ENG beat SA by an innings and 53 runs | South Africa vs England, Highlights And Cricket Score 3rd Test Match

So, that will be it from this match! England have annihilated South Africa at their own turf yet again and have now taken a 2-1 lead in the series. They have also added another 30 points in the ICC World Test Championship. This defeat will hit South Africa hard and with Rabada ruled out of the 4th Test match, it is going to be even more difficult for them to make a comeback and draw the series. Can they do it against all the odds and draw the series? Or will England win the series and add another feather to their cap? Join us on Friday, 24th January, 2020 at 1000 Local (0800 GMT) to find out. Until then, cheers and take care!

Man of the Match is Ollie Pope for his maiden Test ton. Says it is an amazing feeling but if the team did not win it would not have mattered much. Adds that Ben Stokes keeps getting better and better with each match and how he adjusts the tempo of the game is really good. Ollie Jokes that his father took the day off from work so that he can enjoy Ollie's ton with his mates back home. Further adds he wants to enjoy being at the short leg and short mid-wicket positions and Joe Root and Dominic Bess did really well to keep him involved in the game throughout. Ends by saying it is a good feeling to win the match although Maharaj and Paterson did frustrate them in the end a bit but Curran did well to hit the stumps and complete the game.

England skipper, Joe Root, says that this is a good template of how they want to play cricket moving forward. Mentions how Ollie Pope complemented Ben Stokes well and Bess bowled superbly in the first innings. Says the squad is young and they have done the job yet again. Adds they want to do things collectively and when guys are stepping up to the plate, especially at such a young age that gives the whole team confidence. Says they learned their lessons very early from Centurion and they adapted very well in the next two Test matches.

South Africa skipper, Faf du Plessis, says that the toss played a role but they did well to control the run rate in the first innings and their bowlers did well too. Mentions that Ollie Pope played really well but Stokes has been a thorn for his side and adds that if you do not get him out early, he will take the game away from you and up the ante in quick fashion. Adds that after the opposition gets to 500, you have to play well in the first innings but they were not able to do that. On his possible retirement, Faf says the ICC T20 World Cup might be the moment and not much Test match action remains until then. From a performance point of view, du Plessis adds that they are feeling the pressure. Says the absence of Rabada is a big frustration and he is their best bowler. States that he will be a huge loss but the cards have been dealt and they have to regroup and do well in the next match.

England enforced the follow-on after South Africa were dismissed for a meager score of 209. They never got going and lost wickets at regular intervals. Faf du Plessis was the only one who could cross the 30-run mark until Keshav Maharaj and Dane Paterson stitched or rather smashed a 99-run stand for the last wicket. Maharaj scored his second Test half ton in the process as he and Paterson were going after almost every ball on Day 5 enjoying themselves out in the middle. The pick of the bowlers for England in the 2nd innings were Joe Root and Mark Wood who took a 4-fer and 3-fer each. Root toiled hard for his 5-fer on Day 5 but could not just buy a wicket but still registered his best figures. The match was consistently interrupted by showers and they were expected to arrive on the Day 5 as well but they did not arrive to bless the Proteas as they suffered another humiliating loss, this time at Port Elizabeth. Stay tuned for the presentation, coming right up!

South Africa's first innings got off to a good start as Pieter Malan and Dean Elgar stitched a 50-run stand but after that things fell apart as they went from 50/0 to 109/5. Quinton de Kock did get to his half ton but that was half due to the catches put down by Stokes. Dominic Bess was the pick of the bowlers for them as he took his maiden 5 wicket haul and he was supported extremely well by the other bowlers, especially Stuart Broad who also picked up a 3-fer.

England won the toss and opted to bat first and that decision paid rich dividends for them as after a shaky start, Ben Stokes and Ollie Pope scored a ton each and formed a 200-run stand which completely took the game away from the hosts. That stand broke the morale and the spine of the Proteas, who after that just could not make a comeback. Curran and Wood also added up valuable runs in the end as England finished just 1 run short of the 500-run mark in their first and only innings. The pick of the bowlers for South Africa was Keshav Maharaj as he took a 5-fer but on a track which was offering so much turn maybe the thing that costed so much was he conceded 180 runs while taking those wickets as well.

So, after somewhat of a delay, the inevitable has happened and England have defeated South Africa and that too in convincing fashion. The last stand did add 99 runs to the total but South Africa have still lost by an innings.

Mark Wood to Keshav Maharaj. OUT! RUN OUT! Sam Curran has done the job, not with the ball but with his throw and ENGLAND WIN BY AN INNINGS AND 53 RUNS. A very low full toss on middle and leg, played down towards mid on and Maharaj sets off for a run. Sam Curran runs in, collects the ball and has a shy at the non-striker's end. He hits with Maharaj running a bit across and not straight. The umpire goes upstairs but it looks out to the naked eye. Replays roll in and confirm that Maharaj is indeed well short. The partnership ends on 99 runs.

Mark Wood to Keshav Maharaj. Full ball on off, driven towards the man at cover.

Mark Wood to Keshav Maharaj. Bouncer on middle and leg, Maharaj ducks under it.

Mark Wood to Keshav Maharaj. Outside off, Maharaj looks to slash at it but misses.

Mark Wood to Keshav Maharaj. Good length ball on middle and leg, Maharaj looks to slam at this one but the ball comes off the inside edge and onto the pads.

Sam Curran to Dane Paterson. FOUR! Lofted over! Back of a length ball on off, Paterson has superbly lofted this one over the man at point and the ball crosses the ropes. The stand moves on to 99 runs with this boundary.

Sam Curran to Dane Paterson. Loud appeal by England but has been turned down! Length ball on off, Paterson looks to cut but fails to do so. The ball is collected by Buttler and the England players appeal but it is turned down by the umpire.

Sam Curran to Dane Paterson. Good length ball on off, Paterson looks to defend but gets an inside edge onto the pads.

Sam Curran to Dane Paterson. FOUR! Now an intentional one! Back of a length ball on off, Paterson has now lofted this over the slip cordon and the ball goes into the third man fence.

Sam Curran to Dane Paterson. FOUR! Another back of a length ball on off, Paterson goes hard at it but the ball goes off the edge and into the third man fence.

Sam Curran to Dane Paterson. Back of a length ball on off, Paterson looks to cut but misses.

Mark Wood to Keshav Maharaj. Back of a length ball on off and a rare defensive stroke by Maharaj.

Mark Wood to Keshav Maharaj. Good length ball outside off, Maharaj swings but misses.