What has Hales had for lunch? He edges Rabada wide of the slips for four as he attempts to force off the back foot, then slashes a drive over a leaping second slip for another boundary. Ten runs off the over, an eventful one.

Kagiso Rabada has the ball in his hand. Well, he did. He overpitches with his first delivery after the interval and Hales eases a couple through cover. Easy as you like.

The players, crumbs wiped from their lips, are wandering out with the umpires and the afternoon session is almost upon us. Alex Hales, playing his second Test, has 38 to his name, and Nick Compton three - off 32 balls.

Image source, Reuters

Thanks Higgy. Good work this morning - just the one wicket. England can be happy with their position after winning the toss. One-nil up in the series, their premier fast bowler back in the ranks, against a team missing their strike bowler, and the foundations being laid for a sizeable total in the second Test.

David Taylor: Most beautiful ground was the Adelaide Oval prior to its awful changes recently.

Andi Jarvis: Best cricket ground in the world? Bamburgh castle. Dominated by the castle, yards from the beach and enormous. Once ran a 6!

Callum Court: For me it has to be Downend CC in Bristol, home of the great Dr. WG Grace and looks amazing on a summers day.

Justin Goulding has sidled up beside me munching a bagel and doling out treats from the shop.

It's only right I give him the live text reins in return.

Enjoy... and see you later!

Good lad, Chris!

Peter Gowers: I don't agree Compton is too slow. We have a team of strokemakers to make hay with tired bowlers. Grind them down Nick!

England 76-1 (27 overs)

Hales 38* (84), Compton 3* (32)

Bowling: Morkel 8-2-23-0, Morris 8-1-27-0, Rabada 7-1-25-1, Piedt 4-3-1-0

FoW: 1-55 (Cook, 27)

England won the toss

Image source, Getty Images

A word for Aleem Dar, the Pakistani who is today standing in his 100th Test. I wonder if he'll raise his light-meter to the crowd?

I love this picture... it's been ages since I saw the crowd able to mingle on the outfield during the interval. I doff my cap to the good folk at Newlands.

Image source, Getty Images

A Englishman who can't get in the England team has been starring in the Big Bash this morning.

Luke Wright smashed 109 from 63 balls as the Stars won the Melbourne derby, chasing the Renegades' 161-7 with five balls to spare.

Perhaps the real story was the crowd. More than 80,000 fans packed out the MCG.

Image source, The Nightfishing blog

Mark Thomas: Maybe not the best, but one of the most amazing, is Spout House CC in Bilsdale, N Yorks. Recreated from a farmer’s field each year for the last 150 and with a slope so severe it makes Lord's look like a billiard table. Prince Harry was bowled by a 12-year-old there and WG Grace was legendarily out first ball to the local blacksmith. And it’s achingly pretty too.

Michael Vaughan
Ex-England captain on BBC Test Match Special

"You can see in that last half an hour of the session that the pressure is starting to build.  If South Africa take two wickets in the first twenty minutes after lunch then they're right back in this Test match, not because the pitch is doing anything but because England have played too defensively."

Adam Davies: No problem with Compton as long as he has a strike rate of 40. The innings run rate has dropped from 3.5 to 3 since he arrived.

Image source, Caroline Conway

Caroline Conway: What about Valley of the Rocks cricket ground in North Devon?