The 10th-wicket partnership at St George’s Park between tailenders Keshav Maharaj and Dane Paterson helped keep the loss out of the top three in terms of heaviest Test defeats at home since readmission.

The pair enjoyed a 99-run stand, which is the country’s highest 10th-wicket stand against England since 1929, as they launched a ‘better late than never’ counter-attack. It was ended when Maharaj attempted a quick single but was well short after a direct hit by Sam Curran.

Maharaj was particularly keen on dispatching Joe Root and moved past 50 for just the second time while debutant Paterson climbed in with an unbeaten 39 off 40 balls.

Their stand was just shy of the 107* put on by AB de Villiers and Morne Morkel against Pakistan in Abu Dhabi in November 2010 and pushed this defeat to fourth on the list of heaviest Test defeats since readmission.

Innings defeats for SA at home since readmission:

Innings and 360 runs vs Australia, Johannesburg 2001-02

Innings and 196 runs vs Australia, Johannesburg 1996-97

Innings and 98 runs vs England, Durban 2009-10

Innings and 53 runs vs England, Port Elizabeth 2019-20*

Photo: Deryck Foster/BackpagePix