It's quiet in Centurion, either that or the spectators have come dressed as blue seats. The state of the pitch probably means that South Africa's progress today will be quite sedate. As Broad sends down another good set, Amla prods forward in defence, then unleashes a lovely square drive for four.

Michael Vaughan
Ex-England captain on BBC Test Match Special

"England have bowled well enough this innings to get a couple more wickets. They're putting the ball in a really good area.

"The pitch on day one definitely batted better but their bowling in the first innings was nowhere near as consistent as we've seen over the last months. And those dropped catches..."

Ooohhh, that's a trimmer from Anderson, nipping away to defeat the sliding door bat of Cook. Very close to the edge. TV pictures show South Africa pacer Kyle Abbott going through a fitness test this morning after his hamstring problem of yesterday. He had two of the most uncomfortable deliveries you could ever see. All the mobility of a wardrobe. His probable absence will be a factor later today and tomorrow.

Dale Cooper: England need to get South Africa out for around 150. Reckon chasing more than 250-270 will be very tricky...

Image source, Rex Features

Most of this match has been played in a heavy, overcast atmosphere. Bowling conditions. Today the sun is shining on the batsmen. England must be thrilled. Stuart Broad to the soundtrack of the Barmy Army, with the shuffly Cook taking a couple through the off side for the first runs of the morning.

Image source, Getty Images

If Trevor Bayliss has been pounding England's catching, he's spot on. Bayliss, a Yoda-like figure, doesn't say a great deal, so I suspect you don't want to see him angry. I bet he dishes out an excellent rollocking. Anderson is good to Amla is the morning sunshine, off stump and around. Play or leave? A maiden. 

Michael Vaughan
Ex-England captain on BBC Test Match Special

"Trevor Bayliss was the most animated I have seen him this morning. England play football before every day's play but then he drilled them so hard with fielding. 

"He was whacking balls at them. The way this team has got into this position is with poor catching, and I think he's had enough."

I can't believe it. All that fuss about an 08:04 start, and the first ball isn't bowled until 08:05. Who do I complain to?

England are cuddling, or huddling on the outfield, with Alastair Cook doing lots of head wobbles in his words of encouragement.

Hashim Amla and Stephen Cook stretch, with Amla scratching out his guard. James Anderson is at the end of his run, doing the sort of loosening exercises that would snap a normal man. 

I told you those cracks were big, didn't I? There's a serious danger that James Taylor could be lost forever down one of those. 

An interesting interview with South Africa's Kagiso Rabada on Test Match Special...

TMS's Simon Mann: "Which of the wickets pleased you most yesterday?"

Rabada: "Stokes and Root."

Mann: "Because they're England's best players?"

Rabada: "And other reasons."

Mann: "Can you elaborate on that?"

Rabada: "I don't like seeing them at the crease scoring runs, let's put it like that."

Something tells me Ben Stokes and Joe Root aren't top of South Africa's Christmas card list.

I've just seen a close-up of the pitch and, more specifically, those chasms that are causing the ball to go up and down, side to side. It's starting to resemble a map of the London Underground. More cracks that a broken chamber pot.

Despite the early start, the intervals remain the same today. So that's...

• Morning: 08:04-10:30
• Afternoon session: 11:10-13:10
• Evening session: 13:30-15:30 (or later if overs are still to be bowled)

As a reminder, play begins at 08:04 this morning. Not 08:00, but 08:04. Lord knows why we can't start on the hour. What difference would four minutes make? Wasn't it Mark Owen who sang about the four-minute warning? What can you achieve in four minutes of cricket? What are the best cricketing four minutes of all time?

Is that the way you see it going? South Africa to bat England out of the game, or Anderson, Broad and co to come roaring back to give the tourists some hope?

And how's your Monday morning shaping up? Do you have a cricketing commute? Are you on the back of the school bus? I'll give one shiny point to the best commuting pictures. Text 81111, tweet using the hashtag #bbccricket or email tms@bbc.co.uk. 

South Africa 42-1 (17 overs) - lead by 175

Batsmen: S Cook 23*, Amla 16*

Fall of wickets: 5-1 (Elgar 1)

Bowling figures: Anderson 5-1-14-1, Broad 4-1-8-0, Stokes 3-1-6-0, Woakes 2-0-7-0, Moeen 2-1-1-0, Root 1-0-4-0

SA first innings 475: De Kock 129*, S Cook 115, Amla 109; Stokes 4-86

England first innings 342: Cook 76, Root 76, Moeen 61; Rabada 7-112

Full scorecard

Jonathan Agnew
BBC Test Match Special

"It's South Africa's game from here. If you follow the usual formula, you'd expect England to be bowled out some time tomorrow afternoon short of whatever South Africa set them.

"But there are a couple of factors: Kyle Abbott may not be able to bowl and can the young Kagiso Rabada come out and do the same again after bowling so many overs in the first innings?"

Mark Boucher
Former South Africa wicketkeeper on BBC Test Match Special

"If South Africa lose a couple of wickets in the morning session, there might be a few nerves. But as it stands you definitely want to be in South Africa's position."