It would have been much more fitting for Ben Stokes and his players to finish this match in front of a full house, rather than a couple of hundred stewards, given the impact their reinvigorated brand of all-action red-ball cricket has had this summer
The Oval (day four of five): South Africa 118 & 169, England 158 & 97-0 - England need 33 runs to win with 10 second-innings wickets remaining
A four-day Test which the ECB tried in vain to extend to six very nearly ended up being over in two, as England hustled and hurried their way towards series victory over South Africa.
England will return on Monday morning needing just 33 more runs to secure six Test wins in a single summer for the first time since 2004 at the end of an emotional and memorable week, after they blitzed the South African batting lineup yet again before openers Zak Crawley and Alex Lees guided the hosts to 97 without loss when the umpires ruined everyone's evening plans.
It would have been much more fitting for Ben Stokes and his players to finish this match in front of a full house, rather than a couple of hundred stewards, given the impact their reinvigorated brand of all-action red-ball cricket has had during the difficult summer of 2022.
Regulations, though, will prevent that. Muted celebrations will have to wait.
England began the day 36 runs in front with seven wickets remaining but their first innings last just 13 more minutes. Ollie Robinson chipped a tame catch to Dean Elgar at cover, Jack Leach was bowled third ball, and Ben Foakes got an edge through to Keegan Petersen in the slips, with Kagiso Rabada collecting all three scalps to end with figures of 4 for 81.
It meant England had a lead of just 40 on first innings, and that soone vaporated as Elgar and Sarel Ertwee compiled a first-wicket partnership worth 58 in 15.3 overs. Batting never looked easy but the South African openers battled on, and lifted their side into a position from which victory was starting to drift into view.
That was until Stokes made his first intervention of the day, catching Erwee's edge. Joe Root pocketed the catch at slip and the 79-minute wait for a wicket was over.
Zak Crawley and Alex Lees have taken England to the cusp of victory [Getty Images]
England fans enjoy a wicket on day four [Getty Images]
Still, South Africa muddled on. Although far from fluent, Elgar remained a considerable obstacle and it was not until the 22nd over of the innings that England finally found a way to breach his defences. Stuart Broad was the architect, pinning the Proteas skipper lbw for 36 - albeit replays showed Elgar should have called for a review given the ball was skirting down the legside.
From 83 for 1, the tourists quickly lost their way. Petersen was caught by Ollie Pope off James Anderson for 23, Ryan Rickelton was lbw to Broad for 8, Wiaan Mulder was bolwed via bat and pad by Ollie Robinson - who then had Khaya Zondo lbw, Marco Jansen was bowled through the gate by Stokes two overs after he had been dismissed off a no ball by the same bowler, and Rabada followed from Stokes' second delivery after tea.
That was 146 for 8, a lead of 106. Even in difficult circumstances, that would be nowhere near enough. But South Africa have found resistance from their tail previously in this series, and England have a recent history of struggles against the lower order.
So all was not lost, and Keshav Maharaj and Kyle Verreynne briefly suggested a rearguard action could be possible as they put on 23 in half-an-hour together at the crease.
But Broad burst through Maharaj's defences with a delivery which shaped slightly away before darting in off the seam and knocking the bails off the top of leg stump, and Anderson removed Verreynne - who swung wildly across the line and could only sky a catch back to England's record wicket-taker, and England needed 130 for victory.
Ollie Robinson celebrates one of his two wickets on day four [Getty Images]
Ryan Rickelton reacts to his dismissal [AFP via Getty Images]
If South Africa were to have a chance, they needed to take every chance. From the first delivery, they failed that Test. Lees, pushing off the back foot, found Jansen at fourth slip off Rabada. It might have been a little to his left, but the catch was regulation. It went to ground.
Lees continued to live a charmed life - he was nearly run out by Rickelton and skewed a mistimed swipe over Maharah at mid-off - as England showed every intention of getting the game done in front of 25,000 people in the Sunday evening sunshine.
While Lees was somewhat circumspect, bullying the ball in an effort to secure quick runs, Crawley was much more sophisticated in his approach - driving with elegance down the ground and turning the ball through midwicket as the first four overs of the chase went for 31.
Lees soon went into his shell but Crawley - without a half-century in international cricket since March - refused to slow. He drove magnificently off front and back foot, pulled with conviction when Rabada dropped the ball short, and made his way to a 36-ball fifty with a wonderfully timed whip off his pads to the square leg boundary.
As the light started to fade, Crawley's waning star only seemed to shine more brightly. An outrageous attempt to step outside off to turn Anrich Nortje through midwicket almost resulted in his demise - Rickelton dropping a touch chance which came at him like an Exocet, while an edge split keeper and first slip in two as each looked at each other accusatorily.
Lees had just carted Nortje through the covers for a perfectly timed boundary when the onfield umpires consulted their lightmeters and took the players from the field.
One more sleep.
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