Stuart Broad continued his fine form in an England shirt, ably backed up by the rest of the bowlers, to ensure his side built a big lead against a South African Invitational XI on day two in Potchefstroom.
The tourists declared on their overnight 470-7, after centuries from James Taylor and Ben Stokes, and quickly reduced the hosts to 56-5 after two wickets from Broad and one apiece for Mark Footitt, Chris Woakes and Ben Stokes.
Qaasim Adams and Heinrich Klassen produced a gutsy fightback but the early damage had already been done as the hosts were eventually bowled out for 188 before England finished the day on 99-3 in their second innings, a lead of 381.
Having piled on the runs on day one, England declared overnight to give their bowlers chance to put some miles in their legs ahead of the first Test on Boxing Day.
It didn’t take long before England made their first breakthrough, Broad dismissing captain Aiden Markram without scoring off the fourth delivery of the innings, caught at first slip by Alastair Cook.
Broad, sharing the new ball with Footitt, struck again soon after to remove Luthando Mnyanda (7), sending his off stump cartwheeling to reduce the hosts to 22-2.
Woakes, Footitt and Stokes then added a wicket apiece as the England pace attack ripped through the top order of the Invitational XI.
England met some resistance in Adams and Klassen before another flurry of wickets, initiated by Footitt, saw four wickets fall for 19 runs, the hosts falling from 118-5 to 137-9.
Footitt had Adams trapped LBW for 34, Stokes returned to bowl Andile Phehlukwayo for 6 and Moeen Ali ran out Ruben Claassen without scoring before the off spinner had Klassen (48) caught by Cook just before the wicketkeeper could reach his half century.
Thandolwethu Mnyaka, who was the stand out bowler with 3-66 in England’s innings, and Johannes Diseko then frustrated the tourists with a 51-run last wicket stand.
Broad (3-18), who had been off the field to give James Anderson a bowl, returned for a second spell and took just 2.1 overs to take the final wicket, Mnyaka caught behind for 30 as the hosts fell to 188 all out.
That wicket brought tea and with England choosing not to enforce the follow on, Alastair Cook and Alex Hales headed out for their second knock of the tour.
Cook looked at increasing ease on a pitch that was getting better to bat on and was racing along in the early overs.
His opening partner Hales spent nearly an hour at the crease to put on 46 with the captain, but was first to fall as he was bowled for by Dala for eight for the second time in the match.
Cook followed soon after having made 37, trapped in front by Phehlukwayo before Nick Compton was Diseko’s first victim, caught at mid off for 15.
Joe Root (26*) was joined by Gary Ballance (6*), the Yorkshire left-hander getting his first bat of the tour as the pair took England to the close on 99-3, continuing the tourists’ domination after day two.
England are returning to the scene of their Ashes triumph in 2016 for Royal London One-Day Internationals against Sri Lanka and Pakistan.
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