Ben Stokes, Ben Foakes stretch partnership to 161, and England’s lead past 150

South Africa

Tea England 308 for 5 (Stokes 98*, Foakes 61*, Nortje 3-41) lead South Africa 151 by 157 runs

For all that he has overseen a radical transformation in his team’s success and self-belief, this summer has been a curious one for Ben Stokes, the Test-match batter.

There had been a series of starts – particularly against New Zealand, but a succession of short-lived slogs too – as if his desire to communicate a message of overt positivity to his team had run in direct opposition to the oddly accumulative methods that have tended to produce his best Test innings.

But on the second day at Emirates Old Trafford, Stokes finally had the stage upon which to craft a finished article; and by tea, he was delivering with an outstanding innings of 98 not out from 155 balls – two shy of his 12th Test century – and his first since the tour of the West Indies in March.

With a surfeit of early caution giving way to gentle acceleration interspersed with a smattering of trademark aggression, he and Ben Foakes rode out the remnants of a stellar onslaught from Anrich Nortje to mould England’s match position with an unbeaten sixth-wicket stand of 161.

By tea, South Africa were truly up against it, trailing by 157 runs with five wickets still to prise out, and three full days of the match still yawning out in front of them. Nortje’s hostile opening burst had rattled England’s cage in the opening hour of the morning, as he blasted out both of England’s overnight incumbents Jonny Bairstow and Zak Crawley before the remaining 40-run deficit had been picked off.

At 147 for 5, with Nortje and Kagiso Rabada hounding Stokes and Foakes’ edges with pace and reverse swing, England’s twin collapses to 161 and 149 at Lord’s suddenly felt very recent.

But South Africa’s senior pair could not go on forever, and having opted to include the second spinner in Simon Harmer in place of the left-arm pace of Marco Jansen, Dean Elgar’s options were severely limited, given that Harmer and Maharaj would have been banking on a South Africa first innings extending beyond a mere 53.2 overs, and a more used surface in which to ply their trade.

Harmer’s solitary over on the first evening hadn’t given much away about his impending impact, although his reputation precedes him following his exploits for Essex. However, his first delivery of the day – to Foakes – was a juicy full toss, stroked through the covers for four.

Then Stokes – moments after easing Rabada through the off side for his first boundary – immediately lapped Harmer clean over midwicket for six, the 101st of his Test career.

Lungi Ngidi joined the fray in a double-change, charged with keeping England in check, but Stokes, having shrugged off the pain of his left knee, which gave way beneath him while turning for a second run, picked him off for two more fours – including one exceptional straight drive after a premeditated charge to the pitch.

By lunch, England had ridden out the early storm to extend their lead to a handy but hardly decisive 61. The stage was surely set for Nortje’s return to the attack, and another pace assault in a bid to protect South Africa’s hard-earned series lead.

However, Elgar had other ideas, resuming with Maharaj and Harmer in partnership – a lo-fi option that allowed both batters to nudge themselves and the lead into a position of dominance.

Mind you, the ploy nearly unseated Stokes, as he twice came agonisingly close to giving his innings away, a missed reverse sweep off Maharaj and a similarly ambitious mow at Harmer skimming past his leg and the off stump, respectively.

But by degrees he settled and grew into his role, finding the middle of his bat with ever-growing assurance, before snapping into a launch into the pavilion for six off Harmer to bring up his third fifty of the summer.

Thereafter, he was unshackled – not in the wild sense of his very highest-octane innings, but with the calm assurance of a dominant match situation, a demoralised opposition, and a perfect summer’s afternoon for batting.

Nortje returned to the attack moments after Stokes had reached his fifty, but with a now 68-over-old ball, he was some way short of the sharpest pace he had previously been producing, and was soon angling for a ball-change – a surefire sign that the threat had dissipated.

Foakes at the other end was very distant second fiddle by tea, but no less important in cementing England’s position. Up until the 40s, the two men’s tempos had been neck-and-neck, but whereas Stokes saw the chance to put his foot down, Foakes recognised his role – not unlike Crawley’s to Bairstow on day one – had simply been to stay there.

On 28, Foakes successfully overturned an lbw decision from Maharaj, shown to have pitched outside leg, and endured some hairy moments when Rabada took the new ball just before tea. But by then, South Africa were chasing the game.

Stokes had a let-off too moments before the break, when on 96 and seeking his hundred, he climbed into a drive off Ngidi and was dropped by a full-stretch Aiden Markram in the covers. South Africa were also convinced he was caught behind on 98 when he appeared to inside-edge on to his pads through to the wicketkeeper, but the review suggested the noise was pad to pad.

Again, it was all a little late for South Africa’s match prospects.

Andrew Miller is UK editor of ESPNcricinfo. @miller_cricket

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