Ben Stokes takes the headlines after Dom Sibley lays the platform for England in Cape Town

England player Ben Stokes celebrates after Day Five of the Second Test. (Picture: Stu Forster/Getty Images)

THE SUSPICION that this would be an intriguing Test series, tough to call and with more twists and turns than you could shake a stick at, has not been allayed by events in the opening two games, England following defeat at Centurion by 107 runs with victory at Cape Town by 189 runs.

Two teams effectively in transition, with new head coaches and players, in some cases, who are new or inexperienced at Test level, has made for an unpredictable first half of a rubber that concludes with fixtures in Port Elizabeth and Johannesburg.

Man for man, England look to have a slight advantage and would be disappointed if they do not at least draw the series from here.

South Africa are dangerous on home soil especially, but a coaching staff that includes Graeme Smith, Jacques Kallis and Mark Boucher is a sharp reminder of the quality that they used to possess on the field as opposed to that now dispensing wisdom behind the scenes.

England players Sam Curran and Dom Bess celebrate victory in Cape Town, South Africa. (Picture: Stu Forster/Getty Images)

Ultimately, both sides possess a handful of excellent cricketers and England, surely, the best of those in Ben Stokes, who sealed victory by capturing the last three wickets as South Africa’s brave resistance was ultimately ended with 8.2 overs of the match remaining.

Having begun the day on 126-2 chasing a notional 438, they battled hard – particularly debutant opener Pieter Malan, who made 84 from 288 balls – only for the decisive moment to arrive with 25.3 overs left with the total standing at 237-5.

It was then, shortly after reaching a 103-ball half-century, that Quinton de Kock pulled a rank long hop from leg-spinner Joe Denly to Zak Crawley at mid-wicket, a desperate dismissal under the circumstances which opened the door for the touring team.