Mark Wood completes five-fer as England close in on South Africa series
England bowled out South Africa for 183 to head into lunch with a first innings lead of 217.
Following an accomplished display with the bat to put on 400, play resumed today with the hosts 88 for six and with the prospect of taking out the Proteas in the morning session. Though they met some resistance in the form of Quinton de Kock, wickets from Chris Woakes, Ben Stokes and two for Mark Wood to complete his second five-wicket haul in Tests sealed the deal.
England chose not to enforce the follow-on, with the tourists of the mind to bat again, extend their lead and rest their bowlers, especially Wood.
What fight there was form South Africa was led by Quinton de Kock, the host’s most consistent performer this series. His partnership of 79 with Dwayne Pretorious frustrated the visitors who arrived with a 312 lead and holding all the aces.
Indeed, they were buoyed early on with the wicket of Vernon Philander. In keeping with a regular theme of this tour, South Africa failed to make it out of the first six balls of the morning without losing a wicket.
The tameness of the dismissal – scooping a leading edge to Stuart Broad at mid-off to give Chris Woakes his second wicket of the innings – spoke of a distinct lack of fight. But the eighth-wicket stand proved otherwise.
Just as with Anrich Nortje with the ball, this would have been a more one-sided series without de Kock’s contributions with the bat. His innings of 76 puts him at the top of the run-scorer charts this series with 341 runs at an average of 48.71.
His fourth half-century of the series, and 21st of his career, was the epitome of counter-punching. His 11 fours, seven of them in the first 72 balls that brought up his fifty, sought changes in the field and the attack. And it was only when Stokes was introduced 20 overs into the day that the second breakthrough came about.
Pretorious, resolute for 37, could do nothing but fend a quick delivery to gully, where Zak Crawley took a smart catch moving to his left. De Kock fell seven deliveries later and, when Dane Patterson hacked an edged through to Jos Buttler, a collapse of three for 11 in 16.
For Wood, it is deserved rewards for his efforts last night and indeed over the last few months to get himself fighting fit. He beat de Kock for pace – bowling him off an inside edge – and profited from Patterson’s “attack is the best form of defence” approach. Figures of five for 46 now sit alongside his maiden haul of five for 41 which he only picked up last February.
