10 in a partnership of 68!
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“Morning Tim, morning everyone,” says Jon Gerrard. “In the articles on yesterday’s play, Barney Ronay pointed out that Dean Elgar’s name is basically an anagram of ‘gnarled’, while Ali Martin mentioned that Aiden Markram’s surname is a palindrome. Can you confirm whether they were sitting with one of Big Paper’s crossword setters?” I can neither confirm nor deny it.
“If so, I have one for them: Jimmy’s rickety end engulfed by deliberate fire (8).” Ha.
“Good morning,” says Trevor Tutu, “from a Cape Town that remains cold, blustery and threatening rain, so is more like Manchester than Manchester itself.” Ha, yes, actual Manchester is down to be dry all day.
“The Proteas supporters going about their business in the city are cheerful despite the miserable weather, as we have worked out that yesterday was a minor blip on our triumphal procession to a 3-0 series win, and we are all looking forward to seeing how our bowlers dig us out of the hole we have dug for ourselves.” Can’t quite tell if this is hubris or humour… yes, 3-0 is still a possibility, but these two sides seem too well-matched not to end up with a 2-1.
Preamble: the odd couple
Morning everyone and welcome to the second day of the second Test, which Stuart Broad says is actually more like the third day. That’s because so many wickets fell yesterday – a steady stream of them, 13 in 68 overs – until Jonny Bairstow joined Zak Crawley, whereupon the tide turned and the bowlers had no joy for over an hour.
Bairstow and Crawley are a combination that usually leads to a wicket. In 15 Tests before the current one, they batted together five times and added 47 runs at the princely average of 9. They have already surpassed that in the course of this one stand, which has reached 68.
They are, in many ways, magnificently mismatched: one tall, the other short; one young, the other a veteran; one from Kent, the other a Yorkie; one in the form of his life, the other in a fight for his place; one the son of a City trader, the other the son of a no-nonsense wicketkeeper. It’s not hard to see why they might struggle to find a rapport.
And yet … partnerships are more nuanced than that, whether they’re Little and Large or Cagney and Lacey. Every combination is a Venn diagram, with some things in common and some contrasts. Both these two are right-handers, so Crawley being 6ft 5in and Bairstow 5ft 8in becomes a plus, forcing the bowlers to adjust their lengths. (This should have a name: Hayden-Langer syndrome.) Both love to play their shots. Both are regulars in the England cordon, Crawley at second slip, Bairstow at third, so they must have learnt to rub along. Both are good fielders in any position, and neither ever has a bowl. Both can make batting look very easy – or very hard.
Bairstow, for all his affable seniority, is not someone you often see taking another player under his wing. But he led the way in this partnership yesterday, playing the attacking shots, letting Crawley plod along as he tried to dig himself out of a deep hole. And at the end, as they walked off after putting together the only partnership of the day above 38, Bairstow gave Crawley a fatherly pat and clapped his bat against his thigh. As a form of applause it was on the quiet side, but as a mark of respect it spoke volumes.
One of them will probably fall early this morning, as South Africa’s excellent seamers come roaring in fresh. The other, though, will have a chance to dominate the day. England, resuming 40 behind, could finish about level with South Africa and then get a pasting in the third innings, when (as a rule) the batting is easy. Or they could motor on and make this match mirror the first Test, when South Africa shot England out for 150-odd, battled past 300, and won by an innings in no time at all.
In short, it could go either way. But it’ll be intriguing to see where the first decent partnership ever posted by Bairstow and Crawley ends up.
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