#ENGvSA: Proteas edge away at big England total

Heino Kuhn in action Photo: Andrew Boyers/Reuters

Heino Kuhn in action Photo: Andrew Boyers/Reuters

Published Jul 7, 2017

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LONDON - The frenetic action of the first session was replaced by a more sedate period of play in the afternoon as South Africa made inroads into England’s massive first-innings total. 

The Proteas reached tea on 96/2, with skipper Dean Elgar on 54 and JP Duminy on 8 still 362 runs behind the England’s first innings total. It was a reasonable two hours of work by the tourists who’d resumed on 10/0 after bowling England out for 458 twenty minutes before the lunch break.

England had scored at over five runs an over in the morning, but South Africa adopted a more ‘traditional’ Test match approach when they batted. 

They lost debutant Heino Kuhn in the second over after lunch to a lovely bit of bowling from Stuart Broad who got one to angle into the right hander down the slope and then nip away, Kuhn could little else besides edge to Alastair Cook at first slip.

Kuhn, who’d scored just one was replaced by Hashim Amla who, after a careful start got neatly into his stride helping to add 72 runs for the second wicket with a confident looking Elgar.

The stand-in captain drove the ball very well down the ground, unleashing that shot against Broad, Mark Wood and then later the spinners Liam Dawson and Moeen Ali. 

Amla, had whipped two lovely boundaries off his hips against Ben Stokes and was starting to look very comfortable when he was beaten by a sharp spinning delivery from Moeen, that trapped him in front lbw for 29.

Elgar registered his seventh Test half-century a little while earlier, continuing the very good form he’s been showing for Somerset on the County circuit . In fact of his two centuries for Somerset in the County Championship one came here at Lord’s against Middlesex.

South Africa could do with him matching the 158 he scored in that match if they are to keep themselves in touch in this first Test.  

@shockerhess

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