Stokes wraps up tail, Eng level series

Cape Town, January 7

All-rounder Ben Stokes took the final three wickets as England subdued a stubborn South Africa to win a thrilling second Test by 189 runs late on Day 5. Fighting to earn a draw for the hosts, Quinton de Kock and Rassie van der Dussen frustrated England for 44 overs during their sixth-wicket stand.

South Africa had reached 241/7 in 133 overs, and needed to bat out 13 more overs to earn a draw. However, Stokes took two wickets off two balls in the 134th over, then dismissed Vernon Philander four overs later to end South Africa’s resistance. England, thus, won the match with 8.2 overs remaining, to level the four-match series at 1-1. The third Test starts in Port Elizabeth on January 16.

Flat wicket

The win will be especially pleasing for the way England stuck to their task on a flat fifth-day wicket, with Stokes’ superb late burst providing figures of 3/35. Chasing a Test record 438 to win, those thoughts did not last long, but South Africa looked relatively comfortable as they reached 237/5 with 26 overs remaining in the match.

However, for the second time in the innings, a key man gave his wicket away. de Kock (50) attempted to pull a short ball from part-time leg-spinner Joe Denly, but succeeded only in picking out Zak Crawley at mid-wicket. It was an unnecessary stroke that opened the door for England, and when seamer Stuart Broad removed the obdurate van der Dussen (17 from 140 balls), it was well and truly ajar. — Reuters

Brief scores: England: 269 & 391/8 decl; South Africa: 223 & 248 (Malan 84, de Kock 50; Stokes 3/35, Anderson 2/23)