England vs South Africa: when is third cricket Test match? Dates, weather, squads and how to watch on UK TV

The deciding Test match between England and South Africa is nearly upon us and Ben Stokes will once again lead the way as they bid to win their second Test series this year.

The first Test match saw England completely annihilated while the second saw the exact opposite, meaning everything is resting on the outcome of the upcoming match this weekend.

At Lord’s Cricket Ground, South Africa won by an innings and 12 runs, with Ollie Pope top scoring for England on 73. South Africa paceman Kagiso Rabida did the damage by taking five wickets for 52 runs in the first innings before taking a further two in the second.

However, England’s ‘Bazball’ extravaganza returned when the squad travelled up the M1 to Manchester and this time South Africa were firmly on the backfoot, being reduced to 151 in the first innings.

Ben Foakes top scored on 113 not out while captain Ben Stokes scored his first century as captain as well as taking four wickets to help his squad win by an innings and 85 runs.

Now England must overcome the loss of Jonny Bairstow to the side - who suffered a freak injury while playing golf - if they are to win their second Test series of the year, following the remarkable success over New Zealand back in June.

Here is all you need to know ahead of the third and final decider...

When is England vs South Africa third Test match?

The third Test will begin on Thursday 8 September 2022 and conclude (if all five days are needed) on Monday 12 September.

Play is scheduled to begin at 11am BST each day, concluding at around 6.30/7pm depending on the light.

Where is the third Test match being played?

The Oval will host the third and final Test match.

Home to Surrey County Cricket Club, the Kia Oval has a capacity of 27,500 and was first opened in 1845. It first hosted an international Test match in 1880 between England and Australia.

How to watch the third Test match?

Sky Sports will once again have all of the live coverage from the England v South Africa third Test match. The programme will begin at 10.30am on Sky Sports Cricket and Sky Sports Main Event.

Subscriptions for Sky Sports start at £46/month while NowTV passes are available for £11.99/day.

The BBC will also offer a highlights show on BBC Two and BBC iPlayer which will be shown at 11.15pm.

How to buy tickets for the third Test match

Limited tickets are still available to purchase from the Surrey County Cricket website with the ticket prices starting from £42.50.

Who has made it in the squads?

England had initially named an unchanged squad for the deciding Test match. However, Nottinghamshire’s Ben Duckett has since been added to the squad after Jonny Bairstow announced he would no longer be able to play due to requiring an operation after his aforementioned injury.

Duckett has recently enjoyed his first 1,000-run first class season since 2016 - the same year he made his four Test appearances.

England: Ben Stokes (C), James Anderson, Stuart Broad, Harry Brook, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ben Foakes, Jack Leach, Alex Lees, Craig Overton, Matthew Potts, Ollie Pope, Ollie Robinson, Joe Root

South Africa: Dean Elgar (c), Sarel Erwee, Marco Jansen, Simon Harmer, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje, Keegan Petersen, Kagiso Rabada, Ryan Rickelton, Lutho Sipamla, Glenton Stuurman, Rassie van der Dussen, Kyle Verreynne, Khaya Zondo

What is the weather going to be like at the Oval?

This weekend is set to be a complete mix of conditions with light rain showers and a breeze expected on both Thursday and Friday afternoon, according to BBC Weather.

Saturday and Sunday appear to be dry yet overcast with highs of 21C and 22C each day.