3rd Test South Africa v England: England wrap up expected win by an innings and 53 runs

Keshav Maharaj and Dane Paterson brought some much-needed defiance to the Standard Bank Proteas batting effort with South Africa’s highest partnership of the match before the inevitable happened and England won the third Test match at St. George’s Park on Monday by an innings and 53 runs.

 

Match Summary

South Africa 209 and 237

England 499 - 9 dec

Result - England won by an innings and 53 runs

Scorecard

Victories are special ?? #SAvENG pic.twitter.com/V9EWM6VrbM

— ICC (@ICC) January 20, 2020

It gave them a 2-1 lead in the four-match series and retention of the Basil d’Oliveira Trophy for Test match competition between the two countries regardless of what happens in the final match at the Imperial Wanderers Stadium from Friday when the Proteas will be hoping to square the series.

England are the current holders of the trophy, having won it in South Africa during the 2015-16 season and retained it in England in 2017.

The 10^th wicket pair put on 99 runs in a stand that was only four runs short of the record against England which has stood since 1929. Maharaj was run out on 71 (106 balls, 10 fours and 3 sixes), only one run shy of his career best against India last year while Paterson’s unbeaten 39 (40 balls, 6 fours) was his career best in his debut match.

The day’s play had looked for a very early finished after Vernon Philander was dismissed off the third ball of the day and both Kagiso Rabada and Anrich Nortje followed soon afterwards but the last-wicket pair had other ideas, forcing England captain Joe Root to take the second new ball to get the job finished.

The efforts of Maharaj and Paterson were largely responsible for the Proteas managing to score 135 runs in the morning session in almost 27 overs for the loss of the final four wickets.

England’s Ollie Pope, having earlier scored his maiden century, completed a fine match with six catches to be named Man of the Match. This is the 10^th instance of an England fielder taking six catches in a match and remarkably the second in the current series.

Ben Stokes achieved the same feat at Newlands.

Dom Bess picked up one of the last four wickets to fall, courtesy of Pope’s final catch, to finish a fine match with six wickets, including his maiden fifer in the first innings.

 

 

Teams

 

South Africa - Pieter Malan, Dean Elgar, Zubayr Hamza, Faf du Plessis(c), Rassie van der Dussen, Quinton de Kock(wk), Vernon Philander, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje, Dane Paterson

England - Zak Crawley, Dominic Sibley, Joe Denly, Joe Root(c), Ben Stokes, Ollie Pope, Jos Buttler(wk), Sam Curran, Dom Bess, Mark Wood, Stuart Broad

 

 Match Details

 

Start Time: 08:00

Toss: England won the toss and decided to bat

Venue: St George's Park, Port Elizabeth

Officials: Bruce Oxenford, Rodney Tucker, Joel Wilson, Allahudien Paleker, Andrew Pycroft

 

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