Lunch South Africa 118 and 70 for 1 (Elgar 35*, Petersen 7*) lead England 158 (Pope 67, Jansen 5-35, Rabada 4-81) by 30 runs
South Africa, led by
Dean Elgar, carried a 30-run lead into lunch following a successful morning session on Sunday after
Marco Jansen and
Kagiso Rabada ran through England’s tail.
Ben Stokes made the sole breakthrough for England, striking within three balls of bringing himself into the attack after Elgar and Sarel Erwee had eaten up the hosts’ 40-run first-innings advantage to move 18 runs ahead at that point when Erwee sent a full, late outswinger towards slip, where Joe Root took a strong catch diving forward.
England had failed to prise out Elgar on 24 when they thought he had edged
Stuart Broad onto his pad to point, but they lost their review when replays showed no bat on ball. Elgar remained unbeaten at lunch with 35, alongside Keegan Petersen on 7.
The hosts also failed to overturn a not-out decision in favour of Erwee when Robinson rapped him on the front pad on 7, but the ball had pitched narrowly outside leg stump. A short time before, Robinson almost had Erwee caught by James Anderson in the cordon, but the ball just failed to carry.
South Africa had made a flawless start to the morning, Jansen completing his five-wicket haul to contain England’s first-innings advantage.
Resuming on 154 for 7 on the fourth day – but only the second day’s play after Thursday’s washout and Friday’s mark of respect following the death of Queen Elizabeth II – England lost their remaining three wickets with just 16 balls bowled in the morning to be all out for 158 in reply to South Africa’s 118.
Rabada, who had been expensive in claiming 2 for 78 on Saturday, struck with the second ball of the day – the last of his 12th over, which had been suspended when bad light ended play the previous evening – when
Ollie Robinson sent a full delivery straight to Elgar at cover. In Rabada’s next over, he had Jack Leach chopping onto his stumps for a duck, to finish with 4 for 81.
Jansen had been the pick of the South Africa bowlers the previous day, claiming 4 for 34, and he ended England’s innings inside the first half-hour on Sunday with his fifth when he had Ben Foakes well caught by Petersen at third slip to claim his maiden Test five-for.
Ollie Pope top-scored for England with 67 off 77 balls before he fell to Rabada the previous evening, becoming the hosts’ sixth wicket to fall before Rabada also dismissed Broad.
Robinson had put England in a strong position on the opening day, his 5 for 49 crucial in keeping South Africa to a low first-innings total, while Broad added 4 for 41.
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