Anderson, Bairstow give England control

James Anderson took four wickets to give England a firm control on the fourth and final Test against South Africa on Saturday (August 5). South Africa suffered due to lack of substantial partnerships and could only reach 220 for 9, still 142 behind England's 362, by stumps on the second day.

Bowling from the newly-named James Anderson end, Anderson claimed 3 for 6 in 24 deliveries to reduce South Africa to 146 for 6. But its tail-end batsmen rode their luck with the last three wickets to fall adding 74 runs to the total.

In the morning, Jonny Bairstow was out for 99 after adding 50 for the last wicket with Anderson, as England made 362 in its first innings.

Anderson needed just three deliveries to provide a breakthrough, as he trapped Dean Elgar, fresh from a hundred in South Africa's 239-run defeat in the third Test at The Oval, for a duck in the first over.

Hashim Amla briefly resisted with a stylish 30, but for the third time in as many innings, he fell to Toby Roland-Jones. Amla glanced Roland-Jones off his pads for four only to be dismissed next ball when, trying to play a similar shot, he was caught down the legside by Bairstow.

After Heino Kuhn, the other opener, edged Moeen Ali's off-spin to slip, Anderson got to business. Temba Bavuma battled hard for 46 and was bowled playing no stroke, Faf du Plessis inside-edged on to his stumps and Theunis de Bruyn was caught at second slip. Anderson finished the day with figures of 4 for 33 in 15 overs.

When Keshav Maharaj fell lbw to Moeen and Quinton de Kock edged Stuart Broad behind, South Africa was in danger of being bowled out earlier than close. But Kagiso Rabada and Morne Morkel counter-attacked during their 31-run ninth-wicket stand to take South Africa past 200. Their resistance ended when Rabada was brilliantly caught by Ben Stokes at gully, off Broad in what turned out to be the final ball of the day.

Earlier, Bairstow made a brilliant 99 after resuming on 33 not out in England's overnight total of 260 for 6. Dropped on 53 by de Kock, Bairstow faced 145 balls with 14 fours and a six.

But having come through a tight review for a slip catch on 33 on Friday, Bairstow fell one run short of what would have been his fourth Test century when he missed a sweep and was lbw to Maharaj.

England leads this four-match series 2-1.