Manchester 27 Aug : England skipper Ben Stokes and wicketkeeper-batter Ben Foakes slammed centuries as the hosts dominated the second day of the second Test against South Africa at Old Trafford on Friday.Rebounding strongly following an innings loss in the first Test at Lord’s, Stokes scored a 163-ball 103.Foakes was more cautious in his game, but racked an unbeaten 113 from 217 balls as the pair led England to 415/9 declared in response to Proteas 150 all out in the first innings.
Fight with their backs against the wall, Dean Elgar’s team was able to score 23 without loss in nine overs, but they were with 241 runs in arrears.
In the earlier part of the day, South Africa made a fantastic start to their day when they got rid of the two batters set to bat, Zak Crawley and Jonny Bairstow in the opening session.However, that was not the only thing that pleased the Proteas during the day, because the remainder of it was dominating by England.
Bairstow was first to quit only one run shy of the well-deserved fifty.The seasoned batter was unable to counter the pace and reverse swing of Anrich Nortje, and only got his feet into the second slip.
Nortje took two wickets in two overs after dismissing Crawley who pushed it over the glove of Kyle Verreynne, according to ICC.
England were in a tough spot after losing half their team for 147.However the captains Stokes and Foakes stood firm against the hosts and fought to get out of the mess.
They pushed the attack to Kagiso Rabada and Simon Harmer in consecutive overs with four boundaries and a six off Stokes off the spinner.
The pair then mingled the prudence with aggression with aplomb and took England safe for lunch, 212/5 with an impressive advantage of 60 runs.
The sixth wicket partnership continued, with Stokes and Foakes choosing to take the defensive approach to ensure that wickets were not lost following the break.
The captain took off with an unbeaten six to reach his fifty, and continued to eat runs with ease.Foakes was delighted to play second fiddle after the team surpassed 100 runs.
Stokes converted his half-century to 100, his first as full-time captain of the Test team.He began to fall as he tried to throw the ball over the boundary, but was able to leave the side with the advantage of around 200.
Stuart Broad played an entertaining innings that was laced with boundaries before getting struck by the spin of Harmer for the score of 14-ball 21.The batsman was in his 80s Foakes had the help of Ollie Robinson, who was stuck at the other end as the wicket-keeper batter climbed close to the second Test century of his career, and the first one in his home.
England announced at the at the fall of Jack Leach’s wicket with an advantage of the 264th wicket.
When they went in to bat once more, South Africa had to overcome a difficult sequence of nine overs prior to stumps.
James Anderson troubled Sarel Erwee with a couple of lbw calls, however the Proteas opener was able to get through with a shaky England review.
Elgar and Erwee have managed to take the bat South Africa to safety without losing any wickets , but they will have a massive task ahead of them on Saturday, despite in the lead by 241 runs.
Brief score: South Africa 151 and 23 without loss in 9 overs against England 415/9 declared in 106.4 overs (Jonny Bairstow 49, Ben Stokes 103, Ben Foakes 113 not out; Anrich Nortje 3/82).
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