England v South Africa 2022

Watch: In-swing, out-swing, bowled – James Anderson sets up Dean Elgar to perfection

by Wisden Staff August 27, 2022 - 12:11pm 2 minute read

Watch: James Anderson sent Dean Elgar’s off stump cartwheeling in a brilliant spell of swing bowling to give England their first breakthrough on day three of the Manchester Test against South Africa.

Playing his 100th Test at home, Anderson’s fourth scalp of the game drew him level with Glenn McGrath for the most wickets by a seam bowler in international cricket – 949.

The day began with the tourists resuming on 23-0, still 241 runs adrift of England’s first-innings total. They had moved to 32-0 when Anderson began his fourth over, with Sarel Erwee facing him. Two balls later, Elgar was back on strike.

The third ball of the over was an in-swinger that cut into Elgar, the batter somehow managing to fend it away to the leg-side. The following delivery was an out-swinger, pitching outside off and flying past his bat, squaring up the left-hander. Having rattled the South Africa captain with a teaser, Anderson proceeded to land the sucker punch on the very next ball.

Landing it almost exactly on the same spot as the previous ball – maybe a tad fuller – Anderson made the ball cut into Elgar, who was beaten by the inward movement and alteration in bounce. It nipped back enough to knock into his off-stump, taking it along for a cartwheel.