Eng 127-3published at 31.3 overs

31.3 overs

Nasty one. Nortje gets the ball to nip back to Crawley and he is hit in an, erm, rather delicate area.

The batter goes down, tries to get up and quickly realises he needs to return to his haunches for a moment.

It's Bairstow's turn to enjoy a little good fortune. He attempts a big drive but gets an inside edge that flashes just past his leg stump.

More good running, though, and he gets back for two. England are closing on first-innings parity.

Two more for Crawley from the penultimate ball of the over, clipped through square leg and the England pair scurry back for the second. Good running.

Close! An early sign that Crawley's luck might be in. The opener tries to whip a typically quick ball from Anrich Nortje leg side, gets a leading edge and the ball loops up into the off side but lands safely.

Not only that but Maharaj's throw is wild and there is an overthrow. Two for Crawley when he could so easily be walking back to the dressing room.

Andy Zaltzman
BBC Test Match Special statistician

Zak Crawley was on 12 when England reached 100 yesterday. That's the lowest score an England opener has reached, without being out, when the team has reached a century. It broke the existing record of Chris Tavare versus India in 1982.

Crawley is away on day two with a boundary. It is an outside edge but the ball was never in any danger of carrying to the slips. It bounces a good meter or so short, second slip gets a hand on it but the ball runs away to the fence regardless.

A single flicked down to fine leg ends the over.

Jonathan Agnew
BBC cricket correspondent on Test Match Special

That first ball from Kagiso Rabada kept low, and did cut back quite a bit. It only just carried to the wicketkeeper. I think we'll see a lot of that as the match goes on.

Good ball to start from Rabada and it comes back sharply. Not far from Bairstow's off stump as he shoulders arms.

It keeps moving after passing the stumps and Kyle Verreynne can only half stop it. England are up and running for the day with a bye.

Sank: If Zak Crawley scores a ton today, he has to invite me and my boy back for every Test match.

Here come Zak Crawley and Jonny Bairstow. They wait just off the field of play to let the South African fielders jog out first.

The England pair follow afterwards, swinging their bats around - briefly synchronising - to get themselves loose.

We're ready to go. Kagiso Rabada will bowl the first over of the morning.

Not long until the first ball goes down this morning but before it does, why not get yourself caught up on the best of the action from day one...

Steven Finn
Former England bowler on BBC Test Match Special

When Zak Crawley went to bed last night he might have said a little prayer to the weather gods for what he got this morning. It's hot and the wicket has flattened out.

England will be hoping it is not another day with ball dominating bat.

Anrich Nortje bowled at frightening pace yesterday. He was a little wayward at times but when he got it right, it wasn't pleasant for the batters.

Just ask Ollie Pope...

If you missed any of the action yesterday, it was a day for the bowlers.

Arguably the pick of them for England was Jimmy Anderson. The 40-year-old took 3-32 on his home ground, including two in two balls but wasn't quite able to complete a first Test hat-trick.

While Crawley had to grind it out and showed great restraint, after a slow start, Jonny Bairstow did what he has done so effectively all summer and put the pressure back on the South African bowlers.

The England number five hit six boundaries and will begin day two on 38, looking to add to his mountain of runs already this summer.

Crawley also received praise from Jimmy Anderson last night. England's record wicket-taker called the opener's innings "brilliantly intelligent".

The home side had been 43-3 when Joe Root fell to Kagiso Rabada but Crawley and Jonny Bairstow put on an unbroken 68 before the close to keep England in the ascendency.

It's a big day in this series and arguably an even bigger one for Zak Crawley's Test future.

The England opener battled for 77 balls last evening and was 17 not out overnight. The new ball has been seen off, it's a day two pitch, it's a near-cloudless sky...

Crawley has had the backing of coach and captain throughout the summer but the runs will have to come eventually. He may not get a better chance.

Image source, Getty Images