Close - South Africa 300 for 2 (Kallis 81*, McKenzie 74*) trail Zimbabwe (419 for 9 dec) by 119 runs
The close of play was a relief to one and all, as South Africa had batted themselves to a virtual standstill during the afternoon. It was painful stuff, with the batsmen apparently more intent on preserving their wickets than advancing the score, as maiden over after maiden over ticked by.

Neil McKenzie reached his 50 with a single off Guy Whittall, and showed a certain amount of aggression, launching Ray Price for a six over mid-off shortly before stumps. But Jacques Kallis, still to be dismissed in this series, had clearly taken a leaf out of the Geoff Boycott school of batsmanship: solid, steady, and maddeningly slow. Barring miracles, a bore draw is in the offing.

3.50pm - South Africa 242 for 2 (Kallis 60*, McKenzie 39*) trail Zimbabwe (419 for 9 dec) by 177 runs
South Africa lifted the tempo after tea as Jacques Kallis joined the fifty club. It came off a sedate 161 balls, but things might yet get more exciting because the ball after raising his bat he thwacked Paul Strang for a towering six. All of South Africa's top three have now made fifty; in the last Test all three made hundreds. A statistical delight to thrill the crowd. Tea - South Africa 212 for 2 (Kallis 48*, McKenzie 21*) trail Zimbabwe (419 for 9 dec) by 207 runs
Heath Streak took the new ball after 82 overs but all he got was the same old story - slow, low-risk progress from the batsmen and minimal penetration from the bowlers. As a mark of new-found respect left-arm spinner Ray Price, a figure of fun in the first Test, was allowed to continue his stint at the airport end - new ball and all. Kallis ground his way to 48, off 151 balls and including five fours, while Neil McKenzie drifted along, soaking up the looser deliveries.

2.25pm - South Africa 194 for 2 (Kallis 33*, McKenzie 18*) trail Zimbabwe (419 for 9 dec) by 225 runs
And lo, Neil McKenzie did hit a four - a beautiful cover drive off Guy Whittall. But it was a lone star in a dark galaxy, as South Africa did what Zimbabwe had excelled at on the first day and bored the pants off the crowd. Ray Price, joker turned poacher, has taken the only two wickets to fall today and bowled 33 overs for 68.

1.35pm - South Africa 166 for 2 (Kallis 21*, McKenzie 2*) trail Zimbabwe (419 for 9 dec) by 253 runs
What a red-letter day for Ray Price, mocked ceaselessly after a disastrous first Test. He took his second wicket of the day to reduce South Africa to 162 for 2 by tempting Gary Kirsten out of his crease for Andy Flower to whip the bails off. Kirsten had made 65 off 177 balls, including six fours. He and Kallis had put on a yawn-enducing 45 for the second wicket.

1.10pm - South Africa 158 for 1 (Kirsten 62*, Kallis 18*) trail Zimbabwe (419 for 9 dec) by 261 runs
Zimbabwe's supporters must have been thinking the unthinkable at Bulawayo - why oh why did Ray Price have to break the habit of a series and take a wicket? And if he had to - why was it Herschelle Gibbs? In his absence South Africa crawled their way to 22 runs in nine post-prandial overs. The closest thing to excitement came when Jacques Kallis dispatched Heath Streak for two typically muscly boundaries - one in the first over after the break. In between Gary Kirsten shuffled, nudged and nurdled his way through the bowling - his eye on yet another century.

Lunch - South Africa 136 for 1(Kirsten 54*, Kallis 4*) trail Zimbabwe (419 for 9 dec) by 283 runs
Herschelle Gibbs finally got too bat-happy at Bulawayo. He had just hit Ray Price for four (his twelfth of the innings) when two balls later he lost concentration and was caught behind by Andy Flower for 74. Gibbs walked without waiting for the umpire's decision. Price brought out the party poppers. It was his first wicket of the match, and the series, after conceding 251 palm-sweating runs - in the first Test he took 0 for 192 and 0 for 19, and here he had already gone for another 40. Paul Strang came back on, little finger of his right hand bruised but intact, just as Gibbs walked off, and was hit for four by a re-energised Gary Kirsten in his first over. Kirsten moved to his fifty, not with his fourth four of an over as Gibbs had, but with a little flick and a single. It had taken him 136 balls. By lunch, he had scored 305 runs in the series for once out. His partner Jacques Kallis is yet to be dismissed. Price celebrated his change of fortunes by bowling a maiden the last over before lunch.

11.10am - South Africa 102 for 0 (Kirsten 30*, Gibbs 68*) trail Zimbabwe (419 for 9 dec) by 317 runs
Herschelle Gibbs finally decided that enough was enough and turned on an exhilarating batting display at Bulawayo. He blasted four fours off one Travis Friend over - two casual glances, a hook and a punch through extra cover to bring up his fifty. Still itching for boundaries, he then forced Paul Strang off the field by virtually taking his finger off with a vicious drive back past the stumps. Eye in, he duly bullied a six off Ray Price. Meanwhile Gary Kirsten bought a shovel and dug himself in, making only 30 off 101 balls.

South Africa 26 for 0 (Kirsten 11, Gibbs 15) trail Zimbabwe (419 for 9 dec) by 393 runs

As the sun rises in Bulawayo on the fourth day of the second and final Test, the crowd will be crossing their fingers that the players had an espresso too many this morning.

What has happened thus far has been Test cricket, but not of the Australian wham-bam kind. Zimbabwe, though, will be pleased. Their batting may have been laborious until the tail thrashed around a bit, but they made their highest total against South Africa and ensured that they would emerge from this match with respect at least. And although Andy Flower, of course, made runs, the effort was a team one . South Africa, who had been fuming with frustration in the field, negotiated the final hour with ease, and will be eager to get stuck into Zimbabwe's bowling this morning.

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