England’s pacer Robinson sparks SA collapse in third Test amid mourning
Robinson took 5-49 in 14 overs, his third five-wickets in an innings haul at this level and the best of the 28-year-old Sussex seamer’s 11-Test career, surpassing his 5-65 against India at Leeds last year
Ollie Robinson took his best figures for England as South Africa slumped to 118 all out in the third and deciding Test at the Oval on Saturday ater cricket paid its respects to Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II.
Robinson took 5-49 in 14 overs, his third five-wickets in an innings haul at this level and the best of the 28-year-old Sussex seamer’s 11-Test career, surpassing his 5-65 against India at Leeds last year.
He received excellent support from veteran England quick Stuart Broad, who took 4-41 as South Africa were bowled out in a mere 36.2 overs.
At tea, England were 84-2, a first-innings deficit of just 34 runs.
Ollie Pope was 38 not out on his Surrey home ground, with 32 of those runs coming in boundaries, while star batsman Joe Root was 23 not out -- his first double-figure score of the series.
Earlier, only two Proteas batsmen made it past 20, recalled quick Marco Jansen topscoring with 30 and Khaya Zondo, in his first Test innings, making 23.
Let-arm quick Jansen, unlucky to be dropped for the second Test at Old Trafford, where England won to level this three-match series at 1-1, then starred with the ball as he reduced the hosts to 43-2 by removing struggling openers Alex Lees (13) and Zak Crawley (five).
He bowled let-hander Lees between bat and then had Crawley plumb lbw during a return of 2-19 in six overs.
With the opening day washed out without a ball bowled and no play on Friday following the death of Britain’s longest-serving monarch on Thursday, concerns had been expressed as to whether the game could be completed inside three days.
But that ignored the fact that South Africa had thrashed England by an innings and 12 runs at Lord’s inside three days before the hosts needed a similar amount of time to win the second Test in Manchester by an innings and 85 runs.
Although there had been no play Thursday, the toss had taken place, with England captain Ben Stokes opting to bowl first and Saturday’s overcast conditions once more favoured the bowlers.
MINUTE’S SILENCE: Ater a minute’s silence had been observed in memory of the Queen, with the first rendition at a major sporting event of ‘God Save the King’ -- Britain’s now altered national anthem given Charles III is the new monarch, South Africa’s longstanding top-order trouble again became apparent.
The tone was set when South Africa captain Dean Elgar, his team’s most experienced batsman, was bowled between bat and pad for just one by a fine Robinson delivery.
England great James Anderson then had Sarel Erwee, Elgar’s opening partner, caught behind for a duck, with South Africa going on to lose four wickets inside the first hour’s play. Not long aterwards, they were 36-6.
But Zondo, who loted let-arm spinner Jack Leach’s third ball for a fine straight six, and Jansen doubled the score to 72-7.
Zondo, however, was out in the first over ater lunch, when he fended at a liting delivery from Broad to end a game stay of 57 balls.
Jansen, who hit four well-struck boundaries, was dropped twice in one Broad over. But the bowler had his revenge when the batsman edged a ball that moves off the seam to Root at first slip.
And it was Broad who ended the innings when last man Anrich Nortje was caught by Stokes at short cover.