The Proteas moved to 141-3 at tea on day two of the second Test after surviving a challenging period of fast bowling from the visitors, reports ANDRE HUISAMEN at Newlands.
Stuart Broad and James Anderson were causing the Proteas batsmen real difficulty from the Kelvin Grove end during the first session, but the hosts managed to weather the testing bowling onslaught after lunch with a 50-run partnership between Dean Elgar and Rassie van der Dussen, which turned the momentum slightly in South Africa’s favour during the middle session.
Elgar looked composed and focused from the start and continued with the same attacking approach after lunch, which guided him to a solid 14th Test half-century.
Broad thought he had his third scalp of the innings, though, when Van der Dussen became another right-handed victim to edge the seamer to the slips, but replays showed the tall Englishman was guilty of overstepping. It handed Van der Dussen a much-needed lifeline which he would go on to capitalise on.
New magazine issue: Why De Kock must bat at four
Elgar adopted a more conservative route, ticking along at a steady pace while, at the other end, Van der Dussen began to make it difficult for the bowlers on what has become a very flat deck.
The pair took their partnership past the 100-run mark shortly before tea and will continue into the final session of the day with Elgar on 77 and Van der Dussen on 46.
The dangers of being 60-3 at lunch seemed a long time ago.
South Africa: Pieter Malan, Dean Elgar, Zubayr Hamza, Faf du Plessis (c), Rassie van der Dussen, Quinton de Kock (wk), Dwaine Pretorius, Vernon Philander, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje.
England: Dominic Sibley, Zak Crawley, Joe Denly, Joe Root (c), Ben Stokes, Ollie Pope, Jos Buttler (wk), Sam Curran, Dominic Bess, Stuart Broad, James Anderson.
