England are just six wickets away from going 2-1 up in the series
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South Africa opener Dean Elgar battled valiantly with an unbeaten 72, but despite this, England are just six wickets away from victory going into the final day of the third Test at The Oval.
Starting off the day on 74/1, England lost opener Keaton Jennings early on as he was dismissed by Kagiso Rabada for 48.
Debutant Tom Westley and captain Joe Root steadied things with a 78-run partnership, during which Westley brought up his fifty, before he was stumped by Quinton de Kock off the bowling of Keshav Maharaj for 59, which came off 141 balls and included 11 boundaries.
Westley made his maiden Test fifty
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Root ended up making 50 off 94 deliveries before he became Maharaj’s second victim.
Root struck his 29th half-century in Test cricket
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After Westley and Root fell, Chris Morris got rid of debutant Dawid Malan and Ben Stokes for 10 and 31 respectively.
Even though Moeen Ali did not last long at the crease, wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow and debutant Toby Roland-Jones put together a 48-run partnership, during which Bairstow surpassed his half-century.
However, once Bairstow was removed by Maharaj for 63 off 58 balls, which included six boundaries and a six, England declared on 313/8, which set South Africa a target of 492 to win.
Bairstow scored his 16th Test fifty
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Maharaj was the pick of the bowlers with three wickets, while Morris snapped up two, and Rabada and Morne Morkel chipped in with one wicket apiece.
Chasing 492 to win, the Proteas were dealt an early blow as opener Heino Kuhn was clean bowled by Stuart Broad for 11.
Hashim Amla failed to have an impact with the bat as he was sent packing by Roland-Jones for five runs.
Things went from bad to worse for South Africa when Stokes took out De Kock and captain Faf du Plessis in successive deliveries.
With the tourists having been reduced to 52/4, Elgar and Temba Bavuma ensured South Africa didn’t lose another wicket as they put together an unbeaten 65-run partnership, during which Elgar registered his fifty, before stumps was called.
Elgar rescued South Africa after their collapse
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Elgar finished on 72 off 111 balls, which included 11 boundaries, while Bavuma remained undefeated on 16 off 59 deliveries, which included a solitary boundary.
Stokes was the most successful bowler with two wickets, while Broad and Roland-Jones claimed one wicket each.
South Africa ended day four on 117/4 and will continue batting on Monday at 11:00 local time or 10:00 GMT.