In our live coverage of matchday three at Old Trafford. It could be the last day; it could be the penultimate day. None of us really know what to expect, given the variables involved: a pitch of many moods, a ball that will go very soft but should reverse swing, a South African side fighting to the death but having a queue that starts at number 7, an England Team that… well, don’t get me started on them.
South Africa will resume on 23/0, still short of 241, after the Bens dominated the second day in Manchester. Stokes and Foakes both made terrific centuries (Stokes’s was a beauty) to give England the kind of lead that seemed unlikely when Anrich Nortje ignited the top order.
England will not want to chase much more than 150 in the fourth innings, so there is a chance for South Africa to get back into the game. Their captain, Dean Elgar, in particular, thrives on challenges like this. But if England dismiss him early, they could get the job done in a hurry.