South Africa vs England, 2nd Test at Cape Town, Jan 02 2016, England tour of South Africa

RESULT
2nd Test, Cape Town, January 02 - 06, 2016, England tour of South Africa
629/6d & 159/6

Match drawn

Player Of The Match
258, 1/100 & 26
ben-stokes
Match centre 
Scores: M Venkat Raghav | Comms: Andrew Miller
Scorecard summary
England 629/6(125.5 overs)
1st INNINGS
258 (198)
3/175 (29.5)
150* (191)
1/114 (29)
South Africa 627/7(211 overs)
1st INNINGS
201 (477)
2/94 (34)
102* (148)
2/132 (39)
England 159/6(65 overs)
2nd INNINGS
3/38 (18)
29 (29)
1/26 (16)
end of over 65Maiden
ENG: 159/6CRR: 2.44 
Jonny Bairstow30 (75b 2x4)
Moeen Ali10 (60b)
Dean Elgar 6-2-10-0
Dane Piedt 18-8-38-3

5.18pm So, that is that from Cape Town. Thanks for all your comments, it's been a fascinating five days. Have a read of David Hopps' match report, and listen out for Firdose and George's reports from the ground later today. From myself, Andrew Miller, and my sidekicks, Alan Gardner, Andrew McGlashan and Venkat Raghav, goodbye and see you in eight days' time, for the third Test at Johannesburg.

5pm All over Red Rover Match drawn. Nothing left to see here, but we'll loiter for the presentations ... coming up shortly.

Not entirely surprisingly, Ben Stokes has been named as Man of the Match. "When I started going we had a good score on the board so I thought me getting out here won't be the worst thing. I just went for my shots and it came off." Can't say fairer than that.

Here's Alastair Cook for a chat. "A little bit nervous," he admits of the final day. "South Africa bowled very well, it would have been a very disappointing end to the day if we couldn't bat out for the draw."

On Stokes' innings: "It was a pleasure and a privilege to watch. An 'I was There' moment."

Hashim Amla: "For us to claw our way back was a credit to our batters, a bit fortuitous but that's the way it goes."

"Nice to get some runs, the crowd in Cape Town is always exceptional."

On Bavuma: "An exceptional innings, always under pressure wiith people doubting his place. The team love the way he plays."

"In a four-Test series it is nice to peak at the right time ..."

Rob: "Has anyone noticed Bairstows breakthrough coincided with him growing a beard? Following on from Matt Prior is this now an essential prerequisite of being a successful England wicket-keeper?" Indubitably

4.55pm Hands have been shaken, it is surely game over now. Not official yet, because well, we wouldn't want to get ahead of ourselves.

4.40pm Firdose informs me that there is going to be an inspection at 5pm! Good grief.

In the meantime, I suspect if watching people avoiding puddles is your thing, you are better off watching this ...

4.38pm Donald Tendular: "586, 519, 520, 526, 556, 551...... sad to see 629 NOT joining that series...." Which list is that then? Is it this list?

4.29pm The umpires are wandering out to the middle to take a shuftie. We might yet have some news soon.

Grant: "Surely Amla's knock was more important that Bavuma's in saving South Africa?" From defeat, yes. From its history? Not quite as notable.

4.25pm Gah ... apparently the umpires don't have to call this off for another hour yet! Cricket is ludicrous sometimes. But suffice to say, there's not a lot of point in loitering, unless you've nothing better to be getting on with, of course ...

Mark: "Shouldn't matter about what colour Bavuma is, he has talent, so he's in the side, Stokes knock for MOTM all day long, just for its pure entertainment." Of course it shouldn't matter. Unfortunately South Africa's history means it matters more than we can ever truly know.

Jim: "(4.05pm) I've heard of cricketing siblings playing together but can Statsguru tell me if that's the only example of a Father, a Son and a Holy Ghost playing for the same team?"

4.15pm James: "Who do we give MoTM to? Stokes for ridiculousness or Bavuma for wider significance outside the sport? Or Hales for that magnificent economy rate I've heard about?" Man of the Match, Stokes. Man of the Moment, Bavuma.

James: "You'd have thought it wouldn't have rained if God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit were playing cricket. Unless, of course, they needed to bat out a draw."

Rob: "This test has shown the difference between the JB's for England. Jos B can be a murderous bat but is essentially one-dimensional. Jonny B, however, is a good enough batsman to play the situation. In this game he's played three ways - brisk in a support role to Ben Stokes, then full-on from 100-150, and now batting for time. Hope he will be a fixture in the team for the next 5 years." A fair point. Needs to work on his glovework, but definitely a fixture for now. And, as George Dobell has written, Buttler's skills may be better honed elsewhere ...

Burton DeWitt: "Honestly, the scorer should be Man of the Match." Very true. Three cheers for our invaluable sidekick, Venkat Raghav!

4.05pm The rain is getting a bit heavier now. It's fair to assume we've had our fill at Newlands.

James: "Alan, I believe it was Disraeli who coined the expression "lies, damned lies and statistics". I hadn't realised he was such a connoisseur of bowling economy rates! " Not only that, he captained and batted at 4 in a fictional cricket team drawn up by the great mathematician GH Hardy ... with Percy Fender and God the Father providing the middle-order humpty... yeah ... I daresay it was raining that day too.

4pm Nothing much to report other than dampness.

realthog: "Why the mockery of Alex Hales, bowler? He has by far the best economy rate of all the bowlers, on both sides." That, my friend, is why lies, damn lies and statistics exists as a phrase...

Mukesh: "There are lot of positives for South Africa, almost every batsman performed, bowlers did reasonably better than their England counterpart, leaving Stokes innings behind. Not sure if Stokes can do it again but Amla and SA, well don't bet against them." It's been a remarkable turnaround from the traumas of that second-day onslaught. Their issues haven't been completely resolved, but South Africa are back in business, with Steyn on course for a return in Johannesburg as well...

3.46pm Ho hum... it was fairly inevitable. Amla was keen to bowl Morne Morkel but the umpires have decreed the light to be too poor...

Handshakes in the middle, autographs on the boundary's edge. A largely terminal feel to this interlude, although there is still 45 minutes to go before the match can officially be called off

Andrew: "The test has died long live the test ..." That's the spirit. Three cheers for the Test. Hussah!

Mitch_A: "180 not out in total, Jonny Bairstow's average gets a nice boost from this test..." Indeed, both he and Stokes have hoisted their averages by five and a half runs or so in this match. from 28ish to 33ish

Frikkie: "I've been waxing lyrical about this test to my wife all week. I dare not tell her how it ended." You need to tell her. She'll find out anyway ...

Matt Warwick: "For a draw with an ignoble death by bad light, we've had some pretty memorable moments. Stokes' 258, Bairstow's maiden test ton, Amla's return to form, Bevuma's first hundred by a black South African. Admittedly all batsmens knocks, but a test match I'll remember for sure." So true. And don't forget Alex Hales' first spell of bowling in Test cricket. Actually, please do ...

64.6
Elgar to Bairstow, no run

blotted to midwicket

64.5
Elgar to Bairstow, no run

outside off, no stroke

Mukesh: "Killed sense or dead sense made no sense, could be termed as nonsense. Oh sense" Whatever. Too little happening for any sense to be required

64.4
Elgar to Bairstow, no run

blocked

64.3
Elgar to Bairstow, no run

on the back foot. Rapid over-rate now!

64.2
Elgar to Bairstow, no run

driven to cover

64.1
Elgar to Bairstow, no run

forward and blocked

It might be that the light is too grim for anything quicker than spin ... Elgar to continue

end of over 64Maiden
ENG: 159/6CRR: 2.48 
Moeen Ali10 (60b)
Jonny Bairstow30 (69b 2x4)
Dane Piedt 18-8-38-3
Dean Elgar 5-1-10-0
63.6
Piedt to Moeen Ali, no run

on the back foot, a touch quicker but same result

63.5
Piedt to Moeen Ali, no run

nudged out to point

63.4
Piedt to Moeen Ali, no run

this one keeps them interested but a fractional edge falls short

63.3
Piedt to Moeen Ali, no run

two slips in place but solid defence

Frank: "People..people...nothing is going to happen... 160 ahead, 4 wickets in hand, only 30 ish overs to go... neither team goes anywhere from here... SA should have tried harder on day 4..." Mark his words ... when it all kicks off again ...

63.2
Piedt to Moeen Ali, no run

solidly forward

63.1
Piedt to Moeen Ali, no run

defended

end of over 632 runs
ENG: 159/6CRR: 2.52 
Jonny Bairstow30 (69b 2x4)
Moeen Ali10 (54b)
Dean Elgar 5-1-10-0
Dane Piedt 17-7-38-3

Not yet, here's Piedt round the wicket

62.6
Elgar to Bairstow, no run

another over twirled away. Time for some speed, I reckon. England not being rattled by spin

62.5
Elgar to Bairstow, no run

forward and killed down the ground. In the already dead sense, rather than the murderous intent sense

62.4
Elgar to Bairstow, no run

a bit edgy, squirts through gully

62.3
Elgar to Bairstow, no run

tossed right up, above the eyeline, dips late, nice teaser

62.2
2
Elgar to Bairstow, 2 runs

punched through the off side off the back foot. Good gap-finding

62.1
Elgar to Bairstow, no run

blocked

end of over 62Maiden
ENG: 157/6CRR: 2.53 
Moeen Ali10 (54b)
Jonny Bairstow28 (63b 2x4)
Dane Piedt 17-7-38-3
Dean Elgar 4-1-8-0

MikeC: "Mike Holding explaining on air how he tried to explain cricket to a Danish fellow reminds me of trying to do similar to a German. After an elaborate explanation on the nuances of cricket he asked whether a own my horse or just rent one. I gave up after that..." You have to know when to hold 'em, and know when to fold 'em

61.6
Piedt to Moeen Ali, no run

tidy line, pitches off and straightens, Moeen is unmoved

61.5
Piedt to Moeen Ali, no run

lots of flight, watchfully forward

Best performances - batters
Spike Graph
Wagon Zone
BA Stokes
258 runs (198)
30 fours11 sixes
Productive shot
pull
62 runs
9 fours2 sixes
Control
89%
HM Amla
201 runs (477)
27 fours0 six
Productive shot
flick
61 runs
6 fours0 six
Control
95%
Best performances - bowlers
DL Piedt
O
18
M
8
R
38
W
3
ECO
2.11
FTYFGSGS
OFFLEG
RHB
1W
1W
LEGOFF
LHB
1W
K Rabada
O
29.5
M
2
R
175
W
3
ECO
5.86
FTYFGSGS
OFFLEG
RHB
1W
1W
LEGOFF
LHB
1W
Match details
Newlands, Cape Town
TossEngland, elected to bat first
Series
Season2015/16
Player Of The Match
Series resultEngland led the 4-match series 1-0
Match numberTest no. 2197
Hours of play (local time)10.30am start, Lunch 12.30-13.10, Tea 15.10-15.30, Close 17.30
Match days2,3,4,5,6 January 2016 - day (5-day match)
Test debut
Umpires
TV Umpire
Reserve Umpire
Match Referee