Sarel Erwee and Dean Elgar gave South Africa a solid start to their first innings as the Proteas reached 158/2 at tea on the second day of the first Test against England at Lord’s on Thursday.
Having bowled England out for just 165 in the first hour of the second day, Erwee and Elgar survived a testing 12 overs before lunch and then compiled an excellent opening stand of 85.
England, who huffed and puffed for a breakthrough, only broke the defiant partnership between the two left-handers when Elgar fell to a freakish dismissal. A leg-side delivery from Jimmy Anderson struck him on the thigh-pad and then bounced up to hit the back of his arm, sending it back on to Elgar’s stumps. Ironically, he had survived a couple of unplayable deliveries from Anderson earlier in his innings.
The South African captain was out for 47, a typically pugnacious innings, blunting the bowling and leading from the front.
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Keegan Petersen then contributed 24 in a second-wicket stand of 53 with Erwee, before being caught in the slips off Matthew Potts. The most inexperienced of England’s pacemen was wayward against the two left-handers but was more settled against the right-handers.
Back in the family
Aiden Markram, back in the Proteas Test family after his successful IPL sojourn, then accompanied Erwee to tea, playing one gorgeous cover-drive for four off Anderson to reach 16 not out.
Erwee had got stuck in to score 60 not out and can be extremely proud of his effort. Gutsy, solid in defence and able to punish the bad ball he looks wonderfully determined not to give anything away.
Earlier, Kagiso Rabada duly completed his five-wicket haul, bowling superbly in the first hour of the morning session to finish with 5/52 in 19 overs.
England had resumed on a struggling 116/6 after the Proteas pacemen had dominated the 32 overs able to be played on the first day before rain washed out play. Ollie Pope was the key man for them on 61 not out, but the determined No.3 was the first batsman to fall on Thursday, in the fifth over of the day.
Rabada kept plugging away with great control and skill just outside the off-stump, and Pope inside-edged a big drive into his stumps to be bowled for 73.
A beautiful slower ball then accounted for Stuart Broad (15) and Rabada wrapped up his 12th five-wicket haul in his 73rd Test by trapping Jimmy Anderson lbw for a first-ball duck.
Left-armer Marco Jansen finished with 2/30 in eight overs and Anrich Nortje was also wonderful on the first day, finishing with 3/63 in 13 overs.
Read more: Rabada gives Proteas momentum on day two against England