South Africa vs England: Stuart Broad inspires England to series victory after beating Proteas by seven wickets

For Stuart Broad the sensational appears merely to be part of the old routine. In 31 balls yesterday he took five wickets for one run – and that single coming from a dropped catch – which reduced South Africa’s second innings to tatters and effectively sealed the Third Test and the series for England.

Towards the end of the final session of the third day the job was done. England had defeated South Africa by seven wickets to go 2-0 up in the series with one match to play and regain the Basil D’Oliveira Trophy.

South Africa will lose their status as the world’s top-ranked Test side. They have been thoroughly, if unexpectedly, outplayed by England in two of the matches and although they had their moments in the second, that will be remembered chiefly for a titanic batting exhibition by their opponents.

England may not be the finished article but they are becoming formidable opponents for any team. If there are some frailties still in their top-order batting, their bowling in conditions which offer a mere modicum of help is of the top rank.

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Broad led the way yesterday, as he has done so often before. It was quite as mesmerising as his imperishable spell at Trent Bridge as recently as last August when he took 8 for 15 and all but ensured the Ashes came home. But it was also the seventh time in his career that Broad had taken five wickets in one spell of bowling. He finished with 6 for 17 as South Africa were bowled out for 83, losing all 10 wickets for 60 runs. From that there was no coming back.

There has been a long-running debate about whether Broad is a great bowler or a bowler of great spells. Do the latter often enough, of course, and the former becomes a truism. With the ball swinging appreciably he was admirably accurate and probing. Of the 73 balls he delivered, all were on or outside off stump.

When South Africa began their second innings shortly before lunch there was no real indication of the chaos that was to ensue. True, there was still something in the pitch, as had been firmly demonstrated by England’s loss of their last five wickets for 55 runs.

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Joe Root failed to capitalise on his splendid hundred the previous day, driving a touch over-confidently in the day’s third over. It was left largely to another mature innings from Jonny Bairstow to help England secure a lead of 10 runs, neither here nor there on belting pitches, possibly precious here.

In those 20 minutes before the break, South Africa negotiated without undue alarm the five overs that were possible, although perhaps it was ominous that ball did beat bat a time or two. Not long after lunch their downfall began.

It transpired that the England coach, Trevor Bayliss, reminded the players during the break of what was at stake. He told them that they could make history – “a kick up the backside,” Broad called it.

What makes Broad especially remarkable is that he inevitably recognises when things are about to go his way, as if there is a confluence of body and mind. Divine intervention should not be ruled out.

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First he removed Dean Elgar, who fenced at a ball moving away outside off stump and was caught by Bairstow, jumping high in front of first slip. In Broad’s next over, Jimmy Anderson at third slip put down a difficult chance off Stiaan van Zyl’s bat, plunging to his left but not quite managing to get enough purchase on the ball.

It mattered not. Before long Van Zyl prodded another lively, bouncing ball to gully, where Ben Stokes made the catch look deceptively easy. Then came the two most prized wickets, the wickets that said England would win this match. Broad persuaded one to swing in late to AB de Villiers and the inside edge was smartly taken behind. Then Hashim Amla played a firm leg glance and was wonderfully caught at short leg by James Taylor, who obeyed the dictum of staying low for as long as possible.

Temba Bavuma, the hosts’ hero in Cape Town, was also undone by bounce and not knowing whether to play or leave, he gloved the ball on to his stumps. South Africa were 35 for 5 and Broad had the lot.

It was purely a matter of time thereafter, and not very much of it. In Steve Finn’s first over – and he was not summoned until the 22nd over of the innings – Dane Vilas played a firm shot off his hips and Taylor again reacted alertly, diving to his right and holding on. The ball as it left Finn’s hand was travelling at somewhere approaching 90mph; Taylor was standing eight yards away.

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It was not quite a full bed of roses for England here, as Finn picked up a side strain during the spell and is likely to miss the Fourth Test in Centurion starting on Friday.

Stokes cannot be kept out of any cricketing act for long and he bowled Chris Morris with a devilish inswinger before removing a defiant Kagiso Rabada with one that climbed and left him. It gave Bairstow his ninth catch of the match, England’s equal third best haul by a keeper.

At last, Anderson gained reward by winning an lbw verdict. It remains possible to wonder if his light is beginning to fade and whether Broad is the true leader of the attack now. This year will tell us more.

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It was Broad who finished the innings off by taking a stumbling return catch, another notable feat from him, off the stubborn Faf du Plessis. England needed 74 to win with more than 200 overs to do so.

They were almost there through Alastair Cook and Alex Hales when they suddenly shed a flurry of wickets. Hales was lbw sweeping, Nick Compton played a shot going for glory that he would rather forget, Cook was caught behind. Perhaps it was fitting that the winning single came from Root, whose century on the second day and his glittering partnership with Stokes pulled England out of trouble.

There are many reasons to be excited about the way Cook’s team are going and where it might be heading. This is a considerable victory. Broad is a considerable performer.