After rain delayed the start of the match in Johannesburg, both sides announced changes from the last test. South Africa gave Beuran Hendricks a debut in place of the suspended Kagiso Rabada, whilst there were recalls for Temba Bavuma and Dwaine Pretorius. England, with Jofra Archer ruled out by an elbow injury, replaced Dom Bess with Chris Woakes.
England won the toss and chose to bat first, Dom Sibley and Zak Crawley again opening the innings. The pair put on 107 for the first wicket, surviving Sibley being caught at gully off a no-ball, until Sibley was the first to go, caught by Rassie van der Dussen off the bowling off Vernon Philander for 44. Three overs later it was the turn of his partner for 66 to depart, de Kock with the catch and Hendricks with the debut wicket. Joe Denly and his captain Joe Root added 34, but then two wickets fell in quick order, Denly caught by van der Dussen off Dane Paterson for 27, and then Ben Stokes with a rare failure, caught by the same man off Anrich Nortje.
Root and Nick Pope though saw out the day as England closed on 192 4, with Root 25 not out, and his partner unbeaten on 22.
Resuming on the second morning, Root and Pope added 66 to the overnight score, both of them passing fifty, before both were out in quick succession. First to go was Pope, who was bowled by Nortje for 56, and then Root was caught behind off the same bowler for 59. Next ball Nortje had Sam Curran bowled as well for a golden duck.
Jos Buttler and Chris Woakes then added 40, before Buttler was dismissed for 20, caught by Dean Elgar off Philander, and Woakes then gave Nortje a fifth wicket when he was caught by du Plessis for 32.At that stage England were 318 9, but the last pair of Mark Wood and Stuart Broad added a further 82 off just 50 balls. Wood, finished 35 not out, having hit three sixes and 2 fours, whilst his partner made 43, including 4 sixes and two fours. By the time that Board was caught by Pieter Malan off Paterson, they had helped their side to 400 all out.
Nortje finished with 5 for 110, with Paterson and Philander both taking two wickets apiece.
In reply, Malan and Elgar put on 29 for the first wicket against probing bowling, but then lost Malan caught behind off Wood for 15. Rassie van der Dussen fell for a duck caught by Stokes at slip off Curran, and then Elgar, who had made 26, was caught by Woakes, Stokes this time the bowler. Faf du Plessis and his vice-captain Quinton de Lock put on 17, but du Plessis was the next man to go lbw to Woakes.
Wood then picked up two more wickets, Bavuma caught by Stokes, and Nortje caught by Denly, as the home side finished the day on 88 -6, still trailing by 312, with four first innings wickets still standing.
England soon struck again on the third day, Woakes having Philander caught by Broad. But Quinton de Kock and Pretorius defied England for 23 overs with a stand of 79, which was finally broken when Pretorius edged Stokes to gully, and was dismissed for 37. Then, in the next over, Wood bowled de Kock for 76, and wrapped up the innings by having Paterson caught behind.
South Africa had been bowled out for 183, with Wood taking 5 for 46, whilst both Stokes and Woakes took two wickets each.
Leading by 217 on first innings, England decided not to enforce the follow-on and batted again.
Crawley and Sibley put on 56, before Crawley became the first man to fall, caught behind off Pretorius for 24. Denly was out cheaply to Paterson, but Sibley and Root added 17 before Sibley rather meekly chipped Hendricks to mid-wicket and was out for 44.
Stokes provided a brief cameo, scoring 28, including 5 fours, but he was caught by van der Dussen off Hendricks, and then both Pope and Buttler were caught behind off Nortje.
Root was prepared to play as an anchor as team mates came in and scored quick runs, and he shared a stand of 46, with Curran who made 35 of them until he was caught by Paterson with Hendricks again the bowler. Woakes fell two balls later, caught behind off the same man, but Wood scored a brisk 18 until he was bowled by Pretorius. Root was the last man to go, caught by du Plessis off the bowling of Hendricks, as England were bowled out for 248.
Hendricks took 5 for 64, with Nortje and Paterson taking two wickets apiece.
That left South Africa needing a highly improbable 466 to win, starting the fourth day.
The South African opening pair of Malan and Elgar negotiated the first hour on Monday but then Malan drove at Woakes and edged the ball to Stokes at second slip, out for 22. Elgar and van der Dussen added 50 but, on the stroke of lunch, Elgar could not cope with a bouncer from Stokes, and was caught and bowled for 24.
Vander Dussen and du Plessis then defied England with a stand of 92, until both men fell in successive overs. Du Plessis was the first to go, bowled by Stokes for 35 off a bottom edge, and then van der Dussen, two short of his century, hit Wood straight to Broad at mid-wicket. He had hit 2 sixes and 15 fours in his 98.
De Kock and Bavuma then added 48, before Broad took the wickets of Bavuma, out for 27, and Pretorius, in successive overs. De Kock and Philander added 21, but the end of the innings came quickly. First to go was Philander, who was caught behind off Wood for 10, and then de Kock, who had made 39, was caught by Woakes off the same bowler. Hendricks was run out by Sibley, before Wood wrapped up the innings by having Nortje caught behind.
South Africa had been bowled out for 274 in the 78th over.
Wood took 4 for 54, Broad 2 for 25, and Stokes 2 for 47.