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 47/0 (10.0), Lees 22, Crawley 23 - England need 83 more to win
Anrich Nortje into the attack and Lees welcomes him with a punch into the covers for two. Then a lovely shot from Lees as he angles the ball through the cordon for FOUR. Very clever and the first boundary in a while for this pair. Single off the final ball to finish things off.
England 40/0 (9.0), Lees 15, Crawley 23 - England need 90 more to win
It’s still Rabada from this end and he’s pretty tight. A leg bye is the only run and the over ends with a huge swing and miss from Crawley.
England 39/0 (8.0), Lees 15, Crawley 23 - England need 91 more to win
Crawley nicely drops one into the covers for a single, that is also a no-ball. Lees then endures a couple of cries of “CATCH IT” when the ball squirts into the air off edges of his bat but they don’t drop within range of fielders. He takes a single to finish the over.
England 36/0 (7.0), Lees 14, Crawley 22 - England need 94 more to win
You do wonder how different things would be if Lees had been held in the slips by Jansen off the first ball of the innings...
Again, a first-ball single from Crawley before Lees is watchful for the remainder. The light may stop England reaching the total before the end of the day although it is brighter than yesterday at this time.
England 34/0 (6.0), Lees 14, Crawley 21 - England need 95 more to win
Crawley clips the first ball off his legs for a single before Lees sees out the rest of Jansen’s over. Things have settled into more of a traditional Tes match rhythm following that frenetic start to the innings.
England 34/0 (5.0), Lees 14, Crawley 20 - England need 96 more to win
A much calmer over as Rabada largely finds his line and length but the England openers take three singles.
England 31/0 (4.0), Lees 13, Crawley 18 - England need 99 more to win
Jansen runs in and Lees chips one down the ground for two. He then takes an ungainly swing, a sort of pull that squirts off a top edge, Maharaj going backwards at mid-off and dives for it with one hand but it flies just beyond him and falls safely on the ground! Lees living dangerously...
An inside edge single from Crawley and the target is now into double figures.
England 27/0 (3.0), Lees 10, Crawley 17 - England need 103 more to win
Lees clips a single off his pads before Crawley times a stunning shot through the points region for FOUR runs at the top of the bounce. The very next ball, perfect timing again as an on-drive is punched down the ground off the back foot for FOUR more. Maybe Crawley being freed up by attacking this small total?
A couple of singles to finish the over. England 27-0 after three overs! Now just 103 more needed!
England 16/0 (2.0), Lees 8, Crawley 8 - England need 114 more to win
Blimey, this is an eventful over!
There is undoubtedly a classy cricketer in Zak Crawley and he shows such infuriating flashes of it among the problems. A gorgeous drive down the ground for FOUR off the first ball of Marco Jansen.
Then it’s a huge RUN-OUT chance! England take the sharpest of singles into the off-side, it’s a direct hit from Rickelton and Lees is in trouble at the striker’s end. Replays show he’s juuuuust in however. Not great bat grounding technique as his bat was well past the line before being grounded but he gets away with it.
Then a big APPEAL for Lees caught in the slips and a REVIEW from South Africa but not even close to hitting the bat, clearly thigh pad. NOT OUT call on the field stands.
Lees then pummels an on-drive down the ground for FOUR before a single to leg from the final ball. Ten runs, a tight run-out call and a review for caught in the slips from that over!
DROP! England 6/0 (1.0), Lees 3, Crawley 3 - England need 124 more to win
WOW - WHAT A START! First ball of the innings, Kagiso Rabada into Alex Lees and it’s DROPPED. Rabada induced the edge from Lees, it went fast to third slip, where Marco Jansen dived to his left but the ball hits his wrists and goes down. Races towards the boundary for three.
South Africa can’t afford to miss chances like that defending such a small total
Later in the over, Zak Crawley gets three of his own as he steers a bouncing ball into the off-side past point. Already six of the 130 runs required on the board...
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