England second innings: 58-2 (29 overs)

Batsmen: Compton 15, Root 6

Fall of wickets: 13-1 (Cook 7), 48-2 (Hales 26)

Bowling figures: Steyn 3.5-0-10-0, Morkel 10.3-4-10-0, Abbott 3.4-2-1-0, Piedt 11-2-33-2

South Africa first innings: 214 (Elgar 118 not out)

Bowling figures: Broad 15-6-25-4, Woakes 14-1-28-0, Moeen 25-3-69-4, Finn 15.4-1-49-2, Stokes 9-1-25-0, Root 3-1-11-0.

England first innings: 303 (Compton 85, Taylor 70, Steyn 4-70, Morkel 4-76)

Full scorecard

Well well, how bitter will South Africa's tea taste now? They could, and should, have had England four down, and we'd be looking at a very different Test match then. England have had a few heart-in-mouth moments, but they remain very much ahead of the game.

Graeme Swann
Ex-England spinner on BBC Test Match Special

"De Villiers almost jumped too early, he was already in the air and put his hand in the wrong place. That's another let-off for England, they're riding their luck at the moment."

Dropped catchpublished at 28.4 overs

28.4 overs

Eng 58-2

Image source, Getty Images

Oh my goodness, I think South Africa have shelled another one! And it's AB de Villiers of all people! Morkel hurries Root into an ill-judged pull shot, the ball flicks a glove and a leaping De Villiers drops it one-handed. Can you believe it?

Graeme Swann
Ex-England spinner on BBC Test Match Special

"That's a nice shot from Compton, releasing the shackles a bit.  I think he should be playing a few more of these."

Will that reprieve free Compton up? He gets down and plays a lovely little reverse dabble behind square, that races away to the fence.

Graeme Swann
Ex-England spinner on BBC Test Match Special

"As a slip catcher it's horrible when that happens. You just want the ground to open up and swallow you. That would have been a massive catch too."

Simon Mann
BBC Test Match Special

"That was as easy as they come for a slip fielder, it really was catching practice."

Dropped catchpublished at 27 overs

27 overs

Eng 51-2

Elgar spills an absolute sitter! Compton nibbles at one from Morkel and offers the most regulation chance to second slip, but the ball clanks off Elgar's wrists and falls to ground. Elgar looks absolutely distraught, like he's accidentally taped over the graduation video with Coronation Street.

Image source, Getty Images

Jon Dunn: ‏Boycott will be combusting in the commentary box. An opener getting caught at long on!!!

Raj: Poor shot from Alex Hales. Did the hard work to get in only to give his wicket away.

Joe Root is the new man and I think his fluency may help to bring Compton out of his shell. Compo survives the rest of Piedt's over.

Now, what's happened here? The umpires appear to have asked for the ball to be changed. No-one's quite sure why, but Hashim Amla was in very animated discussion with the officials. A suitcase full of aged cricket balls is proffered, and Aleem Dar makes his selection.

Graeme Swann
Ex-England spinner on BBC Test Match Special

Image source, Getty Images

"It's as if Alex Hales just got fed up, got bored, he didn't look in any trouble."

Simon Mann
BBC Test Match Special

Image source, AP

"The fielder was there but he couldn't resist the temptation to take it on."

Ian Bradley: Any concerns about strike rate are missing the point, wickets in hand and blunting depleted attack the priority.

Kagiso Rabada is the obvious replacement for Dale Steyn - he's currently sitting in the dug-out, feet up on the coolbox, sporting a rather funky pair of lime green shades. Looks a pretty chilled customer. Morkel squares up Hales and extracts a little bit of uneven bounce from the wicket - it's another maiden.

Geoffrey Boycott
Ex-England batsman on BBC Test Match Special

"The off spinner's got to go around the wicket to try something different."

Nice from Compton, down the track and rattled to long-on for a single. I'm still rather perplexed by that second coming of Dale Steyn - surely the South African management shouldn't have let their prize asset back on the field in that condition?