South Africa endured a torrid morning session after choosing to bat first and limped into lunch on a precarious 77-5 on the first day of the second test against England at Old Trafford in Manchester on Thursday.
Kyle Verreynne (4*) and Simon Harmer (0*) will resume after the break with the tourists desperately looking for a way to stay in the game and reach a respectable total.
South Africa made one change to the starting XI which won the first test at Lord’s by an innings and 12 runs last week with offspinner Harmer replacing left-arm seamer Marco Jansen on a dry pitch which is likely to favour the spinners.
Dean Elgar thus felt compelled to bat first under heavily overcast skies so that his two spinners will be bowling in the fourth innings of the match but it was a decision fraught with risk with generous seam and swing on offer under leaden grey skies.
Sarel Erwee (3) never remotely settled before inside-edging his 12th ball from James Anderson to ‘keeper Ben Foakes in the fifth over and Elgar enjoyed a life – briefly – when he was brilliantly caught by a diving Ollie Pope at short leg only for Ollie Robinson’s delivery to be called a no-ball.
But Elgar (12) edged Stuart Broad (6-1-17-2) to Jonny Bairstow at third slip and Keegan Petersen edged the same bowler to Joe Root at first slip to depart for a bright but brief 21 from 29 balls with three fours.
Aiden Markram’s wretched test form continued with a top-edged pull against a long-hop from England captain Ben Stokes which landed safely in the gloves of Foakes. Stokes’ had the good grace to look embarrassed at being gifted a wicket from a ‘loosener’ in his first over.
Rassie van der Dussen was trapped lbw by Stokes (2-0-6-2) in his second over on the stroke of lunch with the batsman’s DRS review showing ‘umpires’s call’ on both the impact outside off-stump and contact with the stumps.
England named their starting XI the day before the match with seamer Robinson replacing Matty Potts in the only change from the team which lost the first test by an innings and 12 runs at Lord’s last week.
ENGLAND: Alex Lees, Zak Crawley, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Jonny Bairstow, Ben Stokes (capt), Ben Foakes (wk), Stuart Broad, Ollie Robinson, Jack Leach, James Anderson
SOUTH AFRICA: Dean Elgar (capt), Sarel Erwee, Keegan Petersen, Aiden Markram, Rassie van der Dussen, Kyle Verreynne (wk), Simon Harmer, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje, Lungi Ngidi.