South Africa require seven wickets on the final day for a consolation victory after leaving England firmly on the ropes on the fourth evening. AB de Villiers left the visitors 382 to win in just over a day, as he declared during the rain delay.
Anderson's double strike
Swing king James Anderson gave the Three Lions hope early on the fourth morning as he got the ball to talk. After dismissing the assured Dean Elgar just before the close on day three, the Lancastrian returned to nip out first innings centurion Stephen Cook and AB de Villiers in three balls to leave the hosts 49/3. Cook nibbled at one outside off stump to hand Jonny Bairslow a regulation catch before de Villiers, who claimed Anderson had lost his pace before the game, was trapped plumb second ball for his second duck of the game - becoming only the second South African skipper to register a pair, Louis Tancred was the other in 1912.
Amla leads revival
Partnerships of 57 and 117 between Hashim Amla and JP Duminy and Amla and Temba Bavuma got the Proteas beyond the 350-lead mark before the heavens opened. Amla, who stepped down as captain after scoring a double hundred in the second Test, fell agonisingly short of a 26th Test century, wafting wildly outside off stump to give Bairstow his fourth catch of the innings. It was another majestic knock from the 32-year-old who looks revitalised after relinquishing the captaincy. Many a batsman have fallen foul to the captaincy curse, and it's a massive boost for the faltering South Africans if they have their prolific run machine back firing on all cylinders.
Amla can't take all the plaudits though as Bavuma, who became the first black player to score a Test hundred for South Africa in the second match, played superbly to finish unbeaten on 78 when the hosts declared. The 25-year-old looks a class act, and is proving he isn't just there to make up the quota and he could become a real asset to this side looking to the future.
England slump after rain break
England were left tottering at 18/3 inside the opening ten overs. The two batsmen who you'd want at the crease when you need to save the game, Alastair Cook and Nick Compton, faced just 36 balls between them. Cook was unlucky as Morne Morkel took a blinding one-handed catch in his follow through, but Compton wasted a review after a thick edge through to Quinton de Kock.
Alex Hales ended his tour with another failure and will be lucky to keep his place after scoring just 136 runs in eight knocks. He doesn't look up to the job of being a Test opener, he lacks footwork and has been loose outside the off stump. However, with the lack of adequate alternatives Trevor Bayliss may give him another chance in the early season series against Sri Lanka.
Missed stumping
De Kock could have put the game to bed with the stumping of talisman Joe Root. The Yorkshireman was drawn out of his crease by off-spinner Dane Piedt, but the keeper fumbled and made an absolute hash of the golden opportunity.
If England have any chance of saving the game than Root and James Taylor will have to bat past lunch, with Ben Stokes unlikely to curb his attacking nature on an uneven pitch.
