South Africa vs. England, 2nd Test, Day 4: Bavuma's Ton, a Landmark Moment

Unless something extraordinary happens on Day 5 at Newlands, this Test will probably end in a draw. England are batting again in their second innings after South Africa's surprise declaration, but on such a flat track, it's hard to see anybody engineering a result.

Still, Day 4 at Newlands was one of those "I was there" days, and while the English fans will complain about the pitch until the cows come home, it was a very important day for South African sport.

Here are some of the key points from the fifth day's play of the second Test between South Africa and England.

The Significance of Temba Bavuma's Ton

It's difficult to put into just a few words just how significant Temba Bavuma's effort was. Yes, it came on a deck that was batsman friendly, but it still came under pressure. The application he showed was immense, and that he played more positively than any of the other South African batsmen says something about the kind of player he is.

He notched up 11 boundaries in his first 50 runs, and apart from one inside edge off Ben Stokes, they came across the board with quality strokes. He ended the day with 16 boundaries, and those who had raised questions about his aptitude for Test cricket would have sat up and taken notice. 

But that's not what makes his effort so significant. For the first time in 21 years of democracy, South Africa has a black South African Test batsman. It has taken far longer than it should have, but this is a significant step forward for transformation in South African sport.

It is important now that those who are working for change do not rest on their laurels and think this is it; this is only the beginning.

Hashim Amla's Funky Captaincy

Nobody saw this coming. Probably not even Hashim Amla. After Temba Bavuma got to his hundred, Amla called in his troops, with South Africa still two runs behind. Not since 2010 has a team scored more than 600 batting first and finished without a lead.

Whether it was simply to compensate for the criticism that has come his way about conservatism or whether it's a genuinely cunning bit of captaincy, we’ll have to wait and see.

Still, it certainly provided some entertainment and left the English fans sitting in the stands completely stunned. Those in the North Stand who were pondering going up Table Mountain on Wednesday might have changed their minds.

The Miserable Tourists

If you were sitting in the stands when South Africa were batting, you’d have heard a few miserable chirps from the English fans who had made the journey.

In the North Stand, one in particular took exception to the state of the pitch and expressed his discontent when Bavuma notched up his ton by saying: "It just shows how bad the pitch is if he can get a hundred, my granny could get a hundred on here."

There was, however, no mention of England’s diabolical fielding (10 dropped catches in total), and clearly the significance of Bavuma's hundred went completely over his head. As South Africans would say: ag shame.

How Long Before the 2 Captains Shake Hands?

The turnaround time between this Test and the third one is more than a week, a stark contrast to the short turnaround between Boxing Day and this Test. It means that even if South Africa's plan was to grind England into the dust, they'll have plenty of time to rest up.

At the close of play on Day 4, the two captains shared a few words, presumably to share sympathies of having to watch their bowlers suffer the 600-run fate for not many wickets.

Provided nothing unnatural happens on the morning of Day 5, the two captains will probably want to shake hands and call this a draw as soon as possible so they can rest up.

Chris Morris Lives Up to the Batting Part of His All-Rounder Role

When you spend the better part of two decades with one of the best all-rounders ever to play the game in your team, it's only natural you will try to replace him with another all-rounder. South Africa have tried Ryan McLaren, which didn't work. They tried JP Duminy and he lost form.

For this Test, they tried Chris Morris. Morris' bowling didn’t live up to much, but his batting provided some impetus to South Africa's innings. After Hashim Amla and Faf du Plessis spent the morning crawling along, Morris' partnership with Bavuma gave South Africa some fire in their belly.

His batting ability will have to be judged on a tougher pitch, but if there was any scarring from the pasting his bowling took, perhaps his performance with the bat will help him get over it.

All information has been obtained firsthand.