South Africa v England: tourists need 376 to win first Test on day four – live!

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9.28am GMT

59th over: England 158-3 (Root 8, Stokes 0) A maiden from Pretorius to the hitherto strokeless Stokes.

9.25am GMT

58th over: England 158-3 (Root 8, Stokes 0) Root inside-edges Nortje just wide of leg stump. England cannot afford to lose another wicket before lunch. Root is then smashed on the bottom hand by a nasty delivery. The uneven bounce is now happening off the straight, which is great news for South Africa.

9.19am GMT

57th over: England 158-3 (Root 8, Stokes 0) That was another impressive little innings from Denly, though he’ll be frustrated by the way he got out. South Africa are in an excellent position now. They have bowled superbly this morning.

9.15am GMT

That’s out! Denly whips around a straight one from Pretorius and is given out LBW. The non-striker Root encourages Denly to review, but replays show it’s umpire’s call and that’s good enough for South Africa.

9.13am GMT

56th over: England 158-2 (Denly 31, Root 8) A crap delivery from Nortje is cut through the covers for four by Root.

Meanwhile, this is great, and includes plenty of cricket.

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9.08am GMT

55th over: England 153-2 (Denly 31, Root 4) Dwaine Pretorius comes on to replace Kagiso Rabada, and Denly pulls his fourth ball disdainfully through midwicket for four. He’s such an elegant puller and hooker, which is one of the reasons he has been able to make runs against such quality pace attacks in the last year. He’s the Pretty Boy Who Went to War!

Pretorius responds by getting one to spit from a length and rap Denly on the glove. Though he is the fourth seamer in this team, his height and tight line could make him a real threat on this uneven pitch.

8.59am GMT

54th over: England 149-2 (Denly 27, Root 4) Nortje has been really impressive in this game. He’s not just a big, strapping fast bowler, as he showed with that smart spell around the wicket to the left-handers in the first innings. At the moment he has Root in his sights and is pounding a length just outside off stump. Root seems okay physically, though it’s hard to be sure when you’re 8,871 miles away. He gets off the mark with a familiar steer between slip and gully for four. Risk, meet reward.

That’s drinks.

8.55am GMT

53rd over: England 145-2 (Denly 27, Root 0) Denly hooks Rabada for his second six of the morning. It was a strange incident, because Nortje at deep backward square lost sight of the ball and started to cower as his team-mates screamed at him. I don’t think it made any difference, though, as the ball sailed into the crowd. Denly continues to impress both in attack and defence; he has 27 from 70 balls.

“I rate the chances an England victory as 20 times more likely to happen than Ben Foakes being called up as cover as ‘our boys’ continue to turn into human Catherine wheels,” says James Debens. “So, about 1 in 100.”

8.51am GMT

52nd over: England 139-2 (Denly 21, Root 0) Joe Root, the new batsman, survives a pretty big LBW appeal first ball. I say pretty big: Nortje was interested, the cordon less so. It looked too high and Faf du Plessis declined a review. He is beaten later in the over by another one that keeps low. So far, happily for England, all the uneven bounce has been wide of off stump. But I suspect at least one batsman will receive a stump-busting grubber at some stage.

8.47am GMT

Well that escalated quickly. Rory Burns, having played perfectly for 45 minutes, has suddenly given his wicket away. He tried to hook the new bowler Anrich Nortje, but it was too wide for him to control the shot and he top-edged it straight to Rabada at mid-on. That’s a big wicket for South Africa. Burns, fuming with himself, started to walk long before the ball reached Rabada. A split-second misjudgement has cost him his wicket.

8.44am GMT

51st over: England 139-1 (Burns 84, Denly 21) This has been a fine start from England, with both batsmen showing excellent don’t say game management, Smyth, please don’t say game management, this isn’t a wildlife reserve awareness of the match situation. And it’s South Africa’s bowlers who have blinked first. Rabada twice goes too straight to Burns, who puts him away for two and three runs respectively.

“Hitting a six in a Test match?” sniffs Ian Copestake. “What the heck is this Denly man playing at. He can park that shot along with his bloody ego. Upstart.”

8.40am GMT

50th over: England 134-1 (Burns 79, Denly 21) Philander continues to test Burns’ patience and judgement outside off stump. Eventually he goes a bit too straight and is worked off the pads for a single. That’s Burns’ first run off 30 deliveries from Philander this morning.

“But did you notice Rob that he actually also started banging the pitch as much as six inches in front of the crease?” says Steve D. “Sneaky I think.”

8.36am GMT

49th over: England 133-1 (Burns 78, Denly 21) Another unpleasant lifter from Rabada to Denly is well saved by de Kock. Rabada goes a bit straighter, in the hope for something similar, but the bounce is even and Denly works a single off the pads.

That’s the first rotation of strike this morning - and almost the end of Burns. He overbalanced as he turned Rabada to backward short leg, where the substitute Rudi Second reacted brilliantly to grab the ball on the bounce and fling it at the stumps. It missed by a whisker with Burns out of his ground.

8.29am GMT

48th over: England 131-1 (Burns 77, Denly 20) Burns hasn’t scored a run this morning, mainly because he has been stuck at Philander’s end. It’s an intriguing game of patience between the two: four overs, four maidens.

8.25am GMT

47th over: England 131-1 (Burns 77, Denly 20) Madon, what a shot from Joe Denly! Rabada’s first ball was a fraction short, and Denly launched into a majestic swivel-pull for six. Ricky Ponting could hardly have played that better. Rabada’s next ball lifts grotesquely outside off stump, with de Kock leaping to save four byes. That uneven bounce is a concern for lovers of England miracles.

“I cannot believe that what has just happened is legal!” says Steve D. “A man came on with a hammer and proceeded to smash to pitch around and in front of the crease line!! Does that not constitute changing the pitch conditions?”

8.21am GMT

46th over: England 125-1 (Burns 77, Denly 14) Philander continues to Burns. Drip, drip, drip, drip, drip, drip: a maiden. This is excellent stuff from South Africa, though England’s batsmen have so far played with the requisite patience. As Mike Atherton says on Sky, they just have to “suck it up” for a while.

“I just noticed that there are two little white lines a few metres up the edge of the track from the crease,” says Garry Sharp. “What are they for?”

8.17am GMT

45th over: England 125-1 (Burns 77, Denly 14) Rabada has an optimistic LBW appeal against Denly turned down by Paul Reiffel. Missing leg. Denly is then beaten by a delivery that keeps very low. There have been early signs of uneven bounce at Rabada’s end. South Africa will be pleased with the accuracy and intensity of their start - England have scored only four runs in four overs, and they came from an involuntary edge.

“My plan to recuperate with an Ally Pally hangover revolves around me staying on the sofa with cricket, football and darts for company,” says John Dalby. “Its success hinges on England batting through until tea. What are my chances?”

8.12am GMT

44th over: England 125-1 (Burns 77, Denly 14) Philander seams a beauty past Burns’ defensive push. He has started immaculately and remains the biggest threat to England. Burns, that play and miss aside, is leaving him well outside off stump, which is not easy against a relentless line bowler like Philander. Excellent stuff so far.

“Good morning, Rob,” says Ian Copestake. “If the TV cameras do seek out ‘the beautiful, the famous or the wacky’ (The Spirit of Cricket, Rob Smyth) they may stumble across the latter in the form of an actual friend of mine who it turns out is a member of the Barmy Army. He is at the ground and may well lead some singing, and if his girlfriend has brought her ukulele then she might get upgraded to famous.”

8.07am GMT

43rd over: England 125-1 (Burns 77, Denly 14) Kagiso Rabada starts at the other end to Denly, who gets a thick edge to third man for four. The previous delivery popped nastily outside off stump, a reminder that this pitch hasn’t completely gone to sleep. The next 37 overs, before the second new ball is available, are so important. I reckon England can afford to lose no more than two wickets in that time.

8.03am GMT

42nd over: England 121-1 (Burns 77, Denly 10) Philander doesn’t do looseners. His first ball is right on the money and defended by Burns, and his first over is a maiden.

“Good morning Rob from bright and frosty Piedmont,” says Finbar Anslow. “Last night the South Piedmontese Christmas film appreciation society watched It’s a Wonderful Life and I can confirm it’s still up there as one of the best festive feelgood movies; now if only England had a couple of George Baileys (and maybe a Clarence would be useful).”

7.59am GMT

It’s time for some cricket. Vernon Philander will open the bowling to Rory Burns.

7.53am GMT

“Good morning, Rob,” says Eva Maaten. “After attending to family obligations in Europe we made it back to SA in time for day four of this exciting Test - I’m very grateful to Burns for ensuring there is still some cricket to be played today. Overcast and cooler today; what do you think that means for the pitch and England’s chances? We seemed to have ended up in the middle of a touring group of England fans with some very enthusiastic looking SA supporters just across the aisle - this should be a fun day!”

The Sky Sports pundits all think the cool weather is good for England because it should delay the deterioration of the pitch. I still think South Africa are strong favourites, though I’m in a minority: most reckon it’s 60/40 in their favour. I’d make it 80/20.

7.35am GMT

Joe Root and Jos Buttler are at the ground and apparently feeling better.

It’s on!

7.34am GMT

Pre-play reading

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7.57pm GMT

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