Published 15:40 IST, January 8th 2020
'What a pity' remarks Harsha Bhogle after Jos Butler sledges retiring Vernon Philander
Tense moments on the fifth day led to increased heat between players as Jos Butler and pacer Vernon Philander were involved in a heated exchange of words
In a nail-biting finish on Tuesday, England defeated South Africa in the second by 189 runs Test at Newlands to level the series. While England came out determined to grab a win on the last day of the match, South Africa looked equally focussed on beating around the bush and looking for a draw. However, once opener Dean Elgar and resilient Quinton de Kock departed, a collapse of the Proteas batting followed.
Butler sledges Vernon Philander
Tense moments on the fifth day led to increased heat between the players too as England wicketkeeper Jos Butler and Proteas pacer Vernon Philander were involved in a heated exchange of words. As Butler received a throwdown from the field in the 127th over of the second innings, he foul-mouthed the veteran pacer and asked him to move out of his way. Butler's comments were caught on the stump-mic which was soon shared on social media.
Commentator and cricket analyst, Harsha Bhogle labelled the incident as a pity while netizens stated that they had lost respect for the English wicketkeeper after the incident. Here are a few of the comments:
England pace attack overpowers Proteas batsmen
Kagiso Rabada and company put England under tremendous pressure in the first innings as the English were bundled up for a mere 269. Dean Elgar put on a stunning display of batting but unfortunately missed out on a deserving century as the Proteas were bowled out for 223. The English batsmen then came strong at South Africa as debutant Dominic Sibley notched up his maiden century.
Skipper Joe Root also scored a half-century while Ben Stokes' fiery 72 helped England post a target of 439. With just a day to go, South Africa looked to draw the match instead of chasing the total. However, resilient fights from Pieter Malan and Quinton de Kock weren't enough in front of the English pace attack. As a result, England won the match by 189 runs and levelled the series 1-1.
Updated 15:40 IST, January 8th 2020