JOHANNESBURG: England lost four wickets for 50 runs to throw away a strong position and end the first day of the series-deciding final Test against South Africa on 192-4 on Friday with star all-rounder Ben Stokes clashing with a fan.

Stokes, who was the last wicket to go in that mini-collapse, could be in trouble after appearing to swear at a fan at the Wanderers in Johannesburg as he left the field.

Stokes appeared to be angered by something the person said to him and was heard on television coverage shouting “come and say it to me” outside the ground before using two expletives to describe the person.

It wasn’t immediately clear who Stokes directed the expletives at as he turned to his right and pointed with his right hand before walking up the tunnel.

Stokes, recently crowned world player of the year after a stellar 2019, has continued his brilliant form in South Africa to help England to a 2-1 series lead with just the fourth Test remaining.

But he’s previously made the headlines away from cricket and faced a criminal trial over a street brawl outside a nightclub in 2017. He was acquitted but was banned and fined by the England and Wales Cricket Board for bringing the game into disrepute.

On Friday, Stokes was caught at slip by Rassie van der Dussen off Anrich Nortje for two to see England slide from 100-0 after the first session to 157-4.

Captain Joe Root (25 not out) and Ollie Pope (22 not out) steadied England until stumps on a day when play was delayed by more than three hours by rain and only two sessions were possible.

England need just a draw in the final test to secure a second straight series win in South Africa and a landmark achievement for Root’s young team.

Two of those youngsters gave England a strong start to the decider. Openers Zak Crawley and Dom Sibley took England charging to 100-0 in the first session and put on a 107-run opening stand.

Crawley hit 66 for his first test half-century. Sibley’s dismissal for 44 at the start of the second session provoked the collapse.

Crawley went three overs later to the first of three catches by van der Dussen. Seamer Vernon Philander, playing his last Test for South Africa before retiring from international cricket, had that wicket.

Joe Denly (27) and Stokes also went in the space of three overs and England had to rebuild.

Play only started after lunch because of the weather and England scored at more than three runs an over in an extended first session to be in a strong position at tea.

Scoreboard:

ENGLAND (1st innings)

Z. Crawley c Van der Dussen b Philander 66

D. Sibley c De Kock b Hendricks 44

J. Denly c Van der Dussen b Paterson 27

J. Root not out 25

B. Stokes c Van der Dussen b Nortje 2

O. Pope not out 22

EXTRAS (LB-1, NB-2, W-3) 6

TOTAL (for four wkts, 54.2 overs) 192

FALL OF WKTS: 1-107, 2-116, 3-150, 4-157.

BOWLING: Philander 13-0-37-1 (2nb), Hendricks 13.2-2-43-1 (1w), Nortje 11-0-53-1 (2w), Paterson 13-2-39-1, Pretorius 4-1-19-0.

TO BAT: J. Buttler, S. Curran, C. Woakes, M. Wood, S. Broad.

SOUTH AFRICA: F. du Plessis, D. Elgar, P. Malan, H. van der Dussen, T. Bavuma, Q. de Kock, V. Philander, D. Pretorius, A. Nortje, D. Paterson, B. Hendricks.

UMPIRES: Rod Tucker (Australia) and Joel Wilson (West Indies).

TV UMPIRE: Bruce Oxenford (Australia).

MATCH REFEREE: Andy Pycroft (Zimbabwe).

Published in Dawn, January 25th, 2020