South Africa vs England report: Dale Steyn struggles with injury while England build strong position

No one is counting anything yet. Chickens, matches, series – it is wise not to tempt providence in any contest involving the top-rated side in the world. But England, through preparation, application, expertise and fortune, have established a position from which they can and ought to win the first Test match against South Africa.

At the end of the third day yesterday, the tourists were 172 for 3, 261 ahead. Whatever happens now they have demonstrated their fitness to share the same arena as their opponents, which some may have doubted, and their ability to compete on level terms.

Joe Root, who was 60 not out, and Nick Compton, who fell one short of a second successive fifty, again supplied England with ballast their batting has frequently lacked. There is the suspicion that South Africa are short of confidence and direction, which is usually caused by what you are doing badly and what the opposition are doing well.

For most of the day and probably for the rest of the match and beyond, though scan results were inconclusive, South Africa were without their prime fast bowler, Dale Steyn. He left the field with a sore shoulder midway through bowling an over. Returning within an hour he was soon bowling again, but again departed the fray after three balls.

Late in the evening he went on to the field again, though this time he did not bowl. It was a peculiar way for a national asset to be treated, no matter what he said about his fitness. But they will do everything to hasten his return.

Dr Mohammed Moosajee, South Africa’s manager said: “There are no tears to the muscles, tendons or ligaments and we are treating it as a shoulder spasm or stiffness for now. We will trial him in the warm-up and if he gets through that, we may allow him to bowl.”

That was not as bad as it got for South Africa. Needing to take everything on offer to have realistic aspirations of staying in touch with England, they put down three eminently acceptable chances and wasted a review.

That the umpires thought fit to change the ball after 26 overs when it had just started reverse swinging compounded their woes. The officials were unhappy with its state after it hit an advertising hoarding.

It was vital, as soon as their batting brought too little return in the morning, that South Africa made things hard for England. They began well enough, even after the first departure of Steyn.

The off-spinner Dane Piedt had Alastair Cook lbw to a pretty unthreatening straight ball and struck again when Alex Hales foolhardily lofted him to long on. If it was daft, it was a pity for Hales because he had shown what he can bring. His first boundary as a Test batsman was a six.

Soon after, South Africa made their first errors. Morne Morkel was exemplary at this point, running in with purpose and menace. He induced Compton forward with a ball of precise length, only for Dean Elgar to put down an elementary catch at second slip. In Morkel’s next over, also on the button, Root hooked, the ball came off his gloves and went between the wicketkeeper, AB de Villiers, and second slip. De Villiers, who had begun moving down the leg side, twisted and turned and parried the ball with outstretched glove.

It meant that England went to tea two wickets down when it should have been four. Compton, naturally unperturbed, survived a silly review by South Africa for a catch behind and was then reprieved yet again by De Villiers off Morkel.

Two balls later, Compton glanced leg side and was caught by the wicketkeeper but the debate about whether the country’s best batsman should also have the gloves was long since up and running in these parts. It sums up the pickle they are in.

The day could hardly have started better for England. As everyone knew, as invariably seems to be the case, the first hour was to be the most significant of the day, perhaps where the match was won and lost.

It took Broad two balls to break through, as it had at the start of the innings. Temba Bavuma, solid the previous evening, could point to the low bounce as one of the reasons for dragging the ball on from outside off stump. But he may also be wise to reflect on his lack of footwork.

Now Moeen Ali ended the discussion about who was ahead in the match. For a bowler who can often look so threadbare, he remains deceptively effective. With the ball turning, he was on in the day’s sixth over.

Almost immediately, he had the underperforming JP Duminy caught at slip, pushing forward to one that spun and bounced. England needed a review to confirm the removal of Kyle Abbott in Moeen’s next over, after which the only question seemed to be what the umpire, Rod Tucker, thought the ball had hit on its way to the outstretched arms of James Taylor at short leg, if it was not bat and pad.

“You have to be patient,” said Moeen. “I’ve worked hard on my bowling, it’s been building up slowly. I know my role in the side and batting at eight is a lot different from opening the batting.”

Briefly, Steyn accompanied Elgar with calm sense and a watchfulness not always apparent in his colleagues, that ensured his partner reached a much deserved hundred. Elgar was resolute, having deduced what was demanded in both the conditions and the circumstances.

As one of the litany of batting failures (137 runs in seven innings in his case) on South Africa’s disastrous tour of India, Elgar had amends to make. He did so excellently, becoming the sixth South Africa player to carry his bat.

But after Steyn tired of being a sleeping partner and holed out to mid-off, it was all over in a trice. Steve Finn, second new ball in hand, swept away the tail in four balls.

Put in to bat on a sporting pitch, England have done everything that could have been asked. Finish this job and they can count to one, at least.