Ben Stokes has dug in to help England recover to 4-224 against South Africa at stumps on the opening day of the crucial third Test in Port Elizabeth.
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Allrounder Stokes, crowned world player of the year this week for some scintillating performances with his bat, showed on Thursday he can also play cautiously when required.
England were back in control at the close, having taken the initiative at 0-61 at lunch and then lost it when captain Joe Root fell to leave the tourists 4-148 after tea.
Stokes was 38 not out off 86 deliveries. He put on 76 with Ollie Pope (39 not out) and the pair also saw off 10 overs of the second new ball right at the end of the day.
"It was very attritional cricket wasn't it?" England opening batsman Zak Crawley asked.
"It was a very good day for us in the end. Popey and Stokesy played brilliantly for us."
The four-match series is level at 1-1 and an England victory in Port Elizabeth would ensure they can't lose the contest and put them in position for a second straight series win in South Africa.
England were solid through the first session on a benign St. George's Park pitch that threatened to be very hard toil for the bowlers over the first few days.
Openers Dom Sibley (36) and Crawley (44) were both unbeaten at lunch but both fell to almost carbon-copy dismissals to set the tourists back temporarily.
Getting nothing from the surface, South Africa eventually set legside traps for Sibley and Crawley.
Sibley clipped a rising Kagiso Rabada delivery off his hip to be caught by Dean Elgar at short backward square leg.
Crawley fell to a diving catch in the same position by Rassie van der Dussen, this time off Anrich Nortje.
Joe Denly went lbw to left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj for 25 after a review.
Root was out three overs and 14 runs later after being clean-bowled for 27 by a jubilent Rabada.
Stokes and Pope blunted the South African attack after that - with the help of the pitch.
"It was hard work," South Africa bowling coach Charl Langeveldt said.
"It's one of those wickets. It's hard to take wickets."
South Africa's problems were exacerbated by a confusing game plan in the morning, when strike bowler Rabada, who had the best figures of 2-48, wasn't used first up.
Rabada's frontline pace partner Vernon Philander bowled just 11 overs the whole day.
Expectations are that St. George's will offer its traditional reverse swing and spin as the Test goes on, and break up in the heat. The team that bats second - South Africa - will have the toughest time.
The hosts have lost their last two Test series and the pressure, on England at the start of this contest, is now heavily on the home team.
Australian Associated Press