England v South Africa, third Test, day two, Lords, as it happened

Jacques Kallis replaces Morne Morkel for what will be the final over at the Nursery End, Prior pushes a single to move to 18 and Bairstow steers a two to go to 72.

Prior runs a single down past backward point, Bairstow holds off Steyn and then there's a bizarre moment when Steyn hits his back leg with the ball as he enters his delivery stride, and the ball trickles underarm down the pitch. Bairstow leaves it alone, but steers the last legitimate ball for two. And although there are theoretically four overs left after this one, we may only get a couple in.

Morkel keeps it tight against Bairstow, he's not tempted into anything at this stage - maiden over.

Steyn has a man back on the hook for Bairstow, who drops the ball towards mid-wicket and jogs through for an easy single. Prior thick-edges a four between second slip and gully (who's more of a fourth or fifth slip). We're just over 15 minutes from the close.

Prior plunders another boundary against Morkel, this time through square cover - and two deliveries later, Smith isn't happy with the ball again and shows it to umpire Dharmasena, who looks at it and throws it back to him. A two to leg takes his score to 12 - Bairstow has 67.

Dale Steyn replaces Philander at the Pavilion End and sends down a couple of outswingers before bowling a brutal inswinger which must have only missed Bairstow's off peg by a few centimetres as he plays and misses. Maiden over.

Morkel replaces Tahir at the Nursery End and Prior, positive as ever, lashes a four through the covers. And we've theoretically got nine more overs to bowl tonight, so I think it's safe to say we won't get them in and will be closing at 1830 BST.

Bairstow pushes Philander for two, but the Yorkshire youngster sees off the rest of the over. He has 67 from 114 balls.

Rather surprisingly, Tahir's still on, despite their being a new batsman at the crease. A Bairstow single brings Prior on strike against the leg-spinner, he defends his first couple of deliveries. Alec Stewart, who's just joined us in our box while he speaks to BBC Radio 2, thinks the two sides will have parity if England don't lose any more wickets, while Prior pushes a two to open his account.

Matt Prior is the new batsman, shouldering arms to the last ball of Philander's over.

Tahir replaces the lumbering Kallis, and Bell immediately has the SA fielders on the run again, hammering a four through mid-wicket. A single takes the Warwickshire man to 58.

Bell dabs Philander for a single, the seamer drops it too short and Bairstow thrashes it for four through the covers. And thanks to IkenCanoe on Twitter who has pointed out how appealing "The Bell and Bairstow" might be as the name of a pub...

Bairstow moves to 60 with a single, we're just starting the last hour of play and we've got another 16 overs to get in - which we may struggle with, unless we have another burst of spin with Tahir and/or JP Duminy. Bell nicks the strike with a single - he has 52, his partner has 60.

Bairstow pops a quick single into the on side, Philander checks his footmarks but that's the only scoring stroke from the over.

Kallis replaces Tahir at the Nursery End as Cap'n Smith rotates his bowlers in search of a wicket to break this crucial England stand. Bairstow clubs a three through mid-wicket, before Bell tickles a four backward of point. He has 27, Bairstow has 58.

Tahir wheels away from the Nursery End, Bell and Bairstow add three singles to the score.

Will Bairstow repeat his assault on Tahir? Just a single at first, then Bell carefully lap-sweeps down to the Warner Stand for two.

Morkel gets one to whoosh past the edge of Bairstow's bat as he tries to hit him through the covers, before the Yorkshire youngster pushes a quick single to point - had the fielder's pick-up been cleaner, Bell might have been struggling to make his ground. Bell tries to take evasive action and the ball pops wide of the slips for two, he didn't look as though he was in control of that shot.

There's a brief spell of what I've heard Blowers describe as "ballsmanship" - South Africa are claiming that the ball has gone out of shape, and want it changed, so fourth umpire Peter Hartley comes on with his box of balls. ("That's what happens when the ball stops swinging, you try to get it changed," notes Michael Vaughan. Morkel has replaced Steyn at the Pavilion End, and his first delivery is one right up in Bell's ribs. Bell then withdraws his bat just at the last minute from another lifter which flies through to ABDV behind the stumps. A brute of a maiden over.

Tahir bowls to Bell, who probably played alongside him a few times in that year Tahir played for Warwickshire. Bell sweeps a two, then comes forward and smacks a four wide of mid-off. A single takes him to 38 - Bairstow has 28.

Bell knocks Steyn for a single, this is going to be a long evening session for England - 28 overs still left.

Tahir has a cover sweeper out for Bairstow, the Yorkshire youngster reins in his attacking instincts and plays out a maiden.

Bell cuts Steyn for four past the slips - and I can confirm that England have avoided the follow-on. A small crumb of comfort for the home fans here.

Morkel's off after two overs as Imran Tahir returns, but not before he's bowled a couple of practice deliveries to mid-off - something for which he would be punished in club cricket, as he bounced the ball off the ground both times. Bairstow cuts him for two through cover point.

Bell profits from an overthrow as wicketkeeper AB de Villiers is momentarily distracted by a pigeon as the ball is thrown in (much to the amusement of pigeon aficionado Blowers on TMS), while Bairstow paddles a single down to fine leg. Bell unleashes one of his trademark beautiful cover drives for four - almost the "perfect four" as it had two fielders chasing it nearly all the way - and that's the fifty stand.

Short ball from Morkel, Bairstow despatches it with a short-armed hook for four to the unguarded square leg boundary, he moves ahead of Bell to 25 and England are into three figures.

Two slips, a gully and a short leg in for Bairstow, but he and Bell plunder three singles against Steyn. The short leg is removed for Bell, who has to get up on tippy-toes to defend off the back foot and drop the ball at his feet.

Tahir rattles through a maiden over to Bell in about a minute and a half, allowing another over of Steyn before tea.

Steyn replaces Philander at the Pavilion End, which puts the brakes on those easy ones and twos which England's fifth-wicket pair had started to pick up. Just one Bell single from the over, time for a couple more before tea?

Tahir hops, skips and bounces in, Bell runs a two down to third man before a single takes him to 19 and Tahr is quickly through his over. We've still got 39 overs to bowl today, hopefully having the spinner on may help the over-rate.

Bell dabs Tahir for a single, then Bairstow moves into double figures with a pugnacious off-driven four wide of mid-off's left hand. A more gentle prod past square leg brings him a single. Bairstow has 14, he's almost neck and neck with Bell who has 15.

Bairstow, who's not faced a ball for a couple of overs, plays out a maiden from Philander.

Bell plunders a couple of leg byes from the final ball of Tahir's over.

Cap'n Smith shuffles his pace bowlers as Philander replaces Morkel at the Pavilion End. Bell pushes a two through the covers, then steers a single wide of mid-on.

Bairstow edges Morkel just wide of Kallis at second slip - there's no third slip in because he's been moved to leg gully - and that's four. The three-slips-and-a-gully cordon is restored, and Bairstow has to weave away from a short ball. He rounds off the over by guiding another four through mid-wicket. He has nine, just below Bell who has 10.

Kallis v Bell is a less threatening duel than Morkel v Bairstow, but Bell finally breaks the shackles with an on-drive, pursued by Philander down to the wide open space in front of the Compton Stand, and they run three. Bairstow punches a good length ball from Kallis into the covers, runs a quick single and he's off the mark. When Kallis strays onto middle and leg, Bell whips a four through square leg - England's best over for a long while.

Morkel resumes his bombardment of Bairstow from the Pavilion End. This is a gripping session, the seats which were left empty for a while after lunch all seem to be occupied now. Morkel raises his hands in frustration as Bairstow plays at a short ball and misses. Maiden. Bairstow is yet to score.

Blowers spots another one of his medium-paced aeroplanes as Kallis keeps it tight against Bell - the only "run" he's conceded in three overs was that "loosener" wide. Maiden over, and Steyn is back on the field after a brief cameo by perennial SA sub-fielder Faf du Plessis.

Hashim Amla dons a helmet at short leg for Bairstow, and he's quickly called into action as Bairstow digs a yorker out. He's waiting for that short ball... and pulls out of the way when it comes. Morkel advances the score with a no-ball - and at 55, they're halfway towards the magic mark of 110 which is what they need to avoid the follow-on, as one or two of you pessimists have been asking on the texts...

With plenty of time left in the match (and indeed in the day - we've got another 52 overs to get through here), South Africa can be patient here - and as Alec Stewart points out on TMS, if they dismiss England cheaply they'd have plenty of time to bat England ut of the match. Kallis continues to probe outside off stump, sending down a maiden to Bell.

Morkel does indeed replace Steyn, and a single from Bell ends a run of 20 dot balls that was only interrupted by that Kallis wide.

Change of bowling at the Nursery End - Philander is replaced by Jacques Kallis, who pens with a wide that swings away from Taylor. Not bad when you can bring on a man with 279 Test wickets as your fourth seamer. Kallis is swinging the ball away from Taylor, while Morkel is loosening up enough at mid-on to suggest he may replace Steyn soon. That wide spikes what would otherwise have been a maiden over.

Syetn produces a fiery maiden over to Bell, there's been plenty of yelling from the Proteas paceman so far - he has 2-19 from six overs, with two maidens.

As my match-report colleague Stephan Shemilt observes, it's not often that Ian Bell towers over his batting partner, but he's the senior man in all senses now, jabbing Philander for a single to double his score. That's 50 up for England.

And those of you who may be sensing a Pietersen-shaped hole in the England batting order may be interested to read Stephan's feature - he's spoken to Aggers, Boycs, Tuffers and Shaun Pollock and asked the question: will Kevin Pietersen play for England again?

Taylor fends off a lifter from Steyn and edges it through the slip cordon for four. Steyn then yells a belated lbw appeal as Taylor tries to force one down the leg side, but he keenly scampers back for two leg byes. Ooh, that's a better shot from the Notts youngster, as he gets up on his toes and forces Steyn through the covers for four off the back foot. Confident start by Taylor.

Well, England may be in a pickle... but after all that discussion over what goes well with pork pies in the last Test, England have done the next best thing and sent in a man from the heart of Melton Mowbray pie country to sort out the pickle - James Taylor. I'm probably not the first person to observe this and I won't be the last, but the diminuitive Taylor looks like a boy playing against men as Steyn charges in from the Pavilion End with four predatory slip fielders, but he survives the over.

Philander, "broad in the shoulder and broad in the beam" according to Blowers on TMS, begins a new over to Bell, with three slips and a gully in. Bell offers no stroke when not necessary, and Philander completes a maiden over.

Ian Bell is the new batsman, he's off the mark with a single off his first ball.

Cook nudges a single to open his post-lunch (post-prandial?) account, then Steyn strays with his line and Trott guides a four off his legs down towards the Mound Stand.

Jonathan Trott takes guard, as only he can, and survives the final two balls of Morkel's pre-lunch over.

Dale Steyn into the attack in place of Philander at the Pavilion End, he's over the wicket to Strauss initially and a great diving stop by Amla at short extra cover denies Strauss any runs. A pull to fine leg brings him a single. Time for one more over before lunch? Morkel looks like he's signalled that he's OK for one more.

Strauss benefits from another leg bye, Philander gets a bit of movement away from Cook, who is solid in defence so far. Just under a quarter of an houe before lunch. "This is gorgeous - sun's shining, and there's a hundred here if you bat well" comments Geoff Boycott on TMS.

Morkel bowls a tighter line to Cook then he had to Strauss, the only blemish on his over is a no-ball. Cook has six, Strauss has 15.

Philander looks on course for another maiden over, and completes one when Strauss tries to help the last ball to fine leg and it's signalled as two leg byes.

Strauss guides his second boundary of the innings off his legs, while a single takes the England skipper to 15. Cook has six.

Tighter over from Philander as he bowls a maiden to Cook. And a taster for lunch on TMS - they'll be celebrating Andrew Strauss's 100th Test and looking back at his career during the interval.

Philander it is, bowling with the wind from the Pavilion End, and his first ball is flicked off his legs for four. A good start from the skipper, who then cover-drives and has the bearded Hashim Amla scampering towards the Tavern Stand to retrieve the ball as they run three. Cook joins in the fun, edging past third slip for four over the vacant third man boundary. Another edge dribbles a little slower towards third man for two.

Morne Morkel takes the new ball, bowling round the wicket from the Nursery End, doing his little "walk in a circle at the end of his run" routine before each delivery. Cap'n Strauss settles his nerves with a sngle off his legs off the first ball of the innings, and Cook sees off the rest of the over.

Tahir is clearly from the school of number 11s who back away towards square leg at the first opportunity, nearly trampling on Taylor at short leg. But a fluent shot through the covers brings him two.

Swann tosses it up to Morkel from round the wicket, and the big left-hander swats a two past short leg, before utilising the famous Lord's slope again with a three down to the Mound Stand boundary which brings him three and pushes the Proteas' total past 300. JP Duminy told the media last night that SA felt anything more than 300 would be a bonus... Pilander punches the last ball for a single to deep mid-on.

A tight over from Anderson yields just a solitary Morkel single.

I don't know if England are monitoring TMS, but they've followed MIchael Vaughan's suggestion from a couple of overs ago, as Graeme Swann is into the attack with his right-arm off-spin from the Nursery End. A single from Philander brings Morkel on strike, and Broad retreats, he's a few yards in from the long-on fence in front of us. After a couple of singles, Morkel steps back and guides a single through the covers to nick the strike. He has 15, Philander's on 59.

Philander dabs Anderson for a single, then Morkel edges past the entire six-man slip cordon for antoher four. There's four slips in now (Strauss, Swann, Cook & Bairstow), a gully (Bell), and a backward point (Taylor) who's almost in a catching position at a sort of deep third gully.

Meanwhile, Aggers reminds TMS listeners that he'll be speaking to an Olympic gold medallist at tea today... but we're not going to reveal his identity just yet.

We have some sunshine for the first time today as Philander continues his "get them in singles" approach - Morkel is more adventurous against Broad, reaching the boundary for the second time with a firm off-drive.

Philander unleashes a well-timed off-drive and that goes past midoff for four, crossing the rope in front of the pavilion as some members look on from the ever-popular Bowler's Bar balcony. A single off the last ball pinches the strike for the boy Vernon.

Aggers on TMS reveals he has two "bosses" in the ground today - BBC director of sport Barbara Slater, as well as his wife, so he warns summariser Shaun Pollock that they must be on their best behaviour. Morkel cuts between third slip and gully for four, so the gully fielder moves into more of a fifth slip position, while Anderson switches to bowling round the wicket. The tall paceman prods and misses at one which rises sharply from a length - Morkel (and Steyn) will be quite pleased if the odd delivery gets up like that when England bat...

As a number of you observed yesterday (and this morning), the first seven batsmen all fell in order of their numbers on the scorecard - but Mr Steyn has ended that sequence. His replacement is the left-handed Morne Morkel, and those gaps I noticed in the Mound Stand and Grand Stand now seem to be filling up. Morkel aims a cover drive but the ball dribbles towards fine leg for a single.

Philander nudges another single, he's now on 49, while Steyn bunts one into the covers and they dash through for a quick single - this stand is now worth 35. Henry Blofeld on TMS spots a "slow-medium... or rather a medium-paced aeroplane on its way to Heathrow." The watchful Philander lets a couple go by.

It's another sell-out today, apparently, at the home of cricket, but there are still a few unoccupied seats - mainly in the Mound Stand and Grand Stand, perhaps a a few people have been held up getting here, as some are still streaming in. The SA physio gives Steyn's hand a bit of attention between overs - and it's Broad on to replace Finn at the Nursery End. Philander moves to 48 with a single, Steyn gets an edge... agonisingly wide of the slip cordon for four.

Steven Finn has two balls left of his over that was interrupted last night. Bowling to Dale Steyn from the Nursery End, he has three slips, a gully and a helmeted short leg in James Taylor, who gets down well to block the first ball of the day which Steyn tries to force off his legs, before he blocks the final ball of the over.