England make in-roads towards series victory as SA stumble to 188-4

JOHANNESBURG: Rassie van der Dussen led a South Africa fightback but perished two runs short of a maiden test century as England moved closer to victory on the fourth day of the final test on Monday, needing six more wickets at The Wanderers to clinch the series.

Van der Dussen was out for 98, undone by a clever English plan as Mark Wood came round the wicket and he drove at the ball to offer an easy catch to Stuart Broad at short extra cover.

It was a heartbreaking end to a determined innings and came only five balls after the departure of home captain Faf du Plessis, bowled by Ben Stokes for 35.

South Africa went to tea 188-4, with Quinton de Kock (2) and Temba Bavuma (0) not out, requiring another 278 runs for an improbable win.

Du Plessis, likely playing a last home test, and Van der Dussen put on 92 runs in a third wicket partnership that allowed South Africa to begin to think about the tantalising prospect of a record-setting chase of the 466-run winning target.

But the notion was swiftly shut down before the end of the afternoon session as England made a double breakthrough to remain in control with four more sessions to claim the six wickets they need to complete a 3-1 series victory.

Van der Dussen, who lasted seven balls and did not score in the first innings, was given out leg before wicket to Chris Woakes with just the third ball he faced on Monday.

The South African batsman almost ran out of time as he dithered over whether to review, but then won a reprieve as the ball was shown to be missing the wickets, and the umpire’s decision was overturned.

He had been the subject of criticism after the third test in Port Elizabeth for his timid approach to England’s spinners but when part-timers Joe Root and Joe Denly came onto bowl he hit them to all corners in a boundary-filled innings.

England used seven bowlers on a hot day in Johannesburg, snagging South Africa’s openers in the first session as Pieter Malan (22) chased after a wide ball from Woakes and got a healthy edge to be caught by Stokes in the slips.

Dean Elgar (24) fended off a rising ball from Stokes but succeeded only in looping it back to the bowler for an easy caught and bowled.