Geoffrey Boycott
Ex-England batsman on BBC Test Match Special

"These two are batting better than most of the South Africans did."

Image source, Getty Images

Compton survives an LBW appeal from Morkel - high and maybe swinging in too much. He then has a rather uncharacteristic swish at a wide one, and, like a man who doesn't swish at wide ones very often, he misses comfortably.

Image source, ALLSPORT/Getty Images

Jack Allum: ‏Hales is meant to be the more positive opener. Has anyone told him...? 

Jack Byrne: Alex Hales does not bat like this for Notts. Why do we stop players playing their natural game?

Piedt hurries through another over, with three of the runs conceded coming in byes. This is pretty sedate stuff from the England batsmen, but the again they know that South Africa are a man short and they are very probably going to get to face some part-timers before too long.

Geoffrey Boycott
Ex-England batsman on BBC Test Match Special

"I said on the first day that a lot will depend on which fast bowlers stay fit."

Rachel T:‏ Such a desperate appeal/review shows how highly the SA bowlers prize the wicket of Compton

So, having been on and off more times than a Hollywood relationship, Dale Steyn finally departs the scene. Morkel completes the over, with a rather nervous-looking Compton getting away with a leading edge.

Image source, AP

Yes, it's not out, and with that, Steyn is off again. He is clearly in too much pain to continue and surely that's the last we've seen of him in this match.

Geoffrey Boycott
Ex-England batsman on BBC Test Match Special

"That's called desperation."

Image source, Getty Images

Guess who's back. Back again. Steyn is back. Just defend. But Compton doesn't do that, instead trying to flick off his hips and being subjected to a caught behind appeal. The umpire says no, but the Proteas want another look...

Francis makes an excellent point. After Hales's dismissal in the first innings, everyone was crying out for him to give himself a bit of time to get his eye in. So there can be no quibble with his slightly more circumspect approach here. He defuses Piedt's latest over.

Image source, Getty Images

Francis Edwards: ‏Hales has got himself in, he's assessed the pitch and he's done the hard work.Get a score now and he has all the makings!

Hales steers a single in front of square on the off side - that's the first run Abbott has conceded, off his 22nd ball.

Neil Manthorp
BBC Test Match Special

"If Alex Hales does decide to have a go at Dane Piedt then South Africa are in all sorts of trouble."

Like a slow-burning period drama, Alex Hales took a while to get going, but he's beginning to find his range. He clips past short leg for a couple, then gets those long levers out and swats Piedt to the mid-wicket fence again.

Tattz: He obviously needs to perform again, but what a reassuring sight Compton is coming in at 3, especially when Cook is out early.

Is Dale Steyn going to have a bowl? I'm not quite sure why he's on the field other wise. Competitive instinct? Whatever the reason, it's Abbott who continues after drinks. Compton is back in his bunker: another maiden.

England second innings: 26-1 (16 overs)

Batsmen: Hales 15, Compton 6

Fall of wickets: 13-1 (Cook 7)

Bowling figures: Steyn 3.2-0-10-0, Morkel 6-3-4-0, Abbott 1.4-1-0-0, Piedt 5-1-14-1

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

Andrew Samson
BBC Test Match Special statistician

"That was the first boundary Alex Hales has hit in Test cricket from the 70th ball he faced."

Hales's strike rate was a positively Comptonesque 19 but he decides it's time to break the shackles. He gets down one knee and absolutely pings Piedt to the mid-wicket boundary with a lusty slog-sweep. But Piedt very nearly gets his revenge, hurrying one just past the outside edge to a chorus of yowls of exasperation from the close fielders. Let's all have a drink.