Cook hits 115 on South Africa debut
Amla 109 - adds 202 with Cook
Bavuma 32*, De Kock 25* from 274-5
Two wickets for Moeen
England lead 2-0 in four-match series
Image source, APTap, tap, lift, lift, shuffle, shuffle. Stephen Cook nudges anything remotely straight on the leg side. Whilst Cook accumulates, Amla is a highlight reel. This time he's snapping into a pull shot that rockets into the boundary. Ben Stokes, the bowler, might combust. You could fry an egg on his forehead.
Hashim Amla has wrists of rubber. When Moeen is on the pads, Amla flicks it through mid-wicket in a whir of willow. He really does look in imperious touch. England have given him one life, remember. Could be very, very costly.
Geoffrey Boycott
Ex-England batsman on BBC Test Match Special
"England are trying hard, but it's comfortable for the batsmen now. Stokes is the only one who's finding any swing through the air. You've got to get them early in these conditions."
The first sound of the trumpeter today, our musician arriving with the Great Escape. England might yet need one of those. Stokes slips in with the traffic of Centurion off in the distance. Twice Stokes goes full and leggy who be worked by Cook, who gets the glare of the Durham man. Don't get angry, Ben. Get even.
tms@bbc.co.uk
Ben in Southampton: Spent last night praying that Cook would get some runs in this test, but forget to let God know that I was talking about Alastair. Feeling guilty now.
Moeen has been flirting with bowling round the wicket, but is over to Cook. Back round to Amla, possibly to stop him from shuffling across and using the spin. There's a degree of control from Moeen, but singles are on offer.
Geoffrey Boycott
Ex-England batsman on BBC Test Match Special
"You can't see where a wicket is coming from. The bowlers can't do much with the ball. It's going to take a lot of character, quite a bit of discipline, bowling outside off stump."
Image source, ReutersStokes, a grimace through his ginger stubble, is getting the ball to swing, but it's too wide to tempt Cook to play. On the England bench, Steven Finn wears the shades of a man now on holiday. Cook, a heavy bat-tapping shuffler, jams down on one to get a single through square leg.
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Tracey Harris: Re. cricket related book. Try Cricket Kings by Wiliam MacInnes, it's nostalgic, whimsical but most of all laugh-out loud funny.
Harry Mills: How about Hurricane Hamish? Story of a West Indian fast bowler found washed up on the beach in an MCC towel and plays barefoot.
Spin, the return of Moeen Ali, England's only successful bowler today. Gloomy, but not chilly. No players in sweaters, spectators happy to bare some flesh. Amla is a man looking to cover drive anything that comes his way - blades flashing. Moeen is tighter, though. Two from it.
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Image source, Getty ImagesSimon Goodall: Problem is that 150 will keep Bairstow in the team for the foreseeable future. He's not that great a keeper.
Usman: Why does Bairstow always move to the left when the ball is pitched a foot outside off stump and edges go to the right?
Chris Woakes, an economy rate of almost six an over, is withdrawn in favour of Ben Stokes, who himself serves up another half-volley for Cook to square drive for four. England desperately need something, anything. If it was football, they'd be begging for a goal off someone's backside.
Henry Blofeld
BBC Test Match Special
"It's clanger after clanger from Jonny Bairstow. He's making his brilliant scores lose some of their shine."
England, being the astute professional cricketers than they are, have figured out that Stephen Cook likes the leg side. He's scored two third of his runs there. They post two catchers. However, that doesn't mean they should feed him. Any chance of some off-stump channel? When Broad fires one down past the hip of Amla, Bairstow appeals. Probably just celebrating not dropping it.
Michael Vaughan
Ex-England captain on BBC Test Match Special
"England have just got to try and bowl some dots. The rate is up at 4.2 and they've got to try and get it down. The way Woakes is bowling, he won't get a run in the side."
Image source, Getty ImagesLots and lots going on here, more plotlines than an episode of 24. England seem to have a hangover, South Africa are resurgent. The Proteas have a number three batting beautifully after being freed from the captaincy and an opener making the most of a long overdue pitch. Stuart Broad still looks in a purple patch, James Anderson underdone and Chris Woakes not up to it. Meanwhile, off the pitch, I've discovered just how well-loved the Glory Gardens series was. A good day.
Andrew Samson
BBC Test Match Special statistician
"Hashim Amla likes batting at Centurion. He now has 995 runs at this ground at an average of 90.45, with four hundreds and five fifties."
SA 142-1
Image source, ReutersOh, Hashim Amla. That is a seductive way to go to a half-century. Perfect cover drive, melted chocolate dripping off a spoon. And again! Someone tell Chris Woakes to stop bowling half-volleys. Amla is feeling it, Cook is making up for lost time and England are all over the shop.
Andrew Samson
BBC Test Match Special statistician
"Cook is the third South African opener since readmission to make a fifty on debut. The others were Andrew Hudson and Alviro Petersen, and they both went on to make hundreds."
Michael Vaughan
Ex-England captain on BBC Test Match Special
"What a way to bring up his 50, caressing the number one bowler in the world through the covers. Stephen Cook looks like his game is suited to batting long periods of time, which is handy for Test matches. Anyone who watched his body language over the two hours of the morning session would have thought he'd played 50 Tests."