Trot goes early and a wild KP slash is dropped by Kallis....... easy boys!

Cook's still there on 78, best he's been in a while

Cook gets a century. Excellent stuff.

Brilliant stuff from Cooky and Colly also being reliable as ever. Great partnership this. Should be looking to get a good lead before close of play, but still think it will be a draw as the rate is just so slow.

Yeah, hopefully they can push on in the final session, but time is against us thanks to weather/bad light and slow run rates. Shame if it's a draw, though we did get lucky drawing the first Test...

Just about to take the lead now in the match, Cook went after a fine knock of 118, Colly's still there on 79

We have the lead.

No thanks to Pieterson - again!!!!! Does he realise that this is a team sport?

Colly goes for 91. Unlucky not to get a century.

Bell looking good for 50 and I'd imagine the run rate will pick up now before the close of play.

Good day for us. Shame we couldn't add a few more runs, but we have an opportunity to create a big lead tomorrow morning and put pressure on Sout Africa's batsmen. Still think a draw is the likely outcome though, as I can't see our bowling attacking getting South Africa out cheaply...

Its a batting friendly pitch by the looks of it but we've done well to get a lead of 43, if Bell and Prior can push on, then its possible for us to get at least 450, but i would declare if we reach 500.

All in all, a very very good day's work for England

SA on the ropes. 44-5 in their 2nd innings. At this rate, England are going to win by an innings. Make it 6. 50-6 now. Game over.

Well this isn't too bad...

Eng 575-9 dec.

SA currently 50-6 after 21 overs. Swann and Broad with 3 each.

The bowling since Tea has been nothing short of world class, dont forget, this is supposed to be the worlds number 1 five-day team they're doing this to

I go away for an hour and a half and find South Africa 50-6. Incredible stuff.

Light meters are out again

They've takent he light at the first opportuity, so that should be the end of the day's play

Excellent days work, its more a case of when and not if England will win this test match

Fantastic day for England.

Was great first to see Bell score a century, and an excellent one at that. It would have been harsh to drop Bell, but many fans seem to think he should never have played again and call for his dropping at the nearest possible opportunity.

Then some excellent bowling (as well as some not so excellent batting from South Africa) has put us on the verge of victory. Swann is definitely my favourite player at the moment - he's probably not the most naturally talented player, but his determination and attitude has helped him become the player he is (and he supports the Toon as well of course). Broad is a star for the future of course. At the moment though, he's the sort of player that looks pretty average far too often, but out of nowhere bowls these brilliant spells, which help us win matches (and Ashes series).

Not long to go now. Broad and Swann both on 4 wickets

Victory

Swanny getting a 5fer.

An innings and 98 runs - superb

Good start for England. Were 53-3, then Kallis and DeVilliers got a partnership going to 127-3. Now Swan has taken 2 in 2 and is on hat-trick....

....no hat-trick. 127-5.

Thought England were excellent in the first two hours play and though Kallis and ABDV had a decent stand, Swann showed his worth once again. We are playing with so much belief

Graeme Swann - what a guy.

CLOSE: 279-6

Kallis is still there on 108

Disappointing considering they were 127-5 at one stage, but I doubt South Africa would have been too happy with that score initially.

Shame Kallis is still there. He's a class act, and Steyn can be a pain with the bat also.

42 for 3

England revert to type an throw wickets away with awful shots, Trott and KP should be fucking shot!

Mini recovery.......114-4

Someone needs to give KP a slap and looks like Trott's honeymoon period is over.

Cook going well again, hopefully he and Bell can both get big scores again.

Its looking that way so far, although the scoring rate is too slow for my liking

Cook out first over after tea.

151-5.

Me and my big gob

Another cheap wicket - Bell for 48, and he was batting really well also.

179-6 - still 112 behind, but we still have more than capable batsmen.

At this rate, i think we'll be lucky to get 250

241 for 7

A good knock from Prior. Hopefully he and Swann can put on a few more tomorrow morning.

If KP hadn't have thrown away his wicket again, we would be in a good position

Being South Arican and all that, is KP doing a "Hansie Cronje"?

In Cahoots with Trott if you ask me

Good point.

Probably best I don't make these jokes though...

It would be controversial, but if thisn continues, if i were a selector, id consider dropping KP for either the next test or even the Bangladesh tour, he's a nut who's getting too big for his boots and needs a reality check

I wouldn't take action that quickly. I'd like to see how he does for the rest of the series - he's an incredibly talented player going through an uncharacteristic bad spell, and fantastic asset when on form. He seems to be throwing away his wicket cheaply more and more often, but I'd like to see if he can turn things round first.

Well, we lost two wickets in the first four balls this morning to Morkel who was on a hat-trick with Onions at the crease. He survived and Matthew Prior then went on to smash Morkel around until finally he played onto the stumps from Steyn.

273 all not, 18 runs behind.

Turned out to be a disastrous day in the field, South Africa currently 271-2, a lead of 289. With eight wickets remaining and two days to go, we have a mountain to climb.

Another heroic draw perhaps?

KP could redeem himself tomorrow by playing a Boycottesque innings and staying at the crease for 8 hours

The odds are stacked heavily against us I'm afraid Exiled. I've only seen a few overs today of the SA innings on Sky but Swann looked to have Smith in trouble quite a few times with Smith repeatedly playing against the spin. It will be so difficult to salvage anything from this.

If KP is at the crease for 8 hours we win

Agree entirely, we could scrape a draw if we try not to throw 6 wickets away to crap shots as we did in the first innings

Perhaps Strauss should suggest this to his batsmen. Its a novel tactic but it just might work

THat might be difficult considering we've got KP in our batting lineup