England vs South Africa LIVE: Cricket result from first Test as England thrashed by an innings after batting collapse
England were all out for 149 in the second innings to lose by an innings and 12 runs at Lord’s
England were blown away by South Africa inside three days to lose the first Test of the series by and innings and 12 runs.
The humbling defeat at Lord’s is the first of the new Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum era and puts the Proteas 1-0 up with two Tests to play.
England were firmly behind from the get-go after losing the toss on day one and coming up short with the bat mustering just 165 in the first innings.
A resolute first dig of 326 in reply by Dean Elgar’s tourists put them firmly in control with a lead of 161 on first innings before they comprehensively ran through the hosts’ batting order again dismissing them for 149 with Anrich Nortje’s three wickets doing the bulk of the damage.
Victory was brought up inside six sessions of play and before tea on the third day without them having to bat again. Follow the reaction and analysis from the first Test below:
WICKET! Pope lbw b Maharaj 5. England 38-2 (trail by 123)
12th over: Short leg in for Maharaj and Lees flicks the first ball straight to him. Was that in the air? No real chance to catch it at that pace from that range but it did hit Petersen on the full! Hits his inner thigh, so technically a DROP!
Lees takes a single to square leg and the final delivery sees an excited appeal for lbw against Pope by South Africa! Umpire unmoved but the Proteas REVIEW! This has a chance unless maybe it’s drifting down leg? A shade high?
Nope - unfortunately for Pope it’s OUT! Three reds, hitting leg stump with room to spare on height. The final ball before lunch! A wounder for England.
England 37-1 (trail by 124) - Lees 11, Pope 5; South Africa 326; England 165
11th over: Rabada strays to leg, Pope doesn’t get bat on the attempted glance but it’s off the thigh pad and races away for FOUR leg byes. Nothing else off the over and we’ll have maybe two more before lunch.
WATCH: Zak Crawley’s dismissal
Here’s how Zak Crawley’s woe continued as his latest dismissal saw him trapped in front for lbw.
England 33-1 (trail by 128) - Lees 11, Pope 5; South Africa 326; England 165
10th over: A missed sweep by Lees but it’s well outside off when it strikes him. Slog sweep does get him a single off the next ball before Pope works a single to leg. Two from the over
England 31-1 (trail by 130) - Lees 10, Pope 4; South Africa 326; England 165
9th over: Rabada continuing. He bowls one down the leg side that Pope tries to shape away, can’t make contact but it flies past the keeper for FOUR byes.
Nicely played short ball for two, followed by a single for Pope before Lees pushes the ball down the ground. Doesn’t quite reach the boundary, so they run three.
England 21-1 (trail by 140) - Lees 7, Pope 1; South Africa 326; England 165
8th over: So Crawley’s struggles continue. The calls for Harry Brook to come into the team for him will only grow louder. Ollie Pope is the next man in and he works a single to deep mid-wicket to get off the mark.
WICKET! Crawley lbw b Maharaj 13. England 20-1 (trail by 141)
8th over: A change of bowling and it’s the left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj getting a run just before lunch.
Crawley on to the front foot and nudges the ball to leg for two but then a WICKET! Really not good - Crawley tries a sweep, misses it and it hits him plumb in front for lbw. Doesn’t even bother reviewing, which tells you all you need to know
England 18-0 (trail by 143) - Lees 7, Crawley 11; South Africa 326; England 165
7th over: Nice shot by Lees as he waits for one and drives it into the off-side for two. Then fends a shorter Rabada delivery away before having a flash at the final delivery but through to the keeper with no contact.
England 16-0 (trail by 145) - Lees 5, Crawley 11; South Africa 326; England 165
6th over: I’m going to suggest that Crawley will happily keep seeing South Africa bowl straight to him, given his problems nicking drives. He chips a leg-stump half-volley into the leg-side for two, although he was a bit early on it and it was a sort of leading edge. Closed the bat face too early by the looks of things.
He thinks about going at one outside the off stump but elects to leave it late - the correct decision. No damage done.
England 14-0 (trail by 147) - Lees 5, Crawley 9; South Africa 326; England 165
5th over: Crawley squirts a Rabada delivery into the off-side for two and then swishes one off his pads to wide fine leg for another single. That’s bread and butter for the Kent man, he’s great when the bowler drifts to leg.
Lees thinks about playing a short ball and sort of half-fends at it but it goes through to the keeper. Will give him the benefit of the doubt and say it was a last-minute leave but it might have been a play-and miss
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