Draw-shy Dean Elgar expects result at Oval: 'There's definitely going to be a winner'

Proteas Test skipper Dean Elgar made it clear that Thursday's third Test between South Africa and England at The Oval will produce a winner.

Elgar, who has yet to lose a series as skipper, speaks from the experience of his team that hasn't drawn any of its last 43 Tests.

That run stretches back to the 2017 third Test against New Zealand at Seddon Park in Hamilton where rain got in the way of what was shaping up to be a series-levelling win as the Proteas were 80/5, needing a further 95 runs to make New Zealand bat again.

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The Proteas have won 23 of those Tests, even though some of the defeats have been chastening, like the 3-0 demise against India away in 2019 and the 3-1 series loss to England at home in the same summer.

Elgar said the playing styles of the teams and the conditions didn't lend to any ideas of a stalemate.

"There's definitely going to be a winner in this Test. There's no doubt," Elgar said.

"With the brand of cricket the teams have been playing, along with the styles, there will be a result.

"With the weather that is around, we can't control that. It is what it is, but we do expect that there will be a result in this Test.

"The series is at 1-1 and we're going to go in with a result in mind and we have to give our best effort for that."

Elgar's toss choice and team selection will come under scrutiny after the Manchester gaffe where he chose to bat first and gave England the best bowling conditions.

Elgar also picked a second spinner with the hope of exploiting fourth-innings deterioration, but the game didn't even get that far with a three-day finish.

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