England vs South Africa LIVE: Cricket score and third Test result as England seal series victory
England notched the 33 runs they needed to win the game at The Oval and secure a 2-1 series victory over the Proteas
England polished off the remaining runs they needed to beat South Africa by nine wickets in the third Test at the Oval on Monday morning to secure a 2-1 series victory.
Openers Zak Crawley and Alex Lees were still at the crease as the hosts began the day requiring just 33 runs for victory after bad light stopped play on Sunday evening.
Lees was dropped by Proteas wicketkeeper Kyle Verreynne from the third ball of the morning and then survived another scare when a thick edge flew over Keegan Petersen at third slip to go for four but the Proteas made a breakthrough on the penultimate delivery of the third over of the day, with Lees’ fortune finally running out as a review showed he had been trapped lbw by Kagiso Rabada.
The Durham batter was out for 39 with England 22 runs from clinching the series but Ollie Pope joined Crawley at the crease to quickly knock them off, as the under-fire opener eased the pressure on himself somewhat by ending unbeaten on 69 and cap a remarkable summer for England’s Test team.
Follow reaction to the third Test below:
Bad light stops play!
With the umpires taking a light reading play can’t resume until it gets brighter which looks unlikely at this time of year. There have been 17 wickets fall today and England are marginally ahead.
The lead by 36 runs with three wickets left.
The umpires will keep the players off until seven and if the light doesn’t get better they’ll probably call time on the day’s play.
England 154-7 (33.4), Robinson 3, Foakes 11, Rabada 2-78 (11.4)
Ollie Robinson is the new batter and gets off the mark with a nice controlled on-drive past mid-on for three runs. With two deliveries left in Rabada’s 12th over the umpires take a light reading and take the players off.
Bad light stops play! That could be it for the day now.
Wicket! Broad 6 (11) c. Verreynne b. Rabada, England 151-7 (33.1)
Broad is caught behind!
Rabada has had enough of pitching the ball up to Broad and bangs a short ball into his body. Broad tries to hook it away to the leg side but gets a slight edge on the ball and nicks it through to Kyle Verreynne who clings onto the catch.
England 151-6 (33), Broad 6, Foakes 11, Nortje 1-29 (9)
It’s getting quite gloomy out there now as Nortje finishes another over and possibly his spell. Play can continue until 7.30pm but the light will become a factor as the day goes on.
England 150-6 (32.2), Broad 5, Foakes 11, Nortje 1-28 (8.2)
150 for England! Foakes flicks Nortje off his hips for one to bring up Englands 150, their lead is up to 32 and Foakes is batting nicely. He’s going to have to marshall the tail to the end of this innings.
England 149-6 (32), Broad 5, Foakes 10, Rabada 1-75 (11)
Two runs for Foakes from Rabada’s latest over but the wicketkeeper is lucky to miss a ball that pitches and nips away from his outside edge. It’s a jaffa from seamer.
Stuart Broad meanwhile has had a sight of a few full deliveries and this time he laces his stroke through the offside for four runs!
England 142-6 (31), Broad 1, Foakes 8, Nortje 1-27 (8)
Four runs! Nortje strays too straight and Foakes tickles the ball fine to pick up his first boundary of the innings. He takes one from the next delivery and leaves Broad with two deliveries to see out.
Broad isn’t the greatest batter against quick bowling and steps outside the leg stump and looks to swipe Nortje over extra-cover.
It’s a swing and a miss. He does the same with the next ball and picks out Dean Elgar at mid-off.
England 137-6 (30), Broad 1, Foakes 3, Rabada 1-69 (10)
Stuart Broad gets off the mark with a back foot punch through cover off Kagiso Rabada to pick up a single. Foakes plays a loose shot as Rabada finds some movement away from the right-hander.
The South African quick suddenly looks like a different prospect. He’s finding some rhythm from the Vauxhall end.
England 135-6 (29), Broad 0, Foakes 2, Nortje 1-22 (7)
England lead by 17 runs but the bowlers are at the crease. Anrich Nortje seems to have an extra spring in his step as he bowls to Ben Foakes who works him away for a couple.
Both Foakes and Stuart Broad are new to the crease and need to put a partnership together for England.
Wicket! Pope 67 (77) c. Verreynne b. Rabada, England 133-6 (27.4)
Rabada has his first wicket! It’s a little tentative push from Ollie Pope - something he hasn’t done all day - and he feathers the ball through to Kyle Verreynne behind the stumps.
England’s number three has to go and this is a brilliant fight back from South Africa who are right in the game now.
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