Ravi Bopara dismissed as England look to hold on against South Africa Ravi Bopara lasted just half an hour on day five as England's battle to save the first Investec Test against South Africa suffered an early blow at the The Oval. England, resuming on 102 for four and needing another 150 to make the Proteas bat again, were hoping for a big stand from their last specialist batsmen. But Bopara added only seven to his overnight score of 15 before playing on to Dale Steyn. Midway through the morning session England were 135 for five, with Ian Bell dropped on 20 by AB de Villiers. There was an ominous sign for England early on as the second ball of the morning from Steyn kept low outside off stump. Bell did not let that worry him and was soon settling into a solid defence. The first six runs of the day were extras, with a bye, four leg byes and a wide off Morne Morkel's first over. Bopara raised a cheer when he pulled Steyn for the first boundary of the day but then saw the ball miss off stump by millimetres when offering no stroke. Bell, who resumed on 14, got off the mark for the day with a single off the 19th delivery he faced but in the following over Steyn made the crucial breakthrough. It was a wide delivery, and one that Bopara might easily have left. Instead, he attempted a flashy cut and inside edged the ball straight into middle stump. New man Matt Prior got off the mark by flicking Steyn for four off his hips and followed up two balls later with a driven boundary through the off side. Leg-spinner Imran Tahir almost sent Bell packing three balls after entering the attack but wicketkeeper De Villiers could not hold the catch.