Nathan Wake: If Root gets to 168 this innings he'll break Michael Vaughan's record for England of 1481 runs in a calendar year. Form.

Image source, AP

It's darker than a power cut in Durban now, but still we plow on to the 15:30 cut off. Not than anyone is worrying about Stiaan van Zyl's military medium. It's fair to say that the cricket has ben action-free for about an hour now.

Jack Allum: I can't see England declaring before tea tomorrow. Cook is a defensive captain- he will want to guarantee they won't lose.

JoElle: Declaring at anything over 350 would, quite frankly, be timid

Chris Woakes has his whites on at the back of the England dressing room. Does that mean he's padded up and ready to go as nightwatchman? Whatever Kyle Abbott urges towards James Taylor, Taylor simply dead-bats away. We're into the last 10 minutes.

Image source, AP

Tom Capes: Use the DRS to up over-rates. If the bowling side are behind the rate suspend their reviews but let the batsmen review EVERYTHING!

It's been pointed out to me that Nagini wasn't in the Chamber of Secrets. Nagini was Voldemort's mate wasn't he? The basilisk was in the Chamber of Secrets? I think we've cleared that up. Away from Harry Potter, we crawl towards the close. Stiaan van Zyl trundles in, James Taylor pushes him back. What comes first? 15:30? The light?

Andrew Samson
BBC Test Match Special statistician

Image source, Reuters

"Root now has 1,367 runs for England in Test cricket this calendar year. He's gone past Alastair Cook who was the leading scorer with 1,364."

50 for Joe Rootpublished at 15:12

15:12

Eng 158-3

Image source, Getty Images

If you were to look up 'run machine' in the dictionary the chances are you would see a picture of Joe Root. His stellar 2015 continues with yet another half-century, reached with a clip off the hips for a single off Abbott. A 13th fifty-plus score in the calendar year equals the record set by Virender Sehwag in 2010. 

Graeme Swann
Ex-England spinner on BBC Test Match Special

"If AB de Villiers doesn't bat in the second innings like the AB de Villiers of the last two years, it's a no-brainer, don't keep wicket. It's like playing Alan Shearer at sweeper."

Still Stiaan van Zyl, with the light unable to make up its mind whether it's fading or not. Van Zyl is wobbling the ball just a touch, getting some bounce back into the waist of James Taylor. That would have got Alex Hales on the knee.

JAC Wood: Um time is on our side, use it. It's a Test match why take risk? England's to lose - don't collapse.

Image source, Getty Images

The Barmy Army have been busy. Or they've been thirsty. A giant beer snake, about 10m long, is paraded around the boundary edge. It's as if they've hauled Nagini from the Chamber of Secrets and are now showing him off as a trophy. On the pitch, Joe Root closes in on a half-century and James Taylor works through mid-wicket for four.

Geoffrey Boycott
Ex-England batsman on BBC Test Match Special

"The administrators do nothing about slow over rates.  It's a terrible blight on the game.  You can see why people go to Twenty20 and 50 overs, it's the speed of it."

More trundlers from Stiaan van Zyl, South Africa looking to tick down the 12 overs that are scheduled before the close of play at 15:30. It's unlikely we'll get those in even if we play for the full 30 minutes. Military medium, up and down, little action. On the plus side, the sky has brightened a little. 

Image source, AFP

YU HIMM FUNG: Is De Villiers trying to tell the management something about keeping wicket with those catches he has dropped?

Morkel is withdrawn, replaced by Kyle Abbott as the dimmer switch is turned down yet further. Joe Root doesn't seem to be having any trouble seeing the ball, punching a back-foot drive straight to cover. We almost seem to be engaged in a phoney war. England want to make the close without further loses, South Africa just want to get off the park. Battle will resume in the morning. If they had the desire, England could really pull away now.  

Jack Simpson: Good batting by the England guys. Smash them tomorrow morning and give South Africa a day and half to get out.

Mickey Wallis: ‏These two will score quickly. If they're both here at the end of the day we should be able to rule a loss out.

James Taylor is skipping towards the off-breaks of Piedt, getting himself into all sorts of tangled positions. There's still sharp turn in the gathering gloom, while the noise levels from the crowd seem just to have cranked a notch or two. 

Geoffrey Boycott
Ex-England batsman on BBC Test Match Special

"England will be sitting pretty and then tomorrow morning can do what they want.  If they bat until lunch they'll still have five sessions."

It really is noticeable how quickly the light is drawing in. I think we'll make it past 15:00, but I wonder how much further we'll go. England will be looking for no further losses, setting up an assault in the morning. In the dressing room, Jos Buttler sits without a shirt on, a proper Brit abroad. Morkel gets too leggy and is clipped fine for four by Root.