The South Africans thrash England by 340 runs in the second test at Trent bridge and level the four-match series 1-1. Vernon Philander was the main wrecker of England with his fine all-round bowling effort. England, which were chasing 474 runs for victory, collapsed to 133 all out on the fourth day.
Man-of-the-match Philander took three wickets for 24 runs in 10 overs, including an early double strike. That gave him five wickets in total in a match where he also made scores of 54 and 42 with the bat. No England batsman made a 50 in the second innings where former captain Alastair Cook's 42 was the top score.
The more immediate task for England on Monday was to see if they could at least keep South Africa in the field. They failed miserably, the hosts bowled out in 44.2 overs despite South Africa being without Kagiso Rabada after the fast bowler was suspended for swearing at England's Ben Stokes at Lord's.
For England captain Joe Root this chastening defeat, the hosts' first loss in eight Tests at Trent Bridge, was in marked contrast to his first match as skipper at Lord's. “We weren't good enough with the bat for the whole game,” he said. England resumed with Cook and fellow left-handed opener Jennings both unbeaten on nought. Philander, renowned for his ability to move the ball at a lively fast-medium pace, had a wicket with just his fifth ball on Monday. South Africa-born Jennings (three) was undone by a nip back delivery that uprooted his off stump. Gary Ballance, in his third stint of Test cricket and under huge pressure for his place, was then lbw to Philander on review for four.
Philander had taken two for eight in 19 balls, with Root once more coming in after a top-order slump. Root had made 190 in his first innings as captain at Lord's and top-scored with 78 in their first innings 205 this match. But he fell cheaply on Monday, Chris Morris producing an excellent yorker to knock over the Yorkshireman's off-stump.
Cook's innings ended when he was beaten for pace by a well-directed Morris bouncer and gloved down the legside, where wicket-keeper Quinton de Kock held a fine catch. England lost their last three wickets on 133, paceman Duanne Olivier ending the match when he dismissed Mark Wood and James Anderson with successive deliveries. The series will continue at The Oval on July 27.
