2nd Test: South Africa v England at Cape Town

   

2nd Test: South Africa v England at Cape Town
England 629/6d
South Africa 199/2 (72.0 ov)
South Africa trail by 430 runs with 8 wickets remaining in the 1st innings
South Africa RR 2.76
Last 10 ovs 25/0 RR 2.50
Min overs remaining 61
Lunch - Day 3     Current time 12:46 local, 10:46 GMT     Test Career
Batsmen     R     B     4s     6s     SR     This bowler     Last 10 ovs
Hashim Amla (rhb)     91     208     14     0     43.75     13 (17b)     16 (28b)
AB de Villiers (rhb)     56     141     8     0     39.71     5 (23b)     9 (32b)
   
Mat     Runs     HS     Ave
90     6998     311*     50.71
104     8006     278*     51.65
Bowlers     O     M     R     W     Econ     0s     4s     6s     This spell
Ben Stokes (rfm)     9.0     2     29     1     3.22     42     4     0     3-1-9-0
Moeen Ali (ob)     18.0     5     45     0     2.50     88     5     1     9-4-15-0
   
Mat     Wkts     BBI     Ave
21     47     6/36     40.42
21     61     6/67     36.40
Recent overs

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Current partnership 114 runs, 47.1 overs, RR: 2.41 (Amla 57, de Villiers 56)

Last bat D Elgar c Compton b Stokes 44 (107m 71b 6x4 1x6) SR: 61.97

Fall of wicket 85/2 (24.5 ov); Partnership: 78 runs, 22.2 overs, RR: 3.49 (Amla 34, Elgar 43)

Umpire reviews remaining South Africa 2 (1 successful, 0 unsuccessful); England 2 (0 successful, 0 unsuccessful)

End of over 72 (2 runs) South Africa 199/2

        AB de Villiers 56 (141b 8x4 0x6)
        HM Amla 91 (208b 14x4 0x6)
        BA Stokes 9-2-29-1
        MM Ali 18-5-45-0

12.30pm: The calm after the storm in Cape Town. SA totted up a modest 58 runs in the session but didn't lose a wicket - aided by Anderson's drop of Amla - which will give them great heart. This partnership is becoming ticklish for England but they still sit on a mighty advantage and will have to continue with the patience game. Still, we can't have blistering run-scoring all the time... "Sweets grown common lose their dear delight," as Bill Shakespeare once said. Join us again for another helping in 30 minutes.

71.6

Stokes to de Villiers, no run, pitched up in the channel outside off stump, de Villiers watches it through - and that will be lunch, with South Africa making a solid start to the day
71.5

Stokes to de Villiers, no run, another short ball, dabbed down into the ground again
71.4

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Stokes to de Villiers, no run, back of a length, de Villiers hops into line and defends

"I hoped that Amla would get to his century before lunch time, but now I hope at least he would get to 7000 before lunch," whimpers Chandrasekhar. This might well be the final over before the interval... In which case, he's running out of opportunities

71.3

Stokes to de Villiers, 2 runs, shortish, at the body and deflected down to fine leg for a couple
71.2

Stokes to de Villiers, no run, gets across and shoulders arms again
71.1

Stokes to de Villiers, no run, lets this one go in the channel outside off

"Note the absence of Bradman on that 8000 runs list. As soon as his weakness against Eric Hollies was exposed, he conveniently retired from all formats of the game," chuckles David

End of over 71 (2 runs) South Africa 197/2

        AB de Villiers 54 (135b 8x4 0x6)
        HM Amla 91 (208b 14x4 0x6)
        MM Ali 18-5-45-0
        BA Stokes 8-2-27-1

"Am I right in thinking England have dropped three catches so far: Root, Taylor and Jimmy all guilty, and caught one (Stokes)? That's quite a poor catch to drop ratio..." It certainly won't help them win, Mitch_A. Although, if I'm thinking about the right one, the Taylor chance was barely a chance at all

70.6

Ali to de Villiers, 1 run, length delivery, goes back and punches into the ground through mid-on for one
70.5

Ali to de Villiers, no run, pushed through on off stump, safely negotiated once more

short leg moves to silly point

70.4

Ali to de Villiers, no run, flatter, gets into line and blocks softly again
70.3

Ali to de Villiers, no run, over the wicket, tossed up and defended with head bowed over the bat
70.2

Ali to Amla, 1 run, goes back in the crease and taps the ball through point for one
70.1

Ali to Amla, no run, flighted, across the batsman from round the wicket, left alone

End of over 70 (maiden) South Africa 195/2

        AB de Villiers 53 (131b 8x4 0x6)
        HM Amla 90 (206b 14x4 0x6)
        BA Stokes 8-2-27-1
        MM Ali 17-5-43-0

"What's big fuss about Stokes' hundred...it's a road he did it on." Still got to do the mileage, Peter. It was pedal to the metal stuff

69.6

Stokes to de Villiers, no run, gets across his stumps and defends on the back foot
69.5

Stokes to de Villiers, no run, very full, trying to tempt de Villiers... he won't be seduced by the fiery redhead, however
69.4

Stokes to de Villiers, no run, stations himself on off stump and again watches the ball fly through
69.3

Stokes to de Villiers, no run, lets this one go in the channel outside off
69.2

Stokes to de Villiers, no run, de Villiers shuffles into line and defends on off stump
69.1

Stokes to de Villiers, no run, fullish, 135kph and chopped into the ground

End of over 69 (maiden) South Africa 195/2

        HM Amla 90 (206b 14x4 0x6)
        AB de Villiers 53 (125b 8x4 0x6)
        MM Ali 17-5-43-0
        BA Stokes 7-1-27-1

AB in Switzerland: "It seems as if the readers with short attention spans think SA are batting slowly. Looking at the worm provided by Cricinfo, the run rates are pretty similar at this stage in the innings. Once Root left the stage, did Stokes rev the run counter." Confirmation bias, AB, people seeing what they want to. Well batted, by the way

68.6

Ali to Amla, no run, Amla gets on to the front foot and blocks
68.5

Ali to Amla, no run, flighted, turned to the leg side, can't get it through the ring
68.4

Ali to Amla, no run, tossed up and defended coming forwards
68.3

Ali to Amla, no run, stays in the crease, nudges the ball down into the ground towards short leg
68.2

Ali to Amla, no run, leans into a forward defensive
68.1

Ali to Amla, no run, tossed up and punched back to the left of the bowler

Here we go: AB is joint-15th on the list to 8000 runs, level with Michael Clarke

End of over 68 (7 runs) South Africa 195/2

        AB de Villiers 53 (125b 8x4 0x6)
        HM Amla 90 (200b 14x4 0x6)
        BA Stokes 7-1-27-1
        MM Ali 16-4-43-0

67.6

Stokes to de Villiers, no run, AB jumps into line and defends around off stump
67.5

Stokes to Amla, 1 run, length ball on the stumps, softly dropped into a gap a square leg
67.4

Stokes to de Villiers, 1 run, turns over the strike by staying on top of the bounce and nurdling to leg
67.3

Stokes to Amla, 1 run, touch short of a length, goes back and tucks one to midwicket
67.2

Stokes to Amla, FOUR, spanked through the covers, Amla presses on to the front foot and cracks four
67.1

Stokes to Amla, no run, shortish, defended from the crease outside off

Want to make something happen (and happen fast)? Call Ben Stokes

Commentator: Alan Gardner

Scorer: M Venkat Raghav

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    A century stand at last
    114*
    The partnership between Amla and de Villiers at lunch on day three, SA's first century stand in Tests since the 2014 Boxing Day game