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Centurion - Two South African-born players, Jonathan Trott and Kevin Pietersen, kept England's hopes of forcing a draw alive with an unbeaten partnership of 142.
At tea, England, chasing 364 to win, had 169 for three.
The wicket, which had caused trouble for batsmen throughout the match, appeared to have flattened out, and the two players - both of whom received their early cricket education in South Africa - kept the scoreboard ticking over.
Pietersen was the more aggressive, seeking to impose himself on the South African bowlers, and he reached his 16th Test half century - and first in South Africa - off 76 balls, including seven boundaries.
Trott was more circumspect and needed 135 deliveries to reach his 50.
Trott, who is playing in only his second Test, scored a century on debut.
With the bowling attack running out of options, Graeme Smith brought out his trump card, and brought Jacques Kallis into the attack.
Kallis, who is recovering from as fractured rib, was selected purely as a batsman, for fear that he might aggravate the injury and be unavailable for the rest of the series.
He bowled off a short run up, and while he was not able to break the partnership, he conceded just five runs off his three overs.
There are a minimum of 30 overs left to play, and England need 195 to achieve what would be a remarkable victory.
However, that would mean scoring at more than six runs an over, and even with Pietersen in superb form, that would appear unlikely.
A draw appears the likeliest result.
At tea, England, chasing 364 to win, had 169 for three.
The wicket, which had caused trouble for batsmen throughout the match, appeared to have flattened out, and the two players - both of whom received their early cricket education in South Africa - kept the scoreboard ticking over.
Pietersen was the more aggressive, seeking to impose himself on the South African bowlers, and he reached his 16th Test half century - and first in South Africa - off 76 balls, including seven boundaries.
Trott was more circumspect and needed 135 deliveries to reach his 50.
Trott, who is playing in only his second Test, scored a century on debut.
With the bowling attack running out of options, Graeme Smith brought out his trump card, and brought Jacques Kallis into the attack.
Kallis, who is recovering from as fractured rib, was selected purely as a batsman, for fear that he might aggravate the injury and be unavailable for the rest of the series.
He bowled off a short run up, and while he was not able to break the partnership, he conceded just five runs off his three overs.
There are a minimum of 30 overs left to play, and England need 195 to achieve what would be a remarkable victory.
However, that would mean scoring at more than six runs an over, and even with Pietersen in superb form, that would appear unlikely.
A draw appears the likeliest result.
