England vs South Africa: Vernon Philander dazzles as Joe Root sent packing on Day One of third Test

Third Test: England are 149-4 at tea on Day One
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Tom Collomosse27 July 2017

The Kia Oval attracts sell-out crowds throughout the summer as high-spirited City workers queue up to knock back beers and watch Jason Roy hit sixes.

Midweek Twenty20 is a firm favourite here. In front of raucous crowds seeking relief from the stress of the working day, Roy, Kumar Sangakkara, Kevin Pietersen and company try to put on a show.

The Twenty20 goers who bought Test match tickets did not see the same fireworks before tea, as England and South Africa tussled for supremacy. Yet it was no less entertaining for that.

South Africa pace bowler Vernon Philander is the opposite of the modern T20 hero who – we are told – will take cricket into a new era and render the Test game obsolete. He has never played in the Indian Premier League or Australia’s Big Bash. Indeed, Philander, 32, has featured in only seven T20 internationals.

Today’s Twenty20 bowlers have a dizzying number of deliveries in their armoury. They charge to the crease before sending down a quick bouncer, a slower bouncer, a wide yorker or a straight one. It is exciting and eye-catching.

Philander? He has an unassuming approach, shuffling towards the stumps. Sometimes, the delivery does not even reach 80mph. He was still far too good for most of England’s batsmen during the morning and afternoon.

By tea, Philander had bowled nine overs, five of which were maidens. His two wickets had cost only eight runs – and he was also suffering from an upset stomach. Had Philander – man of the match for South Africa when they won the Second Investec Test at Trent Bridge last week – been feeling on top of the world, England might have been in substantial trouble after two sessions.

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Philander removed the struggling Keaton Jennings in his second over, caught at third slip for a duck. He then claimed the key wicket of Joe Root, the England captain. Pushing in defence off the back foot, Root edged behind and was taken superbly by wicketkeeper Quinton De Kock.

Philander kept teasing, kept questioning; moving the ball into the batsman, taking it away. Alastair Cook has more than 11,000 Test runs but for a period in mid-afternoon, Philander made him look a novice. Luckily for England, Cook was still there at tea, 72 not out with his team 149 for four.

The beauty of cricket is its variety. We enjoy watching Roy trying to hit the ball into the Thames, but it not the only way to have fun. Sometimes there is nothing more satisfying than watching a master show his skills.

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