Keaton Jennings survived a couple of scares against his native South Africa as England maintained its grip on the third Test at The Oval on Saturday.
England was 74 for one in its second innings, a lead of 252 at stumps on a gloomy third day where rain meant only 32 overs out of scheduled 98 were bowled.
Jennings was batting on 34 and Tom Westley, one of three debutants in the England eleven, unbeaten on 28 in what is the 100th Test at The Oval.
Johannesburg-born Jennings, the 11th man tried as an England Test opener alongside Alastair Cook since Andrew Strauss retired in 2012, was under pressure for his place after a run of low scores, including a duck in the first innings here.
Earlier, Temba Bavuma’s gutsy 52 helped South Africa avoid the follow-on. His innings was the cornerstone of the Proteas’ first innings total of 175.
That left then 178 runs behind England’s first innings score of 353.
Middlesex seamer Toby Roland-Jones had Bavuma caught behind to end the innings. He finished with figures of five for 57 in 16.4 overs.
In the process he became just the sixth England cricketer, and first since Graham Onions in 2009, to take five or more wickets in a debut Test bowling innings.
The worth of Bavuma’s three-hour innings was acknowledged by South Africa captain Faf du Plessis, who led the applause from the dressing room balcony.