Morkel grabs four wickets, England bowled out for 303

By Mark Gleeson

DURBAN (Reuters) – Morne Morkel took four wickets but England put up a defiant last wicket stand before being bowled out for 303 at lunch on the second day of the first test against South Africa at Kingsmead on Sunday. The tall paceman claimed the wickets of Ben Stokes, Nick Compton, Moeen Ali and Chris Woakes, out first ball, in a hostile spell of bowling as the sun came out after a rain-affected first day in which England had scored 179 for four. Kyle Abbott and Dale Steyn claimed the other wickets on Sunday but Stuart Broad (32 not out) partnered Steven Finn (12) to add 36 runs for the last wicket.

England added 124 runs to their overnight tally for the loss of six wickets on a slow track at Kingsmead.

Stokes went first, trying to pull to midwicket but skying the ball to JP Duminy at gully for 21 after coming out in positive fashion to counter the slow-scoring rate of Compton, who was 69 overnight. The Durban-born Compton, picked at number three for England in his first test in two years, played a circumspect and one-paced innings but went out to an uncharacteristically rash shot after he and Jonny Bairstow had scored brisk 29 runs in six overs after the new ball was taken. Morkel forced Compton into trying to pull a bouncer and he got an under edge through to wicketkeeper AB de Villiers. The batsman walked before the umpire had to make a decision, having scored 85 off 236 balls with just eight boundaries.

Ali followed in Morkel’s next over as he was caught behind and Woakes was out next ball with a leg before wicket decision upheld after review. Broad almost got a nick for Morkel’s hat trick ball after flashing at a fast delivery.

Bairstow, who had been aggressive on a spongy track, got a thick edge off Abbott and was well caught at slip by Dean Elgar for the ninth wicket. He scored 41. Play started 30 minutes early to make up for lost time on the first day and was extended by a further half hour with England nine down at the scheduled lunch break.

England eventually folded when Steyn trapped Finn leg before to return figures of 4-70.

(Editing by Amlan Chakraborty)