‘I tried to rev it up a bit’: Nortje says slow start spurred him on against England

Not long after his fast bowlers had cleared away the final scraps of England’s second innings on Friday afternoon, Dean Elgar was asked to explain the success South Africa have enjoyed – eight wins in 10 attempts – since his appointment as captain last year. “I always felt that the core of the group has had the basic fundamentals of one day becoming a world-known Test side,” he said.

“I would like to think that what we’ve laid down as a foundation has been pretty true and pretty solid. It hasn’t been fake, it’s been pretty unique, it’s been real. It hasn’t been something that I feel is far-fetched.”

He spoke with complete earnestness. There was no snark, no smirk, absolutely no suggestion he had in his mind anything except the merits of his own team. But his words were also chosen in a very particular context: that of having emphatically bested a side whose new captain and coach are attempting to power a transformation on little more than attitude. A transformation that for all the riotous success of early summer still seems on occasion – and none more than this – an act of theatre, a conjurer’s illusion.

There was no doubt who the magicians had been on this occasion. South Africa’s seam quartet took 18 of England’s 20 wickets and certainly plenty of batters appeared enchanted. Lungi Ngidi took the fewest wickets but was the most economical; the towering Marco Jansen took three of his four wickets by bowling tailenders – demonstrating to England, who seem to prefer to pitch it short on these occasions, the wisdom of aiming at the stumps – and the brilliant Kagiso Rabada took seven wickets including his 250th in Tests and was named player of the match.

But it was Anrich Nortje who produced the moment that defined the