England set South Africa improbable target of 466 to win

By Mark Gleeson

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) – Captain Joe Root top scored as England took a huge 465-run lead over South Africa on the third day of the fourth Test and were bowled out for 248 just before stumps in their second innings at The Wanderers on Sunday.

The score left them with two days to dismiss their hosts, who will have to chase an improbable fourth-innings target if they are to win the Test and level the series at 2-2.
Fourteen wickets fell on a busy Sunday that saw South Africa dismissed for 183 at lunch, 217 runs behind England’s first-innings score of 400.

Root did not enforce the follow on but instead rammed home his team’s advantage as England batted briskly in their second innings before the captain was the last man out, superbly caught by South African counterpart Faf du Plessis to give debutant Beuran Hendricks a maiden Test five-wicket haul.

Root scored 58, Dom Sibley made 44, Sam Curran an entertaining 35 and Ben Stokes 28 with Hendricks finishing on 5-64 off 15.3 overs.
Openers Zak Crawley and Sibley put on a 56-run opening-wicket partnership in a positive second-innings start before Crawley was out for 24.

WORLD-RECORD TARGET
Stokes was in belligerent mood, having been fined for verbally abusing a spectator after going cheaply in the first innings, and sought to get retribution as he raced to 28 off 24 balls, with six boundaries, before Hendricks had him caught in the slips.

Curran also made up for a first baller in the first innings as he accelerated the run rate in the last hour before being caught in the deep off Hendricks.

All the while Root kept the scoreboard ticking over to ensure South Africa will have to chase a world-record fourth innings target on a pitch where the bounce was becoming increasingly more uneven.

South Africa bowled a man light when veteran Vernon Philander pulled up with a hamstring injury after nine balls, further weakening a home attack already sorely missing the suspended Kagiso Rabada.

Philander was sent to hospital for a scan, said Cricket South Africa, threatening an inglorious end to his Test career as he is retiring from the international arena.
Mark Wood completed a five-wicket haul earlier as South Africa were dismissed in the morning session, adding 95 runs to their overnight score.
“I’m over the moon — a very special day,” said Wood, who credited a shorter run-up for his success.

“Since I have (done that), it’s been a lot better. I’ve got a little bit more momentum; it’s taken pressure off my body. It’s been nice to take a load off.”

ENGLAND 1st innings (400 all out)
South Africa 1st innings
Dean Elgar c Chris Woakes b Ben Stokes 26
Pieter Malan c Jos Buttler b Mark Wood 15
Rassie van der Dussen c Ben Stokes b Sam Curran 0
Faf du Plessis lbw Chris Woakes 3
Quinton de Kock b Mark Wood 76
Temba Bavuma c Ben Stokes b Mark Wood 6
Anrich Nortje c Joe Denly b Mark Wood 6
Vernon Philander c Stuart Broad b Chris Woakes 4
Dwaine Pretorius c Zak Crawley b Ben Stokes 37
Beuran Hendricks Not Out 5
Dane Paterson c Jos Buttler b Mark Wood 4
Extras 0b 0lb 0nb 0pen 1w 1
Total (68.3 overs) 183 all out
Fall of Wickets : 1-29 Malan, 2-37 van der Dussen, 3-43 Elgar, 4-60 du Plessis, 5-74 Bavuma, 6-88 Nortje, 7-93 Philander, 8-172 Pretorius, 9-174 de Kock, 10-183 Paterson
Bowling : Stuart Broad 14 – 3 – 27 – 0, Sam Curran 12 – 4 – 25 – 1,
Chris Woakes 17 – 7 – 38 – 2, Mark Wood 14.3 – 2 – 46 – 5,
Ben Stokes 11 – 1 – 47 – 2 (1w).

ENGLAND 2nd innings
Zak Crawley c Quinton de Kock b Dwaine Pretorius 24
Dominic Sibley c Pieter Malan b Beuran Hendricks 44
Joe Denly b Dane Paterson 8
Joe Root c Faf du Plessis b Beuran Hendricks 58
Ben Stokes c Rassie van der Dussen b Beuran Hendricks 28
Ollie Pope c Quinton de Kock b Anrich Nortje 11
Jos Buttler c Quinton de Kock b Anrich Nortje 8
Sam Curran c Dane Paterson b Beuran Hendricks 35
Chris Woakes c Quinton de Kock b Beuran Hendricks 0
Mark Wood b Dwaine Pretorius 18
Stuart Broad Not Out 1
Extras 4b 8lb 0nb 0pen 1w 13
Total (61.3 overs) 248 all out
Fall of Wickets : 1-56 Crawley, 2-75 Denly, 3-92 Sibley, 4-136 Stokes, 5-150 Pope, 6-160 Buttler, 7-206 Curran, 8-206 Woakes, 9-240 Wood, 10-248 Root
Bowling: Vernon Philander 1.3 – 1 – 1 – 0, Anrich Nortje 11 – 1 – 61 – 2,
Dane Paterson 13.3 – 5 – 18 – 1, Beuran Hendricks 15.3 – 2 – 64 – 5,
Dwaine Pretorius 18 – 2 – 87 – 2 (1w).

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