South Africa 175 and 205 for 7 (Elgar 113*) need 287 more runs to beat England 353 and 313 for 8 dec
00:49
Dobell: Elgar fighting ‘pretty hopeless battle’
Dean Elgar secured his eighth Test century as his doughty resistance held up England’s hopes of a quick victory on the final day of the third Investec Test at Kia Oval.
Elgar reached lunch unbowed on 113, losing Temba Bavuma and Vernon Philander midway through the session in successive balls to Toby Roland-Jones, whose productive Test debut continued to lift his reputation as an England support seamer.
The addition of Chris Morris from the last ball before lunch completed a satisfying morning for England.
Elgar, 72 not out overnight, had withstood some blows on his bottom hand on the fourth evening – he would settle for a diagnosis that his finger was merely bruised once the Test is over – and he was battered again in the fifth over of the day as Ben Stokes worked up a good head of steam.
His response could not have been more defiant. Stokes followed up with two successive bouncers in the same over and Elgar pirouetted to strike both through square leg for four. It was as graceful as he gets, if only likely to win him an audition at the Royal Ballet.
Bavuma played with poise and restraint in reaching 32 before Roland-Jones rapped his front pad as he pushed forward. Umpire Aleem Dar rejected the appeal, but Roland-Jones was adamant it was pad first, persuaded Joe Root to opt for a review and was rewarded as replays came down in his favour.
Dar’s decision on Philander was more straightforward as he left a length ball, the third dismissal for a South African batsman because of a leave-alone in this match, the skipper Faf du Plessis having contrived to do it twice.
There has never been a hat-trick in an Oval Test and Roland-Jones came mightily close to achieving it. The delivery was the best of the three, rising and leaving Morris from a good line, Keaton Jennings and Stokes converged in voracious dives from third slip and gully respectively, but the ball fell a foot short gully.
Elgar reached his century in the next over by coming down the pitch and battering Moeen Ali over mid-on, although his satisfaction was tempered by the knowledge that South Africa had just tumbled closer to defeat.
There was not much spin for Moeen- Keshav Maharaj, however, had achieved more on the previous day – and England anticipated settling for two wickets in the session, good enough with the new ball only 14 overs away.
But they got a third wicket in the final over before lunch, a token return to the attack for Moeen to make sure the pasta didn’t go cold, a ball that caught the outside edge of Morris’ bat and a comfortable catch. Elgar’s agonised look to the skies spoke volumes.
Du Plessis has so far managed to avoid defeat in a red-ball Test as South Africa’s captain. He was absent at Lord’s in the first Test to be at the birth of his first child and South Africa’s defeat in Adelaide last night was a day-night affair with pink balls in use.
For all Elgar’s defiance, it would be quite a shock if he avoids defeat here.
David Hopps is a general editor at ESPNcricinfo @davidkhopps
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Source: ESPN Crickinfo