South Africa vs England: Three wickets from Stuart Broad leave tourists in the ascendancy

Broad blow: England celebrate the early wickets of Van Zyl
Anesh Debiky/Gallo Images/Getty Images
Chris Stocks27 December 2015

Stuart Broad’s sheer force of will almost single-handedly put England in the ascendancy in this first Test against South Africa – but umpiring errors and the tourists’ reluctance to use the Decision Review System saw them fail to hammer home their dominance on day two in Durban.

South Africa, the world’s No1-ranked team, reached stumps on 137 for four, 166 runs behind England’s first-innings 303.

And it was Broad who kept them in this contest, following up an unbeaten 32 at end of his side’s innings by taking three for 16 with the ball.

Broad is leading England’s attack in this match in the absence of the injured James Anderson and he rose to the extra responsibility, just as he did during that incredible haul of eight for 15 against Australia at Trent Bridge last summer.

Stiaan van Zyl was his first victim, bowled shouldering arms to an inswinger delivered to the left-hander from around the wicket.

Julian Finney/Getty Images

The scalps of Hashim Amla and AB DE Villiers would follow.

However, England will be wondering what might have been after Ben Stokes was twice the victim of rough justice at the hands of the umpires.

The Durham all-rounder was denied what looked a good catch to dismiss AB De Villiers on 11 and then refused an lbw decision to dismiss Dean Elgar shortly before the close.

Elgar reached the close unbeaten on 67, but he would have departed for 58 had Stokes and England gone upstairs after on-field umpire Aleem Dar failed to raise his finger in the 43rd over of the hosts’ innings.

Hawkeye showed the ball to be hitting the stumps and that would have left third umpire Bruce Oxenford no choice but to give Elgar out. South Africa would have been 118 for five.

It wasn’t the only call Dar – or England – got wrong. Amla, the Proteas’ out-form captain, would also have gone for one had England reviewed a caught behind appeal off Chris Woakes.

At least that error didn’t cost Alastair Cook’s side too dearly as Amla, also dropped on two by wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow, made only seven, Bairstow holding on to an edge this time from Broad as South Africa slipped to 14 for two.

De Villiers’ escape proved more costly.

Again, Dar failed to give the wicket after Steven Finn saw an edge fly to Stokes at fourth slip. The Pakistani umpire’s error was compounded by Oxenford’s refusal to overturn the wrong call.

The catch appeared good in real-time here at Kingsmead and replays confirmed Stokes had got his fingers underneath the ball when diving forward.

De Villiers went on to score 49 before Broad – who else? – tempted an edge behind with a beautifully-disguised leg-cutter to end an 86-run stand with Elgar.

Moeen Ali then got in on the act, bowling Faf Du Plessis for two as South Africa were reduced to 114 for four.

Earlier, Morne Morkel took three wickets in six deliveries with the second new ball to remove

Nick Compton, Moeen Ali and Chris Woakes in quick succession.

Julian Finney/Getty Images

That triple strike saw England slip from 247 for five to 253 for eight, although a crucial 36-run last-wicket stand between Broad and Finn at least got England’s first-innings total beyond 300.

Compton, in his first Test innings in two-and-a-half years, had showed immense application and character to reach 85 from 236 balls.

Yet the Durban-born batsman fell 15 runs shy of a third Test century when nicking behind.

Morkel, who had already picked up the wicket of Stokes earlier in the morning, then removed Moeen and Woakes for ducks in successive deliveries to leave himself on a hat-trick.

Broad survived that ball and went on to plunder 32 from 33 deliveries during an entertaining cameo that was ended when Finn was trapped lbw by Steyn to wrap up England’s innings.

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