Joe, the Root of all Proteas problems
Philander gives SA great start, but dropped catches and no-balls hand England the advantage
London — A missed catch‚ a dropped catch and two errant feet cost SA dearly on the first day of their Test series against England at Lord’s on Thursday. Stumps came with the home side on 357/5 — a far cry from the 82/4 they had been reduced to at lunch‚ after Vernon Philander reminded this crowd what they had been missing since he last played a Test here. That was in August 2012‚ when he took 5/30 in the second innings to complete SA’s ascent to the No1 ranking. Philander was in similarly rasping form on a green pitch on Thursday‚ taking 3/26 in the morning session and ending the day with 3/46. But Joe Root and Ben Stokes answered SA’s early assault with a wicketless second session‚ taking England to tea on 182/4. Root was still there at the close‚ undefeated on 184‚ which made him the sixth player to score a century in his first Test as England captain. With him was Moeen Ali‚ who was 61 not out in a stand that has swelled to 167. Philander took his wickets with breathless efficien...
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