Stuart Broad produced a sensational display of fast bowling as England swept to a series-clinching victory over South Africa on the third day of the third Test at the Wanderers Stadium on Saturday.
Broad took six for 17 as South Africa were bowled out for 83 in their second innings. England won by seven wickets to take a winning 2-0 lead into the final Test in Centurion next week.
Broad destroys South African batting: Broad ripped the heart out of the South African batting, taking the first five wickets for one run in the space of 31 balls after lunch. The defeat toppled South Africa from top spot on the International Cricket Council’s Test rankings.
England led on the first innings by 10 runs after being bowled out for 323 and the match was evenly poised as South African opening batsmen Dean Elgar and Stiaan van Zyl put on 23 runs at the start of the second innings, with Broad having conceded 13 of the runs.
Then Broad struck, having Elgar caught behind off a ball that lifted and moved away from the left-hander. Van Zyl was dropped, a difficult chance to James Anderson at third slip, and the single that was taken as the ball looped away was to prove the only run that Broad conceded while tearing the heart out of the batting.
Van Zyl was caught at gully. South African captain AB de Villiers came out to a roar of appreciation from a near-capacity crowd but was caught behind for nought off a delivery which cut back sharply to take an inside edge.
Hashim Amla was superbly caught at short leg by James Taylor off a full-blooded leg glance and Temba Bavuma was bowled when he ducked to avoid a short ball which hit his glove and went on to the stumps.
Broad was rested with figures of five for 14 from 10 overs, eight of which were bowled after lunch.
But the carnage continued. Steven Finn had Dane Vilas caught by a diving Taylor at short leg and Chris Morris was bowled by a full ball from Ben Stokes.
Kagiso Rabada made a quick 16 before he was caught behind off Stokes. Eight wickets fell for 55 runs between lunch and tea.
The last two wickets fell quickly after tea. James Anderson took only his second wicket of the match when he had Hardus Viljoen leg before wicket and Broad dived full length down the pitch to take a return catch from Faf du Plessis.
Morkel tested Alastair Cook with some fast, lifting deliveries at the start of England’s second innings, but he and Hales took England to within ten runs of victory before part-time spinner Elgar dismissed Hales and Nick Compton in successive overs. Cook made 43, his highest score of the series, but was caught behind off Morris with three runs needed.
Earlier Rabada claimed a maiden five-wicket haul to restrict England’s first innings lead to 10 runs.
Rabada, 20, playing in his fifth Test match, took five for 78 and led the Souh African attack, bowling at pace with consistent control.
