Marco Jansen was the star for South Africa as his fiery five-wicket haul in the morning session and beyond went a long way in establishing dominance over Australia. Marco Jansen ran through Australia as the visitors had no answer to the bowling, being rolled out for 99 and falling way behind in the Test match. Steve Smith was the only one to show resistance with 28, battling a neck injury.
Australia had something to cheer about as Travis Head, given a reprieve on 5*, played a mature innings and fighting it out there on 87* while South Africa through Kagiso Rabada and Simon Harmer, picked up 2 wickets apiece as Australia finished the day at 156/4, trailing by 170 runs. Steve Smith hasn’t come out to bat yet, with Boland there at night watchman. Alex Carey is still to come alongside the handy bowlers who can bat. This will be an epic final day for sure as Australia won’t give up easily.
Marco Jansen’s fiery spell sinks Australia in the morning session.Â
Travis Head and Scott Boland came out to resume proceedings for Australia while Kagiso Rabada started the proceedings for South Africa. Head was off and running straightaway as he leaned into the ball and square drove the ball to the backward point region for a boundary. Head looked to defend straight and got the outside edge past gully for a boundary. Marco Jansen came on to bowl from the other end.
He struck straightaway, removing night watchman Boland for 2 off 14 balls, playing away from the body and getting the outside edge through to the keeper, as Rickelton did the rest. Marnus Labuschagne came out to bat next as the over ended in a wicket maiden. Rabada continued as Head shuffled across and creamed it through extra cover for a boundary. Jansen continued as Marnus hung back, threw his bat at the ball, and went through the gully region for a boundary.
Rabada continued and bowled a decent over. Jansen struck for South Africa again as he removed the big fish, Head, for 14 off 24 balls with 3 fours to his name thanks to good usage of the DRS. The on-field umpire gave it NOT OUT, but on review we found it was three reds on replays. Steve Smith came out to bat next and got off the mark as well. Rabada continued as Smith shuffled across and cleared his front leg to drive crisply through extra cover for a boundary. He completed 1000 runs in South Africa across all formats.
Jansen continued as Marnus punched the ball off the back foot past mid-off for a boundary. Marnus then hit a check drive through covers for another cracking boundary. Rabada continued as Smith shuffled across and hit the ball straight past mid-off for another boundary. Anrich Nortje came into the attack next. He struck straightaway as he removed Marnus for 14 off 25 balls with 3 fours to his name as Harmer took a one-handed stunner at third slip. Matthew Renshaw came out to bat next.
Rabada continued and bowled a tight over. Nortje continued and bowled a tight over. Wiaan Mulder came into the attack next. He started his spell with a maiden. Nortje bowled a tight over as Australia reached 48/4 in 18 overs when we paused for Drinks in the morning session. Mulder continued after the break as the 50 came up for Australia in 18.4 overs. Nortje continued, and after 3 balls, he injured himself and hurt his right thigh or abductor. He left the field immediately. Simon Harmer came and completed the over.
Mulder bowled another miserly over. Harmer, too, kept things tidy. Mulder wasn’t giving anything away either. Harmer, too, bowled a probing over. Mulder kept asking the right questions. Harmer bowled another decent over. Kagiso Rabada returned to the bowling crease and delivered a maiden over. Smith now had some issues with his neck and was getting attention from the physio.
Marco Jansen returned and bowled a decent over. Rabada continued and bowled a probing over. Jansen continued and finally broke through, dismissing Renshaw for 12 off 48 balls as the edge found Harmer in the gully region, who dived forward to take a stunning catch again. Keeper batter Alex Carey came out to bat next. Jansen had two wickets in the over as he dismissed Carey for a second-ball duck as the edge was taken by the keeper. Beau Webster came out to bat next.
Rabada bowled another probing over. Jansen bowled another probing over as things were heating up at the ground. Rabada came and bowled the last over before Lunch. There was a misfield in the deep but no major drama in the end. Australia were reeling at 69/6 in 33 overs with Smith unbeaten on 26 off 75 balls and Webster unbeaten on 0 off 6 balls as players trudged off the field for Lunch on Day 4, a session that belonged to the hosts, South Africa.
Marco Jansen completes a 5-wicket haul as Australia gets skittled out for 99; loses a wicket after following on at the afternoon session.Â
Steve Smith and Beau Webster came out to resume proceedings for Australia after lunch, while Marco Jansen had the ball in hand for South Africa. Nortje had now left for scans for his suspected groin injury and was out for this innings. Webster leaned into the drive past backward point for a boundary. Wiaan Mulder had the ball in hand from the other end. He bowled a maiden over. Jansen continued and bowled a decent over.
Mulder thought he had gotten rid of Webster as the finger went up for caught behind. Webster reviewed immediately, and we found there was no spike on the Snicko. The decision was overturned as DRS saved the batter. Webster then drove the ball past short cover for a boundary, and the bowler overstepped as well. Jansen continued and got rid of Webster for 13 off 28 balls with 2 fours to his name as the edge was taken by Aiden Markram in the slip cordon. His first five-wicket haul against the Aussies and his 5th five-wicket haul overall. Captain Pat Cummins came out to bat next and got off the mark straightaway.
Mulder continued and delivered a maiden over. Smith reached 11,000 runs in Test cricket. Cummins clipped the ball on the pads past short midwicket and away to the fence for a boundary. Smith struggled with his neck injury but continued to fight. Mulder gifted 4 byes as a bonus to the batting side. Mulder then knocked Smith over for 28 off 88 balls with 2 fours to his name as he had to walk back to the hut. Mitchell Starc came out to bat next. He got off the mark as well.
Rabada came back into the attack and got rid of Starc for 1 off 4 balls, caught behind to Rickelton, as Rabada got his 200th Test wicket in South Africa. Josh Hazlewood came out to bat next. He got off the mark as well. Mulder continued and got rid of Cummins for 7 off 16 balls with one four to his name as Cummins was holed out in the deep. Hazlewood remained unbeaten on 2 off 3 balls as the Aussies were rolled over for 99 in 42.3 overs. 6 extras were given by the fielding side.
The Proteas were brilliant with the ball, with Marco Jansen being the pick of the bowlers with figures of 5/33 in 11 overs. He was ably supported by Kagiso Rabada, who finished with figures of 2/33 in 12 overs. Wiaan Mulder finished with 2/14 in 9.3 overs. Anrich Nortje finished with 1/5 in 3.3 overs and walked off the field injured. Simon Harmer bowled 5.3 overs for 9 runs. Aiden Markram bowled an over for a maiden. With a huge lead of 326 runs with them, the Proteas decided to enforce the follow-on. Australia had to come back in their second innings.
So, Nic Maddinson and Travis Head came out to open the batting for Australia while Kagiso Rabada had the ball in hand for South Africa. Maddinson was off and running to get off the pair as he hung back and punched it past backward point for a boundary. Marco Jansen had the new ball in hand from the other end. He started with a maiden. Rabada continued as Maddinson punched the ball off the back foot with an open bat face past covers for a boundary. Rabada hit back next ball as he removed Maddinson for 8 off 10 balls with 2 fours to his name as the edge went to the keeper, Rickelton.
Marnus Labuschagne came out to bat next. Jansen continued and bowled a tight over. Rabada bowled another probing over. Jansen continued and bowled another tight over. Wiaan Mulder came into the attack next and started his spell with a maiden over. Jansen continued and bowled another tight over. Mulder continued as Marnus clipped the ball past midwicket for a boundary. Marnus was on a roll as he sat back and punched it past point for a boundary. Jansen continued and bowled a tight over.
Mulder continued as Head was given a reprieve on 5* and the score at 25 when he slashed at the ball and went to Jansen at gully quickly as the ball burst through his hands away to the fence for a boundary. Rabada continued as Head added salt to the wounds by whacking the ball past covers for a boundary. Simon Harmer came into the attack next. Marnus gave the short leg fielder half a chance as the fielder had no time to react there. Rabada continued and bowled a tight over. Harmer continued as Marnus got another reprieve as Ackerman had no time to react in taking the catch.
Rabada continued and bowled a quiet over. Harmer continued to bowl the last over before Tea, as Head collapsed his back leg and swept the ball past the vacant deep backward square leg region for a boundary. The 50 came up for Australia in 16,5 overs. Australia were 50/1 in 17 overs with Head unbeaten on 26 off 47 balls alongside Marnus unbeaten on 16 off 45 balls as the players left the field for Tea on Day 4.
Travis Head keeps Australia fighting, but South Africa chip away at the wickets in an entertaining final session.Â
Travis Head and Marnus Labuschagne came out to resume proceedings for Australia after Tea, while Aiden Markram came into the attack post the break. Markram bowled a decent first over. Wiaan Mulder had the ball in hand from the other end and wasted a review for caught behind against Head as there was daylight between ball and bat. Mulder, too, bowled a probing over. Simon Harmer came back into the attack and bowled a decent over. Mulder continued as Marnus stood tall and smashed the pull through square leg for a boundary. The 50-run stand came up between the two players.
Mulder overstepped as Head was now in a roll, leaned to the pitch of the ball, and drove through covers for a boundary. Harmer continued as Head got the outside edge to an expansive drive as the ball ran away past Rabada at short third man for a boundary. Mulder continued and bowled a decent over. Harmer continued and bowled a decent over. Mulder continued and bowled a decent over. Harmer continued and bowled another decent over.
Marco Jansen came back into the attack next and bowled a decent over. Harmer continued as Marnus hung his bat to defend the ball and got the outside edge past Markram at slip for a lucky boundary. Marnus was then given OUT LBW to Harmer. Marnus then reviewed and saw the ball miss the leg stump by a whisker due to height. The decision was overturned to NOT OUT. Jansen continued and bowled a decent over as well. Head reached his fifty in 81 balls as he got to his 21st Test fifty and one of the most important ones as well.
Jansen continued as the 100 came up for Australia in 30.5 overs. Harmer continued and provided the breakthrough for South Africa as Marnus gave his wicket away for 39 off 98 balls with 4 fours to his name as he skied the ball towards wide long-on, where Marco Jansen took a good catch. Matthew Renshaw walked out to bat at 4. Rabada came back into the attack next and bowled a decent over as well. Smith was seen wearing a neck brace and was not fit to bat this evening. Harmer continued and bowled a tight over. Australia were 102/2 in 34 overs when we paused for the Drinks Break.
Rabada continued after the break and bowled a decent over. Harmer continued as Head hung back and looked to cut it hard as the ball went past Rabada at backward point for a boundary. Rabada continued as Renshaw presented the bat face past mid-on for a boundary. Harmer continued as Renshaw hung back and clipped it away past square leg for a boundary. Rabada continued and cleaned up Renshaw for 11 off 23 balls with 2 fours to his name as the batter left the ball and the back knocked off the stumps. Beau Webster came out to bat next.
Aiden Markram came back into the attack and bowled a decent over. Rabada bowled another maiden over. Markram continued and bowled a decent over. Wiaan Mulder came back into the attack next and bowled a tight over. Markram continued as Head got a ball down the leg side and helped it on its way past fine leg for a boundary. Mulder continued as Head helped it on its way past the keeper and deep fine leg for a boundary. Head then found the thick outside edge that flew between the slips and gully into the gap for another lucky boundary.
Simon Harmer came back into the attack and bowled a decent over. Jansen returned to the bowling crease, and he bowled a decent over. Harmer continued as the 150 came up for Australia in 47.1 overs. Harmer struck again as he removed Webster for 8 off 33 balls LBW, plumb in front. So much so that Webster opted against the review. Scott Boland, the night watchman, was in again at 6.
The conditions were dark, and so spinners had to bowl now. Aiden Markram had the ball in hand, and he bowled a decent over. Harmer continued and bowled a maiden. Markram continued and bowled a decent over as well. Harmer continued as Boland was dropped at silly point by Ackerman, a tough chance as he got a hand to it, but could not hold on. Harmer bowled a maiden. Markram bowled another maiden.
Harmer continued and bowled the last over of the day, which was a maiden, as it brought an end to an action-packed Day 4 at St. George’s Park. Head remained unbeaten on 87 off 138 balls with 9 fours to his name while Boland was unbeaten on 2 off 23 balls. Just one extra given by the Proteas bowlers so far in this innings. Australia finished the day at 156/4 in 54 overs, still trailing by 170 runs with 6 wickets in hand.
The Proteas bowlers had to work harder to get their rewards in the second innings, but they did well to hang in there and chip away at the wickets. Kagiso Rabada finished the day with 2/30 in 11 overs. Simon Harmer finished the day with figures of 2/47 in 18 overs. Marco Jansen finished the day with 0/14 in 9 overs. Wiaan Mulder finished with 0/47 in 9 overs. Aiden Markram finished the day with 0/18 in 7 overs. No Anrich Nortje for South Africa due to an injury. The Proteas are still in pole position to win this Test match and level the series on Day 5.
What Lies Ahead on Day 5.Â
After an action-packed 4th day’s play, the Test match stands at a critical juncture. South Africa are on top after rolling Australia over, but have to work hard for their wickets in the second innings. Australia are fighting hard in the second innings. Travis Head is fighting, and one hopes Steve Smith can bat tomorrow after a neck issue. Alex Carey is still to come. So, there is hope of saving the game.
South Africa aims to chip away at the wickets and get Australia out cheaply for an innings win and a series-levelling win. They need 6 wickets to do it and have 170 runs in the bank. A fascinating final day’s play awaits us at St. George’s Park on Thursday. Let’s see what’s in store for us.
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