RSA VS ENG - 1st Test, England tour of South Africa, 2019-20

So South Africa finally open their WTC account. It needed the familiar comforts of home and a suport staff of greats to infuse some life and spine into these men. It was fun bringing you this over these last four days, as was all through 2019, and this is Vineet Anantharaman signing off on behalf of Akshay Maanay, Varun Dixit and our scorer, Sreenivas. Until Cape Town on the other side of the calendar and hopefully a way to drop-in this pitch out there, ta ta!!

Stats brought to you by Deepu Narayanan and Shashikant Singh

First Test result for England's last six away series
Lost to Aus by 10 wkts, Brisbane, 2017/18
Lost to NZ by inngs & 49 runs, Auckland, 2017/18
Beat SL by 211 runs, Galle, 2018/19
Lost to WI by 381 runs, Bridgetown, 2018/19
Lost to NZ by inngs & 65 runs, Mount Maunganui, 2019/20
Lost to SA by 107 runs, Centurion, 2019/20

South Africa's last Six Test at Centurion
Won by inns & 220 runs v WI, 2014
Won by 280 runs v ENG, 2016
Won by 204 runs v NZ, 2016
Won by 135 runs v IND, 2018
Won by 6 wkts v PAK, 2019
Won by 107 runs v ENG, 2019**

England at Centurion
Draw 1995
Won 2000
Draw 2005
Draw 2009
Lost 2016
Lost 2019

H2H in Boxing Day Test
Tests 7
ENG 3
RSA 1
Draw 3

- This is England's 23rd series (2+ Tests) since the start of Ashes 2013/14 - they have lost at least one Test in 21 of these. The two instances they managed without a loss in a series: 2-0 vs SL at home in 2016 and 3-0 vs SL in Sri Lanka in 2018/19.

- Sixth consecutive win for South Africa at Centurion.

- First time South Africa defeated England in a Boxing Day Test.

Quinton de Kock | MoM: In the situation when I walked out, I had to understand how to go about my things. It was nice to go out there and contribute for the team and take them over the line. [On the thoughts in his head when on 95] To be honest, I kept thinking that I had to leave the ball well. My mind was doing all sorts of things. [His second innings approach] Jofra was coming in hard and I had to find a way to counter that. I thought the best way was to go after him and worked it out then and there. I have to keep my fingers fit; it's just another day in my life and I have to get up in the morning and make sure they aren't sore.

Faf du Plessis | Winning skipper: We need this. Obviously the last couple of months have been tough for us in Tests. It was a very good Test match, both sides fighting hard till the end. Everyone's happy, we haven't won in a while. It is a start of a new chapter, we want to get to better things and we need to make sure we keep working hard. The bowling in the whole Test match was really good. I thought on day one and two there was the most for the bowlers. When the clouds came in yesterday, it slowed down and became really good for batting over the last two days. To keep England to 2.6 (run-rate) meant that we were very accurate with the ball. I thought Nortje was very good, you obviously expect it from KG. He has great pace, but he showed great control. We have lost quite a few bowlers and with Vernon deciding to step away to greener pastures means that we need people stepping up with the ball. I get really happy with the guys like Rassie with the bat. A lot of emotions go through with the first Test and we as a group want to share it with them.

Joe Root | Losing skipper: Yes it has been a really tough week off the field. About ten guys go down ill and credit to everyone, they stood up and at no stage they let anyone down. It's not been long since we've seen similar chases from a similar group. When Stokes and me were batting the equation was similar to that at Headingley. The first innings collapse was where the game was lost, but it was pleasing to see the fight in the second innings. You are wiser after the toss, it was probably an opportunity missed but South Africa played really well. We can prepare really well and bounce back hard. Archer is a huge talent, we know the impact he can have on a game. It was great to see his response after a difficult tour of New Zealand. A lot was thrown at him and it was nice to see him come back hard.

When a target of 376 is set on a spicy pitch, you just don't expect it to go this deep. But such are England. They are a new Pakistan. If only they could show some of this steel in their first innings. If only they could find a way to not compulsively keep flirting outside off. If only they could spend some time out there and let their bowlers catch a proper break. If only they find a way to come out of their quarantine and pass on that damn viral bug to Rabada. But take nothing away from South Africa. It would've been easy for them to overdo the short ploy, especially given what Archer did to them. But no, they stuck to their basics, stayed attritional, nagged around. And it only so coincidentally happened that the second new ball came at the perfect dicey time for England, and blew them away.

14:50 Local Time: Yea, a 107-run win, and again, these scorecards prove why they're so absolutely useless in telling a story. England were sinking, the shore just couldn't be seen, and their batsmen kept keeping themselves afloat by making palm cups and scooping the water out. But they were sinking; and the lifeboat never came. And the second new ball was the iceberg. Alas, Headingley just can't be churned out everyday. 1-0. South Africa seem really happy, with some rather uncharacteristically over the top celebrations, and that tells you how much they've missed winning. Centurion reminds them ..

Rabada to Broad, out Bowled!! Bulls eye. And South Africa turn a new chapter post their LLLLL. Rabada after doing everything with a short one, a shorter one and then a wide one does what he should've done all along -- nail the yorker on middle. Broad's backing away big, and then is a week late in jamming his bat down. That's how you put people out of their misery. Timber. Celebrations. Elation. Broad b Rabada 6(6)

Rabada to Broad, THATS OUT!! Bowled!!

Nishchay: "And with that wicket, Nortje has his revenge on Archer."

Rabada to Broad, 2 runs, chipped just over the mid-wicket leap. Broad walks fully across his stumps now, getting behind this wide yorker to flick it uppishly, and Maharaj's stretch is no good

Rabada to Broad, 2 runs, 140kph, an ugly jump away in trying to make room to cut. But ends up getting cramped then, under-chopping past his stumps, past his keeper

Rabada to Broad, 2 runs, 141kph, a foot-clearing big heave ho. Yes, it's the final over of the T20, miscued over mid-wicket

James Anderson, left handed bat, comes to the crease