It's dark at Centurion, it's dark for the England team. The mood is about as dark as when I saw my mum the other day. "I'm going to buy a new bed," she said. "It might be last one I ever have." She's only 61. Pessimism.

I'm sorry I couldn't report on a wicket - or even anything remotely exciting - in that session. For that you can thank Hashim Amla and Temba Bavuma. Hopefully Stephan Shemilt will bring you better news.

Matt Skilleter: South Africa are going to bat for too long. Prediction is England saved by the weather with SA running out of time tomorrow.

Mark Boucher
Former South Africa wicketkeeper on BBC Test Match Special

"South Africa probably will come back after tea but they won't leave the declaration until long afterwards. There are already plenty of runs in the bag."

The million-dollar question. The lead may be 356 and no side has ever scored more than 251 to win in Centurion (the Hansie Cronje fixed match in 2000), but the way Amla and Bavuma batted over the past couple of hours hardly suggests skipper AB de Villiers will call them in any time soon.

South Africa 223-4 (78 overs) - lead by 356

Batsmen: Amla 96* (193), Bavuma 63* (137)

Fall of wickets: 5-1 (Elgar 1), 49-2 (Cook 25), 49-3 (De Villiers 0), 106-4 (Duminy 29)

Bowling figures: Anderson 16-5-33-3, Broad 12-2-24-0, Stokes 16-4-36-1, Woakes 13-0-51-0, Moeen 17-3-60-0, Root 4-0-12-0

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

Mark Boucher
Former South Africa wicketkeeper on BBC Test Match Special

"The England bowlers gave it a full bash but it didn't pay off. Really since lunch they've been playing catch-up cricket."

Image source, Rex Features

Bavuma is in no mood to do anything rash just before the interval. Mission complete for South Africa, who have scored 102 runs in 30 overs without losing a wicket in that session.

NorthernHorners: Bet the Proteas now regretting burdening Amla with the captaincy at the start of the series.

Amla and Bavuma help themselves to a single apiece. Root is so quick there's even time for one more over before the interval. Moeen Ali to bowl it.

Mark Boucher
Former South Africa wicketkeeper on BBC Test Match Special

"I'd agree that generally Test captains tend to declare too late, but because of the strength of Twenty20 cricket you just never know what can happen. You can take a game away from a side as quickly as Ben Stokes did in Cape Town."

Postpublished at 13:08

13:08

Stokes heads off the field, the big toe on his left foot (that's his landing foot) poking out of his boot and the sock coated in blood. It takes a lot to make this lad limp. Who'd be a fast bowler, hey?

Neil Virani: With rain about today & tomorrow, why are SA still batting? More than enough to defend, AB's captaincy opposite to his batting.

Will Amla get his century before tea? He has 95. Bavuma will get another four, that's for sure, glanced delightfully off his hip as Stokes gets leg-ish. Have I just invented a word there? Hope so. I'm not sure what word sums up the top-edged hook that flies over wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow for another boundary. 'Ugly', probably.

Mark Boucher
Former South Africa wicketkeeper on BBC Test Match Special

"With all this talk about declaration, another thing AB de Villiers will have to be aware of is the weather. 

"People who know this ground know where the bad weather comes in from. The possibility of rain is quite high." 

Root hurries through another over. You'd think would want to slow it down, not speed it up. Two runs off it.

Henry Blofeld
BBC Test Match Special

"There is a certain inevitability about this now. It's been dominating with a small 'd'; England have not been pulverised but South Africa have pressed on, squeezing everything out of the game."

Image source, AFP

Amla is into the 90s now, steering Stokes to a vacant third man to bring up the century stand. Easy as you like. Stokes' face is positively crimson.

Ashley Paul: (Re 12:52) Peter Willey and Graham Dilley. Even more fun when they were up against Dennis Lillee.

Flemming Jensen: Cooky, Stokesy, Woakesy, Broady, Jimmy, Ali......oh, that's not what you meant?