England poised to wrap up series victory against the Proteas

England took nine wickets in the final two sessions and then scored 97 for no loss, leaving them on the verge of a momentous series victory against SA in the final Test at the Oval on Sunday.

In pursuit of the modest 130-run target, Zak Crawley, who chalked up a sixth career half-century off just 37 deliveries to end the day on 57 runs off 44 balls, and Alex Lees (32 off 61), took England to the brink of victory. The home side, on 97 for 0, needed 33 runs to win when bad light brought an end to day four.

The Test lost two days — to rain on Thursday and Friday called off after the death of Queen Elizabeth II — and is not effectively a three-day match.

Earlier, the English spent just 13 minutes in the middle on the third morning before they were dismissed for 158. Marco Jansen recorded a maiden career five-wicket haul and Kagiso Rabada finished with 4-81 as the English acquired a lead of 40 runs.

However, the Three Lions’ seamers caused havoc to the Proteas batting line-up after lunch as the Proteas went from 70 for 1 to 169 all out in 56.2 overs.

Seamers Stuart Broad and captain Ben Stokes shared six wickets as Ollie Robinson and James Anderson claimed two each to dismiss the Proteas cheaply.

SA got their second innings to a good start when their openers, captain Dean Elgar and Sarel Erwee, shared a 58-run opening wicket stand before Erwee (26) was Stokes’ first victim of the day.

Elgar and Keegan Petersen saw the visitors to lunch on 70-1 and looked to continue after the break, however, the skipper, on 36, was wrapped on the pads by Broad and given out by umpire Nitin Menon.  Elgar would have been disappointed that he never sent the decision upstairs as replays suggested the ball would go on to miss the leg stump.

That wicket saw Broad move to the fifth spot on the leading Test wicket-takers list with 564 dismissals in 159 matches. It left the Proteas on 83-2.

SA took their lead past 50 in the 23rd over as Petersen, who struck three boundaries after lunch, moved to 23 before being sharply caught at fourth slip by Ollie Pope off Anderson with SA on 91-3.

Ryan Rickelton opened his account with a boundary off Broad, but Anderson had the left-hander trapped leg before wicket, the challenge unsuccessful as he departed for 8.

Khaya Zondo and Wiaan Mulder then found the going tough, scoring just 25 runs from 87 balls before Mulder (14) was bowled by Robinson. Zondo fell nine deliveries later for 16, trapped leg before wicket as SA slumped to 133 for 6.

They lost their next four wickets for just 36 runs as Jansen fell on the brink of tea for four, bowled by Stokes, who was in the action a few balls later to have Rabada caught by Harry Brook in the slips for a duck.

Keshav Maharaj (18) was Broad’s third victim and Kyle Verreynne (12) was caught and bowled by Anderson as Nortje ended 0 not out.