England hammered the Proteas by an innings and 85 runs to win the second Test at Old Trafford inside three days.

The victory, which followed South Africa’s almost as crushing innings and 12-run win in the first Test at Lord’s, meant England levelled the three-match series at 1-1.

The Proteas, 141-3 in their second innings at tea, then saw England captain Ben Stokes remove both Rassie van der Dussen (41) and Keegan Petersen (42) for their interval scores.

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The World Test Championship leaders then collapsed against the new ball as they lost their last five wickets for seven runs in 31 balls en route to being dismissed for 179.

Recalled seamer Ollie Robinson took 4-43 in 15.1 overs and 40-year-old England great James Anderson 3-30.

Anderson had earlier marked becoming the first man to play 100 Tests on home soil (97 in England, three in Wales) by taking three wickets in South Africa’s meagre first-innings 151 after Proteas captain Dean Elgar surprisingly decided to bat first in bowler-friendly conditions.

This match was a personal triumph for Man of the Match Stokes, who made 103 – his first century as England captain – in a total of 415-9 declared that also featured wicketkeeper Ben Foakes’s Test-best 113*.

Stokes has now won five of his six Tests as skipper since succeeding Joe Root as England’s permanent captain.

The third and now deciding Test at The Oval in south London starts on 8 September.

Photo: Michael Steele/Getty Images