The Proteas will take a 205-run lead into day three after 15 wickets tumbled on day two of the second Test at Trent Bridge on Saturday. 

It was a phenomenal day for the bowlers of both sides, with the Proteas falling victim to great seam bowling from James Anderson in the first session.

The England opening bowler ended with figures of 5-78 in the first innings, as South Africa lost four wickets for 26 runs which restricted the Proteas to 335.

England’s first innings reply was as dismal as SA’s start to the day, as they lost Alastair Cook for three and Keaton Jennings for a duck.

Joe Root inspired the home-side’s recovery, picking up his 28th half-century in 40 balls as the hosts went into lunch on 85-2.

ALSO READ: Root’s quick 50 smothers Proteas’ early strikes

His partnership with Gary Ballance took the hosts from 3-2 (4.1) to 86-2 (18.1), but their 83-run partnership was ended by a superb in-swinging delivery from Vernon Philander, as Ballance nicked the ball onto his stumps.

Root managed to push his side close to the 150-run mark, but his strike rate of 102.63 got the better of him, as he went after a typical Morne Morkel delivery to find a thin edge into the safe gloves of a diving Quinton de Kock, with England on 143-4 one ball into the 30th over.

Faf du Plessis made a game-changing decision to bring in Keshav Maharaj, which turned the game in the Proteas’ favour as he took 2-13 to dismiss Ben Stokes for a 12-ball duck at 168-5, followed by him bowling Bairstow on 45 to stun England at 184-6 at tea.

ALSO READ: Maharaj throttles England by tea

Morris then teamed up with Maharaj to finish off England.

He took a double-wicket maiden in the 48th over, just five overs after the break, to send Moeen Ali (18) and Stuart Broad (0) packing, just one run shy of a team 200.

Maharaj took England’s ninth to dismiss Liam Dawson and end with 3-21, but it was Morris who wrapped up England’s innings to finish with figures of 3-38 as the hosts were toppled over for 205.

ALSO READ: Morris wipes out England for 205

South Africa had a solid start to their innings.

Despite Anderson taking his tally to 69 wickets at Trent Bridge with the dismissal of Heino Kuhn in the seventh over, Dean Elgar and Hashim Amla took charge to end on 38 and 23 runs respectively.

The Proteas finished day two on 75-1 with a lead of 205 going into day three.

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