England yesterday needed eight more wickets to claim an emphatic series victory as South Africa lost both openers in the morning session at the start of their bid for a two-day vigil at the crease to save the fourth Test at the Wanderers.
South Africa were 90-2 at lunch on the fourth day, still needing 376 to claim an improbable victory and draw the series.
Rassie van der Dussen was not out after a brisk 39 off 45 balls, with captain Faf du Plessis having just arrived at the crease.
Photo: AFP
England had two days to bowl the hosts out and took an hour before claiming the wicket of Pieter Malan, who scored 22 in a 38-run opening partnership with Dean Elgar.
Malan chased after a wide ball from Chris Woakes and got a healthy edge straight after the drinks break to be was caught by Ben Stokes in the slips.
Three balls later, Woakes trapped Van der Dussen leg before wicket.
The South Africa batsman almost ran out of time to review, but then won a reprieve as the ball was shown to be missing the wickets and the umpire’s decision was overturned.
England captain Joe Root used six bowlers in the first session in a bid to keep the batsmen from embedding themselves, with the wicket not proving as variable as expected.
Root conceded 22 in two overs after bringing himself on, allowing Elgar and Van der Dussen to post a 50-run partnership, but then Elgar (24) fended off a rising ball from Stokes and succeeded only in playing it back to the bowler.
ZIMBABWE V SRI LANKA
AFP, HARARE
Brendan Taylor and Kevin Kasuza yesterday combined to give Zimbabwe a solid start on the first day of the second Test against Sri Lanka in Harare, taking the hosts to 96-2 at lunch.
After winning the toss and choosing to bat, Zimbabwe lost Prince Masvaure and Craig Ervine cheaply, before Taylor joined opener Kasuza in a third-wicket partnership of 47.
Taylor was the dominant partner thrashing 41 from just 35 balls, including six fours and one six over long-off from left-arm spinner Lasith Embuldeniya.
Kasuza, who was “substituted” in the second innings last week after being hit on the head while fielding at short-leg, was more circumspect, batting through the morning to reach 33 not out from 90 balls.
Sri Lanka began the day well with Lahiru Kumara finding the edge of Masvaure’s bat for 9, before Craig Irvine nudged Dhananjaya de Silva to short-leg where Oshada Fernando snapped up a sharp catch.
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