South Africa vs England: Joe Root century keeps England in the hunt as bad lights end day two early

In emerging inexorably as one of the most accomplished batsmen on the planet, Joe Root has been short of one thing. Somehow, through occasional carelessness, lapses in concentration or because bowlers are trying harder in their desperation to take his wicket, he has managed to avoid converting well-crafted fifties into hundreds.

His magisterial innings on the second day of the third Test began to rectify that imbalance. It has given the tourists genuine prospects of clinching the series. Root’s contribution was vital because there was a period before and after lunch when South Africa scented blood.

They were bowling furiously and had England at 22 for 2, with both openers gone, and 91 for 4, still 222 runs adrift. Root himself, not at his peak recently, was given a fearful working over early in his innings. He was, indeed, all over the place. He might have gone to any ball.

But in the afternoon, he and Ben Stokes thrillingly seized the initiative. They did so with a wonderful exhibition of buccaneering strokeplay which seemed to take their opponents by surprise.

Stokes will never perish wondering and he was into his dazzling stride from the off. It seemed to inspire Root, who suddenly found his feet moving more assuredly and blazed away with glorious cover drives and brutal pulls.

Their first 50 together came in 35 balls, their hundred in 86 with 15 fours and a six. They also ran hell for leather. There was only one fleeting moment of concern when Root, backing up, might have been run out had Stokes’ return drive brushed Morne Morkel’s hand on the way to the stumps. Replays showed it had not. England breathed again and were away.

Stokes was out shortly before bad light, and torrential rain brought a premature end to the day with 25 overs left. By then, England were 238 for 5 with Root on 106 not out. Five times in 12 innings since his glorious hundred against Australia at Trent Bridge he had reached fifty without going to a hundred. The relief was tangible.

England were staring down the barrel before lunch. South Africa added 46 runs to their overnight score, which both sides would probably have settled for, although the 32 runs added for the last wicket will have irritated England.

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The innings was ended eventually in bizarre circumstances after Stuart Broad and Jimmy Anderson had shown rather more zest than on the previous day and had a wicket each. Anderson was removed from the attack in the middle of an over for running on to the pitch. He had already received two warnings and the third, from umpire Aleem Dar, meant that he could not bowl again in the innings, much to his clear annoyance.

Stokes was asked to finish the over and needed only one ball to induce a stubborn Morkel to flash to slip. It was then that South Africa threatened to snatch a telling advantage.

Hostile fast bowling executed with a purpose might have left England in tatters. They lost two wickets and could have easily shed more with the ball constantly passing the bat. The sense of menace in the air was inescapable.

Kagiso Rabada, a 20-year-old fast bowler with a huge future, was deeply impressive, perpetually making sure that the batsmen had to play. He was matched by the debutant, Hardus Viljoen who became the third South Africa bowler to take a wicket with his first ball in Test cricket and might easily have had more.

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The first man to go was Alex Hales, who drove away from his body at Rabada and was taken by AB de Villiers at second slip. It was a method of dismissal which unfortunately it is all too simple to identify with Hales. He will have to find some way to curb this instinct if he is to have anything like a substantial Test career as an opener.

Alastair Cook already has that, of course, but his dismissal too was worrying. Viljoen’s first ball was aimed down the leg side and Cook flicked at it, made good contact and turned round to see Dane Vilas swooping to his right to take the catch.

It is difficult to think that Viljoen deliberately placed his first ball in Test cricket down leg in the hope of ensnaring one of the most prolific batsmen of the modern era. But it was undoubtedly a way in which South Africa thought they might be able to dismiss Cook, as their field positions showed.

It is the fourth time that Cook has been caught on the leg side this winter, either round the corner or at short-leg. It is a vulnerability that opponents are now eager to exploit and which he must hastily address. He might start by leaving the ball whenever he can.

Viljoen’s wicket meant he created another small piece of cricketing history. Earlier in the day he had hit his first ball in Tests for four, a crunching on-drive. Only one other player had combined that double – four off first ball received, wicket with first ball bowled – and that was one Matthew Henderson in his solitary Test match, for New Zealand, in 1930. It is such quaint milestones that help to make Test cricket what it is.

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Up until the break, South Africa scented blood. Root was squared up and beaten outside off twice, Nick Compton was bereft of strokes. It was an extremely taxing time.

Then, for a brief period in the afternoon, England rebuilt and decided to be aggressive with it. Root and Nick Compton shared a partnership of 52 and after the latter was put down at second slip by De Villiers they began to assert themselves. It was a surprise when Compton steered a ball from the excellent Rabada to second slip, for it was one he might usually have left. Perhaps Rabada’s length drew the shot.

When James Taylor was smartly held at short-leg a mere 17 runs later, big trouble loomed for the tourists. Another wicket then and there was the distinct likelihood of a substantial, potentially match-losing deficit. Root and Stokes had other ideas altogether.