Even Stevens as England end Day 1 on 260/6

Kagiso Rabada took the important wicket of Ben Stokes late on the first day as South Africa kept England to 260 for 6 in the fourth and final Test at Old Trafford on Friday (August 4).

Stokes revived the innings from a precarious position, but Rabada struck with the new ball in the penultimate over of the day when a full-length delivery snaked through to hit the stumps and bowled the left-hand batsman for 58.

Rabada finished the day with 2 for 52 in 18 overs, with Jonny Bairstow on 33 not out and Toby Roland-Jones, the night watchman, on nought.

Joe Root, England’s Test captain, made a half-century but was out soon after for 52.

England was unchanged from the side that triumphed in the third Test at The Oval to take a 2-1 lead in the four-match series, but South Africa recalled Duanne Olivier and Theunis de Bruyn after Vernon Philander and Chris Morris were both ruled out with lower back strains.

Root again won the toss and batted, but Keaton Jennings fell for 17. Jennings, under pressure after just one half-century in nine Test innings after a century on debut against India in December, was caught behind by Quinton de Kock off Olivier.

Alastair Cook (46) and Tom Westley (29) both fell after lunch with England on 92. Cook got a thin edge driving at Keshav Maharaj and was caught behind. Westley nicked a good-length Rabada ball, with de Kock holding a superb diving catch for his 100th Test dismissal.

Dawid Malan was looking for a big score after managing just 11 runs during his Test debut at The Oval, but Morne Morkel saw off the left-hander when he edged a drive to Faf du Plessis at second slip.

Olivier was then the beneficiary of a misjudgment by Root, who was out lbw to end a 101-ball stay. During his innings, Root became the third youngest player after Sachin Tendulkar (25 years and 301 days) and Cook (26 years and 10 days) to score 5000 Test runs.

Stokes completed an 89-ball half-century after that before Rabada's late strike.