Summary

  • Bad light ends play

  • Root 106* - his ninth Test century

  • Stokes c&b Morkel for entertaining 58

  • Cook, Hales, Compton & Taylor out cheaply

  • Stokes (3-53) finished South Africa's innings

  1. It's going to rain...published at 14:31 Greenwich Mean Time 15 January 2016

  2. Eng 223-5 (Root 96, Bairstow 3)published at 51 overs

    AB De Villiers is stood at mid-off with his shirt trailing out of his trousers. It's not often you see a Test captain without their shirt tucked in. AB's pre-occupied with all things Yorkshire at the moment though - Joe Root taking a quick single which puts him within a boundary of three figures.

  3. get involved

    Get Involvedpublished at 14:26 Greenwich Mean Time 15 January 2016

    #bbccricket

    MG: Great game of cricket. England giving the world's top team a game in their own back yard, yet people are still critical?

    Kyle Fitzpatrick: 'Root and Stokes stand revives England'.. I think this is going to be the overall strap-line of England Cricket for the next six years.

  4. Eng 221-5 (Morris 12-1-53-0)published at 50 overs

    This has got absolutely nothing to do with Test cricket, but I think England have a fantastic chance of winning the World T20 with players like Joe Root, Ben Stokes in there - plus the specialists like Eoin Morgan and Jos Buttler.

    Root, however, is almost toast when he is close to playing on. He deserves a century. Don't give it away, Joseph.

  5. Postpublished at 14:23 Greenwich Mean Time 15 January 2016

  6. get involved

    Get Involvedpublished at 14:22 Greenwich Mean Time 15 January 2016

    #bbccricket

    Stephen Giles: Taylor goes at 222 runs short of SA total and then Stokes at 111 short. Who says there's nothing in this superstition business?

  7. Eng 217-5 (Root 91, Bairstow 2)published at 49 overs

    Can you ever remember a lazy wicketkeeper? They're always busy, athletic sorts aren't they?

    I suppose it's part of the job description. Anyway Jonny Bairstow is in the 'busy' category as he gets off the mark with a single into the leg side. I can't imagine he spends his Sunday mornings lounging on the sofa with the papers and a big plate of toast,

    England's Jonny BairstowImage source, Gett
  8. Postpublished at 14:17 Greenwich Mean Time 15 January 2016

    Neil Manthorp
    BBC Test Match Special

    "The storm is very close. It's quite dramatic looking out the back of this box, where it's very dark."

  9. Eng 213-5 (Root 89 off 114)published at 48 overs

    R+15o+t=runs.

    Rooooooooooooooot.

    A winning formula, eh? More runs follow when Morne Morkel pitches the ball up and it's sent back through mid-off with interest.

  10. Eng 207-5 (Root 84, Bairstow 0)published at 47 overs

    There's plenty more batting for England, with Jonny Bairstow and Moeen Ali the next two men in. The former joins his Yorkshire team-mate in the middle and watches in awe as Kagiso Rabada is clipped behind square for four.

  11. Postpublished at 14:09 Greenwich Mean Time 15 January 2016

    Michael Vaughan
    Ex-England captain on BBC Test Match Special

    "It's been a masterclass in how to grab control of a situation and change the course of a Test match in an hour and a half. The South African attack was looking at each other as if they were wondering who wanted to bowl."

  12. Postpublished at 14:08 Greenwich Mean Time 15 January 2016

    Geoffrey Boycott
    Ex-England batsman on BBC Test Match Special

    "There's no shame there, he's played brilliantly."

  13. Postpublished at 14:08 Greenwich Mean Time 15 January 2016

    Henry Blofeld
    BBC Test Match Special

    "You can almost hear the audible sigh of relief from South Africa."

  14. wicket

    WICKETpublished at 46 overs

    Stokes c&b Morkel 58 (Eng 202-5)

    You know when you get that hollow feeling at 11.55pm on Christmas Day because you know the fun is all over for another year? It's a similar feeling felt by all England fans when Ben Stokes is deceived by Morne Morkel and pops up a return catch to the bowler.

    It's been good, Ben. Let's do it all again soon.

    Unlike Christmas Day, I'm sure we won't have to wait a year.

    South Africa's Morne MorkelImage source, AP
  15. get involved

    Get Involvedpublished at 14:05 Greenwich Mean Time 15 January 2016

    #bbccricket

    JoElle: Forget Brangelina. I'll take Benjo any day.

    Charles Duncan: Stokes doesn't play Test cricket, he just seems to play T20 for longer.

  16. Postpublished at 14:05 Greenwich Mean Time 15 January 2016

    Geoffrey Boycott
    Ex-England batsman on BBC Test Match Special

    "This is a captain's worst nightmare. The ball is whistling round, the bowlers aren't making a difference, they have no control."

  17. Eng 202-4published at 45.4 overs

    Ben Stokes could not be in better form here. First he punches two down the ground, then he belts four over extra cover. He then smiles to his batting partner.

  18. Postpublished at 14:02 Greenwich Mean Time 15 January 2016

    Andrew Samson
    BBC Test Match Special statistician

    "This is the second hundred partnership between this pair. In the 12 innings that they have batted together, the run-rate is 4.56."

  19. get involved

    Get Involvedpublished at 14:02 Greenwich Mean Time 15 January 2016

    #bbccricket

    Jack Lennon-French: When I grow up I want to be Ben Stokes.

    Zippy Hawkes: Few stokes stats - he is the highest test run scorer of 2016, by far the most 6’s & an average of 165. Is 2016 a #stokeyear, external