Alastair Cook missed out on a 31st Test hundred but Ben Stokes hit a counter-attacking half-century as England went to lunch at 6-269 on Friday's second day of the third Test against South Africa at The Oval.
Cook, who had batted throughout the rain-interrupted opening day to anchor his side's struggle to an overnight 4-171, added six runs before being trapped lbw for 88 by Morne Morkel.
The dismissal brought together Stokes and Jonny Bairstow, no strangers to putting the Proteas to the sword after their epic stand of 399 last year in Cape Town, and the pair put on a sixth-wicket partnership of 75 runs.
Stokes raced to the 10th Test half-century off 72 balls before consolidating to move more sedately to 64 by lunch with seven thumping boundaries.
After South Africa had taken the second new ball, Bairstow was quickly snaffled for a 52-ball 36 by Faf du Plessis at slip off Kagiso Rabada.
The tourists were again hampered in their new-ball assault by not being able to call on key paceman Vernon Philander, who, just as on Thursday, bowled well early on before having to leave the field for more than an hour due to a stomach upset.
In The Oval's 100th test, it would have been fitting had Cook marked the occasion with a century and he looked dismayed to be given out lbw to a Morkel delivery he evidently felt would have sailed high.
He immediately called for a review which showed the ball would have clipped the bails, so the umpire's call stood, ending his 200-ball vigil.
No bowler has claimed his wicket in Tests more than Morkel, who dismissed him for a 10th time.
Stokes then took over the senior role, going past 2000 Test runs in his 62nd innings with a four crunched through midwicket and, soon afterwards, he crashed a wayward Chris Morris for three boundaries in an over.
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