NICK HOWSON: Any heart and desire the hosts possessed was replaced by abjectness on day four of the third Test at Port Elizabeth
One run, four wickets 24 minutes, 28 balls. England fans had barely rubbed the sleep from their eyes by the time South Africa were skittled in their first innings. And judging by the performance, the hosts were still to wake up fully either.
Faf du Plessis' side showed great character in Cape Town, taking a match in which had been outplayed for long periods deep into the final hour. That it took a heroic Ben Stokes effort to force the victory said it all about how close England were to remaining 1-0 behind.
But in Port Elizabeth the belief has been sapped from The Proteas. This is a team whose build-up was disastrous, and it is no surprise that their confidence is fragile. But it has been showed to be incredibly brittle. They are broken.
The shots which Vernon Philander, Quinton de Kock and Keshav Maharaj attempted betrayed the occasion. De Kock, so disciplined at times, repeated the trick in the afternoon as a defeat inside four days loomed.
On a pitch not doing a lot, but with England's bowlers plugging away, it was a pathetic effort. It wouldn't have required a mammoth rearguard to slow England down.
It was even more surprising given the weather that has been around during the match. A break wasn't far around the corner. Keep the tourists at bay and they'll start to lose hope as the clouds roll in.
You learn plenty about the individuals in your team when you win, but you learn a heap more when you don't. Character, resolve and desire are right on the surface in such events. South Africa have shown they lack all of the above in their current guise and if the series goes against them then Du Plessis must take the fall.
Quinton de Kock lacked discipline on day four
This column has debated long and hard this week about the quota system which currently has the South Africa cricket team on lockdown.
Even if those restraints weren't imposed on the team, you would imagine that Temba Bavuma's recall is very much in the offing after his career-best 180 in the domestic four-day franchise competition.
Of those who could miss out, Zubayr Hamza is not so much vulnerable as he is a dead man walking. Having replaced Bevuma in the team for the first three Tests, he has responded with 78 runs at 13.
His decline in the second innings was perhaps the most listless of the lot. Strangled down the leg side off Mark Wood, like so many have been, and Jos Buttler did the rest.
The Wanderers might present the opportunity for a complete change of thinking. De Kock, despite his poor displays in the third Test, has to be pushed up the order. Faf du Plessis could even be moved. And then there is a talented but inexperienced Rassie van der Dussen. Needs must.
The absence of a key aspect of the decision review system was once again called into question on day four, as Pieter Malan was given out lbw to Joe Root.
Dismissed on the field, the opener hesitantly reviewed the decision. Snickometer showed a tremor when the ball passed the bat, though there appeared to be daylight between it and ball.
It was an episode which was crying out for hotspot to intervene. But like many series, it is not present for these Tests, for which there are two main reasons.
It costs in the region of £7,500 a day to have it in place. The ICC are unwilling to pay for it, meaning the host broadcasters - in this case SuperSport - have to take the financial hit. It is a lot when you consider days might pass without it being called upon at all.
There are also security issues to deal with. Such is the sophistication of the technology, government clearance is required for it to be used in certain countries to ensure it is being utilised for legitimate means.
Gradually, hotspot is slipping out of the game. It might not have saved Malan on this occasion, but it would have solved the mystery behind the noise which registered on Snicko.
In the end, the umpire's decision was final. If only that was enough.
OUT!
— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) January 19, 2020
The skipper strikes! Root claims England's third - Malan (12) lbw - on the stroke of tea... South Africa 44-3 🇿🇦🏴
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Traditionalists get their wish for the second Test in a row, as the match slipped into day five again.
Purists will see it as further confirmation that four-day Tests are a nonsense not worth indulging.
St George's Park perhaps won't be engulfed in the same amount of drama as in Cape Town, with England five wickets away and on the brink of victory.
But few will care. Many will see it as further evidence that if the authorities must tinker with the longest format, its length should be left alone.
Pieter Malan was unfortunate to be dismissed
It will surely take a test of the idea for anyone sitting on the fence to be convinced either way. Governing bodies are skirting around committing to the proposal, for fear of ostracising the players who are firmly against it. And there are plenty of those.
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