There we have it then... England march off very much on top. A job very well done.

Ben Stokes deserves much of the credit for his swashbuckling 74 not out.

Morne Morkel comes on for an over before the close.

Horse. Bolted.

Maiden.

Image source, Edward Johnson

Edward Johnson: Canford School 1st XI pitch is pretty special.

Geoffrey Boycott
Ex-England batsman on BBC Test Match Special

"I think the inexperience has shown here once they've come under pressure. They've looked tired, particularly young Morris in his first Test."

Chris Morris has seen his figures take a real battering - his figures in this spell are 3-0-35-0. Remember, he's seen as a T20 specialist... is he lacking bowling stamina late in the day?

Ben Stokes pulls another boundary down to fine leg as England motor along merrily.

Nick: I have needed to toilet for about 20 mins, I don't dare go for what I might miss. How can Test cricket be dying?

Geoffrey Boycott
Ex-England batsman on BBC Test Match Special

"You've got to give the South Africa captaincy to AB de Villiers."

This has been spectacularly bad captaincy from Hashim Amla. He allowed Ben Stokes and Jonny Bairstow to play themselves in against part-time medium pacers and then chucked the new ball to his two inexperienced pace bowlers while Morne Morkel grazes in the outfield. The Proteas are retreating towards the dressing room 15 minutes before the close... their field resembles a one-day field when a batsman is smiting boundary after boundary. The two slips deflect from a defensive outlook in which the boundaries are reinforced.

Not that it prevents Jonny Bairstow hitting a four through the covers which makes him the 100th man to score 1000 Test runs for England.

Image source, D Elstone

D Elstone: How about Hymers College in Hull?

Ben Stokes is furiously landing blows on a cowering opponent now, smoking four through mid-wicket and then hooking a single with a shot which might have put the ball on to Table Mountain if he'd connected. Jonny Bairstow joins in the fun, poking four behind square to take England beyond 300.

Geoffrey Boycott
Ex-England batsman on BBC Test Match Special

Image source, AFP

"Once they get going, these lower-order players, you can't stop them. The only way to stop them is to get them out."

The runs are flowing for Ben Stokes, who picks up Kagiso Rabada's attempted yorker and whips him for two. Stokes hits the ball so hard. I reckon he could hammer a nail into a wall with a pillow. A brute of an all-rounder.

Jonathan Agnew
BBC Test Match Special

"You've got to question this field placing."

Jonathan Agnew
BBC Test Match Special

"There's always a danger associated with taking a new ball that it comes off the bat nicely as well."

Image source, Getty Images

Stand and deliver. Ben Stokes is cashing in... crunching another boundary through the off side with a sledgehammer-like follow through.

And another... the fourth in the over, this time edged through the vacant third slip region. Chris Morris is chastened.

Image source, Martin South

Martin South: Sedbergh School Cumbria, rather nice.

50 for Ben Stokes (off 70 balls)published at 80.2 overs

80.2 overs

Eng 279-5

Image source, AFP

Shot! Chris Morris pushes the new ball up and Ben Stokes drives it for four. Then the all-rounder slashes the next one over the slip cordon to bring up his half-century. The new ball also brings run-scoring opportunities.

New ballpublished at 15:29

15:29

Here we go then. South Africa have a new nut in their hand.