South Africa vs England, 2019-20: 1st Test, Day 4 – A first for South Africa against England, Domination of pacers, De Kock's achievement and more stats

South Africa took a 1-0 lead in the 4-match Test series against England as the visitors failed to put up a fight on 4th day after a good start in the big chase. England, who began the day on 121/1, moved to 204/3 with skipper Joe Root and Ben Stokes at the crease. Once Stokes got out, the inevitable happened for the English team who lost their last six wickets for 64 runs and were bowled out for 268 in the chase of 376. Joe Root scored 48 and was the only player to score 30+ runs on the 4th day for England.

All the statistical highlights from South Africa’s 107-run win in the Centurion Test against England:

A first Boxing Day Test win against England:

1 – This was the first instance of South Africa defeating England in a Test match that began on a Boxing Day. Across the six SA-ENG Test matches until 2018 which started on Boxing Day, the English team was victorious in three games while another three ended in a draw.

South Africa puts an end to their losing streak:

5 – South Africa brought an end to their 5-match losing streak in Test cricket. It was South Africa’s joint 3rd longest losing streak in the Test format. They lost the 2-match home series against Sri Lanka by 0-2 margin and the 3-match series in India by 0-3 margin.

Pacers’ domination:

38 – A total of 38 wickets went to the fast bowlers in this Test match; the joint 2nd most pace wickets in a Test match hosted by South Africa. The last year’s South Africa-India Test in Johannesburg witnessed all 40 wickets going to the pacers while the fast bowlers accounted for 38 wickets in the 2006 Centurion Test played between South Africa and New Zealand.

A rare double by De Kock:

1 – Quinton de Kock became the first player with 100+ runs and 8+ fielding dismissals in the same Test match on two different instances. During the 2016 Centurion Test also against England, De Kock scored 129* and 9* in two innings and claimed 8 catches.

Seven other players have achieved the double of aggregating 100+ runs and affecting 8+ dismissals in the same Test match on one instance apiece.

Another 4th innings performance by Rabada:

4 – Kagiso Rabada now has four 4-wicket hauls during the 4th innings in Test cricket; the joint 2nd most by a South African. Dale Steyn leads the list with seven 4-fers while Nicky Boje, Makhaya Ntini, Vernon Philander and Hugh Tayfield took four 4-fers apiece during the 4th innings in Test cricket.

End of Root’s streak against South Africa:

1 – For the first time in his Test career, Joe Root has failed to record a fifty-plus score in a match against South Africa. He had at least one half-century in each of his previous eight Test matches against the Proteas. Neil Harvey (9) is the only player to have recorded 50+ scores in more consecutive Tests against South Africa than Root.

Losing even after taking 20 wickets:

5 – Only the 5th time England have lost a Test match where their pacers accounted for 20 wickets. The last of the previous four such Tests was the 2003 Leeds Test also against South Africa.

2 – Only two teams since 2009 have lost a Test match after picking up 20 wickets through their fast bowlers. South Africa is the other such team to lose a Test with 20 pace wickets since 2009 – against India in Johannesburg Test in 2018.