Philander sanctioned as England turn the screws

South Africa paceman Vernon Philander has become the fourth player to be fined and given a demerit point in the series against England when the International Cricket Council announced another sanction for swearing.

Philander, playing in his final Test before joining Somerset in the County Championship, was sanctioned for the abusive send-off he gave Jos Buttler after he dismissed the England wicketkeeper on the second day of the fourth and final Test at The Wanderers on Saturday.

The ICC said he had breached their code of conduct, relating to "using language, actions or gestures which disparage or which could provoke an aggressive reaction from a batter upon his/her dismissal during an international match".

Philander, 34, admitted the offence and accepted the sanction proposed by match referee Andy Pycroft. He was fined 15 per cent of his match fee.

Buttler received the same sanction for a similar offence in the second Test against South Africa, when he was caught on the television stump microphones swearing repeatedly at Philander late on the final day of England's 189-run win.

On Saturday, the ICC sanctioned England allrounder Ben Stokes for a foul-mouthed row with a spectator after his dismissal on the opening day on Friday.

South Africa's top paceman Kagiso Rabada was also fined 15 per cent of his match and given a demerit point for his over-the-top celebration when he dismissed England captain Joe Root in the third Test at Port Elizabeth.

The other players did not have previous demerit points but Rabada's was his fourth in a 24-month spell, triggering a one-match suspension.

He is banned from the fourth Test in Johannesburg where his absence has been marked as South Africa struggle.

The sanction capped off a horror day for Philander in his final Test match after he bowled just nine deliveries before he pulled up with a hamstring injury and was sent to hospital for scans.

On the field, captain Joe Root top scored as England took a huge 465-run lead and were bowled out for 248 just before stumps in their second innings at The Wanderers.

The score left them with two days to dismiss their hosts, who will have to chase an improbable fourth-innings target if they are to win the Test and level the series at 2-2.

Fourteen wickets fell on a busy Sunday that saw South Africa dismissed for 183 at lunch, 217 runs behind England's first-innings score of 400.

Root did not enforce the follow on but instead rammed home his team's advantage as England batted briskly in their second innings before the captain was the last man out, superbly caught by South African counterpart Faf du Plessis to give debutant Beuran Hendricks a maiden Test five-wicket haul.

Root scored 58, Dominic Sibley made 44, Sam Curran an entertaining 35 and Stokes 28 with Hendricks finishing on 5-64 off 15.3 overs.

South Africa v England 2019-20

First Test: South Africa won by 107 runs

Second Test: England won by 189 runs

Third Test: England won by an innings and 53 runs

Fourth Test: January 24-28, Johannesburg

First ODI: February 4, Cape Town (D/N)

Second ODI: February 7, Durban (D/N)

Third ODI: February 9, Johannesburg

First T20: February 12, East London

Second T20: February 14, Durban

Third T20: February 16, Centurion