England openers provide hope

England made an encouraging start to their world-record pursuit of 466 to win the third Test against South Africa at Newlands.

A series-levelling victory for the hosts remained easily the most likely of four possible outcomes, after South Africa had declared on 447 for seven - on the back of captain Graeme Smith's 183.

But Andrew Strauss and Alastair Cook did their best to sow some doubts, on a still feasible but occasionally misbehaving surface, by reaching a mid-evening 87 without loss on day four.

It was unlikely Strauss' team talk, before he and Cook went out to bat, was especially taxing.

England's cage was handily rattled by Tuesday's transitory inference of ball-tampering, which can have done little for player relations in this heavyweight tussle.

Motivation to prove a point was nevertheless in no doubt as England set out on their mission improbable with the bat.

Strauss himself had the closest calls before tea, two successive lbw hopes for Dale Steyn turned down by Tony Hill and South Africa resisting the DRS temptation.

The England captain responded in Steyn's next over with three consecutive off-side boundaries, only to be struck painfully on the shoulder in the next by a nasty short ball as the fast bowler persisted from round the wicket.

There was a moment of luck for each of England's left-handed openers shortly after tea, Cook's aerial sweep on 27 off Paul Harris landing just over Friedel de Wet's head in the deep but going only for four and Strauss edging Morne Morkel for a boundary at catchable height between second slip and gully to go to 28.

Cook would then have been well out five short of his 50, attempting a faulty single for Strauss to point, but JP Duminy was unable to hit one stump.