Johannesburg — The Proteas’ bowlers gave the team some hope after the batters had let them down on day three of the shortened third Test against England at the Oval.
IOL Sport’s Stuart Hess takes a look at the day’s play and gives us five plays that left people talking.
ANTHEMS — Does any nation do sombre better than the English? Having chosen to go ahead with the cricket, the ECB deserve plenty of credit for the solemn ceremony before the start of play on Saturday. The anthems were performed by soprano Laura Wright and she provided a highlight of the day, with her her voice echoing around south London, with two outstanding renditions of the countries’ anthems. Nkosi Sikelel iAfrika has seldom sounded better.
SHOT — In otherwise dismal batting performance (yup another one) Marco Jansen provided an on-drive to briefly lift the spirits. The lanky all-rounder — omitted for the second Test — top scored with 30. That’s just about what should be expected of him at this early stage of his international career. The top 6 were all gone for 36 midway through the first session.
1000 — The landmark number of Test runs Keshav Maharaj reached on Saturday. That made him, after Dean Elgar, only the second Proteas batter in the starting XI at The Oval to achieve that mark. Tells you all about the inexperience in the current SA side.
SPELL — Ollie Robinson completed a third Test five wicket haul, claiming 5/49. His length was particularly impressive allowing him to challenge the edge, while his line, with help from seam movement, was good enough to trouble Elgar and Petersen.
CATCH — Petersen produced a brilliant reflex catch at third slip, filing himself to his right and holding to the ball which came at him at express pace, to end Root’s innings.
IOL Sport