That's your lot, everyone. England march off for the day having scored 179-4 in the 65.1 overs possible because of rain delays.

Tattz: Only the English would criticise a cricketer for being 'too intense'. LOOK AT STEYN!

Dane Piedt - Piedty to his mates - is brought on to unsettle Ben Stokes with some off-spin. The all-rounder is served up a full toss, however, and it's smashed to the cow corner boundary. Superb.

Roland Benham: Can anyone enlighten me on where the current wet playing ball is kept overnight. Is it put on top of a radiator? Or just left in the umpire's coat pocket?

An excellent question, Roland. Does anyone know the answer?

Ben Stokes is off the mark with a single into the off side. The Durham man has been clubbing runs for fun in the warm-up games and seems to relish the quicker wickets of the southern hemisphere. He just has to stick around tonight, though.

Geoffrey Boycott
Ex-England batsman on BBC Test Match Special

"It's one of those where if you bowl that ball often enough in the corridor, you create enough pressure for people to make a mistake. Taylor played a nice innings - it's a slow pitch, you don't get full value for your shots, so I thought he worked very well."

Jonathan Agnew
BBC Test Match Special

"Taylor can barely drag himself away. He walks off, head down. He has played really well but there's no maiden Test century. It was an innocuous ball."

Neil Manthorp
BBC Test Match Special

"What a piece of timing. For all the money in Durban you just thought he was trying to flat-bat that along the ground. But it sailed away..."

Eng 174-3 (Taylor 70 off 134)published at 63 overs

63 overs

Dean Elgar is bowling some rubbish. He drops short to James Taylor, and the man with the bulging biceps muscles a maximum over mid-wicket.

Geoffrey Boycott
Ex-England batsman on BBC Test Match Special

"If I'd put England in to bat, I would have wanted five or six wickets by the end of the day."

I've just clocked the best flag EVER draped over the stands. It's a collection of beer towels sewn together into one big banner. Some of the best breweries - some old, some new - make the cut.

Jonathan Bayes: Slow and steady from@thecompdog, externaland@jamestaylor20, externalbut good stuff for England. Proper Test match cricket.

Scott Lennon: Would you rather have 100 runs off 300 balls, or 50 off 40?? People need to learn the difference between Test and one-day.

The Kingsmead pitch is a dirty dark brown in colour and looks to be holding enough moisture to keep the bowlers interested. England are taking few chances so close to the cut-off time of 16:00 GMT. Just some good running between the wickets.

Geoffrey Boycott
Ex-England batsman on BBC Test Match Special

"England have to make do with what they've got. They've not got the great payers of the past, but they have to get players who make a team."

Mark Pettman: Never quite understood why @thecompdog was dropped in the first place. Delighted to see him back and scoring.

Image source, Getty Images

I bet Nick Compton's one of those blokes who gives nothing away at work, but lets his hair down in style on the Christmas Do. Every office has one of those people. Two singles as England continue to advance nicely.

Jason Truman: Re 14:39 and Danny's pork pie - can we check if he's eaten the other half now?

Nick Compton hits only his fourth four in 160 or so balls of batting. He punches Dean Elgar through mid-wicket but still there's no smile. You can sense there's one being suppressed below the surface, mind.