JOHANNESBURG, Stuart Broad decimated South Africa’s top order with a magical spell of fast bowling that yielded five wickets and left England on the brink of victory at tea on day three of the third test on Saturday.
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Broad took England galloping toward history by leaving South Africa’s second innings in tatters in the space of 10 overs after lunch on the third day.
South Africa (2nd innings): D. Elgar c Bairstow b Broad 15, S. van Zyl c Stokes b Broad 11, H. Amla c Taylor b Broad 5, A.de Villiers c Bairstow b Broad 0, F. du Plessis c & b Broad 14, T. Bavuma b Broad 0, D. Vilas c Taylor b Finn 8, C. Morris b Stokes 1, K. Rabada c Bairstow b Stokes 16, H. Viljoen lbw Anderson 6, M. Morkel (not out) 4.
The huge wicket of AB de Villiers (0) followed in Broad’s next over as he induced an inside edge to the keeper, before Hashim Amla (5) clipped the ball to short leg where James Taylor took a remarkable low catch.
Five months ago he helped England seal the Ashes with career-best figures of eight for 15 at Trent Bridge and, if that was his finest hour, then this would be a worthy runner-up.
He was replaced by Steven Finn, and Finn was next to strike, with Taylor taking an even more outrageous catch, snaffling a diving one-handed effort as Dane Vilas flicked one off his hips.
Then Ben Stokes muscled in on the act, castling Chris Morris with a classy inswinger and ending Kagiso Rabada’s attempts to counter-attack.
Broad’s devastating spell of five quick wickets at the start of South Africa’s second innings in Johannesburg sent England surging toward its success – only the second time it has won a series in South Africa since the Proteas’ readmission to worldwide cricket in 1991.
Stokes made 58 and Root 110 and Bairstow’s 45 lifted England to a small lead before Broad took centre stage.
3 Consecutive Test series in South Africa that England have either won or drawn – they won 2-1 in 2004, and drew 1-1 in 2009. If they lose the dead rubber fourth Test too, the side will slip to fourth in the ICC rankings.
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England lead the series 2-0 after victory in the first test by 241 run.
England reached their modest target of 74 with Cook finally finding form as he top-scored with 43 under gloomy skies. But you’ve still got to take your catches and get the ball in the right area to create pressure. “To come here and beat South Africa is a huge achievement for the lads, they can be very proud”.
The England players seemed in shock when the fifth wicket fell… The first wicket to fall in the morning was of Joe Root who added just four runs to his overnight score of 106.
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The gist of his imprecation was that England had an opportunity and they should go out and grab it. Stuart Broad must have listened to every word.
