Eng strike twice more, SA 152-3

England struck twice after lunch, removing Hashim Amla and Dean Elgar to have South Africa 172-3 at tea on the first day of the third Test here on Thursday.

Spinner Moeen Ali dismissed Elgar for 46, and pacer Steven Finn got Amla three overs later for 40 to give England a hint of ascendancy at the Wanderers as the tourists chase a first series win over South Africa in more than a decade.

England lead the four-game contest 1-0.

Elgar and Amla were settled, and built a 73-run partnership before Ali created enough turn to find the outside edge of Elgar’s bat and have him caught behind by wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow. Amla also nicked behind, leaving AB de Villiers and Faf du Plessis at the crease.

De Villiers was unbeaten on 29 after cracking four fours in an attacking start to his innings.

Ali, Finn and Ben Stokes all had one wicket for England, with Stokes removing Elgar’s opening partner Stiaan van Zyl for 21 before lunch.

South Africa, under new captain De Villiers after Amla quit as skipper following the second Test, won the toss and are chasing a way back into the series.

Amla was coming off a double century in the drawn second Test in Cape Town and, relieved of the pressures of captaincy, was in free-flowing form with seven fours. De Villiers began in attacking style, taking one delivery to get his range before hitting Ali for back-to-back boundaries.