Cook and Root stabilise England innings after De Kock ton

ENGLAND’S two senior batsmen, Alastair Cook and Joe Root, stabilised their side’s innings after Kagiso Rabada had made two early strikes as they attempted to match the Castle Lager Proteas big first innings total on the second day of the final Sunfoil Test match at SuperSport Park on Saturday. With Quinton de Kock scoring his maiden Test match century (129 not out, 128 balls, 17 fours and 2 sixes) and sharing half-century partnerships with all of Temba Bavuma, Kyle Abbott and Dane Piedt the Proteas were able to extend their first innings total to 475 before England began their reply half an hour before the tea interval. The importance of De Kock’s innings – the third century of the innings – became clear as the England innings took its shape. There is already uneven bounce with Nick Compton being dismissed by a delivery that kept low while Piedt also got several deliveries to turn sharply as early as the second day. In the circumstances England must have been happy to finish the day on 137/2 with Cook (67 not out, 142 balls, 10 fours) and Root having already shared an unbroken third wicket partnership of 60 in 22.4 overs. England are also in the favourable position that the second new ball is still 34 overs away. But the first innings deficit is still an imposing 338 runs and, if the pitch is already posing problems after day two, they are not going to want to have to chase too many in the fourth innings. While De Kock was the driving force behind the lower-order resistance with his ability to pierce even defensively set fields that were designed to get him off strike, the Proteas could look back on another defiant effort by the lower-order. The Proteas had lost two wickets in the opening five overs of the day to Stuart Broad and Jimmy Anderson and the opening was there for England to wrap up the innings quickly. But De Kock, who remarkably was still able to score a run a ball in spite of the efforts to keep him quiet, found a succession of determined partners with both Abbott and Piedt sticking it out for long periods. The big-hearted Ben Stokes was England’s most successful bowler with 4/86. Now the onus is on the Proteas attack to make early inroads on day three.