Hales fails again after bowlers thrive

England's bowlers enjoyed a productive work-out on the second day at Senwes Park but Alex Hales missed a second opportunity to make his case at opener. Hales, who is at the head of the queue to become Alastair Cook's eighth Test opening partner since the retirement of Andrew Strauss, made another underwhelming contribution, although the stand did reach double figures on this occasion.

Hales was uncharacteristically subdued in grafting for 8 off 42 balls - the same number of runs he made in the first innings - before playing on to his stumps trying to defend off the back foot. Cook was far more fluent during a partnership of 46 but he followed Hales back to the dressing room an over later, for 37 off 47 balls with seven fours, after playing around a straight delivery from Andile Phehlukwayo.

Cook would doubtless have preferred a longer stint in the middle but he could reflect with satisfaction on England's earlier efforts with the ball. Stuart Broad took 3 for 18 and all of the seamers bar James Anderson - who only bowled four overs during the afternoon - were among the wickets as the SA Invitational XI were dismissed for 188.

Mark Footitt was a touch wild and woolly on his first appearance in an England shirt, taking 2 for 52 from 12 overs. Ben Stokes also picked up two wickets as his comeback from injury continued to go well, and Moeen Ali produced tidy figures with his offspin, while also accounting for SA XI top-scorer, Heinrich Klaasen.

Centuries from Stokes and James Taylor on the first day had already put England in charge and they opted for further batting practice during the final session.

Nick Compton followed up his first-innings half-century at No. 3 by making 15 before chipping to long-off and his dismissal allowed Gary Ballance - another batsman returning to the England fold - some time at the crease. Alongside Joe Root, he helped the tourists to 99 for 3 and a lead of 381 with one day left in the game.

After Cook had declared England's first innings on their overnight score of 470 for 5, Broad struck with the fourth ball of the morning, Aiden Markram edging to first slip. Broad also removed Luthando Mnyanda in his fourth over, a thick inside edge helping to uproot off stump, and was then given a rest until just before tea, when he returned to end a last-wicket stand of 51 between Thandolwethu Mnyaka and Johannes Diseko.

Left-armer Footitt is generally regarded as one of the fastest bowlers around the county circuit and he began at full tilt. SA XI opener Simon Khomari, also a lefty, found the pace to his liking and struck a boundary in each of Footitt's first three overs; when the bowler responded with a bouncer, it flew high and wide of wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow for four byes.

Despite the heat pushing up towards 35C, Cook kept Footitt on for a six-over spell and he finally hit his mark with the penultimate ball before the drinks break, sliding a delivery across the right-handed Zubayr Hamza to take the edge, Bairstow completing a low catch to his right. In Footitt's second spell, Klaasen took him for three fours in an over, as runs continued to flow, but another breakthrough followed soon after as Qaasim Adams was adjudged lbw.

Klaasen and Adams had helped repair some of the damage done during the morning session, after the SA XI had slipped to 56 for 5. Chris Woakes, seemingly contesting the third seamer slot for the Durban Test with Footitt, removed Khomari with a back-of-a-length delivery that was quicker than it looked and Stokes had Somila Seyibokwe caught behind off the glove, also trying to pull.

Klaasen was the more aggressive during a 62-run stand but, after Adams' dismissal by Footitt, he fell two runs short of a half-century, edging a drive off Moeen to slip. Stokes picked up his second wicket, Phehlukwayo bowled attempting to leave, and Moeen deflected a shot from Mnyaka into the stumps at the non-striker's end to run out Ruben Claassen and leave the SA XI 137 for 9.