England romped to 97-0 before stumps on day 4 against South Africa at The Oval on Sunday; just 33 runs shy of their winning target of 130. 

With the hosts having been on 154-7 to start proceedings, they’d lost their final three wickets inside the opening four overs of the day in the form of Ollie Robinson (3), Jack Leach (0) and Ben Foakes (14). During that time, England only scored four runs to capture a lower-than-expected 40-run lead.

Marco Jansen took his fifth wicket amongst those, claiming stellar innings figures of 5/35, while Kagiso Rabada took the other two to earn figures of 4/81.

In SA’s second innings their openers, Dean Elgar and Sarel Erwee, put up a decent stand, before the latter was dismissed 58 runs in after snicking a Ben Stokes out-swinger to first slip. He scored 26.

Elgar was then given out for an LBW from a Stuart Broad delivery that speared the front pad. The South African skipper chose not to review it, but due to that misconception, he had lost out since the tracker showed the ball clearly missing leg stump. Elgar departed for a hard-fought 36.

Some three overs later Keegan Petersen swabbed at a James Anderson out-swinger to be caught for 23 at fourth slip. Ryan Rickelton’s return-to-play in Test cricket was again cut short when he was given the finger for an LBW off Broad, and he’d unsuccessfully reviewed it, thereby sending him for 8.

Robinson contributed again with the ball, bowling Wiaan Mulder out for a slow 14 after the all-rounder bottom-edged it on to his stumps. He then delivered an in-swinger to Khaya Zondo in the 44^th over to get him out for an LBW for 16, which the South African also unsuccessfully reviewed.

Jansen had some fortune swinging his way in the 47^th over when he survived a catch dismissal from Stokes after the bowler had over-stepped the line, deeming the delivery to be a no-ball. 

However, Stokes got his man three overs later when Jansen was bowled for 4 from an out-swinger. SA were 146-7 at tea. 

Kagiso Rabada had then steered a fuller and wider Stokes delivery to third slip to be dispatched for a duck straight after the break.

Keshav Maharaj was bowled for 18 by Broad in the 56^th over, before Kyle Verreynne was caught and bowled by Anderson for 12 the next over as the visitors were picked off for a total of 169, thereby setting a target of 130 for England.

The English openers – Zak Crawley (57*) and Alex Lees (32*) – batted with aplomb in 17 overs to gain considerable ascendency ahead of day 5, wherein the match is expected to be won in the morning session.