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South Africa vs England: Why England cricket team players are wearing black armbands in Centurion Test

Hindustan Times, New Delhi | ByHT Correspondent
Dec 27, 2019 08:21 AM IST

South Africa were 79 for three at lunch, with James Anderson, Sam Curran and Stuart Broad taking a wicket apiece on Day 1 of the Centurion Test.

The England cricket team players wore black armbands during the first Test encounter against South Africa in honour of former bowler Bob Willis. Willis, who captained his country between 1982 and 1984, played in 90 Test matches with his most memorable performance taking eight for 43 in the Australian second innings of the third Ashes Test in 1981, died aged 70. Willis finished his Test career with 325 wickets, which puts him fourth on the all-time list of England wicket-takers behind James Anderson, Botham and Stuart Broad.

England dismissed South Africa’s first three batsmen after deciding to bowl on Day 1 of the encounter.

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South Africa were 79 for three at lunch, with James Anderson, Sam Curran and Stuart Broad taking a wicket apiece. Although England captain Joe Root said he wanted to take advantage of “live grass” on the pitch, having opted for an all-seam bowling attack, the first two wickets owed more to loose strokes than the conditions.

Anderson, who became the first specialist bowler to appear in 150 Tests, took a wicket with his first ball, a loosener down the leg side which Dean Elgar glanced to wicketkeeper Jos Buttler.

Aiden Markram hit four boundaries in an innings of 20 before flicking a ball from the left-armed Sam Curran to Jonny Bairstow at midwicket.

Hamza, playing in his third Test, looked good in making 39 before being squared up by Broad and edging a catch to Ben Stokes at second slip.

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All-rounder Stokes was in the England team even though his father, Ged, remained in a Johannesburg hospital with a serious illness. According to a team spokesman, there was no change to Ged Stokes’ condition, which was described as “stable” on Wednesday.

Three England players were ruled out because of illness - Ollie Pope, Chris Woakes and Jack Leach. All three remained “in quarantine” at the team hotel, according to the England spokesman. The South African team included two new caps in batsman Rassie van der Dussen and batting all-rounder Dwaine Pretorius.

(With agency inputs)

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