Alastair Cook in action. |
This wicket was showing more of the oddities and quirks evidenced on the day before and batting quickly did not look to be much of an option. At this slow scoring pace, England will be looking to bat until the tea interval and hope that four sessions will leave enough time to bowl S. Africa out.
If England can force the pace a little and gain a lead of, say, 350 to 370 a little bit earlier than that and I think that the declaration will have to come at that stage.
Sides do not make 400 to win on final day pitches - even with an extra session left over from the day before! On this one, I truly think that anything over 300 would be too big an ask for the visitors.