Toby Bird: Today's play was more boring than my revision! I was hoping for more entertainment so I could procrastinate.

Let's review the day then. To be honest, it was one-way traffic. If England were racing down the one-way street at 100mph, smashing everything in their path yesterday, then South Africa were mindful of the speed limit today.

They went at their own pace and barely offered England a chance all day as Hashim Amla finished on 157 not out and AB de Villiers and Faf du Plessis scored fifties.

It took until the close of play for Hashim Amla to show any emotion. When he did, it was a sigh of relief.

He still didn't look like he had broken sweat, mind. As cool as they come.

Michael Vaughan
Ex-England captain on BBC Test Match Special

"A really good day for South Africa, in particular a captain that has been under pressure. He occupied the crease with a presence we have seen for so many years. He has looked controlled. It is a good pitch but when you have been under the pressure he has, the mentality has been immense.

"England dropped catches which at this level should have been taken and if they had taken them they would have been in a really strong position."

There's a lot of respect from the players on both sides as they shake hands at the end of a hard-fought day.

Just another mention for Ben Stokes, who bowled as fast as anybody has all day in that final over. He wasn't leaving anything on the field, peppering Faf du Plessis with some short stuff and then almost deceiving the batsman with a double bluff with his final delivery.

The boy's good.

Final over of the day and Ben Stokes is charging in, Freddie Flintoff style, and bowling at the ribs of Faf du Plessis. The batsman defends one in front of him, then gathers the ball for the fielder. James Taylor, at short leg, jokingly appeals for a wicket (handled ball). He laughs, the batsman laughs and the bowler laughs. Frivolity at the end of a long, hot day.

Neil Warner in Spain: A young 16-year-old forced to do his first stint of umpiring ever, and only trusted to do square-leg both ends. Got sidetracked watching a butterfly, when there was an almighty appeal for a stumping of our star batsman and most vocal player. 

Needless to say, I had not seen a thing but raised the finger anyway. We lost the match and the star player gave me a lift home. I was not asked to umpire for the rest of the season.

Faf du Plessis looks more at ease against fast bowling than he did against spin in the first Test. He's happy to take on the short stuff from Steven Finn, taking a single to fine leg and then asking the umpire what time the close is like an enthusiastic youngster asking his mother what time his fish fingers will be ready.

Chris Shaw: Playing for Woodham Mortimer CC in Essex about 15 years ago I had what can only be described as a stinker of a day in the field. despite normally being quite a safe pair of hands I dropped five catches including one that was so literally "down my throat" that when it went through my hands it hit me in the Adam's apple.

Simon Mann
BBC Test Match Special

"I think it has got to the stage where both sides would be happy to walk off."

The light is fading and the floodlights are coming on. Faf du Plessis is aware of this fact when he has a word with the umpires, who are ignoring him for now.

Martin Dwight: Backpeddling to take a catch off my own bowling in a league match, hands got in an awful muddle, wore it on the noggin’ to the hysterics of both my team-mates and the batsmen…..mortified.

50 for Faf Du Plessis (off 104 balls)published at 127.3 overs

127.3 overs

SA 352-3

An eighth Test half-century for Faf du Plessis is brought up with a single. Well played.

Shot, Faf! He again takes on the short ball and clubs Ben Stokes to the boundary. The burly all-rounder responds with a throat-seeking bouncer which the batsman fends off.

Michael Vaughan
Ex-England captain on BBC Test Match Special

"Amla knows it's so important for his team that he's there at the end. And Du Plessis looks a different player from the last Test."

Time to end the day with a tune? Steven Finn delivers some chin music to the batsmen. Faf Du Plessis gets over one, rolls his wrists and picks up the single that leaves Hashim Amla with the onerous task of dealing with the rest of the over. It's fast, hostile and there's some sharp bounce but Amla stands firm.

He's like a Victorian townhouse - not particularly pretty, but definitely effective and built to last.

Michael Vaughan
Ex-England captain on BBC Test Match Special

"You look at Jacques Kallis for South Africa over all those years - he'd bowl those overs, average over 50 and take catches at second slip.

"It's really like having a 12th man and England will hope Ben Stokes can be that for them."