Captain Ben Stokes and Ben Foakes both scored centuries as England piled on the runs to put South Africa under severe pressure on day two of the second Test at Old Trafford on Friday.
IOL Sport’s Stuart Hess gives us the six plays of the day from Friday’s action at Old Trafford.
SHOTS — A pair of beautiful straight drives from Stokes off Ngidi. On both occasions he used his feet to the bowler; the first went through mid-off, the second - an even better stroke, that saw him quite understandably hold the pose - went through mid-on.
BALL — Nortje bowled another great spell at the start of the day, with his pace high, but which on Friday he allied to reverse swing. He bowled a couple of beautiful balls to both Bairstow and Crawley and dismissed the latter with a gem, that just moved away and kissed the outside edge.
DRS — Twice saved England with Foakes and Stokes benefiting. First Foakes was adjudged lbw, but replays showed the ball had pitched outside leg-stump and would go on to miss the off-stump. Stokes was also given out lbw, but replays showed he’d hit the ball. On both occasions the umpire was Richard Illingworth.
BLOKES — On commentary Shaun Pollock called them ‘good okes’, Mark Butcher went with the more traditionally English ‘blokes’. Whatever you prefer, the sixth wicket partnership between Stokes and Foakes of 173 was match-changing.
FINGER — Rassie van der Dussen injured his left index finger while fielding late on Thursday. He was off the field all of Friday. His injury will be monitored overnight to determine if he will play any further part in the match.
LUCK — “The false shot percentage has been on the high side for England this morning.” — the excellent Mel Jones, after Foakes’ bottom edge off Rabada went past the stumps and to the boundary to give England the lead. By that point, an outside edge had gone through the slips, and a leading edge had looped over point. England needed the luck in that first hour.
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