who nearly quit cricket after mental battles, and lower order put South Africa ahead versus England?

These days, it seems most cricket fans are split into two camps: those who love and those who use them as a taunt, waiting for England to trip. And so, England’s Test against South Africa whipped up extreme sentiments before the game and during the first two enthralling days. South Africa ended the day with 124 runs ahead with three wickets intact. Will, that be a potentially match-will they whack a huge total in their second innings to flip the South African back on the frying pan a couple of months back, it could have been sad for sure that South Africa truly when the stats show that England won only two of their last 25 tests where they have scored below 200 when batting first. But now, one has to wait and watch – and that in itself is a tribute to England’s new approach a freak dismissal to their dogged fighter Elgar, South Africa could well and truly have cooked the English goose. He had moved to 47, nudging, punching, his away as ever, and had already ticked his father’s checklist when watching the son know all is well. It’s a that tells me he is focused, his balance is fine, and he is going to be okay, his father Richard had once told this newspaper, and Dean Elgar was rolling along fine this day just fine. Until bad luck gatecrashed his party. It was a delivery that was angling down leg, just right for his tuck too, the ball popped off the body to his arm, then rebound back to the stumps. He could just watch in dismay. As he would do in the second session as England roared back into the game. Potts took out the talented Peterson with a lovely away-shaper that took the edge. Jack Leach got one to loop and dip on lamely at it for a catch to the keeper had got to a fine 73 on his first appearance at Lord’s, was shocked by a brute of a bouncer from the bouncer-happy Ben Stokes, gloving a simple catch to a comeback story been recent times years ago, he had nearly quit the game after getting depressed over selection issues. “When I sat down with my family, with my parents, they picked me up. I saw a sports psychologist. We worked through it daily. It was a hard slog to try and get motivated again; to give my best after wanting to give up. All the years of hard work, all the hard slogging I had to do at the semi-and worthless at one stage. I am very fortunate to have worked with a sports psychologist and to have the support of my parents,” he has said in the past. “As a man, it’s frowned upon to show mental weakness or softness. There’s a lot of work still to be done. I’m in that process every day, every week, every month, where I am trying to better my mental health and wellbeing. It’s a big part of my life and probably will be for a long time.” Something for everyone to ponder at his debut at Lord’s he oozed solidity until Stokes shook him up taken out by a nip-backer that Stokes often suddenly South Africa wobbling at 210 for 6 from 85 for no loss. England would make the same mistake they had committed against India in the Test series. Resorting to bowling short at the lower order and in a London minute, South Africa had slipped away from their hands. Marco Jansen (41*) and (41) added 72 runs, after showing no discomfort through the bumper which helped them to settle down out for 165 in the morning, having resumed at the start of the second day on 116 for six. Only 32 overs of play were possible on the first day due to the pacer having a moment to roar after yet another five-for (5-52) innings top-scorer Ollie Pope (73) dragged the away-shaper from well outside off onto his stumps. His fifth victim was who was trapped lbw Erwee and the lower-order from Jansen pushed South Africa ahead.