Hashim Amla helped South Africa pile on the runs to leave England facing what would be a record-breaking chase in the second Test at Trent Bridge on Sunday. South Africa set England 474 to win after declaring their second innings on 343 for nine late on the third day. The most made by any side to win in the fourth innings of a Test is the West Indies' 418 for seven against Australia at St John's, Antigua, in 2002/03.
England were left with a tricky four overs to bat before stumps.
South Africa nearly had a wicket with the very first ball when Alastair Cook was given out lbw to Morne Morkel. But Cook immediately reviewed umpire Paul Reiffel's decision and, with replays indicating the ball would have gone over the stumps, the former Australia paceman's verdict was overturned.
Cook and fellow left-handed opener Keaton Jennings both survived to be nought not out at the close, with England one for none courtesy of a lone leg bye. Earlier Amla, so often a thorn in England's side, make 87 - his second fifty of the match. Opener Dean Elgar (80) and returning captain Faf du Plessis (63) also among the runs as the Proteas, 1-0 behind in this four-match series with a 211-run defeat in the first Test at Lord's last week, cemented their already strong position in this match. South Africa resumed on 75 for one.
Elgar was 38 not out and Amla 23 not out, with England in desperate need of early wickets if after some bad batting Saturday saw them concede a first-innings lead of 130. Stuart Broad, on his Nottinghamshire home ground, then produced an excellent delivery to Amla, on 25, which carried to wicket-keeper Jonny Bairstow. England appealed half-heartedly and then decided against reviewing Australian umpire Simon Fry's not out decision, only for replays to indicate there had been an edge. Elgar had a reprieve on 55 when a thick edge off Broad flew high to gully where James Anderson, diving to his left, so nearly held a spectacular catch. England eventually had a breakthrough when the painstaking Elgar took his eye off a Ben Stokes bouncer and tamely mis-hooked to Anderson at backward square leg.
England bowled tightly either side of lunch but with South Africa in command and so much time left in the game, their batsmen had no need to take undue risks. Amla and du Plessis were largely content to pick off the loose ball. But closing in on what would have been his 27th Test century and seventh against England, Amla - who made 78 in the first innings - fell 13 short this time around. Trying to whip left-arm spinner Liam Dawson, whom he'd earlier hit for a straight six to complete his fifty, Amla was struck on the pad. Reiffel rejected the lbw appeal but England's review was successful and Amla - who made South Africa's Test record 311 not out against England at The Oval in 2012 - was out. It was the end of a near five-hour innings of 180 balls including 14 fours and that lone six.
Scoreboard South Africa 1st Innings 335 (H Amla 78, Q de Kock 68, V Philander 54; J Anderson 5-72, S Broad 3-64) England 1st Innings 205 (J Root 78; K Maharaj 3-21, C Morris 3-38)
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South Africa 2nd Innings (overnight: 75-1)
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H. Kuhn c Root b Anderson 8
D. Elgar c Anderson b Stokes 80
H. Amla lbw b Dawson 87
Q. de Kock c Bairstow b Anderson 1
F. du Plessis lbw b Stokes 63
T. Bavuma c Root b Ali 15
V. Philander c and b Ali 42
C. Morris c Ballance b Ali 13
K. Maharaj c Broad b Ali 1
M. Morkel not out 17
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Extras: (b8, lb8) 16
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Total: (9 wkts dec, 104 overs, 466 mins) 343
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Did not bat: D Olivier
Fall of wickets: 1-18 (Kuhn), 2-153 (Elgar), 3-154 (De Kock), 4-216 (Amla), 5-253 (Bavuma), 6-275 (Du Plessis), 7-304 (Morris), 8-307 (Maharaj), 9-343 (Philander)
Bowling: Anderson 20-4-45-2; Broad 19-4-60-0; Wood 18-5-68-0; Ali 16-2-78-4; Stokes 20-4-34-2; Dawson 11-1-42-1
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England 2nd Innings (target 474)
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A. Cook not out 0
K. Jennings not out 0
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Extras: (lb1) 1
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Total: (0 wkts, 4 overs, 16 mins) 1
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To bat: G Ballance, J Root, J Bairstow, B Stokes, M Ali, L Dawson, S Broad, M Wood, J Anderson
Bowling: Morkel 2-2-0-0; Philander 2-2-0-0
Match position: England need 473 more runs to win with all 10 second-innings wickets standing
Toss: South Africa
Umpires: Simon Fry (AUS), Paul Reiffel (AUS)
TV umpire: S Ravi (IND)
Match referee: Jeff Crowe (NZL).
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