Marcus Trescothick kept England's hopes alive with a defiant century on the fourth day of the fourth Test against South Africa on Sunday.
England were 197 for five in their second innings, a lead of 189 runs, when bad light ended play 14.4 overs early.
The tourists declared their first innings on 411 for eight with South Africa replying with 419 all out, Herschelle Gibbs hitting a sparkling 161 and England seamer Matthew Hoggard taking five for 144.
Trescothick was 101 not out, his 10th Test century, after facing 164 balls and hitting 15 fours but a mini-collapse before the enforced close cost England three wickets for 11 runs.
The left-hander looked nervous early on and saw opening partner and first innings centurion Andrew Strauss depart for a duck when he edged Makhaya Ntini to AB de Villiers at slip with a loose drive.
Paceman Ntini then removed Robert Key for 19 when he nicked to second slip Jacques Kallis.
Trescothick and captain Michael Vaughan regained the advantage for England with a dominating partnership of 124 for the third wicket.
They punished South Africa on an increasingly easy pitch until midway through the final session when Vaughan (54) edged a fine outswinger from fast bowler Shaun Pollock behind.
Three balls later Graham Thorpe was superbly caught and bowled by Kallis for one, the all rounder cracking his head on the pitch as he took the catch.
Andrew Flintoff played a ragged shot to a wide delivery from Pollock three overs after that, to be caught behind for seven as England slipped to 186 for five.
The home side had resumed on 306 for six, and lost their seventh wicket to the second ball of the morning when Pollock offered no stroke to fast bowler Hoggard and was trapped in front for a duck.
Gibbs was out for 161 after hitting 25 fours when he cut the previously wayward James Anderson to Hoggard on the third man boundary.
Vice captain Boje led South Africa in the field for much of England's second innings after Graeme Smith suffered concussion when he was hit by the ball in the warm-up session before play.
England fast bowler Steve Harmison again did not bowl because of an injured left calf.
Scorecard:
England first innings 411-8 declared (A.Strauss 147, R.Key 83, M.Vaughan not out 82; M.Ntini 4-111)
South Africa first innings (overnight 306-6)
G.Smith lbw b Hoggard 29
H.Gibbs c Hoggard b Anderson 161
J.Rudolph c Giles b Hoggard 4
J.Kallis b Hoggard 33
B.Dippenaar c Trescothick b Flintoff 0
A.de Villiers c Giles b Hoggard 19
M.Boucher c Strauss b Anderson 64
S.Pollock lbw b Hoggard 0
N.Boje run out 48
M.Ntini b Giles 26
D.Steyn not out 0
Extras (b-9 lb-11 nb-9 w-6) 35
Total (all out, 118.1 overs) 419
Fall of wickets: 1-64 2-75 3-138 4-149 5-184 6-304 7-306 8-358 9-399
Bowling: Hoggard 34-2-144-5 (nb-5), Harmison 12.5-4-25-0 (nb-2), Anderson 28-3-117-2 (w-5), Flintoff 30.1-8-77-1 (nb-2), Giles 8.1-0-25-1, Trescothick 5-1-11-0 (w-1)
England second innings
M.Trescothick not out 101
A.Strauss c De Villiers b Ntini 0
R.Key c Kallis b Ntini 19
M.Vaughan c Boucher b Pollock 54
G.Thorpe c and b Kallis 1
A.Flintoff c Boucher b Pollock 7
G.Jones not out 1
Extras (lb-3 nb-5 w-6) 14
Total (for five wickets, 53.2 overs) 197
Fall of wickets: 1-2 2-51 3-175 4-176 5-186
To bat: A Giles, M Hoggard, J Anderson, S Harmison
Bowling (to date); Pollock 13-1-60-2 (nb-1 w-5), Ntini 14-2-45-2, Kallis 13-4-45-1 (nb-1), Steyn 4.2-0-20-0 (nb-3 w-1), Boje 9-0-24-0.
