South Africa vs England report: England survive nervy final day as second Test is drawn

England retain a 1-0 lead in the series

Jonny Bairstow and Moeen Ali on the final day of the second Test (GETTY IMAGES)

No side scoring 600 or more in the first innings of a Test match has ever gone on to lose. That statement still holds good and true. But how England tried to rewrite the record books in a fashion every bit as spectacular as their pyrotechnics in the first innings here.

Throughout the final day of the second Test, the tourists sought ways by which they might throw a total of 629 for 6 declared down the pan. When bad light brought a premature end to the match and, soon after, the astonishing resignation of South Africa’s captain Hashim Amla, they were on 159 for 6 and 161 runs ahead with 31 overs of the match remaining.

That was probably enough by then to make a draw secure but for much of the morning and early afternoon, South Africa’s cussedness and England’s carelessness had induced an element of excitement and tension that had been entirely unexpected. Though it was not quite as surprising as Amla’s decision to leave the job two matches into the series.

The ending and what followed clouded the issue in many ways. This Test saw four remarkable batting performances, two of which, for different reasons, will endure down the ages. Ben Stokes scored 258 from 198 balls, the highest score by a Test No 6 and the second-fastest double hundred. He was man of the match. Temba Bavuma’s 102 not out made him the first black South African to score a Test century. That makes him a man for all time.

These achievements are imperishable, but the fifth day could not quite yield a climax to match them until Amla decided that he was not the man to lead South Africa forward. Whether it will have any short-term effect will soon be known.

Nick Compton in action of the fifth day of the second Test (GETTY IMAGES)

Perhaps not with the vastly experienced AB de Villiers taking over, but despite their thrilling advances on this last day, when batting under grey skies became a different proposition, it does not bespeak a team in a wholly clear state of mind.

The trouble began for England almost immediately. To the eighth ball of the day, Alastair Cook waved his bat at a ball from Kagiso Rabada that was travelling, apparently harmlessly, down the leg side. On its way past, Cook managed to make the faintest connection and the wicketkeeper Quinton de Kock did the rest.

Nick Compton was forced to survive a review of his first ball by South Africa. Although the inside edge on to pad was clear enough, it cannot have done anything to calm his nerves. Not that it took long for the second wicket to fall.Morne Morkel produced a beauty to Alex Hales, which flew off a thick edge. For a split second it looked as though it would go safe, but Chris Morris swooped low to his right (as he had swooped low to his left to despatch Cook in the first innings) and took a spectacular catch. There will not have been a soul in the away dressing room who saw this and did not reflect on their own inadequacies in the catching department.

England were still floundering when Joe Root pushed at a ball close to his body from Morkel and was caught at second slip. It was eventually decreed from replays, however, that Morkel had overstepped and Root was spared. That surely was the turning point for England? It was not.

Having moved smoothly through the twenties, Root received a lovely ball from Morris, his first of the day, which was of teasing length, held its line and clattered into middle and off. The tension for the tourists was bottomless now. Someone, somewhere, had to occupy the crease and defend for the next 30 or so overs. Compton could have been designed for the task, but virtually on the stroke of lunch he played an innocuous semi-drive which went in the air to mid-on.

At the break, England were 87 for 4 and nobody was predicting anything with any certainty now – except that a win for either side, a draw or a tie were all possible. Those who had suggested that any other result but a draw would doubtless coincide with the discovery that fairies were dwelling on Table Mountain were looking decidedly sheepish.

For 10 overs at the start of the afternoon, James Taylor and Ben Stokes took the decision to play their natural games. If the ball was there to hit, then hit it. An hour of that and the game would be beyond South Africa’s reach. But there was to be less than half of that.

Stokes, aiming for a slog sweep against Dane Piedt, did not make strong enough contact and Morkel held a well-judged catch on the mid-wicket boundary. In Piedt’s next over, Taylor turned an elementary off-break into Bavuma’s hands at short leg.

It was 116 for 6, there were some 54 overs left in the match and England’s plight was all too real. Another wicket then and it could have been curtains. This truly was why Test cricket remains a remarkable game. A sensational second day had been followed by two days when nothing much happened but for the bowling of overs and accruing of runs for their own sake, but suddenly everything was happening.

Between the 45th and 49th overs there were four maidens. The board had nudged along a little more quickly when the left-arm spin of Dean Elgar was introduced in the 55th over. His fourth ball brought Jonny Bairstow forward, went past his swipe and De Kock behind the stumps had the bails off in a flash.

South Africa were jubilant. For all the world they thought that they had their man. It took five minutes to determine that Bairstow had moved every bit as quickly as De Kock and he managed to slide his back foot behind the popping crease just, but only just, before the bails were dislodged. He was spared. England were spared.

Bairstow and Moeen Ali were content to block after tea under heavy clouds. At 3.40pm, it was done. There was no point in returning. The great deeds had already been performed. And then Amla entered the room.