Broad double strike rocks South Africa

DURBAN (Reuters) – Stuart Broad claimed two early wickets before South Africa reached tea on 55 for two in reply to England’s 303 on the second day of the first test at Kingsmead on Sunday.

Fast bowler Broad bowled Stiaan van Zyl with the second ball of the innings and had out-of-form South Africa captain Hashim Amla caught behind for seven.

Dean Elgar (22) and AB de Villiers (26) were the not out batsmen at the interval. Broad had also been the central figure before lunch with an unbeaten knock of 32 in a defiant last-wicket stand for England.

The second day in Durban tests are traditionally the preserve of batsmen but eight wickets fell in the first two sessions.

England could not have asked for a better start when Van Zyl, back in the side after being dropped, shouldered arms to a straight ball from Broad that took off the top of the bails.

Amla fell with the score on 14, squared up by Broad and caught by wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow.

England nearly claimed the prize wicket of De Villiers when he edged a delivery from Steven Finn to gully but television replays could not prove that the ball carried to Ben Stokes.

Morne Morkel took four wickets before lunch as England added 124 runs to their overnight tally for the loss of six wickets.

Nick Compton, 63 overnight,, was one of Morkel’s victims as he went out for 85, the top score of the innings.

Morkel also dismissed Stokes, Moeen Ali and Chris Woakes, out first ball, in a hostile spell as the sun came out after a rain-affected first day.

Dale Steyn took the last wicket to finish with the best figures of 4-70 while Bairstow enjoyed a brief cameo at number seven, striking 41 off 56 balls before getting a thick edge off Kyle Abbott that was caught at slip by Elgar.

(By Mark Gleeson, Editing by Ed Osmond)