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Pietermaritzburg: Captain Alastair Cook and Joe Root struck centuries on day two of England's three-day tour match with South Africa A in Pietermaritzburg.
Cook hit 126, sharing an opening stand of 112 with Alex Hales, who made 56.
The skipper reached 100 with a pulled six - his second of his innings - while Root made 117 off 125 deliveries.
Ben Stokes' 47-ball 66 helped England declare on 414-6 before they reduced the hosts to 35-2 - 243 behind with one day remaining at the City Oval.
The game is England's last before the four-Test series against South Africa begins on 26 December in Durban.
Hales scored only 16 runs in two innings in England's drawn opening warm-up game in Potchefstroom last week.
However, he hit nine fours in his 102-ball innings, which ended when he was bowled by a Dane Paterson inswinger.
Nick Compton, who is expected to make his Test return at number three after a two-and-a-half-year absence, scored 29 from 74 balls before he was trapped lbw.
Cook, who struck 16 fours, lobbed spinner Keshav Maharaj to mid-on but Root raced to 50 off 60 balls and brought up his century off 116.
He departed to a top-edged a pull to backward square-leg.
Trailing by 278 on first innings, South Africa A lost Stephen Cook - lbw to Stuart Broad - before for Moeen Ali bowled Reeza Hendricks from round the wicket in the 11 overs possible before the close.
Brief scores
South Africa A - 136 (SC Cook 53, Finn 4-34) and 35 for 2
England XI - 414 for 6 dec (Cook 126, Root 117, Stokes 66, Hales 56, Maharaj 4-129)
Status - South Africa A trial by 243 runs
