Du Plessis urges team to follow Elgar's lead in final Test

Jennings made a century in his debut Test innings in India last winter but is averaging only 15.33 after three matches against South Africa, with his technique criticised by some. Theunis de Bruyn and Duanne Olivier were brought in to replace them. In the second Test at Trent Bridge he bowled 23 of the 96.1 overs England faced - or 23.9%.

Losing Chris Morris and more importantly Vernon Philander was undoubtedly an unwelcome blow to South Africa, but they can be pleased with how they responded with the ball today.

When Keshav Maharaj was lbw to give Moeen his 20th wicket of the series and Quinton de Kock edged Stuart Broad behind, South Africa were in danger of being bowled out before the close.

Earlier, Bairstow, resuming on 33 and with England looking to build on an overnight score of 260-6, thrilled the crowd and tormented South Africa with an irresistible combination of judgement, shot selection and execution.

The simple fact is that this England team is far from formidable at present since three of their top five are searching - with varying degrees of success - for ways to leap over the initial barriers that Test cricket presents. Now they face a real test of their character. His most productive scoring area, unusually for the first morning of a Test match, was straight down the ground, where he twice placed fractionally overpitched deliveries from Morkel and Olivier with dead-eyed timing. Joe Root has a chance to mark the start of his captaincy by steering England to a level of consistency that has eluded them in recent times, and they have a great chance of doing so. Having nearly nicked Morkel behind, the captain then followed the bad example set by his departed team-mates in offering a thick edge of his own, only for De Kock to inexplicably fail to dive.

Captain Faf du Plessis, Vernon Philander, Kagiso Rabada and Morne Morkel were all dismissed by the first ball they faced in South Africa's second innings.

By that stage, Malan had been and gone, having played his part in a fourth-wicket stand of 52 with Root, before succumbing to another moment of impetuosity with four minutes of the afternoon session remaining.

He looked painfully uncertain throughout his innings, which ended when Olivier found the edge and he was caught behind for 17.

The 27-year-old farmed the strike expertly, regularly orchestrating a single off the last ball of each over to protect number 11 Anderson, while finding the gaps in the field with an array of deft cuts and firm drives, as he raced first to a half-century and then closed in on a ton.

Bairstow had a let-off when he was given out for four, caught at slip by Dean Elgar off Maharaj though replays indicated the ball had bounced before Elgar claimed the catch and Bairstow was duly reprieved.