Root ton rebuilds England

Joe Root struck a wonderful unbeaten century to drag England back into contention to secure a series win in Johannesburg after South Africa had applied the pressure early on the second day of the third Test at the Wanderers.

The Yorkshireman defied some high-quality fast bowling on a lively pitch to complete the first fifty of the match before advancing to his ninth Test ton, off 126 balls, in the evening session.

The tourists were in trouble at 22 for two and 91 for four in reply to the Proteas' first-innings 313, but Root joined forces with Ben Stokes to counter-attack their way out of trouble.

Like they did in the first Test of last summer at Lord's, when New Zealand were then in control, the pair made a mockery of a tricky situation by taking the game to the opposition during 78 explosive minutes either side of tea.

Root and Stokes, fresh from his record-breaking Cape Town double-ton, smashed 111 in 97 balls to blunt the Proteas' inexperienced bowling attack and leave England in a strong position to push for a first-innings lead.

Although Stokes departed for a 54-ball 58, Alastair Cook's side were 75 runs behind on 238 for five when bad light brought a premature end to the day's play, Root unbeaten on 106.

South Africa added 46 runs in 10.3 overs this morning, courtesy of a last-wicket partnership of 32, to ensure they posted a competitive total that was only five runs short of the average first-innings score at the Wanderers.

They then troubled England openers Alex Hales and Cook with a fuller length, removing both before lunch.

Kagiso Rabada drew Hales forward and found the edge while Test debutant Hardus Viljoen became only the second player to hit his first ball for four and take a wicket with his opening delivery, strangling Cook down the leg side.

Nick Compton and Root battled their way to lunch, surviving several play and misses, and had just completed a slow half-century stand when the former, dropped on six by AB de Villiers at second slip, nicked Rabada to the cordon for 26.

James Taylor's dismissal, caught at short-leg off the first ball of a new Morkel spell, brought Root and Stokes together and they never looked back during an afternoon when they scored at seven runs per over.

Stokes, hurried by two Morkel bouncers first up, signalled his intention from the off with his second scoring shot a fierce pull for six off Rabada.

The fifth-wicket pair changed the course of the game with a fearless display of batting, adding 50 in 35 balls before requiring just 51 more to take the partnership into three figures.

Stokes' fireworks were ended when, attempting to turn a short Morkel ball to leg, he looped up a leading edge that the paceman safely pouched.

Root was in pain for most of his innings, needing treatment on several occasions, but reached a century with an immaculate drive through the covers, his 16th four, and was unbeaten alongside Jonny Bairstow when bad light and rain moved in at 4.42pm.

Bairstow had missed out on a wicketkeeping record this morning as, after taking catches to see off Chris Morris and Rabada, he failed to hold on to a seventh take which would have been the most in a Test innings at the Wanderers.

After Morris and Rabada nicked Stuart Broad and James Anderson behind in the space of four balls, Viljoen and Morkel provided late runs.

That was until Stokes had Morkel caught by Cook at slip, the ball after he forced to bowl following Anderson's removal from the attack for running onto the danger area in his follow through for the third time.

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