Just 32 overs were possible on the opening day of England’s series against South Africa, but that was time enough for the Proteas’ excellent four-pronged seam attack to draw first blood with six key wickets.
Having been asked to bat first, England were 116 for six when rain arrived half an hour after lunch. It quickly set in and, with a bit of thunder and lightning thrown in, stumps were called just a couple of hours later, despite the world famous drainage at Lord’s. A lake had formed on a lush green outfield that gave few hints of the drought that has set in since England last played Test cricket a month ago.
It was a straightforward enough decision for South Africa skipper Dean Elgar upon winning the toss. England pulled off four excellent victories in June and early July, but they all came chasing. Ben Stokes makes no secret of his preference for batting second.
The low cloud, the rain forecast, the green pitch and South Africa’s attack made this an altogether trickier assignment for the top order. The only player to pass it was Ollie Pope, who survived to be 61 not out from just 87 balls when the rain arrived.
Of the rest, only the first wicket to fall, Alex Lees, was truly to blame. He had a big drive at the final ball of Kagiso Rabada’s second over and was caught behind.
Rabada had been passed fit after an ankle injury, and made an instant impact leading an excellent attack. Lungi Ngidi was accurate with the new ball at the other end, while Marco Jansen and Anrich Nortje, both playing Test cricket in England for the first time, were a real handful as change bowlers.
Jansen is a 6ft 8in left-armer, while Nortje found a 93mph ball to dismiss Jonny Bairstow for a duck from the Nursery End, then was even more dangerous – picking up Stokes and Ben Foakes – after swapping to the Pavilion End. It might be a few days before Keshav Maharaj, preferred to Simon Harmer, is required in this game.
Rabada took the second wicket, Zak Crawley, for another single figure score. He was worked over across Rabada’s opening spell, and eventually edged one to slip, where Aidan Markram took a smart catch.
Joe Root was disappointed to be given out lbw to Jansen as a ball that swung back across him was just kissing the outside of leg stump. Bairstow, the man of the summer, was bowled soon after by Nortje, leaving England 55 for six.
Stokes joined Pope and steadied England, smiting a series of drives down the ground. But Stokes fell to the final ball of the session as he was squared up by Nortje, who had by now swapped ends.
Resuming after the break, Nortje was too quick for Foakes, whose inside edge cannoned into his stumps. With the light closing in and the rain approaching, Stuart Broad – the Nighthawk? – strode out at No8. Fortunately for England, he only had to face two balls before the rain arrived.
Amid the carnage, Pope was largely untroubled. He was busy at first, advancing at the seamers and running singles hard. The crisp strokes came, such as the one that took him to fifty through the covers. If England and their long tail are to post a competitive total on day two, Pope holds the key.
