Ollie Pope is delighted upon bringing up his maiden Test hundred
Image courtesy of: ESPNcricinfo
Ollie Pope struck a career-best 135 not out and Ben Stokes made 120 as England tormented South Africa on the second day in Port Elizabeth.
Starting off the day on 224/4, Stokes and Pope converted their 76-run partnership into a 203-run stand, during which Stokes brought up his hundred and Pope his fifty.
Stokes ended up making 120, which came off 214 balls and included 12 boundaries and two sixes, before he was caught by Dean Elgar at cover point off the bowling of debutant Dane Paterson.
Ben Stokes celebrates after scoring his ninth Test century
Image courtesy of: ESPNcricinfo
Jos Buttler fell shortly after as he was caught and bowled by Keshav Maharaj for one run.
Pope and Sam Curran steadied thing with a 59-run partnership before Curran was caught by Elgar at deep midwicket off the bowling of Maharaj for 44.
Maharaj took out Dominic Bess soon after, but Pope and Mark Wood added 73 runs to the score before Wood was sent packing by Maharaj for a 23-ball 42.
As soon as Wood was dismissed, England declared on 499/9, which left Pope unbeaten on 135, which came off 226 balls and included 18 boundaries and a six.
Maharaj was the pick of the bowlers with five wickets, while Kagiso Rabada snapped up two, and Paterson and Anrich Nortje chipped in with one wicket apiece.
Trailing by 499 runs, South Africa got off to a solid start as Pieter Malan and Elgar amassed a 50-run partnership before Malan was caught and bowled by Bess for 18.
Zubayr Hamza fell shortly after as he was caught by Pope at short leg off the bowling of Bess for 10 runs.
Elgar and Nortje, who was sent in as the nightwatchman, failed to add any runs in the three balls they faced before rain and bad light brought play to an end for the day.
Elgar finished on 32, which came off 59 balls and included six boundaries, while Nortje has yet to get off the mark.
Bess took both wickets that the Proteas lost.
South Africa ended day two on 60/2, which still leaves them trailing by 439 runs, and will continue batting on Saturday at 10:00 local time or 08:00 GMT.