Il Nuovo Postiglione - Stokes regains initiative for England after Nortje's double strike

The hosts were 212-5 at lunch on the second day, 61 runs ahead of the tourists' meagre first innings 151.

Left-handed batsman Stokes was 34 not out and wicketkeeper Ben Foakes 33 not out, with their unbroken sixth-wicket partnership so far worth 61 as England looked to level this three-match series at 1-1 after a crushing innings and 12-run defeat in the first Test at Lord's.

The duo had come together with England still behind after express quick Nortje removed overnight batsmen Jonny Bairstow and Zak Crawley in a brilliant burst of two wickets for three runs in seven balls that was the centrepiece of a spell of 2-13 in five overs.

England resumed on 111-3, 40 runs behind, following spearhead James Anderson's 3-32 on his Lancashire home ground and seamer Stuart Broad's 3-37 after Proteas captain Dean Elgar's decision to bat first in overcast conditions backfired.

Struggling opener Crawley, showing plenty of determination and good technique, was 17 not out, with Bairstow unbeaten on 38.

The sunny sky above Old Trafford promised good batting conditions but Kagiso Rabada's first ball of the day, which tailed in late, only narrowly missed Bairstow's off stump following the batsman's deliberate leave.

Crawley had a lucky break on 24 when, after aiming legside against Nortje, a leading edge looped safely over point.

Nortje's express pace eventually proved too much for Bairstow, out for 49, when he edged a reverse-swinging ball to first slip where Sarel Erwee, who has made a habit of juggling chances this series, clung on at the first attempt to break a stand of 91 with Crawley.

England were now 134-4 and that became 147-5 when the impressive Nortje produced a superb delivery that moved a touch off the seam to take Crawley's outside edge on its way to Verreynne, with the 24-year-old Kent right-hander out for a painstaking 38 off 101 balls.

By recalling Simon Harmer as a second spinner to their attack, in the hope the pitch at Old Trafford would offer more turn as the game went on, South Africa had almost been obliged to bat first upon winning the toss.

But the off-spinner's first delivery on Friday, a full toss, was stroked through the covers for four by wicketkeeper Ben Foakes and, three balls later, Stokes swept him for six.

There was worrying sign for England, however, Stokes, on 16, pulled up sharply at the end of a run as his left knee, a longstanding injury problem, buckled beneath him although treatment during the ensuing drinks meant he was able to bat on.

Foakes was given out lbw on 28 to left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj's first ball Friday shortly before lunch but his review confirmed a sharply turning delivery had pitched outside leg stump.

F.M.Buffo--INP