SA WON
Test
SA beat ENG by 107 runs
Man of the Match - Quinton de Kock
SA
284-10
& 272-10
 
181-10
&
268/10
ENG
Basil D Oliveira Trophy, 2019/20 |1st Test |12/26/2019
SuperSport Park, Centurion
Commentary
  • So that is it from the final international game of the year and decade. It is South Africa who take the lead in this 4-match series and start their new tenure under Head Coach Mark Boucher with a win and end the year on a high. The series now moves to the 2nd Test in Cape Town. That match will begin on 3rd January. Join us at 1030 Local (0830 GMT) for that one. Till then, goodbye and have a great end to the year!
  • For his brilliant batting performance with the bat i the first innings and his record breaking catches behind the stumps Quinton de Kock has been named the Man of the Match. De Kock says that he walked out and understood the situation. Credits the English bowlers for bowling well on the wicket and troubling them. Quinton admits when he went out he had thought of leaving the balls but says his mind made him do a lot of things other than the plan and he played his shots. On his hand, Quinton says finger is all good but laughs and says that he has keeper's finger and thinks it might be sore tomorrow.
  • South Africa skipper, Faf du Plessis says that they knew that the last couple ofm months as a Test team had been difficult for them. Says it was a good Test as both the teams toiled hard for this win. Tells everyone is happy and thinks this is a start of a new chapter and theyb are once again improving as a team but is aware that it is going to be a tough task. on Philander's bowling, he says he bowled well but then also says that both the sides bowled really well. Tells Day 3 was good to bat as the pitch started to get a bit soft under heavy clouds. Faf says they knew they had to be patient and knew they could attack and do the damage with the second new ball. Credits Nortje and Rabada for their performance and says that he hopes they can get a couple of more new, young talented bowlers as Philander is moving for pastures new and they need a few bowlers to replace him.
  • Joe Root, the England skipper. He says that it has been a really tough week for them. Adds that some went down with a bug over the last week but credit to them for giving a tough fight. Says that it has not been long since they have seen such chases from a similar group of players. States that they were in a similar position at Headingley but then they got over the lineAdds they lost the game during the collapse in the first innings but is pleased with a better performance in the second. Credit to South Africa for playing brilliantly. On Archer, he says that he bowled well and he will keep on learning.
  • Time now for the presentation as we find out what the skippers have to say and who is a named the Man of the Match.
  • It was a good bowling performance from the hosts in the final innings. They were made to toil hard at the start but they kept their cool and did not lose their patience. It paid off once again as they were able to wrap up the tourists for 268 and win the game with a comfortable margin of 107 runs. Rabada and Nortje were the pick of the bowlers in the second innings. Picking up 4 and 3 wickets respectively. The lone front line spinner, Keshav Maharaj was good with the ball as well as he picked up the two crucial wickest of Dominic Sibley and the game changing wicket of Ben Stokes. Philander went wicketless in the second innings whereas debutant Pretorius got the crucial wicket of Denly. All-in-all it was a solid bowling performance by the hosts.
  • England gave a strong reply and got the chase off to a solid start. Openers Burns and Sibley watched off the difficult times with the new ball and mustered a 92-run opening stand before Sibley departed. Denly then joined Burns and the duo continued the good work before Burns fell 16 short of his century. Denly too did not last long but Stokes and Root then once again calmed the nerves but once again there was another English collapse on the cards. At one stage it looked England would take it home with the scorecard reading 222/4, the visitors capitulated and were bowled out for 268.
  • South Africa started their 2nd innings with a lead of 103 but they once again got off to a torrid start. They were stuttering with the score reading 62/4, with the lead of just 175. But Rassie van der Dussen and nightwatchman Anrich Nortje calmed the hosts nerves with their 91-run stand. Rassie scored his maiden fifty whereas Nortje scored a very crucial 40. Vital contributions from Quinton de Kock and Vernon Philander took the hosts lead to 376. Which was too much for the visitors in the end. Jofra Archer was expensive with the ball but ended up with a 5-wicket haul.
  • In reply, England had to take the lead to justify their skipper's decision to bowl first. They got off to a good start but a batting collapse from the visitors saw them going from 142/3 to being bowled out for 181. Only 4 batters could go past the score of 20 and thanks to Denly's 50, they managed to have some respectability to the total. Vernon Philander was the star for the Proteas with the ball as his consistent lines and lengths continued to ask questions and he ended up with a 4-fer.
  • After winning the toss and opting to bowl, Root's controversial decision seemed to be paying off as the hosts were struggling at 111/5 but Quinton de Kock's 95 took the hosts' score to 284 and that proved to be a big turning point. Sam Curran was the star with the ball as he picked up a 4-fer. Broad too ended up with 4 wickets in the first innings.
  • End of a fascinating Test and what a start we have to the series. The momentum of the game kept swinging in from here to there right from the first day but in the end, it was the hosts who have held their nerves and played better cricket for the majority part to win the game comfortably in the end and take the lead in this 4-match series.
  • 92.6
    W
    K Rabada to Broad, OUT! TIMBER! You miss I hit says Rabada. And that is that for this game. Brilliant performance from South Africa. Broad was just going after every ball here and this, you might feel that it was coming. Yorker on middle, Broad makes room to play it to the off side but misses it completely. Rabada though does not miss and the ball goes on to hit the middle stump. Rabada finishes with four wickets. SOUTH AFRICA WIN BY 107 RUNS.
  • 92.5
    2
    K Rabada to Broad, Just wide! Full delivery on middle, Broad flicks it uppishly to mid-wicket. Maharaj makes a good effort as he dives in an attempt to catch it but is just wide of him. The fielder runs across from deep square leg and picks it up. Another couple.
  • 92.4
    2
    K Rabada to S Broad, EDGY! Good length ball, Broad makes room but Rabada follows him. Stuart looks to cut it but gets an inside edge which goes past the keeper to fine leg. Nortje comes across and cleans it up. Two Taken.
  • 92.3
    2
    K Rabada to Broad, Short ball on middle, Broad stands tall and pulls it through mid-wicket for a couple. Maharaj chases after it and cleans it up.
  • James Anderson is the last man in.
  • 92.2
    W
    K Rabada to Buttler, OUT! Buttler holes out! His counter-attacking approach does not last long and it has to be game, set and match here. South Africa have held their nerves and delivered here. All the main batters are out of here and England are just a wicket away from sealing this game. Back of a length ball on off, Buttler looks to pull but he does not get it off the middle. It hits the upper half of his bat and goes high up in the air. It does not travel the distance and goes towards long on. Dwaine Pretorius there comes in and keeps his eyes on the ball and takes the skier with ease.
  • 92.1
    6
    K Rabada to Buttler, SIX! That is a terrific shot from Jos Buttler. Full delivery on off, Buttler clears his one leg and hammers it over long on for a maximum. The umpires checks whether it is a six or a boundary. The replays show that it has landed way over the ropes.
  • END OF OVER 92 | 1 Runs & 1 Wkt | ENG 256/8
  • South Africa are just 2 wickets away from sealing this game so the umpires have decided to extend this session.
  • 91.6
    0
    A Nortje to Broad, Good follow-up delivery from Nortje. After dishing out a short delivery, Nortje goes for a full delivery on middle, Broad plays it back to the bowler.
  • 91.5
    0
    A Nortje to Broad, Nasty delivery! Short of a length delivery on middle and off, Broad hops and looks to defend it. It hits the grille of the helmet. Luckily for him, no damage done. That could have really hurt.
  • Stuart Broad walks out at number 10.
  • 91.4
    W
    A Nortje to Archer, OUT! CAUGHT! Nortje has picked up his third wicket. Brilliant stuff from Anrich and the hosts are just two wickets away from a terrific victory. Back of a length ball from Nortje, Archer looks to push it to the off side but gets a thick outside edge towards first slip. Rassie van der Dussen who is standing there takes a simple catch. Look at the celebrations. They are ecstatic. Once again England have collapsed after giving a tough fight.
  • 91.3
    0
    A Nortje to Archer, BOUNCER! It is bowled around middle. Archer ducks under it.