Broad strikes back for England

Broad conceded only eight runs in each of his two five-over spells to finish the day with outstanding figures of 3-16 as Anderson’s absence was barely felt.

Stuart Broad rattled South Africa with three wickets as England had the world’s top-ranked team 137-4 in the first test at stumps on Sunday. When he goes into bat, once he’s got his eye in, which he does pretty quickly, then we don’t worry too much as a batting unit. Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel were again the impressors.

At the end of the second day’s play, South Africa still trailed the Englishmen by 166 runs with six wickets to spare.

Morkel s victims included top scorer Nick Compton, who made a painstaking 85 off 236 balls. And after missing out earlier in the test, Root stroked four fours and a six and was well-set, making 50 or more for the 13th time in 26 innings this year.

South Africa put down three sitters, one of which was dangerman Joe Root, who made them pay with an unbeaten 60.

De Villiers was on 11 at that time and went on to make 49, while Dean Elgar finished on 67no having survived a Stokes lbw appeal that would have been given had Alastair Cook called for DRS.

When quizzed on this on the third morning of the first Test, De Villiers did not categorically deny these rumours.

Moeen was destroyer-in-chief with three wickets, ably backed up by Stuart Broad and Steven Finn.

“We got back in the changing room and all our management we’re saying it’s 100 per cent out”, Broad said.

“Obviously at first we were not very impressed but they are the match officials and we have to take their word on these kind of things”.

With Broad lying in wait for the new ball, Elgar and Steyn, who had come together at 156 for seven, steered the score past 200.

England battled hard on the opening day to reach 179 for four but lost their last six wickets for 124 to surrender the initiative at Kingsmead.

“Especially in the conditions and the situation of the game it was massive for myself and being the first innings of the series, the timing was crucial”, Taylor added.

“Yeah, it’s going to be more of exactly the same”, Ali said.

Without banging it in short, they looked more penetrative and hungry than the South African attack, and that’s why, if I were to give anyone the upper hand at this stage of the match, I would have to give it to England.

Steyn had slumped over clutching his right shoulder and bowling arm in the third over of England’s second innings, and left for treatment without completing the over.

This time he managed just three balls before walking off in discomfort for a second time and South Africa’s judgement in allowing him to bowl again must surely be questioned.

South Africa team manager Mohammed Moosajee said an “inconclusive” scan had shown no muscle or ligament damage and South Africa would wait to see how their star came through the warmup on day four.

He left the field twice in the middle of overs with a shoulder injury and although the news is not as bad as it could be, his participation in the remainder of the game, and the second Test in Cape Town is under a cloud.