Dean Elgar holds firm after Hashim Amla blow

London: South Africa captain Dean Elgar showed he too could lead from the front as he dug in to make an unbeaten fifty on the second day of the first Test against England at Lord’s, here on Friday.

But the Proteas lost star batsman Hashim Amla for 29 and at tea were 96/2 in reply to England’s first innings 458 — a deficit of 362 runs.

Elgar was 54 not out and J.P. Duminy eight not out. Both Elgar and England skipper Joe Root, who made a commanding 190 earlier on Friday, were leading their respective countries in a Test for the first time. But Elgar’s appointment appears to be temporary given regular Proteas captain Faf du Plessis is expected to be back for next week’s second Test of this four-Test series in Nottingham, after missing the opener to be with his wife following the birth of their first child.

Stuart Broad, who’d earlier frustrated South Africa with an unbeaten 57, had Test debutant Heino Kuhn out for just one when the 33-year-old opener edged to former captain Alastair Cook at first slip.

Scorecard
England (1st Innings): A. Cook c de Kock b Philander 3, K. Jennings lbw b Philander 8, G. Ballance lbw b Morkel 20, J. Root c de Kock b Morkel 190, J. Bairstow lbw b Philander 10, B. Stokes c de Kock b Rabada 56, M. Ali b Rabada 87, L. Dawson lbw b Morkel 0, S. Broad (not out) 57, M. Wood lbw b Rabada 0, J. Anderson c de Kock b Morkel 12. Extras:  (lb2, nb13) 15. Total: (in 105.3 overs) 458.

FoW: 1-14, 2-17, 3-49, 4-76, 5-190, 6-367, 7- 367, 8-413, 9-413.

Bowling: Morkel 25.3-2-115-4, Philander 20-3-67-3, Rabada 28-4-123-3, Maharaj 22-1-107-0, De Bruyn 5-1-30-0, Bavuma 5-0-14-0.

South Africa (1st Innings): D Elgar (batting) 54, H. Kuhn c Cook b Broad 1, H. Amla lbw b Ali 29 JP Duminy (batting) 8. Extras (lb3, nb1) 4. Total: (for 2 wkts, in 32 overs) 96.

FoW: 1-10, 2-82.

Bowling: Anderson 5-1-13-0, Broad 6-3-8-1, Wood 7-2-19-0, Dawson 4-0-29-0, Ali 5-3-9-1, Stokes 5-1-15-0.