Second Test: England v South Africa, Nottingham, July 14-18

[alfie]

SA have done well to get through the pre-lunch session for just one wicket. Didn't look particularly comfortable but Kuhn was solid and Amla has got a start.
Anderson bowled well to the left hander and deserved the wicket...great catch by Dawson . Perhaps that's why they pick him

Since lunch England have already squandered their second review - though in fairness it looked , live at least , a much better shout than the daft Stokes try earlier.

Pitch looks on the slow side. I see both teams are bowler heavy - who knows ? They might need them in the coming days.But I think there's enough there today for the bowlers to fancy one wicket might bring a clatter...

[rich1uk]

am interested to see the hawkeye graphic of how mnay deliveries would actually be hitting the stumps today as they have bowled too short all day

[sussexpob]

Having Dawson in the team on this surface seems bonkers.

[alfie]

Nicely bowled by Broad ...inside edge does the rest and we will see de Kock in his new spot at four : don't think he will be too passive so this might get interesting...

[sussexpob]

Nicely bowled by Broad ...inside edge does the rest and we will see de Kock in his new spot at four : don't think he will be too passive so this might get interesting...

Right move, cant bury a guy with his average so low in a team desperate for quality with the bat.

[alfie]

Amla starting to look pretty good . Played some nice drives and cover punches ; wouldn't surprise me if he got a big one today.
England will be keen to get de Kock early....Anderson has perhaps three more in this spell and might present the best chance of doing so.

[rich1uk]

Nicely bowled by Broad ...inside edge does the rest and we will see de Kock in his new spot at four : don't think he will be too passive so this might get interesting...

Right move, cant bury a guy with his average so low in a team desperate for quality with the bat.

de Kock was too low at #7 but still surprised he is coming in ahead of du Plessis in this situation and these conditions

[alfie]

Yes I'd have thought five after du Plessis was the more natural placement : but perhaps they fancy his aggression early , among mainly more steady players. If he gets through this Broad/Anderson spell he might indeed be able to collect some quick runs. At 97/2 SA aren't badly placed.

The batting does look a bit short ; Philander and Morris can handle a bat but still...

[alfie]

Spin introduced - I like this. Wood at one end fine ; but Stokes looked a bit off the boil earlier and a bit of variety now might be worth a try.
Interesting that it is Dawson Root has turned to first. With the left hander in I'd have thought it might have been Moeen.

[mikesiva]

Kuhn out for 34. So, he's scored 44 runs from three Test innings at an average of 15. I know it's early days, and he needs a run, but at 33, his time span will probably be as long as the guy he replaced - Stephen Cook. If this is the best of the cupboard, you can see why Duminy had such a long run in the side. Yes, a Test average of about 33 might seem mediocre, but if your replacements are Kuhn and de Bruyne, who are both yet to notch up a half-century, then Duminy was not really keeping a talented batsman out of the side. I hope they both prove me wrong, but I'm not holding my breath....

Amla gets his half-century.

[rich1uk]

Warne doesn't suit the beard

[alfie]

This partnership going well - de Kock , as expected , got the scoreboard ticking quickly ; and Root will have some thinking to do here. With his main two bowlers spelling there doesn't look a lot of threat - though I'm a little surprised Moeen hasn't had a try yet.

[alfie]

That was close ! Would have been "interesting" if Cook had gathered that ball as we could have seen one of those TV analyses trying to see if it had carried or not...
Amla plays with such soft hands the ball tends to die when he edges it . But the first semblance of a chance we've seen recently ...might encourage Stokes.

[alfie]

Moeen at last - that will please Warne

He isn't going to get the help he got at Lord's ; but it is still worth giving him a shot at them. I'm sure de Kock will not want to let him settle so there is the chance of an error...

[Arthur Crabtree]

Looks like SA justifying their decision to bat first.

Not much there for Dawson on a first day pitch.

Brightening up where I am.