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SOUTH AFRICA lost three wickets for just five runs in the second session against England at Newlands yesterday with Hashim Amla (201), Faf du Plessis (86) and Quinton de Kock (5) falling.

The good news for the home side was that Temba Bavuma (52*) got them quickly back on track with a 52-ball half century while he was ably supported by Chris Morris (24*) at the other end.

At tea the Proteas were 525/6, just 104 runs behind.

It was the third new ball – taken immediately after the lunch break – that did the trick for England.

The trouble started in the fourth over after lunch, when Hashim Amla was given yet another chance by the visitors.

The Proteas captain had already been dropped three times in his innings (if you include Joe Root running circles around the one Amla had mishit of Moeen Ali just before tea) and he was give another lifeline by James Taylor at short leg.

It was another difficult chance, but that didn’t leave Stuart Broad feeling any better.

But this time Amla could not cash in, and Broad had his man five balls later with a gem of a delivery that nipped back and brushed Amla’s inside edge before cannoning into the stumps.

Just three balls later, at the other end, Faf du Plessis was gone after he edged James Anderson to the slips where Ben Stokes made no mistake.

That brought Quinton de Kock to the wicket, and with Temba Bavuma having not faced a ball at the other end, the Proteas had to start again.

But De Kock, looking to be positive, could not resist a short one from Broad.

It was a shot that De Kock really shouldn’t have gone after – it was simply to high up by the time it had got to him – and when he found Anderson at square leg South Africa 449/6.

At that stage, they had lost three wickets for five runs and were still 180 behind.

Chris Morris joined Bavuma, who was still yet to score, and together they gave South Africa exactly the injection they needed.

They raced to their 50 partnership off just 48 balls, and at tea had put on 76 for the seventh wicket.

Bavuma, in particular, was playing some delightful shots – both when being bombarded with the short stuff and when the England attack overpitched.

The Highveld Lions man raced to his 50 off just 52 balls, hitting 11 boundaries along the way – as many as Du Plessis had scored in his 312 minute stay at the crease. — Sport24