England were off to a jittery start in their chase of the 382-run target, losing three wickets with just 52 runs on board at stumps on Day Four of the ongoing fourth Test against South Africa. Kagiso Rabada proved to be a source of torment for the visitors once again, getting rid of Alex Hales (1) and Nick Compton (6) with attacking lines, while Morne Morkel collected a brilliant return catch to dismiss opposition skipper Alastair Cook for 5. James Taylor and Joe Root were both unbeaten on 19, having added 34 for the fourth wicket so far, and will look to consolidate on the final day. England, who gained an unassailable 2-0 series lead, need another 330 runs with another day to go, with South Africa currently positioned as favourites to pull off a consolation victory by a big margin. SCORECARD: South Africa vs England 2015-16, 4th Test at Centurion, Day 4
The day began with South Africa resuming from their overnight score of 42 for one, with pace spearhead James Anderson dismissing both Stephen Cook (25) and AB de Villiers (0) in quick fashion to reduce the hosts to a shaky 49 for three. Cook, who kicked his international career off in style with a memorable century on debut, nicked to wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow. Stand-in Proteas skipper de Villiers continued his poor run with the bat by getting dismissed for his third consecutive duck. UPDATES: South Africa vs England 2015-16, 4th Test at Centurion, Day 4
Hashim Amla however, stood his ground despite the storm, forming vital partnerships with JP Duminy (29) and Temba Bavuma (78 not out). Duminy, who came in place of the under-fire Faf du Plessis in this match, looked in better touch than in the first innings. Ben Stokes however, came to the rescue for England by ending the 57-run partnership between Duminy and Amla, with the hosts heading into lunch with a score of 121 for four.
The second session however, belong entirely to Amla and Temba Bavuma, both of whom persisted and brought up their respective half-centuries as well as the 100-partnership for the fifth wicket. This was the session that swung the match in South Africa’s favour, as they managed to thwarts the rampaging English pacers to guide their side past the 200-run mark, with their lead well beyond 300. Amla missed out on his 25th Test ton by just four runs, getting dismissed by Broad minutes after tea. Bavuma dispatched a few more deliveries to the fence for South Africa to reach 248, before rain halted play. Skipper de Villiers declared the innings shortly before the showers subsided.
Brief scores:
South Africa 475 (Stephen Cook 115, Hashim Amla 109, Temba Bavuma 35, Quinton de Kock 129*; Ben Stokes 4 for 86) and 248 for 5 (Stephen Cook 25, Hashim Amla 96, JP Duminy 29, Temba Bavuma 78; James Anderson 3 for 47) lead England 342 (Alastair Cook 76, Joe Root 76, Ben Stokes 33, Moeen Ali 61; Kagiso Rabada 7 for 112) and 52 for 3 (Joe Root 19*, James Taylor 19*; Kagiso Rabada 2 for 15, Morne Morkel 1 for 4) by 329 runs.
(Amit Banerjee, a reporter at CricketCountry, takes keen interest in photography, travelling, technology, automobiles, food and, of course, cricket. He can be followed on Twitter via his handle@akb287)
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