Josh Inglis stood up with the bat and completed his 2nd Test ton away from home as his innings set up the first-innings lead for Australia. Josh Inglis combined well with Alex Carey for the 185-run stand for the 5th wicket to help Australia post 429 all out, with Carey making 80 as well. Simon Harmer picked up 4 wickets while Marco Jansen picked up 3 wickets as well.
Faced with a deficit of 100 runs, South Africa rode on a stylish half-century from Marques Ackerman and captain Temba Bavuma’s gritty resistance to try and defy the Aussies. But Australia held firm and chipped away at the wickets in the end. Ackerman made 62 while Bavuma made 35 off 115 balls but both have been dismissed. Matthew Breetzke and Ryan Rickelton are at the crease. Mitchell Starc picked up 2 wickets while Nathan Lyon and Josh Hazlewood picked up one wicket apiece.
So, South Africa lead by 40 runs with 6 second innings wickets in hand at the end of the day with a maximum of 2 days left in the series with the scoreline poised at 1-1.
Josh Inglis completes his ton while South Africa pick up 4 wickets in an action-packed morning session.Â
Josh Inglis and Alex Carey resumed proceedings for Australia on Day 3 while Marco Jansen had the ball in hand for South Africa. Jansen bowled a decent first over. Wiaan Mulder came to operate from the other end as Inglis drove it past mid-on for a boundary. The 150-run stand came up between the two players. Jansen continued and bowled a maiden over. Mulder continued and bowled a decent over as well. Jansen continued as runs flowed in ones and twos.
Mulder continued as the 350 came up for Australia in 95.3 overs. Jansen continued as Carey showed the full face of the bat and drove it through covers for a boundary. Jansen bowled an above waist high full toss and no ball was called. Kagiso Rabada came into the attack for the first time on Day 3. Carey got the edge and went through Harmer who got fingertips to it. But the ball went away to the fence.
Simon Harmer came into the attack next as Inglis reverse swept it through backward point for a boundary and got to his hundred in 132 balls, his second Test ton and both away from home. Harmer had the last laugh in the end as he got rid of Inglis in the end for 102 off 135 balls with 11 fours and 2 sixes to his name as the edge was taken by the keeper Rickelton. The 185-run stand came to an end. Cooper Connolly came out to bat next.
Rabada continued as Carey showed deft touch by using the pace of the bowler and guided it past the slip cordon for a boundary. Harmer continued and bowled a tight probing over. Rabada continued as the lead crossed 50 runs. Harmer continued and got another as he removed Carey for 80 off 168 balls with 7 fours to his name as the edge carried to Markram at first slip. Drinks was taken on the field as well after which captain Pat Cummins walked out to bat. Harmer completed his wicket maiden over.
Rabada continued and got rid of Cummins for a 6-ball duck pinged him LBW. Cummins reviewed and saved it for Australia as umpire’s call came on hitting the stumps. The decision was upheld. Mitchell Starc came out to bat next. Harmer continued and bowled a miserly over. Rabada continued and bowled a better over. Harmer continued and bowled another good over. Gerald Coetzee came back into the attack and was welcomed back by Connolly for a boundary as he reached out and threw his hands at it to get the edge past backward point for a boundary.
Starc got a boundary as well as he got the outside edge past the gap between second slip and gully for a boundary to deep third man fence. Harmer continued and bowled a decent over. Coetzee continued and bowled a tight over. Harmer continued as Starc rocked back and cut it between point and backward point for a boundary as the 400 came up for Australia in 110.2 overs with the lead at 72 now.
Coetzee continued as he dismissed Starc for 11 off 29 balls with 2 fours to his name as the batter edged it to the keeper who did the rest. Nathan Lyon came out to bat next. Harmer continued and bowled a tight over. Coetzee continued as Connolly drove through the off-side past extra cover as the ball raced away to the fence for a boundary. Harmer continued and bowled a tight over. Coetzee continued and bowled a maiden.
Harmer had the ball in hand for the last over before Lunch. He bowled a maiden to Lyon. Australia reached 411/8 in 117 overs with Connolly unbeaten on 20 off 51 balls alongside Lyon unbeaten on 1 off 11 balls as the players left the field for Lunch on Day 3.
Australia gets dismissed for 429; South Africa lose two wickets in another gripping session before Tea.Â
Cooper Connolly and Nathan Lyon came out to resume proceedings for Australia while Marco Jansen had the ball in hand for South Africa. Jansen bowled a tight over to start after Lunch. Wiaan Mulder had the ball in hand from the other end. Mulder gifted 4 byes as a bonus to the batting side. Jansen bowled another probing over. Mulder too kept things tight. Jansen continued as Connolly got forward and leant into the drive through extra cover for a boundary.
Mulder continued and bowled a maiden over. Jansen continued and hit Connolly on the helmet as a mandatory concussion check was done on him. He continued after going through protocols. Jansen completed another maiden. Mulder continued and got rid of Lyon for 1 off 25 balls as he got the outside edge to Harmer at second slip. Josh Hazlewood came out to bat next. Hazlewood drove on the up between extra cover ad mid-off for a boundary as the lead touched 100 runs for Australia.
Marco Jansen continued and dismissed Connolly for 29 off 83 balls with 3 fours to his name as he was caught and bowled by trying to drill down the ground. Jansen took a good catch and reacted well to take the catch. Hazlewood remained unbeaten on 4 off 3 balls with a boundary to his name as Australia were bowled out for 429 in 125.1 overs. 22 extras given by the fielding side.
Simon Harmer was the pick of the bowlers for South Africa with figures of 4/104 in 37 overs. He was ably supported by Marco Jansen who finished with 3/60 in 22.1 overs. Kagiso Rabada finished with 1/98 in 23 overs. Gerald Coetzee finished with 1/70 in 19 overs. Wiaan Mulder finished with 1/63 in 21 overs. Aiden Markram bowled 3 overs for 14 runs. South Africa had a deficit of 100 runs after the first innings and it was their turn to start the second innings now.
So, Aiden Markram and Marques Ackerman came out to open the batting for South Africa while Mitchell Starc had the ball in hand for Australia. Starc bowled a decent first over. Josh Hazlewood had the ball in hand from the other end. Ackerman was on his way as he played with soft hands as he prod forward and played late between third slip and gully for a boundary. Ackerman got hit on the chest as physio came out to check on him, but he was fine to continue.
Starc continued as Ackerman hopped back and opened the bat face through the off-side as the ball went away through backward point and gully for a boundary. Starc drew the first blood for Australia as he removed Markram for 1 off 6 balls as he hit it straight to Travis Head at mid-off who made no mistake. David Bedingham came out to bat next. Hazlewood continued and bowled a decent over. Starc continued and gifted 4 byes as a bonus to the batting side.
Hazlewood continued and bowled a decent over. Starc continued as Bedingham lunged forward to the pitch of the ball and creamed it through cover point for a boundary. Hazlewood continued as he got another as Bedingham threw it away. The short ball plot worked as Bedingham took him on to get the top edge to deep backward square leg where Nathan Lyon made no mistake. Captain Temba Bavuma came out to bat next and got off the mark straightaway through a risky single. Ackerman stood tall and opened the bat face to guide it between gully and deep backward point for a boundary.
Captain Pat Cummins came into the attack next. He bowled a decent first over. Hazlewood continued as Ackerman stood tall and swivel pulled it away past long leg towards the backward square fence for a boundary. Cummins continued as Ackerman slashed and slashed hard to get the thick outside edge past slips for a boundary. The 50 came up for South Africa in 11 overs.
Nathan Lyon came into the attack next. Ackerman survived a LBW scare as an appeal was turned down. Lyon urged Australia to go for DRS and the visitors wasted one here. Pat Cummins came to bowl the last over before Tea. In the 4th ball of the over, there was a mix-up between Bavuma and Ackerman as Bavuma sold him down the river. Ackerman was sent back, but fortunately, Connolly missed the stumps and the direct hit would have had the batter well short of his ground. Ackerman breathed a sigh of relief in the end as the throw missed the stumps.
South Africa were 53/2 in 13 overs with Ackerman unbeaten on 33 off 46 balls while captain Bavuma was unbeaten on 4 off 10 balls as the players left the field for Tea on Day 3. South Africa still trailed by 47 runs with 8 wickets in hand at this stage.
Marques Ackerman & Temba Bavuma falls after gritty knocks as Australia tighten the screws on South Africa in an interesting final session.Â
Marques Ackerman and Temba Bavuma came out to resume proceedings for South Africa while Nathan Lyon had the ball in hand for Australia. Lyon started the final session with a maiden. Captain Pat Cummins had the ball in hand from the other end. He bowled a decent over. Lyon continued and bowled a quiet over. Cummins continued as they appealed for LBW against Bavuma and the height saved the batter as the Aussies lost another review and were down to 1 review left. Bavuma completed 4,000 Test runs.
Nathan Lyon continued and bowled a quiet over. Cummins continued and bowled a decent over. Lyon bowled another decent over. Josh Hazlewood came back into the attack next. Ackerman broke the shackles as he took on the short ball and pulled it away to deep backward square leg for a boundary. Lyon continued as Ackerman danced down the track and made room on the leg side to smash it past mid-off for a boundary. Ackerman reached his second Test fifty of the match off 64 balls.
Hazlewood continued as the 50-run stand came up between the duo. Nathan Lyon continued and bowled a decent over. Hazlewood continued and delivered a maiden. Mitchell Starc came back into the attack next. Ackerman got a short ball angling down from off-stump as he swiveled and controlled the pull to hit the ball past deep fine leg region for a boundary. Cooper Connolly came into the attack next. Connolly delivered a maiden to start his spell.
Matthew Renshaw came into the attack next. He bowled a decent over as the Proteas milked him for runs. Mitchell Starc came back into the attack and he dismissed Ackerman for 62 off 80 balls with 8 fours to his name through a brute of a ball as the short ball climbed up and hit the helmet before hitting the bat to go to Green at gully region. Ackerman was surprised and took time to challenge the call. But the time ran out, and Ackerman departed. Replays showed that the ball did hit the bat.
Matthew Breetzke came out to bat next. Starc ended a wicket maiden over. Cooper Connolly continued and bowled a quiet over. South Africa reached 98/3 in 30 overs when we paused for Drinks in the evening session as well. Mitchell Starc continued after the break and bowled a quiet over. Lyon continued as the 100 came up for South Africa in 31.2 overs and the scores were level which meant Australia will have to chase batting last. Soon, the Proteas got into the lead.
Captain Pat Cummins came back into the attack as Breetzke leaned into the fuller ball to drive it handsomely through mid-off for a boundary. Lyon continued and delivered a maiden over. Cummins continued as Bavuma picked the length early from outside the off-stump to pull it in front of square for a boundary to the midwicket region. Lyon continued and kept things under check. Cummins bowled another quiet over. Lyon too kept things under check.
Hazlewood returned to the attack and bowled another miserly over like he always does. Lyon continued and bowled another decent over. Hazlewood continued and bowled another quiet over. Renshaw came back into the attack next. He too bowled a decent over. Hazlewood continued as Breetzke broke the shackles by bending his back knee and drove it through cover point for a boundary. Lyon continued and bowled another maiden over.
Mitchell Starc came back into the attack next. He bowled a quiet over on his return to the bowling attack. Lyon continued and broke the stubborn resistance of Bavuma as he cleaned him up for 35 off 115 balls with one four to his name. It was a tossed up delivery on a length pitching well outside the off-stump that dipped and turned back in sharply and by a long way. Bavuma walked into the shot with a flick and missed it to play all around it as the ball dipped in front of his bat and spun away past the inside edge as he lost his shape with the ball sneaking through to clatter the stumps.
Ryan Rickelton came out to bat next as he got off the mark with a streaky boundary as the good length delivery pitching around the off-stump spinning away. Rickelton hung back and poked at it tentatively as the ball got the outside edge that flew low between first and second slip for a boundary. Marnus dived to his left but failed to get his hands to it as the ball sped away to the fence.
Mitchell Starc came to bowl the final over of the day as Rickelton got a good length delivery angled into the middle and leg line as he got on the front foot and used the pace and angle of the bowler to clip it past Head at short leg for a boundary in control of the shot.
South Africa reached 140/4 in 47 overs with Breetzke unbeaten on 19 off 59 balls with 2 fours to his name while Rickelton was unbeaten on 8 off 6 balls with 2 fours to his name. 4 extras in the form of byes given by the Australians. South Africa lead by 40 runs with 6 wickets in hand and 2 days of play left in Cape Town.
The Australian bowlers were patient with their lines and lengths and got their rewards in the end. Mitchell Starc was the pick of the bowlers with figures of 2/29 in 9 overs. Josh Hazlewood finished the day with 1/37 in 11 overs. Nathan Lyon finished with 1/31 in 14 overs. Captain Pat Cummins finished with 0/29 in 9 overs. Cooper Connolly bowled 2 overs for 3 runs while Matthew Renshaw bowled 2 overs for 7 runs. So, Australia still in the driver’s seat at the end of Day 3.
What Lies Ahead on Day 4.Â
If we look at Day 3 in isolation, it was a decent day for South Africa as they kept the first innings lead to 100 runs taking 6/99 to keep Australia to 429. Thereafter, they gave two wickets away as Australia kept plugging away with the Proteas ending 140/4 with a lead of 40 runs with 6 wickets in hand. Australia will aim to wrap up the innings soon and chase as low a total as possible on the final innings. While South Africa needs a partnership and application to bat well and get to 300+ to give a 200+ target for the Aussies.
It’s advantage Australia for now and they will most likely clinch the game tomorrow itself. But let’s not count South Africa out yet as one or two solid partnerships may enable them get to 300 runs and a target of 200+ for the Aussies which then can become tricky. Let’s see how the 4th day which could be the last of the series pans out.
Also Read: SA vs AUS: Josh Inglis’ Special Innings Sinks South Africa Deeper