SA defeat Eng by 340 runs to earn their 4th biggest Test win
South Africa on Monday defeated England by 340 runs in the second Test, producing their fourth biggest win in terms of runs in Test cricket history. With the win, South Africa levelled the four-match Test series 1-1. The Test marked only the third time in last 35 years that England's both innings lasted for less than 100 overs in a home Test.


3.48pm BST
15:48

The last word goes to Tom Adam. ?Ahhh,? he writes, ?that?s better. England are back.? Thanks for your company. Tomorrow, it?s over to England?s women. They?ll show the blokes how it?s done, won?t they?Updated
at 3.52pm BST


3.41pm BST
15:41

Mind you, it could be worse... For one thing, South Africa could have had AB de Villiers, Dale Steyn and Kagiso Rabada in their ranks. For another, they could have held one of those early chances offered by Joe Root at Lord?s, in which case they might well be 2-0 up with two to play. An email from Andrew Benton. ?The next Test will be the measure of Root?s captaincy. Can he make the changes necessary, and/or inspire the team? We should give him the series, only then can we pass judgement.? And even that might be a bit premature. I can?t see him losing the job before the Ashes, can you?

3.36pm BST
15:36

It?s an ill wind etc etc, as shown by this email from Smylers. ?An upside of England managing to lose this Test inside four days is that tomorrow?s England Women?s World Cup semi-final against South Africa will now be live on the radio. After I complained about the men overshadowing the women?s exciting ODI against Australia, it seems only fair to credit Joe Root?s team with their swift improvement in this area.?

3.32pm BST
15:32

England only have four problem areas. First, the top order: they?re all left-handers, they?re all crabby, and with Alastair Cook?s form fading, they all struggle to deal with the stock Test-match delivery. In 12 innings, Cook, Keaton Jennings and Gary Ballance have made 246 at an average of 20, which is one shaky set of foundations. Second, Mark Wood. The quickest of England?s bowlers has also been the least incisive: he has one for 197 off 56 overs. Chris Woakes?s recovery from injury cannot come too soon.Third, Liam Dawson. A resourceful cricketer who bowled one great ball to dismiss Amla at Lord?s, Dawson is summed up by one stat: in his whole career, he has taken five wickets in a first-class innings three times. The equivalent figure for Adil Rashid is 19. As a pair, Rashid and Moeen Ali may be expensive, but at least they are penetrating. Dawson is not. He is a bits-and-pieces player who is not even making runs.Fourth, the balance of the side. The batting order is more like a disorder ? too quiet at first, then too noisy, with three blockers followed by Root and four dashers. The selectors can be faulted for two things: preferring Dawson to Rashid, and picking only four specialist batsmen ? two of whom, Jennings and Ballance, are now walking wickets.Updated
at 3.35pm BST


3.17pm BST
15:17

On a day like this, we?re all armchair selectors. And some wise heads are already gathering for the meeting...Jeremy Smith: ?The reality is that England?s best number three is still Jonathan Trott, a 36-year-old who retired from international cricket two years ago on health grounds.?Zia Faruqui: ?Are Buttler or Morgan really the solution? Surely both play in the same single devil-may-care mode as the current incumbents? Need Hameed back.?Neil Virani: ?I?m quite amazed by people calling for Test players based on ODI performances. This match and several before are an indictment of employing a Test coach based on his short-form record. Bayliss seems to think every Test pitch is 500 par and every ODI pitch 350 par, and refuses to tell his team to adapt to the conditions.?Ashley Roberts: ?We need to talk about Bayliss. He has been in the job for a few years now but I?m struggling to see how he has improved this Test team. England have batted appallingly in this match, but I think they are a lot more talented than this, which begs the question: why are they all giving their wickets away? Shouldn?t the coach have some influence over that and their type of play? We are seeing these England collapses time and again under Bayliss and, while the players have to accept responsibility, so does he.?Updated
at 3.20pm BST


3.11pm BST
15:11

A sharp point from the tireless John Starbuck. ?Du Plessis now has only two Tests to knock the England captain from his perch. It must be a standard Saffer objective now. ?Still,? he adds, ?Trent Bridge lived up to its reputation as another three-day Test ground. You?ve got to laugh.?

3.09pm BST
15:09

So England were awful, but isn?t this great for the series? There is nothing worse than back-to-back Tests producing an instant 2-0, especially when there are only two Tests to come. The series has ebbed and flowed already, which is the life-blood of Test cricket. There?s now a week off, and a chance for England to regroup.

3.06pm BST
15:06

The first thing to say is not that England were awful, but South Africa were vastly improved. They bowled well, batted resolutely, fielded smartly, and above all they were well led. My colleague Rob Smyth reckons the man of the match should be Faf du Plessis, on the John Abrahams principle, and although it?s unlikely to happen, it may well be right. He came on stage as a very modern version of a deus ex machina: the captain returning from paternity leave. At Lord?s, Joe Root faced another novice at the toss; here, he faced a battle-hardened pro.Updated
at 3.06pm BST


3.01pm BST
15:01

Anderson goes first ball too, caught behind off Olivier, and that?s that. If you?re under 40, you now know what it was like to be an England fan in the last 20 years of the 20th century.Updated
at 3.14pm BST


2.59pm BST
14:59

The first ball of Olivier?s spell is a golden duck for Mark Wood, who gets a short one and fends, almost apologetically, to gully. You couldn?t make this up. On the balcony, Root looks as if he?s about to be sick.Updated
at 3.06pm BST


2.57pm BST
14:57

44th over: England 133-8 (Dawson 5, Wood 0) And so the dismal procession continues.Our latest selector, ready to do a bit better than the real ones, is Anthony Hulse. ?Picking up on the earlier discussion, it?s difficult to see what there is to lose by playing either of Morgan or Buttler. As has been pointed out, at least they have demonstrated the ability to get runs against international bowling attacks, under the sort of pressure which playing international sport brings. With modern run rates and batting approaches who?s to say there isn?t overall more in common between ODIs and Tests than there is between Tests and county cricket? I?m sure both of them are probably better at keeping out straight deliveries on a length than Gary Ballance is, although that?s not a desperately high bar to clear.?

2.54pm BST
14:54

Broad slog-sweeps, straight to deep square. David Lloyd, who is a kindly man, has one adjective for it: ?abject?.Updated
at 3.04pm BST


2.49pm BST
14:49

43rd over: England 130-7 (Dawson 3, Broad 4) Broad throws the kitchen sink at Philander and slices him just over the man at point for a streaky four. He also plays two better shots into the covers for no runs. 

2.45pm BST
14:45

42nd over: England 126-7 (Dawson 3, Broad 0) Dawson plays out a maiden from his fellow slow left-armer. An email arrives from Gareth Fitzgerald. ?Looking forward to Root and Bayliss talking about batsmen ?playing their natural game? and all that cobblers.? Updated
at 2.46pm BST


2.43pm BST
14:43

41st over: England 126-7 (Dawson 3, Broad 0) Well hello, and if, like me, you?ve just turned up, welcome to a horror movie. Stuart Broad at least sees out the rest of the over and avoids a king pair. Great stuff from Philander, who is vying with Joe Root and Hashim Amla for man of the series so far.

2.39pm BST
14:39

Anyway, I?m relieved to report that?s it from me; Tim de Lisle will join you in a second to call England home. 

2.38pm BST
14:38

Stokes, again trying to get down the track, connects with a push and Philander, mid-follow-through, snaffles superbly round about his shins. Everything is going right for South Africa; everything is going england for England. Updated
at 3.01pm BST


2.37pm BST
14:37

41st over: England 126-6 (Stokes 18, Dawson 3) Philander returns and Stokes takes a single, then Dawson gets off the mark with a pleasant tuck for three. 

2.34pm BST
14:34

40th over: England 122-6 (Stokes 17, Dawson 0) Du Plessis rearranged his field specially for Moeen in the first innings, too, and shonuff Moeen obliged then. What happened to the man who mustered that tremendous rearguard against Sri Lanka in 2014? 

2.32pm BST
14:32

Oh, sake; Moeen sweeps and top-edges straight to square-leg. On the one hand, he?s been playing shots; on the other, why play that one, then? Did he even know the man was there? It did not look like he did. ?England, just giving their wickets away,? chides Athers. Updated
at 3.00pm BST


2.30pm BST
14:30

40th over: England 122-5 (Stokes 17, Ali 27) We have a quick run our review as Moeen sweeps for two...

2.29pm BST
14:29

?Simon, you?ve got to change your decision.? Ouch. Faf wonders if there?s enough evidence to overturn the decision, as there was a little murmur, but umpires have been told to look for a clear line. 

2.28pm BST
14:28

Back-foot edge ... Moeen reviews immediately. 

2.25pm BST
14:25

39th over: England 120-5 (Stokes 17, Ali 25) Philander replaces Morkel, but the Radcliffe Road, not the Pavilion. Stokes is basically walking him down, trying to make Philander change his length; will De Kock stand up? Not yet; maiden. 

2.22pm BST
14:22

38th over: England 120-5 (Stokes 17, Ali 25) A rare quiet over for South Africa, Maharaj struggling manfully to stem the flow of runs ... then, after just a single ceded from the over, Moeen drives its final ball, Morkel keels over but can?t stop it properly, and after some tricklage, England add four more. I?ve been sent a fair few messages checking that i was joking about Buttler and solidity - I can confirm that I was. ?You can never be too sure these days; apparently Liam Dawson as a frontline spinner is deadly serious,? snarks Miles Dilworth. However, I would like to see Buttler given another go in Tests, and think the true tracks in Australia will suit him. 

2.18pm BST
14:18

37th over: England 115-5 (Stokes 16, Ali 21) Morkel squares Moeen up, only for Moeen to edge and see the ball race away for four. So Moeen restores the karmic balance, going back then leaning forward to drive on the up through extra cover - that?s a lovely shot, and it brings four. I smell a bouncer - and Moeen will too, I shouldn?t wonder. Here?s an email from Graham, harking back to the OBO community of yore: ?Given that England are bound to lose this match before close of play, perhaps now would be a good time to give a shout out to Krakow Cricket Club. We?re always happy to host visiting teams and play on a lovely ground just by Wawel castle. This season we boast Jack Snape in the team, who won the village cup at Lord?s with Wimbledon not so long ago, and is a right big head.?Updated
at 2.26pm BST


2.14pm BST
14:14

36th over: England 107-5 (Stokes 16, Ali 13) England are stepping on the gas! Moeen sweeps four, then drives four, then sweeps four! At this rate, England might just get home tonight! He adds a single too, and that?s 14 runs from the over. 

2.12pm BST
14:12

35th over: England 93-5 (Stokes 15, Ali 0) Moeen is wearing a cable-knit tank-top to troll the Saffers, like when Derartu Tulu beat Elana Meyer in the 10,000m at the 1992 Olympics, wearing a t-shirt under her vest. Maiden.Updated
at 2.12pm BST


2.06pm BST
14:06

34th over: England 93-5 (Stokes 15, Ali 0) Stokes eases a drive past the dive of mid-off for four, so Maharaj tries a flatter, quicker one - he looks a fine, intelligent bowler I must say. But Stokes then stretches out to him, gets down on one knee, and flip-sweeps him around the corner for another four. England are stepping on the gas now. 

2.03pm BST
14:03

33rd over: England 85-5 (Stokes 7, Ali 0) Stokes slaps a pull for one, the only run from the over. By the way, sign up for this!

1.58pm BST
13:58

32nd over: England 84-5 (Stokes 6, Ali 0) Maharaj races through a taxing maiden; the fifth ball seems to catch an edge and fly up to the vacant backward short leg. A replay shows that it came off the pad, but a man is inserted there nonetheless. 

1.56pm BST
13:56

31st over: England 84-5 (Stokes 6, Ali 0) Don?t know about droppings. Bairstow deserves banning for a match after that shot. Maybe England can stick Root at three, then bring Buttler in to give some solidity to things. Anyway, Morkel directs a vicious, spitting bouncer towards Stokes? throat, rattling the glove of his top hand as he fences. Christ.?Don?t know about droppings,? tweets SanMiguelMalaga. ?Bairstow deserves banning for a match after that shot.? I suppose we can say well, the match was already over. The real culpability came on Saturday. Updated
at 1.57pm BST


1.52pm BST
13:52

30th over: England 84-5 (Stokes 5, Ali 0) This is developing into an ever-more vicious kicking. Updated
at 1.52pm BST


1.50pm BST
13:50

It?s retro day again! Welcome to the 90s! Bairstow uses his feet to get to the pitch, looking to hit Maharaj over the top, and instead plops a catch directly to long on to enshrine a classic ?that?s just the way I play? moment. Not when you?re 84-4 chasing 476, with five sessions left in the match it isn?t.Updated
at 2.24pm BST


1.47pm BST
13:47

29th over: England 83-4 (Bairstow 16, Stokes 5) Morkel takes the ball and rams one into Bairstow?s thigh-pad. Bairstow then follows one around his pads, but can?t quite apply the edge that will send him on his merry way. Instead, he flicks the final delivery for four through midwicket. ?Root?s dislike of Rashid isn?t personal,? reassures John Starbuck, ?it?s because he?s prejudiced against wrist-spinners, who leak more runs but take more wickets than the offies. As a batsman himself, the prospect of having to score more is unwelcome.?I?m not sure about that - I?d imagine he might also consider who and what he?d fancy facing. Maybe he doesn?t deem Rashid?s risk worth the potential reward, but if the batsmen do their job properly they can afford a luxury leg-spinner. 

1.41pm BST
13:41

The players are back with us. Morkel is vigorously warming himself. 

1.41pm BST
13:41

A couple of years ago, I wondered if England should bring Eoin Morgan back into the Test side...Eoin Morgan needs another go in the Test team. Discuss.Not everyone agreed. But I agreed with myself, and agree with this thread too.Eoin Morgan should be playing Test cricket.Maybe 11 ODI centuries is as good an indication of international pedigree as scoring loads of runs against county attacks in April and May.

1.36pm BST
13:36

?On the Rashid/Root suggestion,? says Ian Truman, ?I?d be interested just how much Root has played with Rashid over the last 5 years, I?d suggest he?s played with him more for the England ODI side (where we?d all agree Rashid has been pretty decent) than he has for Yorkshire. It just seems so odd given that Rashid is a good batsman in his own right as well.?He?s played Tests with him too - presumably he didn?t like what he saw. Which isn?t to say that i get it. 

1.32pm BST
13:32

?Well, this is going well,? says Guy Hornsby of

Brexit
 our proceedings. There was a really good stat on Channel 5 on the weekend showing how little England have bowled on the stumps. Now, I know that this doesn?t necessarily translate to wanting to nick batsmen off when shaping away, but surely Philander?s proved ? like McGrath before him ? that there?s simple value in making the batsman play. It?s death by a thousand cuts, as Atherton, Hussain et al will tell you when it came to the Ashes. Tall bowlers are all well and good but if you?ll never hit the stumps, where?s the pressure? Someone pass me the gin.?Agree with a lot of this, but Morkel has been great so far this series. The difference in this match - in mine - has been the batting more than the bowling. 

1.30pm BST
13:30

What a morning for South Africa! Philander was brilliant first up, then Morris and Du Plessis added fresh impetus before the initial impetus had even expired. Sometime this afternoon, this match will end, you?d reckon - join me after lunch to ?enjoy? it.

1.03pm BST
13:03

28th over: England 79-4 (Bairstow 12, Stokes 5) Maharaj will bowl the final over before lunch, and he?s another who?s risen to the occasion - not just here, but at Lord?s. Bairstow uses his feet to take a single into the off side, which means three balls into the rough at Stokes - close by are two silly points. Stokes, though defends well enough, and thus ends another fantastic session for South Africa. Updated
at 1.29pm BST


12.59pm BST
12:59

27th over: England 78-4 (Bairstow 11, Stokes 5) Stokes allows Martin to hit his face, running the ball through third man for four and reducing the target fro 400 and something to a far more manageable 300 and something. This is a fine spell from Morris, just when England might?ve thought themselves relative safe - his performance does not show Mark Wood in a favourable light. So, who comes in and who goes out for the Oval? I guess I?d keep Wood and Jennings but bin Dawson and Ballance. 

12.54pm BST
12:54

26th over: England 74-4 (Bairstow 11, Stokes 1) Bairstow adds one with a sweep and then Stokes props forward tentatively, imparting an edge which cues strangulated shouts. Nasser points out that Stokes? gloves are very low, inviting the ball to run up them for a catch when he should be booting it away. Silly point comes in, and a shove towards mid on averts the additional embarrassment of a pair.  ?Not so long ago that Bairstow and Stokes added 399 against South Africa,? emails Peter Salmon; some of you might remember that he is in the pub. I?m not sure he?ll be getting served too many more.

12.49pm BST
12:49

25th over: England 72-4 (Bairstow 10, Stokes 0) Du Plessis has had a brilliant game here, from the moment he called correctly and was ballsy enough to bat. That bouncer was part of a plan he communicated to Morris last over, though the bowler did well to hold it back initially, then bowl it as quickly as he did. Wicket maiden. 

12.46pm BST
12:46

Well done South Africa! They decide to go short at Cook, who opts to take it on. Then at the last second he tries to pull out, by which time the ball is in front of his helmet - it?s brilliantly straight. Cook succeeds only in swatting it down the leg side, where De Kock takes a superb catch. Expect England?s demise to accelerate from here. Updated
at 12.58pm BST


12.43pm BST
12:43

24th over: England 72-3 (Cook 42, Bairstow 10) Bairstow twists one away against the spin, and it zooms for four through square-leg. Then, though, spooked by that one which flew in Maharaj?s last over, Bairstow presses forward tentatively and inside-edges onto his pad. That did not look secure, but it did the trick. 

12.40pm BST
12:40

23rd over: England 68-3 (Cook 42, Bairstow 6) Root is now inside the dressing room and looking glum; on the bright side, perhaps Cook is playing his way into Test form, and as non-captain. Tangentially, where do we stand on the name Faf? Does it accord pleasing notoriety, or the further nickname Bum? Maiden. 

12.35pm BST
12:35

22nd over: England 68-3 (Cook 42, Bairstow 6) When at the cricket, is it acceptable to drink fizz out of a pint glass? Asking for a friend, though at Lord?s last summer the kid in front cut out the middle man and just used the bottle. Maharaj is on and the ball is spinning, but without many close catchers; his final delivery pitches middle and leg, then pitches right across Bairstow! Dearie me! ?I prefer Rashid to Dawson too, but do find it telling that Root, who knows him well, would rather do without, emails Mark Gillespie, quoting me back to myself.?1. How do we know, or why do we assume, that Root is the sole arbiter of who plays and doesn?t? I always had the impression that the team selection was a joint effort between selectors, captain and coach, with the selectors having the biggest say.2. Is the reality not that it?s Moeen, not Dawson, who?s been picked over Rashid? My thinking behind that being that the balance of the team was meant to be a ?control? spinner plus a wicket taking spinner, and that neither Moeen nor Rashid could fulfill the former role? I?m clearly not suggesting that?s worked, by the way, but potentially that was the theory.?I?d say that in the end, the captain gets what he wants, because he?s the one taking the players onto the pitch and it?s pointless giving him a bowler he?d rather not bring on. Moeen is in the team for his batting anyway, no?

12.31pm BST
12:31

21st over: England 66-3 (Cook 41, Bairstow 5) Morris races in and Cook whacks him to square-leg - there?s a man there, so they only run one. On the balcony, Root looks pensive; he?s probably not found much difficult in his life, but here we are. Anyway, Bairstow adds a further single. 

12.26pm BST
12:26

20th over: England 64-3 (Cook 40, Bairstow 4) Cook plays for Olivier?s outswing, driving through cover; WinViz says South Africa are 100% likely to win this match. Cook takes a single and the field is pretty spread for Bairstow; that?s a little strange, given his score of 0 and the 406 more runs England need. Anyway, the first of those issues is quickly resolved via four down the ground. ?I?m not for dropping Ballance,? emails Gareth Fitzgerlad. You just know Andy Flower will demand James Vince get another chance...That being said ? why does Dawson need to be replaced by a spinner? Do we need four seamers and two spinners??I agree that six bowlers are too many, but just can?t see how Ballance is a Test number 3, nor why we need to expend more time investigating. Updated
at 12.28pm BST


12.22pm BST
12:22

19th over: England 55-3 (Cook 35, Bairstow 0) There was nothing Root could?ve done about that ball - the tardiness of the swing meant that the shot he played was redundant. And the effect will not just be removing Root, but instilling fear into those who come after. As Phil Leotardo once said, ?Decapitate and we do business with whatever?s left.?Updated
at 12.28pm BST


12.17pm BST
12:17

What a ball this is! WHAT A BALL THIS IS! Full, fast, yorker-length, and straightening at the last second! Root plays inside it, the ball skirts his edge, and nails off stump! Morris celebrates like he means it, and South Africa know they?re nearly home! Updated
at 12.25pm BST


12.15pm BST
12:15

18th over: England 55-2 (Cook 35, Root 8) Things have quietened down out in the middle; England daren?t give anything away in this period. Presumably Maharaj will be on soon, and that will be the next test; in the meantime, Root turns away a single and Cook escapes by missing a pull entirely, while Holding complains that there are too many fielders saving runs and too few catchers. Cook rams the point home by edging four, in the air, to close the over. Updated
at 12.28pm BST


12.10pm BST
12:10

17th over: England 50-2 (Cook 31, Root 7) Cook has never scored more than 50 at Trent Bridge; you?d back him to beat that now. Morris is on, bowling to two slips and gully - ?that looks a bit meagre to me,? says Mikey, far more melodically than I can type. root takes a single off the final ball of the over, playing it down into the off side and haring away. ?I think that bowling replacements are better,? emails Matthew Doherty, replying to Neil Harris. ?Rashid and Roland-Jones, with Woakes to return.?I prefer Rashid to Dawson too, but do find it telling that Root, who knows him well, wold rather do without. Roland-Jones is an unknown quantity - we cannot be sure he?ll come in and do the necessary, nor that he?s more likely to than Wood is to improve - and Woakes is out for the series. Updated
at 12.28pm BST


12.03pm BST
12:03

16th over: England 49-2 (Cook 31, Root 6) Philander is done for the now, and Olivier has the ball; he?s full and straight first up, so Root drives three to long-off; Philander has to chase to the fence. Small victories, people, small victories. Meanwhile, back in the middle, Olivier gives Cook one on his pads - you know the rest. Or, to put it another way, the next phase of the innings is upon us, and England daren?t lose another wicket. So they add four more instead, Cook onto the front foot to drive down the ground. He is in, and that?s drinks. Updated
at 12.28pm BST


11.58am BST
11:58

15th over: England 38-2 (Cook 23, Root 3) Third slip is so close as to be wearing a helmet but Root is yet to require his services, presenting the face to run three through mid-off. A good omen: his bat is New Balance - if only, etcetera - which connotes One Bryan Robson, the original Captain Marvel. Sorry, that?s all I?ve got; I take no responsibility for any dislocating shoulder.?How many changes is too many? asks Neil Harris. ?I reckon four are in serious danger of not playing the next test ? Jennings, Ballance, Dawson and Wood. Cannot think of a case for keeping any of them.?I can think of one very pertinent one: lack of obvious replacements. Updated
at 12.28pm BST


11.52am BST
11:52

14th over: England 34-2 (Cook 23, Root 0) Cook sends a leading edge looping towards mid-off ... and it drops just short. Philander has bowled 6.3 overs, of which 33 deliveries have landed in line with the stumps; he now has the best average of any bowler with 50 or more Test wickets. Cook then waves slightly away from his body, but makes decent enough contact, earning four to third man before tucking a couple off his hip. Huge over for England, six from it. Updated
at 12.04pm BST


11.49am BST
11:49

13th over: England 29-2 (Cook 17, Root 0) Cook nurdles a single to deep-square as in my head?s ear I hear the whooping and hollering that will greet the breaking of this partnership, like when an away team scores in a European football match. Root defends confidently and grins at Morkel; ?what are you looking at, butthead,? comes back the reply. Next ball, Root edges, but with soft hands, such that it drops short of second slip; just imagine his bedroom sensitivity. 

11.44am BST
11:44

12th over: England 28-2 (Cook 16, Root 0) ?The folly of having three left-handers at the top of the order against Morkel and Philander we can discuss for ever,? says Nasser, before elegising the brilliance of the bowling. As for Bazgaz, in his first 10 Tests he scored 1019 runs at 67.93; since then, in 13 Tests he has 479 runs at 19.16. Ahem. 