England supporters were warned that there would be days like this. And not just for Dean Elgar, the South African captain who spoke of the potential for “egg on faces” ahead of his side’s emphatic win at Lord’s, but also for Brendon McCullum.
The New Zealander, a high priest of the positive approach who returned four successive Test victories this summer, claimed to be at peace with the fact and then spoke of not overreacting. But even McCullum must have been privately shocked by a three-day defeat that, in just 171.5 overs, actually lasted less than two. This was the first defeat for Ben Stokes as full-time captain and it cast his mind back to last winter’s Ashes.
The stroke of grace was certainly similar, Jimmy Anderson channeling his inner Ollie Robinson in Hobart when he backed off and Marco Jansen putting a laser to the base of his stumps. With this latest attack, England were reduced to a paltry 149, some 16 runs short of their first innings, and Elgar’s men could begin to celebrate a handsome victory created by the hostile three-wicket burst of Anrich Nortje after lunch.
Perhaps this was Test cricket that bounced back in more ways than one; not only to slap England with a wet fish after their exploits earlier in the summer, but also to the administrators who have reduced South Africa’s commitment to the longer format. The Proteas do not return to England in the next four-year cycle and, after a three-match series in Australia later this year, face a two-match diet.
That’s a shame because the tourists, leaders of the current World Test Championship, have forged a potential bowling attack for the ages. Led by Kagiso Rabada, his name now on the honors table after five wickets in the first innings, they boast guile, craft, raw pace and a freakishly high left arm. And don’t forget an experienced spinner in Keshav Maharaj, who started the charge on day three when he continued Zak Crawley’s misery and sent Ollie Pope packing at lunchtime.
Zak Crawley is bowled lbw by Keshav Maharaj to start the fall of England’s wickets. Photo: Kirsty Wigglesworth/AP
It was, of course, a very useful toss to win, presenting England’s batsmen with devilish conditions ahead of the first-day deluge. But slumping to 116 for six in the first overs could still have been overcome had England been able to match the constant threat of their visitors. In contrast, Stokes’ players looked rusty after the six-week break from red-ball cricket, wedded to his somewhat prescriptive schemes and, as a group of right-arm fast mediums, offered far less variety in general.
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This was laid bare as South Africa piled up 326 for a 161-run lead, most notably on the third morning when, after Stuart Broad had lit up the opener, he took a stunning one-handed catch to remove Rabada, Stokes and Matt Potts. shared the second new ball but fell short. Just like the previous night, when Maharaj struck for 41 runs from No. 8, he allowed Nortje to get another 28 runs off his pile. Anderson, who is not known to be injured, was curiously a bystander here before Broad was finally cleared.
When it was England’s turn to bat again, they were overtaken by Elgar, who turned to Maharaj in just the eighth over and saw his left-arm spinner reduce the hosts to 38 for two at lunch. Bowling from the Nursery End, and therefore against the slope, Maharaj benefited from Crawley’s mistimed third sweep ball and caught Pope on the back leg off the last ball of the session. Referee Richard Illingworth turned down the second of these appeals, but Elgar’s instant review was rewarded.
Although still 123 runs in arrears, this was not to be terminal and Alex Lees, looking to make up for an early innings, stood firm at the other end. But with the Lord’s crowd still digesting their trick, South Africa’s quicks quickly settled this contest in emphatic style, sparking a collapse of four for 29 in 53 balls that began when Lungi Ngidi produced a beautiful outswinger to Joe Root which flew into the hands of third man. slip
With one of the two mainstays of England’s early summer success gone, Elgar introduced the pace of Nortje to settle the second off Jonny Bairstow. It had been a one-sided affair on day one and not much different to the second time around, the Yorkshireman hitting a couple of fours before cutting a 91mph delivery that he smashed. Lees then fell for 35 on Nortje’s follow-up, another tickling beauty on the outside edge, with Ben Foakes falling to his second anemic knock of the match two balls later.
The score of 86 for six meant that Stokes joined Broad and thus the start of England’s extended tail. And through some farm hitting from the latter, including a hooked six behind square en route to a 29-ball 35, the pair managed to put on 55 for the seventh wicket. But things soon disintegrated once more, Broad being bowled by a slower ball from Rabada and Stokes caught in the deep on 20 when, after seeing Potts bowl trying to slip Jansen, there was no other swing option
Once Anderson followed Robinson’s path to Tasmania, all that was left to see from the crowd were the handshakes. It was 3.49pm and South Africa could begin to celebrate their fifth Test win at Lord’s since readmission and sixth overall. When they return is uncertain, unfortunately, but the current generation has left its mark.