Player of the Match
Player of the Match

6.06pm Phew, what a frenetic finish that was. Two one-sided Tests, but dominated by different teams, and it's 1-1 heading into the last Test of the summer at The Oval. Is there such a thing as momentum? Will South Africa bounce straight back from this reverse, or will the summer of Bazball end with England triumphant? We will find out very soon after a rare long break between Tests. Until then, it's goodbye from me, Andrew, Ranjith and the rest of the gang.

Ben Stokes, England captain, is the player of the match: "It's been incredible, the support, especially when we have Jimmy bowling from his own end. Amazing to come back from last week's disappointment at Lord's. Gives us a lot of confidence back and sets the series up nicely for the last game at The Oval. [On Crawley's innings] The way he applied himself was incredible, it was definitely a new-ball wicket, and definitely against the reverse-swing of the old ball as well. [The performance] might be forgotten, but it shouldn't be. [Ben Foakes] should honestly be the one receiving this award. Seven dismissals as a keeper, and how tidy he was [apart from his hundred]. Amazing game from him, which he should never forget. [On Robinson] Fully deserved the call back into the squad. He's had some tough times in the last couple of months, and he's come back and showed the hard work he's put in over the last six months. Quality player. [Measured batting approach from him]. It wasn't one of those wickets where you could hit through the line. Some balls were skidding and some were holding. I've always found starting against reverse-swing the toughest. Coming at the ball has made it a little easier for me. It's not always going to be how we've played in the last 5-6 weeks, but having that positive mindset really helps. [On his spell today] I looked at the scoreboard and wanted to see how many overs we had until the new ball. I felt in good rhythm and the ball was reverse-swinging. I had my tail up and everything felt good."

Dean Elgar: "Not at all [regrets about team selection and batting first]. But first-innings runs are important in Test cricket. Knowing that the wicket might have crumbled later on, no regrets batting first. Being three down at lunch [on day one], I might have been happy with that, might have set it up for our middle order. [On spinners bowling in tandem to Stokes and Foakes] it was actually a bit of a dead period with England not scoring too many. Our fast bowlers had already been stretched a little bit by then, but I could have brought them back sooner. A lot of learnings. Cricket is a funny game, lbw shout or DRS going one way and not the other. Our bowlers threw everything at them, can't take anything away from their effort. From what I've heard, [Rassie] has a fracture in his finger. I'm not a medical doctor, but I think he'll be ruled out of the series, which is highly unfortunate. No doubt [we can bounce back]. It's set up for a great series, which Test cricket needs."

simon: "what weirdly similar results -- England scored only 320 between two inningses in the first test"

Thomas Davey : "England have won more Tests this summer than they did in the 2020 and 2021 summers combined."

Zaid Fredericks: "Thumping win . You have to say whomever made the decision to change South Africa's winning pace attack is to blame. Why change the lineup after a dominant win. Seems even more ridiculous considering they were aiming to bowl last and we know they can't even bat properly. " -- It all seems so simple in hindsight, doesn't it? But at the time they decided to play two spinners, it seemed to make sense. Leach's display suggests Maharaj and Harmer could have been quite a handful late in the game if they'd put up a decent first-innings total.

Matthew Davis: "If Robinson plays 170 odd Test matches ala Anderson.He will have 748 wickets on current figures!" -- I trust your math. He's certainly made a terrific start to his career!

Damo: "No 4th innings and No 4th day in this Test series."

5.45pm An innings win to come back from an innings defeat. An absolutely superb performance from England, who've dominated from start to finish to win their fifth Test match out of six this summer. The series is level, and we're all set for a humdinger of a decider at The Oval. A brilliant display from England's attack today, every member of it doing his job to perfection including Jack Leach, who finishes wicketless but conceded just 26 runs in 23 overs. Four wickets for Robinson, three for Anderson, and two crucial strikes from Stokes after a stubborn stand between Petersen and van der Dussen who batted through a wicketless post-lunch session. Those wickets set the stage for the new ball to demolish the lower order.

85.1
W
Robinson to Ngidi, OUT, bowled him, Robinson finishes with an absolute corker! Four wickets for him, and five in the Test match. An excellent comeback. Caps it off with a beauty that hits the top of off stump. Angled in, straightening past the outside edge, and Ngidi seems to be showing a full face and doing most things right, but he realises too late that he's nowhere near the line of the ball

L Ngidi b Robinson 0 (9m 2b 0x4 0x6) SR: 0.00

END OF OVER:
85 | (maiden) | SA: 179/9

  • Kyle Verreynne17 (46b)
  • Lungi Ngidi0 (1b)
  • James Anderson15-4-30-3
  • Ollie Robinson15-3-43-3
84.6
0
Anderson to Verreynne, no run, full on off stump, defended to short mid-off

Mid-off and mid-on have been pushed close to the bat, standing adjacent to the pitch, with mid-off a little wider

84.5
0
Anderson to Verreynne, no run, beautifully bowled, and well played. Late, snaking inswinger on a length, keeps slightly low too, and Verreynne pulls his front pad out of the way quickly and brings his bat down straight to block it back to Anderson
84.4
0
Anderson to Verreynne, no run, lovely length close to off stump, and it nips in slightly off the seam. Presses half-forward to defend into the off side, and the inside edge rolls towards midwicket
84.3
0
Anderson to Verreynne, no run, full, close to off stump, defended to extra-cover
84.2
0
Anderson to Verreynne, no run, length ball close to off stump, defended towards extra-cover

Tony Torrance: "SA since tea 38/6 and 7/4 since new ball."

84.1
0
Anderson to Verreynne, no run, back of a length, angling down leg, too far from Verreynne's reach to connect with a flick

END OF OVER:
84 | 1 Run 1 Wkt | SA: 179/9

  • Lungi Ngidi0 (1b)
  • Kyle Verreynne17 (40b)
  • Ollie Robinson15-3-43-3
  • James Anderson14-3-30-3
83.6
0
Robinson to Ngidi, no run, past the edge. Length ball in that testing channel close to off stump, leaves the batter late, and Ngidi attempts to defend and gets nowhere near it

Lungi Ngidi is South Africa's No. 11. How long can he survive? Five slips, or four slips and a gully. Kind of hard to tell.

83.5
W
Robinson to Nortje, OUT, and just like that, South Africa are nine down. Typical Robinson wicket, straightens from just back of a length in the corridor, gets a bit of extra bounce, and Nortje actually does pretty well to get a little feather on this as he hangs his bat outside off stump

A Nortje c †Foakes b Robinson 0 (5m 2b 0x4 0x6) SR: 0.00

83.4
0
Robinson to Nortje, no run, fullish, close to off stump, stretches out and defends with an open face to backward point

Four slips for Norje.

83.3
1
Robinson to Verreynne, 1 run, shortish outside off, chopped to deep third, and he takes the single
83.2
0
Robinson to Verreynne, no run, oof, that's such a good ball. Pulls his length back ever so slightly, and gets it to straighten and kick off the surface. The initial inward angle makes Verrenye play, and the ball absolutely zips past his outside edge
83.1
0
Robinson to Verreynne, no run, he doesn't get that option. Shoulders arms to a testing outswinger in the corridor, pitched on the fuller side of a good length

Robinson continues, with the new man Anrich Nortje at the non-striker's end. Will Verreynne accept a first-ball single?

END OF OVER:
83 | 1 Run 1 Wkt | SA: 178/8

  • Kyle Verreynne16 (37b)
  • James Anderson14-3-30-3
  • Ollie Robinson14-3-42-2
82.6
W
Anderson to Rabada, OUT, got him, this is too good from Anderson. Ever so slightly fuller length than the previous ball, and an inch closer to the stumps. Then it straightens late once again, and Rabada, looking to drive through mid-off, edges it thick and low to Root at first slip

K Rabada c Root b Anderson 2 (7m 7b 0x4 0x6) SR: 28.57

82.5
0
Anderson to Rabada, no run, ooh, past the edge. Lovely length in the fourth-stump channel, bringing Rabada's weight forward even if he doesn't move his feet much at all. Looks to drive on the up through mid-off, and it leaves him late to beat the outside edge
82.4
0
Anderson to Rabada, no run, length ball angling in towards off stump, hangs on the back foot and defends to mid-on
82.3
0
Anderson to Rabada, no run, half-appeal for lbw as Anderson sweves one back late, and pings the leaden-footed Rabada's front pad as he hurriedly looks to catch up with the movement and clip it leg side. Swinging down leg
82.2
0
Anderson to Rabada, no run, full, angling into the stumps, shows the full face and blocks to mid-on

Anderson goes round the wicket straightaway to Rabada. Four slips and a gully.

South Africa 3rd innings Partnerships

WktRunsPlayers
1st33D ElgarSJ Erwee
2nd6SJ ErweeKD Petersen
3rd15KD PetersenAK Markram
4th87HE van der DussenKD Petersen
5th10KD PetersenK Verreynne
6th21SR HarmerK Verreynne
7th3KA MaharajK Verreynne
8th3K RabadaK Verreynne
9th1A NortjeK Verreynne
10th0L NgidiK Verreynne