England crashes through South Africa and enforces follow-on

England bowled South Africa out in double-quick time in a clatter of wickets and enforced the follow-on in the third test on Sunday.

England took the final four wickets it needed in less than five overs at the start of the fourth day in Port Elizabeth to end South Africa's first innings on 209 all out.

South Africa was still 290 behind England's first innings of 499-9 declared and was made to bat again by England captain Joe Root.

The four-test series is level at 1-1 but England is now in prime position to take a crucial lead with one test to play.

Stuart Broad bowled Vernon Philander (27) in the first over of the day with a ball that smashed into Philander's off and middle stumps.

Sam Curran did the same to Quinton de Kock, who was 63 not out overnight but had his middle stump uprooted in the second over of the day. Neither of the two batsmen added a run to their overnight scores.

Broad bowled tailender Keshav Maharaj for a duck in the next over. Again, the ball clattered into Maharaj's stumps — this time off a bottom edge — and England was utterly rampant under cloudy skies at St. George's Park.

Broad had this third wicket in three overs when Kagiso Rabada hit a simple catch to Mark Wood to be last man out and England finished the job in the first 28 balls of the day for a resounding statement.

South Africa had shown a hint of resistance on the third day through de Kock and Philander but that was ruthlessly swept aside the following morning.

South Africa, which was 208-6 overnight with a 54-run stand between de Kock and Philander, lost four wickets for one run. Broad finished with 3-31 and took those three wickets in 16 balls in England's blitz. Spinner Dom Bess finished with 5-51 and England didn't even need him to finish off South Africa on the fourth morning.

Rain is forecast during the last two days of the test, which might complicate England's push for a 2-1 series lead heading to the final test in Johannesburg on Friday.

South Africa was 15-0 in its second innings and had cut the deficit marginally to 275 when rain started and the players went off. There had been just over an hour of play when the rain covers came on but it had been highly profitable for England.