Ed Smith
Ex-England batsman on BBC Test Match Special

I remember declaring for the first time when I was captain of Middlesex in 2007. I declared the first innings at 600-4, very nonchalant, and Somerset then got 850-7, external - Justin Langer got a triple century, and it became the game with the most hundreds of any first-class game ever (eight).

The cameras are starting to focus on the captain now, who is in his whites looking on in relaxed manner. Stokes scatters the phalanx of pigeons pecking away feverishly at the seed on the square and Bairstow arches back to adroitly upper cut Rabada over the keeper for four. So the lead is now over 400, there have only been two scores in the fourth innings in excess of 400 at The Oval - and they haven't been to win.

Ed Smith
Ex-England batsman on BBC Test Match Special

This is the quietest the crowd's been all game. Perhaps they're preserving their focus for later this afternoon.

Another lovely innings from England captain Joe Root today. He reached fifty barely breaking sweat before he departed trying to accelerate the scoring. Here's another look at his dismissal. South Africa had been making it difficult, even for England's free-scoring middle order duo, with some defensive fields, but Bairstow collects successive boundaries, lashing a wide one over gully and flicking off his pads.

Stephan Shemilt
BBC Sport at The Oval

You know that view from the top of the pavilion? Some seats are better than others.

Another hour before the tea break and a scheduled 52 overs remaining today, although at this over-rate that would take until about 10 o'clock, so we are very unlikely to see all of those. Tomorrow, when it's kids in for a quid remember, for those of you already frantic at the summer holidays, there are 98 more overs scheduled. Just the single in the Rabada over.

Michael Vaughan
Ex-England captain on BBC Test Match Special

Bairstow and Stokes will know England's plan. But with another hour and five minutes before tea, they had better get their foot on the gas pretty quickly if they want to bowl before tea.

I'd normally declare based on how many overs I thought I needed to bowl the opposition out. I'd go for 130 today.

Image source, Getty Images

Sam Rogers: To be fair to Malan, he has had two great balls to start his Test career.

It's like a one-day field for Morris to Stokes, just the one slip and the fielders scattered towards the boundary. Cook and Jennings assiduously study a laptop in the pavilion like RAF code breakers. An element of fortune for England's all-rounder as an inside edge trickles to safety. Time for a drink and the South African 12th man is coming out with a plate, cucumber sandwiches is it?

Jonathan Agnew
BBC cricket correspondent on TMS

There were some very quick pitches here in the 1980s and 90s - remember Devon's match?

You can hear more from Devon Malcolm about his famous "You guys are history" nine-wicket haul against South Africa on BBC World Service's "Stumped".

Morris "given the bird" by the crowd as he makes his way back to his position on the boundary, but he enters into the spirit. Dark, stormy clouds beyond the pavilion, clear blue skies at the Vauxhall End. Rabada returns from the Pavilion End and the ever-purposeful Bairstow pushes off the back foot, scampering through for two.

Graeme Smith
Ex-South Africa captain on BBC Test Match Special

Two inswingers have troubled Malan in this Test, we saw Rabada get him with a really good yorker in the first innings. It's tough for a debutant when you've got to push the score and play for the team.

Here's his first-innings dismissal:

Simon Mann
BBC Test Match Special commentator

My sense was that there might have been some bat on that, otherwise it looked not too far away.

Morris pins Malan on the pad, umpire Wilson says no but South Africa are going to ask for the review.

Dan Norcross
BBC Test Match Special

I always like a declaration target to be higher than the fourth-innings record for successful Test run chases - which is still 418., external

Two shies at the stumps, the batsmen in mid-pitch, smiles on the faces of the players, one run the result, a nice moment. Steady over from Philander.

Stephan Shemilt
BBC Sport at The Oval

How about this for a view from the top of the pavilion? Not only are you right on top of the action but, in the distance, the Houses of Parliament, Big Ben and the London Eye can all be seen.

Everyone back to your seats please, Stokes is away, a reverse sweep and a glorious back foot punch bringing his first two boundaries off Maharaj. This should be good and the crowd know it.

Graeme Smith
Ex-South Africa captain on BBC Test Match Special

Root will be thinking about how long he needs to take 10 wickets and go 2-1 up in the series, rather than getting the calculator out and working out how many runs South Africa could score.