South Africa vs England 1st Test Day 4: South Africa face tough battle on final day

England only need six wickets to win on the fifth and final day

England only need six wickets to win on the fifth and final day

Image courtesy of: Zimbio

South Africa will be in for a tough challenge on the final day of the first Test in Durban as they will require 280 runs with six wickets in hand if they want to beat England and go 1-0 up in the series.

Starting out the day on 172/3, England kept losing wickets at regular intervals, but Jonny Bairstow’s superb innings of 79 off 76 balls, which included nine boundaries and three sixes, ensured they set the Proteas a mammoth total of 416 runs to win.

Bairstow scored his sixth Test fifty

Bairstow scored his sixth Test fifty

Image courtesy of: Zimbio

Dane Piedt was the pick of the bowlers with a five-wicket haul, while Stiaan van Zyl snapped up three and Kyle Abbott and Morne Morkel chipped in with one wicket apiece.

Piedt finished with figures of 5-153 off 36 overs

Piedt finished with figures of 5-153 off 36 overs

Image courtesy of: Zimbio

Chasing 416 to win, South Africa got off to a solid start as van Zyl and Dean Elgar amassed a 53-run partnership before van Zyl was clean bowled by Ben Stokes for 33.

South Africa skipper Hashim Amla and Elgar followed soon after for 12 and 40 respectively.

AB de Villiers and Faf du Plessis seemed to steering the innings back on track, but their efforts were derailed when du Plessis was caught by England captain Alastair Cook at slip off the bowling of Steven Finn for nine runs right at the close of play.

De Villiers ended the day unbeaten on 37 off 83 balls, which included six boundaries.

Finn was the most successful bowler with three wickets, while Stokes claimed one.

South Africa ended day four on 136/4 and will continue batting tomorrow at 09:30 local time or 07:30 GMT.

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