SA vs ENG 3rd Test: Ben Stokes again becomes England’s ‘troubleshooter’, along with Oli Pope

SA vs ENG 3rd Test
SA vs ENG 3rd Test

Ben Stokes, who was selected as the best cricketer of the year by the International Cricket Council (ICC), survived three ‘reviews’ of South Africa on the first day of the third Test cricket (South Africa vs England, 3rd Test) here Together with (Ollie Pope) brought England in good condition. England had scored 224 for four by the end of the first day’s play. South Africa kept their upper hand heavy for some time during the middle game but Stokes (38 not out) and Pope (39 not out) finally put England in a good position on a flat pitch.

 These two have so far shared 76 runs. England had scored 117 runs for two wickets in 58 overs before tea, but after that, both of them accelerated the run pace slightly. Jacques Crowley (44) and Dom Sibley (36) added 70 runs in 31 overs for the first wicket. Joe Denly scored 25 off 100 balls, while Joe Root scored 27 runs and was bowled by Kagiso Rabada. A day earlier, the ICC selected Stokes as the best cricketer of the year. He played a key role in helping England win the second Test match and getting the four-match series equal. Meanwhile, South Africa took ‘review’ three times against Stokes but each time the decision went in favor of this all-rounder.

From South Africa, fast bowler Rabada has so far achieved two wickets. Spinner Keshav Maharaj, an Indian-origin spin bowler, hit 30 consecutive overs. He has taken a wicket for 55 runs in 32 overs while Enrich Nortz also managed to take a wicket.