England vs South Africa LIVE: Cricket score and third Test result as England seal series victory
England notched the 33 runs they needed to win the game at The Oval and secure a 2-1 series victory over the Proteas
England polished off the remaining runs they needed to beat South Africa by nine wickets in the third Test at the Oval on Monday morning to secure a 2-1 series victory.
Openers Zak Crawley and Alex Lees were still at the crease as the hosts began the day requiring just 33 runs for victory after bad light stopped play on Sunday evening.
Lees was dropped by Proteas wicketkeeper Kyle Verreynne from the third ball of the morning and then survived another scare when a thick edge flew over Keegan Petersen at third slip to go for four but the Proteas made a breakthrough on the penultimate delivery of the third over of the day, with Lees’ fortune finally running out as a review showed he had been trapped lbw by Kagiso Rabada.
The Durham batter was out for 39 with England 22 runs from clinching the series but Ollie Pope joined Crawley at the crease to quickly knock them off, as the under-fire opener eased the pressure on himself somewhat by ending unbeaten on 69 and cap a remarkable summer for England’s Test team.
Follow reaction to the third Test below:
England 125-1 (22), Pope 10, Crawley 65, Jansen 0-35 (7)
Ouch! Ollie Pope tries to reverse ramp Marco Jansen over third man to end the game in style with a six but he gets it all wrong and takes a knock onto the chin.
Luckily it hit Pope’s gloves first which took the sting out of the hit. That delivery was also a no-ball so England need just five.
England 124-1 (22), Pope 10, Crawley 65, Rabada 1-57 (11)
Crawley eases Rabada into the legside and take one to Keshav Maharaj at mid-on. Pope is quick on the pull again and turns a short ball around the corner for three more to race to 10.
The ball continues to do a bit off the pitch but South Africa don’t have the runs on the board to trouble England. Crawley blocks out the next two balls before blasting a square drive through point for four runs!
Rabada overstepped too so England need 6 to win.
England 115-1 (21), Pope 7, Crawley 60, Jansen 0-34 (7)
Pope has started strongly. He gets Jansen away for a couple of runs before hooking the fifth ball of the over to the deep square leg boundary for four more!
England now require 15 to win.
England 109-1 (20), Pope 1, Crawley 60, Rabada 1-48 (10)
Ollie Pope is the new batter and he dances down the track at Kagiso Rabada for his first ball. Pope gets an inside edge onto his pads and the ball squirts away for a single.
21 runs to win.
Wicket! Lees 39 (73) lbw b. Rabada, England 108-1 (19.5)
Gone! This is a brilliant review from South Africa as ball-tracking show that the delivery was going to clip the top of leg stump. Alex Lees has to depart.
England 108-0 (19.5), Lees 39, Crawley 60, Rabada 0-47 (9.5)
There’s an appeal from Kagiso Rabada who comes around the wicket and gets one to jag off the pitch into the pads of Alex Lees. On the initial view it looks like the ball might be sneaking down the legside but South Africa are going to review it after the umpire says not out.
England 108-0 (19), Lees 39, Crawley 60, Jansen 0-28 (6)
Lees and Crawley scramble through for a single to end Jansen’s over. England need just 22 more runs to win, Rabada will continue.
England 107-0 (18.3), Lees 39, Crawley 60, Jansen 0-28 (5.3)
Four! Marco Jansen opens up from the other end for South Africa and hits a good length just outside Alex Lees’ off-stump. Lees attempts to punch the ball through the offside on the back foot but gets a heavy outside edge that flies into the slips.
The ball shoots over Keegan Petersen at third slip and runs all the way to the boundary for four.
England 103-0 (18), Lees 35, Crawley 60, Rabada 0-47 (9)
Dropped! Rabada sets Lees up with another wide delivery but just brings his length back a touch. Lees wafts at it and gets a thick edge through to Kyle Verreynne who shifts to his left and spills the catch!
There are three more runs picked up by Lees and Crawley before the end of the over as England continue to motor along.
27 runs required to win.
England 97-0 (17.2), Lees 34, Crawley 58, Rabada 0-44 (8.2)
100 up for England! Zak Crawley takes the first ball and flicks Rabada down to fine leg for a single to get England back up and running today.
The seamer’s next delivery is a half-volley to Alex Lees and he pushes it into the covers for two more runs to bring up England’s hundred.
They need 30 to win.
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