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:
England 88-3 (18), Pope 42, Brook 0, Nortje 0-9 (3)
England, and Ollie Pope, are back underway after tea as Anrich Nortje drifts into Pope’s pad allowing him to whip the ball away to the boundary for four runs.
Pope is into the 40s.
England 84-3 (17), Pope 38, Brook 0, Jansen 3-19 (7)
Solid. Harry Brook strides to the crease on his test match debut and gets in behind Marco Jansen’s final delivery in the over with a confident block.
He’ll be nervous and South Africa can capitalise on that. England still trail by 34 runs.
Wicket! Root 23 (25) c. Petersen b. Jansen, England 84-3 (16.5)
Yes he can! That’s a huge wicket for Marco Jansen who gets Joe Root caught in the slips. Jansen feeds the ball well wide of the off-stump and Root fancies it.
He tries to cut the ball away but only gets the toe end of the bat and swipes it straight to Keegan Petersen in the slip cordon.
England 84-2 (16), Pope 38, Root 23, Jansen 2-19 (6)
It’s a change of end for Marco Jansen who opens up after tea. He’s the only South African bowler to take a wicket today after dismissing both Alex Lees and Zak Crawley.
Can he get South Africa back in this game?
Evening session: England 84-2 (16), trail by 34
The South Africans gather in a huddle as the enter the pitch as Dean Elgar gives his players some words of encouragement or instructions for the rest of the day.
Ollie Pope and Joe Root jog down the steps and follow them onto the pitch to a round of applause.
Tea: Ollie Robinson inspires England as South Africa crumble at start of third Test
Ollie Robinson boosted England’s bid for an LV= Insurance series victory as South Africa lurched to 69 for six at lunch following a moving tribute to the Queen on day three of the third Test.
A minute’s silence was followed by the national anthems of both countries, with the crowd joining in the rendition of God Save the King before bursting into spontaneous and prolonged applause as a sell-out Kia Oval poignantly commemorated the Queen, whose death was announced on Thursday evening.
The final Test has been reduced to a three-day affair following an opening-day washout and Friday being called off as a mark of respect, with the tourists ruling out the possibility of extending the decider and instead sticking to their original plan of flying back to South Africa on Tuesday.
Ollie Robinson inspires England as South Africa crumble at start of third Test
South Africa manage just 69 for six at the Oval after tribues were paid to the Queen before play began
Tea: England 84-2 (16), trail by 34
Tea: England 84-2 (16)
A partnership of 41 between Ollie Pope (38*) and Joe Root (23*) has given England a firm grip on this test match as they’ve cut the deficit on South Africa’s first innings to 34.
It was a good session for England. They took the last four South African wickets cheaply to bowl the Proteas out for 118 before coming out in a positive mindset and storming up to 84.
One session left in the day and England will want to push as far ahead of South Africa as they can.
England 84-2 (16), Pope 38, Root 23, Nortje 0-5 (2)
Joe Root seems content to pick up ones and leave the majority of the strike to Ollie Pope. If Pope is aware that tea is going to be taken at the end of this over it isn’t affecting him.
He goes for a booming drive and misses the ball by quite some way. The last ball is left well alone and England are safely through to tea.
England 83-2 (15), Pope 38, Root 22, Mulder 0-11 (2)
Just the one run to Joe Root off Wiaan Mulder’s second over. Ollie Pope is watching the ball closely outside his off-stump and letting it go well.
He looks in good touch today as he covers his stumps and guides the ball down to fine leg for four runs!
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