Starting their second innings on 102 for 6 on the final day, South Africa were bundled out for 247, courtesy Joe Root’s 4 for 87 and Mark Wood’s 3 for 32.
England's Dominic Bess (3rdR) celebrates with teammates after the dismissal of South Africa's Anrich Nortje during the fifth day of the third Test cricket match between South Africa and England at the St George's Park Cricket Ground in Port Elizabeth on January 20, 2020. (Photo by Richard Huggard / AFP)
England on Monday thrashed South Africa by an innings and 53 runs in the third Test at St George’s Park in Port Elizabeth, taking an unassailable lead of 2-1 in the four-match series. Ollie Pope was declared the Man of the Match.
Starting their second innings on 102 for 6 on the final day, South Africa were bundled out for 247, courtesy Joe Root’s 4 for 87 and Mark Wood’s 3 for 32. As a result, the Proteas, who had failed miserably in the first innings after getting bundled out for 209 in reply to England’s 499, lost the match by a margin of innings and 53 runs.
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Earlier opting to bat, England posted a mammoth total of 499 for 9 on the board before declaring their innings. Ollie Pope (120) and Ben Stokes (135) were the standout performers for the guests. Though Keshav Maharaj picked up five wickets but he turned out to be a bit expensive, leaking 180 runs.
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In their first innings, South Africa toiled hard to survive as they were all out for a meager 209. Quinton de Kock, who scored 63, was the best performer from the side. England’s Dominic Bess was the wrecker-in-cheif with the figures of 5 for 51, and Stuart Broad, with 3 for 30, helped Three Lions’ cause.
Root then asked the hosts to follow on and this time the skipper himself returned his career-best figures to stop South Africa far behind the line. Meanwhile, Maharaj (71) was the highest scorer for South Africa.
The fourth and final Test between the sides will start from January 24 in Johannesburg.
Brief scores: England 499 for 9d (Ollie Pope 135, Ben Stokes 120; Keshav Maharaj 5 for 180) defeated South Africa 209 & 237 (Keshav Maharaj 71, Faf du Plessis 36, Dane Paterson 39; Joe Root 4 for 87) by an innings and 53 runs.
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