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London - The Proteas will need to chase down 312 to win their Cricket World Cup opener against England at The Oval on Thursday.
This comes after they restricted the hosts to 311/8 in their allotted 50 overs.
SCOREBOARD: England v Proteas
Make no mistake, South Africa would have taken that score at the start of the day.
Every time the potent England batting line-up looked to take the game away from their visitors, the Proteas bounced back with wickets at key times.
The Proteas were full of surprises, with the first coming in the way of team selection where Aiden Markram was picked and David Miller benched.
Chris Morris was also expected to crack the nod, but he was sidelined for Dwaine Pretorius.
The other shock came when captain Faf du Plessis, after winning the toss and opting to field, gave the first over to 40-year-old leg spinner Imran Tahir (2/61 from 10).
It worked a treat, with Tahir removing the dangerous Jonny Bairstow (0 off 1) with just his second delivery as Quinton de Kock took a sharp catch behind the stumps.
At 1/1, the Proteas had arrived in London by making the perfect start.
It was short-lived.
Kagiso Rabada (2/66 from 10) and Lungi Ngidi (3/66 from 10), South Africa's two trump cards, were not threatening at all with the new ball as Jason Roy (54 off 53) and Joe Root (51 off 59) notched up a 106-run partnership for the second-wicket.
It was Andile Phehlukwayo (1/44 from 8) who got the breakthrough by going short at Roy, who went on the pull only to sky one to Du Plessis at mid-off.
Root followed almost immediately afterwards, playing an uncharacteristically loose shot to be caught at backward point by JP Duminy off Rabada with the first ball of his second spell.
At 111/3, the Proteas had clawed their way back, but as was the case earlier in the day, England recovered.
This time it came in the form of a 106-run stand off 108 balls between skipper Eoin Morgan (57 off 60) and Ben Stokes (89 off 79).
Ngidi continued to struggle - he was whacked for two sixes in successive deliveries by Morgan - while allrounders Pretorius and Phehlukwayo toiled without any reward.
The breakthrough came through Tahir when Morgan looked to launch him for a maximum only to find Markram at long-on.
That brought the highly-rated Jos Buttler to the wicket and with Stokes well set, England went into the last 10 overs nicely placed at 235/4 and ready to launch.
The wicket of Butler was key, and it was Ngidi who stood up when England's vice-captain dragged one onto his stumps to be sent packing for 10.
From then on, it was a case of limiting the hosts as much as possible.
Moeen Ali (3) was caught superbly by a diving Du Plessis at long-on, also off Ngidi, who recovered superbly from that earlier Morgan onslaught.
Rabada had all-rounder Chris Woakes (13 off 14) caught by Du Plessis at long-on, and Ngidi picked up his third when he had Stokes caught by Hashim Amla at short third man trying to play a reverse hit.
The Proteas still have plenty to do, but this a score they will feel comfortable with at dinner.
Scores in brief:
England 311/8 (Stokes 89, Morgan 57, Roy 54, Root 51, Ngidi 3/66, Tahir 2/61, Rabada 2/66)
SA need 312 runs to win
