Debutant Hardus Viljoen took the big wicket of Alastair Cook with his first ball as England went to lunch on 27-2.
Test careers don’t start much better than that, even if his first delivery in Test cricket was a loosener down the leg side. Cook decided to get something on it and managed a nick which led to a very good catch by Dane Vilas diving to his right.
Viljoen had to wait 10 overs before getting a bowl as AB de Villiers opted for Chris Morris and Kagiso Rabada to open the bowling. It was a somewhat strange decision as Morne Morkel, the experienced bowler in an otherwise inexperienced attack, had to wait to have a go.
Rabada was most threatening, beating the outside edge on a number of occasions before Alex Hales, without using his feet, just pushed at a full delivery to nick one to AB de Villiers at slip.
South Africa started much better with the ball than England did yesterday and bowled much fuller on a pitch which looks like it will reward bowlers who force batsmen to drive.
Viljoen had a good two overs before lunch and looked as threatening as Rabada, one of his deliveries clocking 149.5 km/h on the speed gun.
The first session belonged to South Africa as their tail-enders added 46 runs to the overnight score of 267, enabling them to post a competitive 313 after Morris and Rabada shared a 56-run partnership and Viljoen and Morkel chipped in with a 32-run stand.
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Picture: Getty
