England v South Africa fourth Test: Live over-by-over commentary

Fourth Test scoreboard

England won the toss and chose to bat

England 1st inns: 260-6 (90 overs. Stokes 58, Root 52, Cook 46, Bairstow 33*, Westley 29, Malan 18, Jennings 17; Rabada 2-52, Olivier 2-72, Maharaj 1-54, Morkel 1-58)

Fourth Test headlines

Reviews remaining: England 2 South Africa 2
Stokes falls late after battling half-century
Root reaches 50 for 10th Test in a row
Root goes past 5000 Test runs
Philander, Morris out for SA
Live Sky Bet odds

Get in touch: @tickerscricket | Dave.Tickner@sportinglife.com

Fourth Test day one commentary

STUMPS: England 260-6 (90 overs)
Strange day even before that nightwatchman silliness. All of England's top seven reached 17, none of them (yet) getting more than 58. Bowlers going past the outside edge time and again. England are probably a tough fortunate to be in the position they are. There is something there for the bowlers - it's the sort of pitch where a batsman is never truly in. Tomorrow is going to be fascinating.

Over 90: England 260-6 (Bairstow 33, Roland-Jones 0)
The nightwatchman does his job. By standing on his bat at the non-striker's end. Moeen, who keeps telling us he wants to bat up the order, has decided to bat at number nine in this innings. It's very silly. Anyway. Bairstow gets a couple of boundaries in the final over of the day, the first a glorious drive and the second an attempted leave that he ends up middling to third-man.

Over 89: England 252-6 (Bairstow 25)
And that wicket has even greater significance now as England inexplicably send in a nightwatchman for a number eight. They've moved their number nine... to number eight. It's so witless. Roland-Jones isn't even going to be on strike.

WICKET! Stokes b Rabada 58

Massive wicket for South Africa late in the day. Stokes gets two streaky boundaries, top-edged over the keeper and then edged wide of gully, but has no answer to Rabada's last ball of the day. Full, straight and into the furniture.

Over 88: England 244-5 (Stokes 50, Bairstow 25)
Olivier back as the luckless Morkel walks away with another inexplicably wicketless spell. Bairstow aims a drive through cover and instead squirts it behind point for two. Not in control of that shot, and it was in the air for a while. Twelve balls left in the day. Pretty good one for England, I reckon, if they get through them unscathed.

Over 87: England 242-5 (Stokes 50, Bairstow 23)
No exaggeration to say England could have been bowled out today. Rabada goes past the outside again, before Bairstow works him into the legside to keep the strike.

Over 86: England 241-5 (Stokes 50, Bairstow 22)
Late swing sends the ball past Bairstow's outside edge but also does for de Kock. The ball keeps swinging after beating the bat and ends up going between first and second slip for four byes via a fingertip from the keeper. Bairstow drives Morkel through the covers and trots three. Not quite out of the middle of the bat, but all runs useful here and the partnership is now worth 54.

Over 85: England 234-5 (Stokes 50, Bairstow 19)
Stokes beaten again by Rabada, but again the bowler could be a touch fuller. Does push it up there for the last ball of the over, and Stokes gets enough on it down the ground to take two and bring up a hard-working, battling half-century. Not at his most fluent, but he's learning how to score runs in different ways.

BA Stokes 50: 89 balls, 6x4

Over 84: England 232-5 (Stokes 48, Bairstow 19)
Three slips now, but is it too late? Elgar standing really close to du Plessis again. Very odd stagger in that cordon. Morkel goes past the outside edge for the umpteenth time as Stokes attempts a big drive, before a second whack on the thigh in successive overs brings Stokes a hobbled leg-bye. Bairstow works the last ball of the over behind square-leg and runs hard to get back for two.

Over 83: England 229-5 (Stokes 48, Bairstow 17)
Good half-stop at Bavuma keeps Bairstow to a single for a punch to cover off the back foot. Rabada then hits the seam of that new ball and jags one past Stokes. He hasn't got within six inches of that. Stokes not bothered about that one, but rather more inconvenienced next ball as an attempted pull shot hits the unprotected area of the inner thigh with a sickening thwump. Stokes tries for a moment not to rub it, but can't help himself. Then whacks his bat on the ground. It's sore. Good response from the England all-rounder, though, clipping the last ball of the over through midwicket for three.

Over 82: England 225-5 (Stokes 45, Bairstow 16)
Stokes slightly slow to respond to Bairstow's call for a quick single but gets home safely. Beaten by another Morkel jaffa before a thick outside edge flies to the third-man boundary. Only two slips, and that's gone through third. With 20:20 hindsight, did Faf really need an extra-cover for the first over with the new ball from a bowler who has threatened the outside edge all day long?

1745: The new ball taken just an over after it was due. Morkel has it in his massive claw at the James Anderson End.

Over 81: England 220-5 (Stokes 40, Bairstow 15)
Lengthy delay for no good reason. The new ball comes out to the middle, but du Plessis decides to stick with Maharaj for a 29th over of the day. Fair enough, but I'm not quite sure why that all takes three or four minutes to sort out. Maiden over, and if that is as one suspects Maharaj's last bowl of the day it's a fitting way to finish. Done a crucial job in a four-man attack here. Got through 29 overs and conceded just 54 runs. Heroic effort.

Over 80: England 220-5 (Stokes 40, Bairstow 15)
This final over with the old ball a fascinating psychological experiment as Stokes weighs up his desire to whack this gentle medium-pace all round Manchester with his knowledge that the second new ball is such a crucial period of play and he absolutely must be there to deal with it. Five almost premeditated forward defensive shots are followed by a drive out to the cover sweeper to keep the strike.

Over 79: England 219-5 (Stokes 39, Bairstow 15)
Bairstow misses an attempted sweep, and the ball then ricochets off the back of the bat after hitting the pad. Could've gone anywhere really, but runs away safely on the legside for a couple of runs.

Over 78: England 217-5 (Stokes 39, Bairstow 13)
Decent over from de Bruyn here, almost containing the huge bonus of Stokes' wicket as he bottom-edges an attempted pull shot past the stumps.

Over 77: England 215-5 (Stokes 38, Bairstow 12)
A Maharaj over. A single from it. We've been here before. He's bowled 27 overs today, with at least one more to come.

Over 76: England 214-5 (Stokes 37, Bairstow 12)
De Bruyn back into the attack to fiddle South Africa through to the second new ball. In related news, Rabada is off the field. England as guilty as anyone for that kind of pre-spell comfort break, but it's not really a good look. In my opinion. Anyway. De Bruyn. Not a good start. A full-toss that Stokes creams past Maharaj at short-cover for four. And it's a no-ball as well, so that's five runs on the board and the over hasn't actually even started. Maharaj wisely decides he's not staying at short-cover any more before Stokes crunches a pull shot to the boundary sweeper for a single, and Bairstow collects two with a clip off his toes through midwicket. Run-scoring not been easy for most of the day, this short de Bruyn spell looks like a decent time to cash in on the hard yards put in elsewhere.

Over 75: England 206-5 (Stokes 32, Bairstow 10)
England haven't managed to get Maharaj away too often, but Bairstow succeeds here with a well-struck sweep shot to the square-leg fence. Five overs until the new ball.

Over 74: England 202-5 (Stokes 32, Bairstow 6)
Bairstow tries to run Olivier down to third-man and makes no contact. "We used to call that shot the getting-out shot," observes Mikey Holding on commentary. Bairstow does manage to get a single worked behind square-leg.

Over 73: England 201-5 (Stokes 32, Bairstow 5)
Maharaj continues to do his thing. Just a Bairstow quick single from the over. New ball seven overs away. Bright sunshine now on what has in the end been a pretty decent day in Manchester. Always nice hair, not like rainy old London.

Over 72: England 200-5 (Stokes 32, Bairstow 4)
The 200 is up for England as Stokes steers a short ball from Olivier through gully and away for four despite Bavuma's pursuit.

Over 71: England 196-5 (Stokes 28, Bairstow 4)
Genuine scenes. Big appeal for lbw against Bairstow from South Africa. Kumar Dharmasena says not out because there's an inside edge. South Africa point out that Elgar has, in their view, caught the ball anyway. Dharmasena then gives him out. Bairstow can't believe it. Dharmasena, having eventually given one of the hardest soft signals of all time, decides to send it upstairs after all. It's bounced. Not out. Got there in the end. Final result, it's just your bog-standard, run-of-the-mill maiden over.

Over 70: England 196-5 (Stokes 28, Bairstow 4)
Lovely stuff from Stokes, driving Olivier with a full flourish to the extra-cover boundary.

Over 69: England 192-5 (Stokes 24, Bairstow 4)
Maharaj continues to plough through the overs with minimal damage. Stokes punches down the ground for a single, but that's all England get.

Over 68: England 191-5 (Stokes 23, Bairstow 4)
New batsman Jonny Bairstow off the mark with the shot Root tried to play. But it's a fuller delivery, and Bairstow has no problem getting the middle of the bat to the ball and sending it whistling through square-leg for four.

WICKET! Root lbw b Olivier 52

Big moment, and de Kock's earlier error not too costly as Root walks across his stumps trying to work Olivier to leg and makes no contact. Looks plumb in front despite being a long way down the track. With two reviews and only 12 overs until the reset, Root tries his luck. But Hawk-Eye won't save him, it's crashing into leg stump.

Over 67: England 187-4 (Root 52, Stokes 23)
Couple of singles eased down the ground off Maharaj.

Over 66: England 185-4 (Root 51, Stokes 22)
Maiden over from Olivier to Root. Strange day in a lot of ways. All of England's top six reaching at least 17, all of South Africa's frontline bowlers taking one wicket.

Over 65: England 185-4 (Root 51, Stokes 22)
Field more spread for Maharaj now. The Stokes Effect. Couple of singles from the over.

Over 64: England 183-4 (Root 50, Stokes 21)
Morkel off the field, so Olivier back on the field. Root collects a single to reach 50 for the 10th Test in succession. Twelve is the all-time record in that particular list, set by AB de Villiers between November 2012 and February 2014. Stokes takes a slightly iffy single to mid-off, but gets home safely.

JE Root 50: 91 balls, 6x4

Over 63: England 181-4 (Root 49, Stokes 20)
South Africa very excited about an lbw shout against Stokes, on the sweep against Maharaj. He's absolutely miles outside the line, though, and cooler heads - at least, du Plessis' head - prevail and there's no silly review.

Over 62: England 180-4 (Root 48, Stokes 20)
Stokes dealing in threes at the moment. Works Morkel to leg and scampers hard with Root to get back. Bavuma, as ever, does the same in the field. Root goes past 5000 Test runs with a drive for three. Can play. Morkel's mood not improved in any way by a misfield that allows Stokes to turn a tight single into an easy two. Fair to say he's not getting support from the field right now. Root has got to 5000 in 105 innings, by the way, the fifth fastest ever for England and the fastest in the colour TV era. The players who got there quicker: Hobbs, Hammond, Barrington, Hutton. Some list. In terms of age, Root is the third youngest to reach the mark. Only Sachin Tendulkar and Cook ahead of him in that list. That 105-innings mark puts him joint 14th alongside Neil Harvey on the allcomers list.

Over 61: England 172-4 (Root 45, Stokes 15)
That really could be the defining moment of the day. It was far closer to the keeper than the one he pouched so athletically off Westley earlier in the day. Olivier, meanwhile, is off after just one over, but it doesn't stem the flow of runs. Stokes gets a pair of threes for a solid punch through cover and a slightly dicey edge wide of slip. Root picks up a quick single in between. The partnership is up and running, but really should've been cut short in the last over.

Over 60: England 165-4 (Root 44, Stokes 9)
Couple of loose shots from Root making no contact with attempted drives and cuts off Morkel. Chance! This time the ball does find the edge, but flies through the gap between keeper and slip. De Kock's been diving for - and taking - those all series long. Morkel can't believe de Kock has just left that; nor can Root, who was almost walking. Nor, for that matter can de Kock, who is sat on his backside shaking his head at a baffling error.

Over 59: England 161-4 (Root 40, Stokes 9)
Gentle loosener from Olivier to start his evening's work, and Root is not going to miss out. Leans into it and sends a drive pinging off boards at cover. Nurdles a single on the legside to reach 40. Genuinely makes run-scoring look so much easier than anyone else in the side. Poor over this from Olivier, bowling a long-hop and then a half-volley to Stokes with inevitable consequences. A pull to fine-leg and clip off the toes later, Stokes moves from one to nine.

Over 58: England 148-4 (Root 35, Stokes 1)
Morkel bowling his short-sleeve sweater after tea. Root cuts for a single out to that Root-specific boundary sweeper that du Plessis uses, neither a traditional third-man nor a deep point. Third-point, if you will. Whatever, it's a good position for Root, who scores a ton of runs in that area.

TEA: England 147-4 (57 overs)
Still pretty even, although that late gift from Malan means it's South Africa's players whose cuppas will taste slightly the sweeter after nipping out three in that session. Still think anything over 300 will be a decent working total here and England still very much on course for that with the resources still in hand. Maharaj was the key to that session for South Africa, bowling tidily and unchanged from one end to allow du Plessis to rotate his quicker men at the other. England still odds-on, but out to 5/6 from their lunchtime 4/6. The draw and South Africa both 11/4 shots now, with Root an odds-on shot to top-score for England at 8/15. Cook is in the clubhouse with 46 and is a 10/1 chance. If he does end up with the win, England are in bother.

Over 57: England 147-4 (Root 34, Stokes 1)
South Africa happy to give Root a single early in Maharaj's over to have a dip at new batsman Ben Stokes before tea. Almost does the trick as well, but Stokes' thick outside edge is safe enough and gets him off the mark. Root collects another run off the outside half of the bat to end the session.

Over 56: England 144-4 (Root 32)
Wicket with the last ball of the over. There will be one more before tea. Malan can spend the rest of the day thinking about what he's done.

WICKET! Malan c du Plessis b Morkel 18

Poor from Malan, four minutes before tea, chasing a length delivery from Morkel and edging to du Plessis at second slip. Credit to Morkel for switching back over the wicket to Malan, but that's a brainless shot. If it's a half-volley, then fair enough. But at that point in the day that's just the wrong shot to a ball that wanted nothing more than watching through to the keeper. Malan thumps his bat into the ground in frustration.

Over 55: England 142-3 (Root 31, Malan 18)
Scampered single to a deep-lying mid-off brings Malan a single and clocks up a ship-steadying 50 partnership after that post-lunch double strike for South Africa. Bed update: a wide-angle shot reveals there are in fact four beds. Still not having it. Beds are comfortable for lying in, not sitting on. This is just wrongheaded. They haven't thought it through.

Over 54: England 141-3 (Root 31, Malan 17)
Not a good spell this from Morkel. Gets his line wrong again, and Malan flicks him away beyond the grasp of a diving de Kock to collect four. Line slightly better next ball, but still not right and it's another single on the legside. Short and wide to Root, who has no problem steering that to the point sweeper for another run. Flowing cover-drive from Malan is half-stopped at short cover otherwise it would've been four more. Still a single.

Over 53: England 134-3 (Root 30, Malan 11)
Malan works Maharaj for a single, but again that's the only run from the over.

Over 52: England 133-3 (Root 30, Malan 10)
Just a gorgeous shot from Root. Morkel, looking far less threatening in this spell, offers a bit of width, but Root takes full toll with a wonderful late cut that almost seems to have been placed specifically to give the point sweeper that agonising moment's belief that he might cut it off before realisation dawns and the ball pings up off the boundary Toblerone. Morkel, as bowlers so often do, over-corrects next ball and is clipped away through midwicket for a couple. Root, having taken 16 balls to get off the mark, now his usual busy self on 30 from 53.

Over 51: England 127-3 (Root 24, Malan 10)
Maharaj concedes just a single from his 15th over. South Africa would have been in bother without him today - hearts in mouths when he went off the field with a grimace on his face after his second over.

Over 50: England 126-3 (Root 23, Malan 10)
Morkel back into the attack. Tidy over, just a couple of singles from it. Morkel's round-the-wicket angle looks easier for Malan to line up than Rabada's over-the-wicket attack, he said, ensuring Malan's inevitable and imminent demise.

Over 49: England 124-3 (Root 22, Malan 9)
Maharaj back to bowling maidens. Root trying to find legside gaps but not able to do it.

Over 48: England 124-3 (Root 22, Malan 9)
Another huge leg-before shout against Root. This one looks much more like it, but Aleem Dar again shakes his head. Faf reviews after some deliberation, but it's clipping the bails and Root survives. The importance of the on-field decision there. Root, though, playing a dangerous game by trying to counter Rabada from deep in his crease. Not sure it's going to work long-term. A punch off the back foot and good scampering brings Root two to deep point, and he adds another run via a thick inside edge. Again, stuck in the crease neither forward nor fully back. Malan, who has noticeably opened his stance since The Oval, is able to get the bat down on Rabada's yorker this time.

Over 47: England 121-3 (Root 19, Malan 9)
Back to his earlier, miserly efforts for Maharaj. Five dot balls before Root keeps the strike with a push to deep point.

Over 46: England 120-3 (Root 18, Malan 9)
Wide half-volley form Rabada, and Malan gives it the full gun to drive through the covers for four. Tries to repeat the shot to end the over and this time misses it altogether. That's definitely the way to go: middle it or miss it.

Over 45: England 116-3 (Root 18, Malan 5)
Malan gets right across his stumps to nurdle Maharaj to fine-leg for a couple. Bavuma slides to field and then loses his balance, to the inevitable and vocal delight of a crowd just reaching that pleasing mid-afternoon jovial level of drunkenness before the evening's descent into arguments and recrimination. Malan adds a single down the ground, and Root gets four for a fine paddle-sweep. From 1-9 off 10, Maharaj's figures have fallen away to 1-26 off 12.

Over 44: England 109-3 (Root 14, Malan 2)
Whether the delay affected him or not, only Root can tell you. But he's gone after Rabada's first ball upon the resumption and edged at catchable height through fourth slip. Luckily for Root, there are only three slips, and he gets four.

1449: The ambulance has arrived. Play to resume shortly.

1448: Apparently a spectator lost consciousness. They are now conscious again and sitting up. Paramedics are there. Players trying to keep themselves busy during this delay. Root and Bavuma discussing bats, Morkel bowling some leg-breaks.

1445: It looks like it's a medical issue in the crowd right behind the bowler's arm. Obviously, there will be no further play until that is dealt with.

Over 43.4: England 105-3 (Root 10, Malan 2)
Another couple of leg-before shouts against Root, who is camped on the back foot against Rabada. He's got decent inside edges on both of them. And needed to. In between those he shovels to leg for a couple, but it's been an uncomfortable route to double-figures for the England skipper. There's something not right behind the bowler's arm. Don't know what it is, but it's enough to prompt the umpires to take drinks two balls early.

Over 43: England 103-3 (Root 8, Malan 2)
A run! Multiple runs! A flurry of runs! Malan pushes to cover for a single before a gorgeous cover-drive gets Root off the mark with a boundary. Great balance. An outside edge past slip brings him a single, and Malan adds a second run after using his feet nicely to get to the pitch. Short and wide to end the over, and Root gets the cut shot away for three runs. Another long but successful chase for Bavuma, who reels the ball in just inside the rope.

Over 42: England 93-3 (Root 0, Malan 0)
Batting looking as difficult now as it did first thing this morning. Big lbw appeal from Rabada as Root plays back. He wants to go upstairs. Faf du Plessis does not, indicating that it's too high. Faf is right. Last ball of the over snakes past the outside edge. Danger times for England here. A wicket looking more likely than a run right now. Twenty-four balls without a run off the bat.

Over 41: England 93-3 (Root 0, Malan 0)
Another maiden over for Maharaj, his fifth in 10 overs. Both batsmen still on nought.

Over 40: England 93-3 (Root 0, Malan 0)
Dawid Malan has a wild drive at his first ball, and is fortunate to make no contact. Better option next ball, dropping the hands and swaying inside the line of a short ball. Rabada goes for the swinging yorker that did for Malan in the first innings at The Oval, but this time he doesn't quite get the line right. A leg-bye and Malan still on his feet the result this time.

WICKET! Westley c de Kock b Rabada 29

Ripper of a catch from de Kock. Rabada's outswinger finds Westley's outside edge, and an initially wrong-footed de Kock springs to his right to grab the ball one-handed. It wouldn't have made it to first slip, had to be the keeper's, and it was. That's his 100th Test dismissal, and has to be up there with his best. England suddenly in a small bit of bother. That lunchtime 9/2 on offer about a South Africa win now in to 5/2.

Over 39: England 92-2 (Westley 29, Root 0)
Another maiden over for Maharaj. Now has handy figures of 9-4-9-1.

Over 38: England 92-2 (Westley 29, Root 0)
There are people watching the game from a double bed just beyond the boundary. Don't know what to make of that, if I'm honest. I mean, I guess it's supposed to be some kind of reward or competition win, but it just doesn't look that comfortable. There are about four blokes propped up on the bed trying to watch. Not even sure what kind of view they've got. Surely a sofa would be better if you're going down this route.

Over 37: England 92-2 (Westley 29, Root 0)
Good over from Maharaj, and a deserved wicket. He's been so impressive throughout the series.

WICKET! Cook c de Kock b Maharaj 46

No half-century for Cook, beaten by the drift from Maharaj and feathering an attempted drive through to de Kock. Came from nowhere, but a big breakthrough for South Africa just as England were starting to look pretty comfortable.

Over 36: England 91-1 (Cook 46, Westley 28)
Rabada back into the attack. Not been at his best today or in the series as a whole really. Two long chases for Bavuma as Cook and Westley both collect three for trademark shots. First Cook cuts behind point, and then Westley works off his pads. Both would've brought four and saved Bavuma's legs on a drier outfield.

Over 35: England 85-1 (Cook 43, Westley 25)
Westley misses out on a single after driving Maharaj to mid-on, where Olivier is nearer to the boundary than he is to the bowler.

Over 34: England 85-1 (Cook 43, Westley 25)
Clip off the hip brings Cook two and a 50 stand with Westley. Bit strange that South Africa have started with Olivier after lunch, to be honest. Morkel or Rabada surely more obvious contenders.

Over 33: England 83-1 (Cook 41, Westley 25)
Controlled outside edge propping forward to Maharaj brings Westley two past gully. Strikes a cover-drive well but can't beat two men positioned on the drive. Does, though, beat midwicket with a neat and tidy clip off his toes as the spinner overpitches. We've said it before, but that was particularly Crawley-esque.

Over 32: England 77-1 (Cook 41, Westley 19)
Four for Cook, via that slightly uncertain I've-seen-others-do-this-but-I'm-not-quite-convinced cover-drive he gets out when someone bowls him a particularly long half-volley. Jabs another drive down the ground for a couple. He's back on more familiar territory with a pull shot that evades long-leg and reaches the boundary. If the drives were like watching your grandparents trying to work an iPad, or eating sushi for the first time, this was them eating some over-boiled vegetables or enjoying newspaper pictures of royal children.

Over 31: England 67-1 (Cook 31, Westley 19)
Back-to-back maidens to begin the session. Westley has a lot to work on to make it as a Test batsman, but there's definitely something there. He's reached 50 balls faced in his first three innings in some pretty tough conditions.

Over 30: England 67-1 (Cook 31, Westley 19)
Tidy over from Olivier to begin the afternoon. Cook watchful and obdurate in defence, as has been the case for so, so long. It's hard to remember a time before him, and tough to imagine one after him.

LUNCH: England 67-1 (29 overs)
England will be pretty happy with that, you'd think. This was not a bat first, fill your boots morning. It was a bat first, grind it out morning, and that's what England, Cook in particular, have done. What a miss Philander has been for South Africa, would've been horrible to face here. But the Proteas can't dwell on that. Suspicion is that batting is going to be tricky, certainly for new batsmen, throughout here. England have shortened to 4/6, with South Africa out to 9/2. That might not be a bad price for a trade, given the run-rate is barely two an over. Couple of quick wickets will change that price swiftly. Draw still not enticing at 5/2 even with the weather forecast for the second half of the game. Root is a 3/1 Price Boost (from 5/2) to top-score for England in this innings.

Over 29: England 67-1 (Cook 31, Westley 19)
Maharaj to bowl the final over of the morning, and starts with a beauty. Drifts in, spins away, beats Westley's prop-forward defensive shot. Westley manages to get the middle of the bat to the rest of the over to end an intriguing opening session.

Over 28: England 67-1 (Cook 31, Westley 19)
We're almost going to get 30 overs in the first session of a Test match. What a time to be alive. Perhaps even more remarkably, Olivier bowls a maiden.

Over 27: England 67-1 (Cook 31, Westley 19)
Stat: South Africa haven't won an away/neutral Test without Big Vern since his debut. No surprise that Philander is good at playing away, I suppose.

Over 26: England 66-1 (Cook 30, Westley 19)
South Africa's wicket-taker Olivier back into the attack. Gets his line wrong to Cook, who helps himself to a single. Gets his length wrong to Westley, who flashes hard to send a top-edged cut shot high over the slips for four. Tom Westley now has a higher Test batting average than Viv Richards and Toby Roland-Jones.

Over 25: England 61-1 (Cook 29, Westley 15)
Cook would genuinely rather face someone bowling 85mph than 75mph, the big weirdo. Eventually manages to manoeuvre de Bruyn into the legside and himselt to the non-striker's end. Westley gets a lovely freebie, a 70mph long-hop that he punches smartly through cover for four. You're pretty happy to get any of those in Test cricket.

Over 24: England 56-1 (Cook 28, Westley 11)
Morkel bowls one at Westley's pads. He won't need me to tell him that's not the way to go. Westley eases the ball through midwicket for four, and will do so all day if you let him. Shades of John Crawley when he plays those shots through the legside.

Over 23: England 52-1 (Cook 28, Westley 7)
This is the sort of bowling Cook hates. Having got himself sorted against 'proper' bowlers, he can look ungainly against the more gentle pace of your de Bruyns and your Darren Stevens. The timing of his trigger movements goes awry, and his head falls over to the offside. Gets a single on the legside via a thick inside edge, and Westley adds a streaky single of his own off the outside half of the bat. Maharaj is coming back on, but I'd be pretty tempted to leave de Bruyn on here.

1233: Maharaj still off the field, so we'll have some medium-pace dobbers from de Bruyn to plug the gap.

Over 22: England 50-1 (Cook 27, Westley 6)
Cook looking in good order now after battling through a tough first hour. Pushes a drive past cover for a couple and then collects a single to long-leg. Fifty up for England.

1230: Problems for South Africa. Already without Philander and Morris, du Plessis now watches his left-arm spinner - and leading wicket-taker of the series - trudge from the field with a grimace after completing his second over. It's possible he just really, really needs the toilet.

Over 21: England 47-1 (Cook 24, Westley 6)
First run off Maharaj this morning comes as a quicker, flatter delivery isn't quite pitched where intended and thus allows Cook to rock back and work it into the legside, as is his wont.

Over 20: England 46-1 (Cook 23, Westley 6)
Westley aims a couple of drives at Morkel. Not a risk-free endeavour, and the first finds the gap between bat and pad. The second, though, pings off the middle of the bat through mid-on for four. Classy.

Over 19: England 42-1 (Cook 23, Westley 2)
Spin for the first time as the impressive Keshav Maharaj gets a relatively early bowl. Loads of footmarks to aim at already, and should get a bit of drift with the breeze here, so can threaten both edges of the bat. Finds only the middle of Cook's blade in what is, nevertheless, a very tidy start.

Over 18: England 42-1 (Cook 23, Westley 2)
Maiden over from Morkel. Goes past the outside edge a couple of times. Standard.

Over 17: England 42-1 (Cook 23, Westley 2)
An over of pleasant but unthreatening outswingers from Olivier. It's early, from the hand and Westley just watches delivery after delivery arc its way through to de Kock. Last ball is stuffed down the legside and flicked away for a single.

Over 16: England 41-1 (Cook 23, Westley 1)
Morkel back for a second dart. Again, he's straight round the wicket to Cook, but the left-hander is lining him up rather better after an hour at the crease. The footwork is crisper, more precise, and the middle of the bat being found rather more regularly.

Over 15: England 41-1 (Cook 23, Westley 1)
Glorious shot from Cook, timing the ears off what is little more than a push back down the ground to a ball of full length. Despite a slow, damp outfield, the ball wins the race. A trademark tuck into the legside brings another single for Cook. Olivier continues to send down an enormously entertaining mix of jaffas and filth, with figures of 4-0-16-1 accurately conveying the full story in a way that, say, Morkel's recent Test analyses do not.

Over 14: England 36-1 (Cook 18, Westley 1)
Amla shells an easy take at slip, but luckily for him the ball got to him via Westley's thigh rather than bat. Last ball of a good maiden over from Rabada is chopped straight into the ground and just over the off stump. By my calculations, a fully-fit Philander would already have figures of 3-11 on here.

Over 13: England 36-1 (Cook 18, Westley 1)
Tom Westley in at three for England, and promptly beaten by one that arcs past the outside edge. Does bowl some very nice deliveries among the freebies. Still needs to tuck that shirt in, though.

WICKET! Jennings c de Kock b Olivier 17

In keeping with cricket tradition, the wicket falls to the least impressive bowler of the morning. Not good from Jennings, prodding unconvincingly, indeterminately forward and nicking through to de Kock.

Over 12: England 35-0 (Cook 18, Jennings 17)
Another slice of luck for Cook, who takes on the short ball from Rabada and gloves it over de Kock and down to the boundary. A thick inside edge brings another single, while Bumble on comms is rightly pointing out some oddness in the Protea cordon. Dean Elgar at third slip is almost standing right in front of du Plessis at second. Very strange. Jennings squirts a drive to point, where a diving Bavuma can only parry. Three runs saved, or one run conceded depending on how strictly you measure these things.

Over 11: England 29-0 (Cook 13, Jennings 16)
Olivier is a very scruffy cricketer. Shirt all hanging out, hair a mess. I'm not saying it's transferring to his cricket, but it definitely is. Two half-volleys in the over, and Jennings drives the first through cover for four, and the second back past the bowler for two. Left-handers have a reputation for looking elegant on the drive. England's openers are seemingly on a two-man mission to defy this stereotype.

Over 10: England 23-0 (Cook 13, Jennings 10)
Cracking over from Rabada, beating Cook with an absolute seed that pitches and leaves the former England captain. A full, swinging delivery almost gets through the defences, but a jabbed inside edge brings Cook a couple of runs. England's openers have survived the first 10 overs. I'm not sure even they know quite how they've managed it.

Over 9: England 21-0 (Cook 11, Jennings 10)
Morkel's initial burst is over. Olivier into the attack. Vital that he doesn't release the pressure, and he did end the second Test with wickets in successive balls. Unfortunately for South Africa, his first ball here is a legside loosener and he soon serves up a wide long-hop that Jennings gratefully whacks to the cover fence. Good ball to finish, though, full and shaping away to draw Jennings into that stiff-legged drive that has absolutely no future.

Over 8: England 17-0 (Cook 11, Jennings 6)
Can't really argue with Root's decision to bat first, but it's clear England will have to tough it out here for quite a while. Things like this will help, though, as Rabada drags down a long-hop that is crying out to be described as rank and also to be slapped through point by world cricket's cutter-in-chief Alastair Cook. And the sun's come back out as well. Also handy.

Over 7: England 13-0 (Cook 7, Jennings 6)
Ah, the new-ball bowler's lot. Go past the edge a bunch of times, hit the pads too high for an lbw, so pitch the ball fuller... and get driven down the ground for four. Good cricket, really, Morkel rightly looking to get his length as full as he can, but Cook nicely in position to punch it back past the bowler and exploiting the new-ball hardness to collect four. A tuck off the hip brings a single and leaves Jennings in Morkel's sights for the first time. Goes past the outside edge, but again it's too short really. Looks good, plenty of oohs and aahs, but just wants to be a yard fuller to really threaten the edge. The pitch is, inevitably, pretty damp after all the rain this week, and the bowlers are already leaving dark marks in their followthroughs.

Over 6: England 8-0 (Cook 2, Jennings 6)
Jennings looking marginally more secure - or at least less insecure - than Cook at the moment. But that may be because the rookie has cannily camped himself at Rabada's end, where things are (still marginally) easier. Rabada booms an inswinger down the legside, and de Kock does well to gather it in as it continues its arcing path after passing the batsman.

Over 5: England 8-0 (Cook 2, Jennings 6)
First runs off Morkel, first runs for Cook, as a punch through cover-point off the back foot brings two. Another pad-thudder follows, but again it's above the knee-roll and lbw shouts are strangled. Tom Westley is ready to go, sat on the balcony already with his bat in his hand. Probably wise, to be fair. Morkel does throw one up nice and full to end the over, and Cook inside-edges it into his pad. Could so easily have found timber instead. Or, of course, the boundary. Everything seems to be just thudding into those pads at the moment, one way or the other.

Over 4: England 6-0 (Cook 0, Jennings 6)
Short-leg now in place, Faf du Plessis closing the stable door after the horse has worked Rabada away into the legside for a couple. Another lbw shout, but again it's going over the top. Rabada then beats Jennings' outside edge. Long-time England watchers will be familiar with what they're seeing here: two quality fast bowlers, bowling really well, posing lots of questions, but just consistently two feet short of a length that would hit the stumps or find the edge.

Over 3: England 4-0 (Cook 0, Jennings 4)
Morkel all over Cook here. Thuds one into the pads with Cook stuck on the crease. It's going comfortably over the top, but Cook is being asked questions he's struggling to answer at the moment. Another ball thwacks into the flap of the pad. Another polite enquiry from Morkel, but he already knows the truth of the matter before Kumar Dharmasena is shaking his head.

Over 2: England 4-0 (Cook 0, Jennings 4)
The eighth ball of the innings sees the first contact between bat and ball, and the ninth brings the first runs as Jennings helps a legside delivery from Kagiso Rabada on its way to the fine-leg boundary. Chance! Big inside edge from Jennings balloons off the pad. Would've been a dolly for short-leg, except there isn't one, so Rabada has to try and get there himself. He makes the ground, in fact he makes too much ground and ends up diving past the ball. Might be harsh, but having got there he probably should've taken it. The good news is that we'll now get 45 minutes of commentary bemoaning the fact that short-leg has gone out of fashion. They've got a point, to be honest.

Over 1: England 0-0 (Cook 0, Jennings 0)
Plenty resting on Morne Morkel's shoulders in Philander's absence, and after a couple of range finders he starts well. He's immediately round the wicket and three times he draws Cook into playing, three times he goes past the outside edge. A maiden over, and Cook yet to lay bat on ball.

1058: Keaton Jennings and Alastair Cook are out in the middle. Distressing news that we've been subjected to a live and very warbly rendition of Jerusalem. Please make it stop.

1045: The toss, team news and improving weather forecast have all combined to see England move odds-on having been 11/10 yesterday. Root's side now 5/6 for the victory, and that's probably fair enough. The 7/2 for a Philander-less South Africa rather less appealing than the 11/4 available when we thought he'd be playing. The draw is 9/4 and I'm still cheerfully ignoring it.

1040: England batting first means we'll have to wait to see James Anderson bowling from the James Anderson End. After Old Trafford's Pavilion End was renamed, Bumble asked Anderson if that was his favourite end. "It is now," came the reply.

1035: Big news from the South Africa camp is that Vernon Philander and Chris Morris both miss out with back injuries. Philander's injury in particular a huge blow to the Proteas' chances; he balances the whole side and is probably the best bowler in either side. Old Trafford just seems perfect for him as well. Also scuppers my betting preview, but that's probably less important. Just. Theunis de Bruyn and Duanne Olivier come back into a rejigged side with Quinton de Kock at six.

1030: England win the toss and bat. It's sunny. England are unchanged.

1025. Welcome. Been a silly series, really, hasn't it? Three enormously one-sided Tests later, it comes down to Old Trafford with England looking to seal victory in Joe Root's first Test series as skipper.

England only need to avoid defeat to win the series, but based on what we've seen over the last month in this series and the last three years of English Test cricket, avoiding defeat means winning. There has been one draw in the last 21 Tests in England and Wales.

Chances of a draw appear slimmer than ever here, given England's inability to play that way and South Africa having no choice but to go all out for victory. But. There is always a but. And in Manchester, that but is so often the weather. Yeah, I know, statistically it's not as wet as you think, the facts show it doesn't always rain here, and actually rains more at other grounds. But still. Manchester, innit?

The forecast has been dreadful all week, but to be fair is improving significantly. The cloud-watchers now tell us that there will be no rain until Sunday, so that's nice, isn't it? Here's the five-day emoji forecast in full: ⛅️ ⛅️ 🌧 🌧 🌧