Nottingham: South Africa took four quick wickets to close in on victory and level the series, after England’s top order crumbled on the fourth morning of the second Test at Trent Bridge, Monday.
England, set a mammoth 474 runs for victory, collapsed to 133 all out in their second innings 40 minutes before tea on the fourth day. No England batsman made a fifty in an innings where former captain Alastair Cook (42, 76b, 6×4) was the top scorer.
By lunch, England were 79 for four, having lost Keaton Jennings (3), Gary Balance (4), skipper Joe Root (8) and Cook to Vernon Philander (3/24) and Chris Morris (2/7), who used the conditions that were easier for the bowlers than the first three days. Keshav Maharaj (3/42) also bowled well while Duanne Olivier (2/25) ended the match by taking two wickets in successive balls.
Returning South Africa captain Faf du Plessis, who did not play in the Proteas’ 211-run defeat in the first Test at Lord’s following the birth of his first child, made the bold decision to bat first after winning the toss and was rewarded by a total of 335.
In reply, England could only manage 205. Hashim Amla, Dean Elgar and Du Plessis piled on the runs in South Africa’s second innings 343 for nine declared.
It meant England needed to surpass the West Indies’ record fourth innings score to win a Test of 418 for seven against Australia at St John’s in 2003 if they were to achieve an improbable victory.
But they never looked like getting close as South Africa won a Test at Trent Bridge for the first time since 1965.
Brief scores
South Africa 335 & 343/9 decl bt England 205 & 133 (Alastair Cook 42; Vernon Philander 3/24, Keshav Maharaj 3/42) by 340 runs.
