The Kent batsman top-scored but a first-innings 181 leaves the hosts scrambling to save the match
It was a familiar tale for England's Test team as they made an insipid first innings total of 181 to this time give South Africa the upper hand in the first Test at Centurion.
The tourists had restricted The Proteas to 284 but their hopes of taking a lead into the second half of the game was left in tatters after another collapse.
England were 142 for 3 with Joe Denly and Ben Stokes at the crease but their final seven wickets fell for 39 as South Africa took a 103-run lead into the second innings.
New ball pair Vernon Philander (4-16) and Kagiso Rabada (3-68) were at their potent best, but England's downfall was very much a case of deja vu.
Denly was the only batsman able to settle on a surface doing a little for the seamers but few could mirror his performance.
"It was tough," the Kent man, who scored 50, told Sky Sports. "It was a very impressive opening spell - they are two high-class bowlers. Once that new ball wore off I managed to find a bit of fluency."
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"It's frustrating. It felt pretty comfortable out there and myself and Ben were starting to get a partnership going. It was disappointing. We spoke at tea about trying to bat long - but it wasn't to be in the end.
"We have spoken about trying to get those first-innings runs. It's about assessing those conditions better and understanding the game situation better and wearing them down. We weren't able to do that today."
Wickets for James Anderson, Stuart Broad and Jofra Archer reduced South Africa to 72 for 4 at the close, but with a lead of 175 runs the hosts remain firmly in the ascendency.
"But it was a great fightback tonight and we're in a stronger position that we were an hour ago," added Denly. "There's a big morning coming up.
"There's not too many demons in the wicket. There is not a great deal of movement sideways.
"That new ball is tricky with two world-class bowlers. If we can get through that in the second innings, there are runs to be had."
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Posted by David RImmer on 27/12/2019 at 20:40
Well done to South Africa. They bowled well and pressurised England. Sensible comments from Denly but the frustration was that England has the game in their hands and let i drift away. When all is said and done, England should have batted for 80 to 90 overs and scored 250 to 260 bearing in mind the quality of the SA attack and the fact that wickets fall in clusters as happened to Pakistan in SA last year. England, given the playing records of their players at Test level in 2019, were never going to score 350. PS After losing the fourth wicket on 142, it was disappointing that the last six wickets could add only 39 runs. (We were 70-3 at one stage (when the third wicket fell) and if the last seven wickets fell for 39 runs, England would have been bowled out for 109.
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