Andrew Samson
BBC Test Match Special statistician

"That's 453 runs in the day - a record for the most scored in a day of Test cricket, external in South Africa. It beats the 450 made by Australia at Wanderers in 1921."

Hashim Amla sends South Africa in for the close with a smile on their faces following successive boundaries down the ground and one thick-edged through the gully region. 

Steven Finn delivers what is likely to be the penultimate over of the day (it looks like we might lose another 36 balls tonight). There's a muted appeal when AB De Villiers doesn't play a shot and the ball flicks off the top of his front pad. Not out... but something to think about. 

Image source, Getty Images

Probably not, Sparky, since Stuart Broad appears to have wrestled the ball from Ben Stokes.

Broad always looks to be England's most skillful bowler and he gets one to reverse back into Hashim Amla and the batsman's confident leave looks a little ill-advised.

Amla is soon back on top with a cut through backward point for four.

Sparky McGhee: Can they have the perfect finish to a perfect day? B Stokes c Bairstow.

Has there, by the way, ever been a better time to be ginger? Ben Stokes and Jonny Bairstow have struck a blow for the flame-haired brigade today... as this next piece of social media underlines.

Andrew Samson
BBC Test Match Special statistician

Image source, Getty Images

"Amla's last half-century was exactly a year ago today, against West Indies. He went 11 innings without a fifty, his longest run in Test cricket."

50 for Hashim Amla (off 110 balls)published at 38.3 overs

38.3 overs

SA 127-2

There it is... an exquisite flick for four off his pads and Hashim Amla raises his bat for his first fifty in 11 Test innings.

Simon Mann
BBC Test Match Special

"If that had hit the stumps, he would have been out."

Ben Stokes is ticking now. He tries to run out AB de Villiers with a strong throw, misses and the ball runs for four overthrows. Stuart Broad, who should have been backing up, gets a flea in his ear. Ever the competitor.

Image source, reuters

Ian Dobson: Daniel Craig is apparently going to be auditioning to be the next Ben Stokes.

A red-faced (sun, not embarrassment!) Ben Stokes is given one last chance to make his astounding day even better. He's getting bounce from the surface, which AB de Villiers rides and middles for two into the leg side. 

Graeme Smith
Ex-South Africa captain on BBC Test Match Special

"On a surface like this you really have to hang on to your chances because you know how hard you have to work for each wicket."

Joe Root dropped AB de Villiers on five at second slip.

Image source, Getty Images

Hashim Amla is a tall, slender player who doesn't seem to have an ounce of fat on him. He stands tall at the crease and opens the face to try and work Moeen Ali through the off side. He picks out the fielder though. Just one from the over.

Andrew Samson
BBC Test Match Special statistician

"Hashim Amla went 21 balls without scoring a run before that two."

Image source, Getty Images

James Anderson is playing a game of patience with AB de Villiers. He's hanging the ball outside off stump, has three slips in place and another three fielders in the ring on the off side. When the strike is rotated, an extra slip comes in for Hashim Amla. Who will blink first?

Three from the over, the highlight being a firm push down the ground for two by Amla.

Graeme Smith
Ex-South Africa captain on BBC Test Match Special

"It hasn't been a good day for Hashim Amla but he can help to put things right with a solid batting performance, he can take a lot of pressure off himself." 

Image source, Getty Images

The crowd gets their apparent wish: Moeen will bowl to Hashim.

Off-spin from round the wicket from the bowler and the batsman defends. We're bobbing along quietly to the close now.