South Africa completed a much-needed victory on Sunday as they ran through England’s batting lineup in two sessions on Day 4 to win the first Test by 107 runs at Centurion and take a 1-0 lead in the 4-match series. The win even broke a run of five successive defeats in Test cricket for South Africa.
This waꦿs also the first win for the Proteas in the ongoing ICC World Test Championship out of the four matches played 🙈by them this year.
Brief scores: South Africa 284 (Quinton de Kock 95; Sam Curran 4-58) & 272 (Rassie van der Dussen 51; Jofra Archer 5-102) lead England 181 (Vernon Philander 4-16) & 268 (Rory Burns 84; Kagiso Rabada 4-103) by 205 runs.
Here are some of the best reactions:
Given everything that's occured in South African cricket recently; that's a heck of a victory, .
— Ian Raphael Bishop (@irbishi)
Yessss boys.. great start to the sumꦯmer. Well done and team..
— JP Duminy (@jpduminy21)
//twitter.com/hershybru/stat𒅌us/1211266533197938688
Lovely to watch this!
Proper Gas from & 🔥🔥🔥
— Tabraiz Shamsi (@shamsi90)
There are two ways to get wickets on this Supersport pitch – the disciplined way at low RPO and the short ball high RPO way. England chose the wrong one and it cost them.
— Jacques Rudolph (@Jacques_Rudolph)
Have England forgot🍰ten how to play test cricket 😳 or is it the leadership????
— Tino95 (@tinobest)
The Aussies are playing Great cricket .. I am here in Oz till ear🀅ly Feb .. England are losing again in Test cricket .. This is going to be a long few weeks unless they improve very very quickly .. !!!!
— Michael Vaughan (@MichaelVaughan)
💯Been so impressed with Anrich Nortje. Hope English cricket keeps its sinful mitts off him.✨
— Vithushan Ehantharajah (@Vitu_E)
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 wit🍌hout a loss in a series: 2-0 vs SಞL at home in 2016 and 3-0 vs SL in Sri Lanka in 2018/19.
— Deepu Narayanan (@deeputalks)
SA WIN the first Test by 107 runs!
Inspired & outstanding new ballಌ bowling from KG Rabada & Anrich Nortje!
Sꦅpecial debuts for Rassie & Pretorius. Th♓is was 🔥
SA 1-0 up with the next 💝Test at my beloved Newlands on Friday
— ThePoppingCrease (@PoppingCreaseSA)
South Africa ending a miserable cricketing year on a positive.
Band playing, stands singing, and a team winning.
It's been a long, long time since they won a cricket game of consequence.
The fat lady had now cleared her throat, ready to unleash Shosholoza.
Or Kaptein!— Squinting Quarantino (@whamzam17)
After five consecutive defeats, South Africa secu♈re their first victory in Test cricket for 11 months.
— Wisden (@WisdenCricket)
That was fun 🇿🇦🔥
— Lerato Zondi (@leratomalekutu)
15 Kolpak players in County cricket.
19 other South 🃏African-born players withꦿ UK/EU passports in County cricket.Result – South Africa beat England by 107 runs
— Saj Sadiq (@SajSadiqCricket)
