Centurion               -              England collapsed from 142/3 to 181 all out on day two to hand South Africa control of the first Test at Centurion.

Vernon Philander, who will retire from international cricket at the end of the series, led the way for South Africa, taking 4-16 from 14.2 overs to help the hosts gain a first-innings lead of 103. The day began with England wrapping up the South African innings on 284, with Stuart Broad collecting his fourth wicket of the innings. England’s openers then fell cheaply as Philander and Kagiso Rabada both bowled lively opening spells. Joe Denly and Joe Root steadied the ship, and England went to lunch on 60/2, with both batsmen surviving rocky beginnings to look assured.

Philander returned after the break to take Root’s outside edge, but Ben Stokes’ fluency at the crease made sure England remained on a steady course. Denly went to his sixth Test half-century but fell just moments later, inside-edging a delivery from debutant Dwaine Pretorius behind to Quinton de Kock.

And so the rot began, with Anrich Nortje removing both Jonny Bairstow and Ben Stokes in quick succession. Rabada and Philander returned to clean up the tail in expert fashion. England made a bright start with the ball themselves, with James Anderson striking in his first over for the second time in the match. The 37-year-old nipped one into Aiden Markram’s pads from his fifth ball, with a review not saving the opener.

Zubayr Hamza was strangled down the leg side by Stuart Broad and Dean Elgar fell four balls later to Jofra Archer. Faf du Plessis then pulled Archer to deep backward square to leave South Africa 62/4. Anrich Nortje was sent in to participate in nightwatchman duties and managed to survive till the close of play. Despite England's breakthroughs in the evening, South Africa will enter day three with a healthy lead of 175.

Scorecard

SOUTH AFRICA 1ST INNINGS:
D Elgar c Buttler b Anderson 0
AK Markram c Bairstow b Curran 20
Zubayr Hamza c Stokes b Broad 39
F du Plessis c Root b Broad 29
HE van der Dussen c Root b Curran 6
Q de Kock c Buttler b Curran 95
D Pretorius c Root b Curran 33
VD Philander c Buttler b Broad 35
KA Maharaj c Stokes b Archer 6
K Rabada b Broad 12
A Nortje not out 0
EXTRAS: (lb 4, nb 2, w 3) 9
TOTAL: (all out, 84.3 overs) 284
FOW: 1-0, 2-32, 3-71, 4-97, 5-111, 6-198, 7-245, 8-252, 9-277, 10-284.
BOWLING: JM Anderson 20-4-69-1, SCJ Broad 18.3-4-58-4, SM Curran 20-5-58-4, JC Archer 19-4-65-1, JE Root 4-0-26-0, JL Denly 3-0-4-0.
ENGLAND 1ST INNINGS:
RJ Burns c de Kock b Philander 9
DP Sibley c de Kock b Rabada 4
JL Denly c de Kock b Pretorius 50
JE Root c de Kock b Philander 29
BA Stokes c de Kock b Nortje 35
JM Bairstow b Nortje 1
JC Buttler c de Kock b Philander 12
SM Curran c Zubayr Hamza b Rabada 20
JC Archer b Philander 3
SCJ Broad c Elgar b Rabada 2
JM Anderson not out 0
EXTRAS: (b 4, lb 5, nb 2, w 5) 16
TOTAL: (all out, 53.2 overs) 181
FOW: 1-11, 2-15, 3-70, 4-142, 5-143, 6-150, 7-176, 8-176, 9-181, 10-181.
BOWLING: K Rabada 15-1-68-3, VD Philander 14.2-8-16-4, D Pretorius 8-2-23-1, A Nortje 12-2-47-2, KA Maharaj 4-1-18-0.
SOUTH AFRICA 2ND INNINGS:
AK Markram lbw b Anderson 2
D Elgar c Buttler b Archer 22
Zubayr Hamza c Buttler b Broad 4
F du Plessis c Curran b Archer 20
HE van der Dussen not out 17
A Nortje not out 4
EXTRAS: (b 1, lb 1, nb 1) 3
TOTAL: (4 wkts, 20 overs) 72
FOW: 1-2, 2-25, 3-29, 4-62.
BOWLING: JM Anderson 4-0-19-1, SCJ Broad 5-2-6-1, JC Archer 6-1-37-2, SM Curran 4-2-8-0, BA Stokes 1-1-0-0.
TOSS: England
UMPIRES: Chris Gaffaney, Paul Reiffel
TV UMPIRE: Kumar Dharmasena
MATCH REFEREE: Andy Pycroft