Cook firm after de Kock century gives South Africa command

England captain holds key as he nears 10,000 Test runs

A return to form for Alastair Cook has put him on the verge of making history, and given England a chance of avoiding defeat in the fourth and final Test against South Africa.

Cook is 50 runs from becoming the first England batsman to make 10,000 in Tests. He is on 67 not out overnight, with Joe Root unbeaten on 31, in a total of 138 for 2. They trail by 337, however, after Quinton de Kock's maiden Test century helped the hosts to 475 all out.

The tourists' captain made 43 to help his side clinch the third Test, but before that he had made only 60 in five innings in this series. In the series finale at Centurion, Cook played shots all round the wicket and looked in good touch, passing 50 for the first time in the rubber. He will become the 12th man to reach 10,000, with Sachin Tendulkar leading the way on 15,921. At 31, Cook could have the time to hit the summit.

Root has also looked good and has helped his skipper add 60 after Alex Hales and Nick Compton disappointed again. If England bat out the third day, and bearing in mind how the hosts folded in the third Test, an away win cannot be ruled out. The pitch is still playing reasonably well, although Compton was undone by a shin-high grubber from Kagiso Rabada.

De Kock was the star of the day, though. The 23-year-old, playing his eighth Test, had not been a unanimous choice for Centurion after missing the third Test with knee trouble, sustained while walking his dogs. Dane Vilas had performed well in his absence (Great Dane?). De Kock is back as top dog now, however, after collaring an under-performing England attack. He made 129 not out from 128 balls. When he was hitting his boundaries, bat on ball sounded like Indiana Jones' whip cracking.

England - 2-0 up in the series but wanting to break a habit of losing dead rubbers after series wins - made the early strikes they needed. Stuart Broad found Temba Bavuma's edge for 35, and Rabada fell lbw first ball to James Anderson.

But de Kock put the hosts back on the offensive, crashing two successive boundaries off Broad. Ben Stokes put him down at gully on 28, then de Kock late-cut Moeen Ali to bring up his half-century.

Kyle Abbott hit his first ball from Moeen for six over long-on, then de Kock also cleared the ropes. He edged between Bairstow and Cook on 80, and Cook could not hold on to him on 90 at short cover. He then pulled and drove Moeen for boundaries, before stealing a single in the covers for his century.

Stokes trapped Abbott lbw with a full-length ball, but Dane Piedt provided fine support, batting for two hours, until Stokes found his edge. The allrounder also had Morne Morkel lbw for a duck to finish with figures of 4 for 86. What a series he is having.

England had nine overs to bat before tea, but lost Hales, fast running out of chances to establish himself as Test opener.

Like Moeen, who made only 84 runs in six innings in the UAE, Hales has not stated his case for long-retention as Cook's partner, with 135 runs at 19. He drove Rabada loosely to point for 15, his weight on the back foot, and has now made 135 runs in seven innings.

Compton once again failed to convince. "When Compton bats every pitch seems like a minefield," Derek Pringle tweeted. Yet Compton was unlucky to fall in the way he did.

Piedt was accurate and caused Cook some problems outside off stump, though. South Africa are still favourites to take this Test, a reverse of 16 years ago when England won a consolation at Centurion (albeit in corrupt circumstances).

Meanwhile English cricket had some sad news on Saturday. Jack Bannister died yesterday aged 85. He took 1,198 first-class wickets as a seamer for Warwickshire at a miserly 21 apiece. He then made his name as an adminstrator, helping to establish the Professional Cricketers' Association, before forging a career as a writer, and a well-respected television and radio commentator, most notably on BBC TV.