Oval Test: Proteas restrict England at 149/4 at Tea on Day One

South Africa came out with an exemplary performance as they restricted England to 149-4 at Tea on opening day of the third Test being played at The Oval on Thursday.

After winning the toss and elected to bat first under gloomy skies, England's Keaton Jennings went for a nine-ball duck as the Proteas made an early breakthrough on Day One against the Joe Root-led side that had three debutants.

However, opener Alastair Cook and top-order batsman Tom Westley managed to navigate the home side to 62-1 at the lunch interval.

Resuming after lunch, visitors struck early by removing debutant Westley at his original score of 25.

A good partnership between Root and Cook seemed to take the home side forward, but Vernon Philander's return to the field changed the equation in South Africa's favour. He took the priced scalp of the England skipper at the individual score of 29.

Cook still remains unbeaten on 72 and holds the fort in the final session.

England won the first Test at Lord's by 211. However, the Proteas made a fantastic comeback beating the Joe Root-led side by 340 runs at Trent Bridge to level the four-match series 1-1. -

-ANI