England vs South Africa LIVE: Cricket score from first Test at Lord’s after Zak Crawley wicket

‘Stokes ODI retirement is England’s gain in test cricket’ – Buttler

England’s Test cricket revolution continues with the first of a three-match series against South Africa getting underway at Lord’s this morning.

It’s been a wild start to life under Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes with a new fearless brand of cricket – labelled “Bazball” after their new coach – helping today’s hosts stop the rot after languishing during a run of just one victory in 17 Tests. Momentum seized, England secured memorable win after memorable win this summer and now face another tough test in the shape of the Proteas, who sit top of the World Test Championship table.

England go in with just one change from the side that stunned India last time out with wicketkeeper Ben Foakes returning after a bout of Covid in place of Sam Billings. James Anderson, Stuart Broad and Matthew Potts make up the pace attack with Ollie Robinson, who hasn’t played for his country since the final match of the Ashes in January, kept waiting for a recall. In-form Yorkshire batter Harry Brook also misses out.

Follow the latest score and over-by-over updates from what should be a fascinating first Test below.

Show latest update 1660736820 England 80-4, Pope 42 Stokes 10; South Africa yet to bat

22nd over: Stokes bunts a strong, straight bat and that’s four runs down the ground. Another four comes as Stokes times a beautiful stroke back past the bowler, and the England captain is taking the game to the impressive Marco Jansen.

Lawrence Ostlere17 August 2022 12:47

1660736590 England 71-4, Pope 41 Stokes 2; South Africa yet to bat

21st over: Rabada is back into the attack before lunch, taking over from Nortje. Pope picks up a couple driving through cover and a more fortunate single off an inside edge.

Lawrence Ostlere17 August 2022 12:43

1660736363 England 68-4, Pope 38 Stokes 2; South Africa yet to bat

20th over: Stokes tries to charge Jansen this time, and it’s a total air shot, the ball bouncing over the stumps. It is hard to see how the captain is going to score well here if he goes this aggressive all day, but we’ll see how he settles into the innings. He and Pope flick ones either side as Jansen’s radar goes a little awry this time.

Lawrence Ostlere17 August 2022 12:39

1660736126 England 64-4, Pope 37 Stokes 1; South Africa yet to bat

19th over: Pope is having fun against Nortje, this time uppercutting a short ball over the slips for four. I don’t want to speak to soon but he looks very comfortable out there against a threatening attack in tricky conditions. A single brings Stokes into the line of fire, and he picks up a single before Pope adds two more.

Lawrence Ostlere17 August 2022 12:35

1660735828 England 56-4, Pope 30 Stokes 0; South Africa yet to bat

18th over: Marco Jansen looks absolutely deadly. He may be famed for his height but it is the combination of height, bounce, accuracy and most importantly swing which is causing England so many problems. The ball is hooping in to Pope who can’t do much except play it late and hope. He survives a close lbw call with the thinnest of inside edges, before punching into the leg-side for a single. Now here’s Stokes, the first left-hander of the day to face Jansen, and the England captain nudges it away to safety.

Lawrence Ostlere17 August 2022 12:30

1660735560 England 55-4, Pope 29 Stokes 0; South Africa yet to bat

17th over: That was just sheer pace from Nortje, who finally finds his range after some loose balls to Ollie Pope earlier in his spell. Ben Stokes comes in and attempts to charge the 93mph bowler – this could be fun/painful to watch.

Lawrence Ostlere17 August 2022 12:26

1660735357 Wicket! Bairstow 0, b Nortje. England 55-4

Nortje clatters the stumps with his express pace and that is Jonny Bairstow comprehensively dismissed. England are under the pump now, and their captain is already at the crease.

Lawrence Ostlere17 August 2022 12:22

1660735114 England 54-3, Pope 28 Bairstow 0; South Africa yet to bat

16th over: Pope pumps two through the off-side before Jansen finds that rich swing which did for Root and a tiny noise brings a big appeal from behind the stumps. No response from the umpire, and Elgar decides against a review. UltraEdge reveals it was a brush of the hip, rather than the bat, which made a sound, so a good decision by the South Africa captain. Pope pushes a single and Bairstow is on strike – he edges to the slip cordon but with soft hands and it doesn’t carry.

Lawrence Ostlere17 August 2022 12:18

1660734866 England 51-3, Pope 25 Bairstow 0; South Africa yet to bat

15th over: It brings Jonny Bairstow to the crease but it is Pope replicating Bairstow’s expansive summer style right now, taking the fight to Nortje who seems to be struggling a little with the Lord’s slope. Pope cracks back-to-back boundaries on the off-side before a leg bye to end the over.

Lawrence Ostlere17 August 2022 12:14

1660734526 Wicket! Root 8, lbw b Jansen. England 42-3

Jansen gets one turning back in and Root is leaning over to the off-side, unable to get bat on ball. It crashes into his pad below the kneeroll and the appeal goes up – and umpire Nitin Menon’s finger goes up! Root reviews, was it going down leg? Ball-tracking suggests the faintest feather on leg stump and the review is rejected, umpire’s call. A big moment in this Test match.

Lawrence Ostlere17 August 2022 12:08

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