• Burns’ unbeaten 77 leaves England needing 255 for miracle win
England’s highest opening partnership for three years, 92, allowed the travelling faithful to dream. But are two cricketing miracles really possible within six months? After South Africa were finally bowled out for 272 on a pitch that is supposed to be deteriorating, England were set 376 to win.
“Surely not possible” mumbled the sages and statisticians. England have a team ravaged by the most obstinate of bugs; they have been scrappy in the field, where some of their strategies have been strange on a surface where any self-respecting pace bowler fancies his chances. They were required to pursue the highest score of the match here, where it was rumoured the South Africa hierarchy was beaming when Joe Root chose to bowl on the first morning.
Written by Vic Marks at Centurion
This news first appeared on https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2019/dec/28/south-africa-england-first-test-day-three-match-report under the title “Rory Burns rumbles South Africa to keep England’s first Test hopes alive”. Bolchha Nepal is not responsible or affiliated towards the opinion expressed in this news article.
