Simon Harmer was the star of the show as he capitalised on a wearing surface in both innings to end with 10 wickets in the match. Simon Harmer‘s 10-wicket haul has enabled South Africa to crush Australia by 176 runs to take the series 2-1. South Africa coming from behind to win the series will remain the biggest moment of the series. There were loads of heroes for South Africa like Marques Ackerman, Wiaan Mulder, and Ryan Rickelton as it was a team effort to win the game.
Australia had their moments throughout the game. They batted and bowled well, with Mitchell Starc proving to be a handful while Josh Inglis was the star with a ton as well. But when it came to Day 5, they were given the knockout punch as the Aussies crumbled under pressure to lose the game by 176 runs. Lots of thinking for the Aussies to do.
Mitchell Starc’s 6-wicket haul kept South Africa down to 329 in 82.3 overs on an absorbing opening day
Put into bat first, Aiden Markram and Marques Ackerman came out to open the innings for South Africa while Mitchell Starc had the ball in hand for New Zealand. The opening duo dominated the Australian bowling in the morning session. Ackerman in particular, alongside Markram in a supporting role. Ackerman entered the 80s, while Markram scored a half-century as the Proteas were 140/0 after Session 1.
But from session 2, Australia started to fight back as South Africa played some loose cricket. The opening duo added 158 for the first wicket before Ackerman gave his wicket away to Nathan Lyon stumped for 95 off 94 balls with 12 fours and 2 sixes to his name. David Bedingham came out to bat next. Markram and Bedingham tried to forge a partnership and added 45 runs for the second wicket to take the side over 200 runs before Markram fell to the short-ball ploy for 78 off 141 balls with 10 fours and one six to his name to Josh Hazlewood with Starc taking the catch in the deep.
Captain Temba Bavuma came out to bat next. Just one run was added to the score before Bavuma fell for a 3rd ball duck to Nathan Lyon, who cleaned him up. Matthew Breetzke came out to bat next. Just 12 runs were added to the tally before Breetzke fell for 2 off 12 balls to Cooper Connolly. Ryan Rickelton came out to bat next. South Africa went to Tea at 221/4 with Bedingham and Rickelton at the crease.
The duo resumed their innings after Tea. The duo added 16 runs for the 5th wicket before Bedingham fell for 50 off 80 balls with 7 fours to his name to Mitchell Starc. Wiaan Mulder came out to bat next. Starc had two in the over as the score remained the same as Mulder went for a 2nd ball duck. Marco Jansen joined Rickelton in the middle with the score 232/6 in 56.2 overs.
Rickelton and Jansen repaired the job and brought the Proteas back on track. The duo played confidently, especially Jansen, as they took South Africa forward. The duo added an important 95 runs off 144 balls for the 7th wicket to take the score past 300. The score reached 327 when Rickelton fell for 42 off 83 balls with 5 fours to his name to Starc yet again, as he was lethal with the second new ball. Simon Harmer came out to bat next.
Just one run was added to the tally before Jansen fell for 52 off 71 balls with 7 fours to his name to Starc, who cleaned him up. Gerald Coetzee came out to bat next. One more run was added to the tally before Coetzee fell for a golden duck, clean bowled by Starc. Kagiso Rabada came out to bat next. The score remained at 329 when Rabada fell LBW to Starc who completed a 6-wicket haul. Harmer remained unbeaten on 0 off 7 balls as the Proteas were bowled out for 329 in 82.3 overs. 10 extras were given by the Australians.
Mitchell Starc was the star for Australia with figures of 6/72 in 16.3 overs. He was ably supported by Nathan Lyon, who finished with 2/71 in 23 overs. Josh Hazlewood finished with 1/59 in 15 overs. Cooper Connolly finished with 1/41 in 9 overs. Captain Pat Cummins finished with figures of 0/73 in 18 overs. Matthew Renshaw finished with 0/5 in 1 over. With this, play on Day 1 came to an end as Australia came out to bat on Day 2.
Josh Inglis’ 2nd Test ton & Simon Harmer’s 4-wicket haul highlights Australia’s 429 in 125.1 overs
So, Australia came out to bat on Day 2 with Matthew Renshaw and Travis Head opening the batting for Australia while Kagiso Rabada had the new ball in hand for South Africa. The Aussie openers gave Australia a solid start, and they played normal cricket, adding 58 for the first wicket inside 17 overs before Head was the first to depart for 41 off 49 balls with 7 fours to his name to Simon Harmer, who cleaned him up. Marnus Labuschagne came out to bat next.
Harmer got another in the over as Marnus edged one to the slip fielder Markram for a 5th ball duck. Cameron Green came out to bat next. Renshaw and Green got together and took the team to Lunch on Day 2 and batted beyond that as well. The duo added a massive 126 runs off 191 balls for the third wicket before Renshaw fell for 74 off 139 balls with 10 fours to his name to Marco Jansen. Josh Inglis came out to bat next.
Just one run was added to the score before Green fell for 65 off 110 balls with 8 fours and 2 sixes to his name to Jansen yet again. Keeper-batter Alex Carey came out to bat next. Australia were in a spot of bother at 185/4, but the duo of Inglis and Carey then took matters into their own hands. They batted at a fair clip as Inglis was the aggressor while Carey chipped in as well.
The duo made sure that the Aussies went through a wicketless final session. Australia ended Day 2 at 330/4 in 90 overs, taking the lead by 1 run.
Day 3 resumed with Josh Inglis and Alex Carey resuming proceedings for Australia. Inglis soon got to his memorable 2nd Test ton while Carey looked settled at the crease with a solid half-century to his name. The duo shared a massive 185-run stand for the 5th wicket off 287 balls before Josh fell for a magnificent 102 off 135 balls with 11 fours and 2 sixes to his name to Harmer. Cooper Connolly came out to bat next.
Just 9 runs were added to the score before Carey the other set batter fell for 80 off 168 balls with 7 fours to his name to Harmer. Captain Pat Cummins came out to bat next. Just one run was added to the tally before Cummins fell for a 6-ball duck to Kagiso Rabada. Mitchell Starc came out to bat next and played his shots.
The duo of Starc and Connolly added 22 runs for the 8th wicket and took Australia past 400 before Starc fell for 11 off 29 balls with 2 fours to his name to Gerald Coetzee. Nathan Lyon came out to bat next.
Australia went to Lunch on Day 3 at the score of 411/8 with a lead of 82 runs at that stage. The duo resumed after Lunch as the 9th wicket pair added 23 runs in total before Lyon fell for 1 off 25 balls to Wiaan Mulder. Josh Hazlewood came out to bat first and hit a lovely boundary to get off the mark. The last wicket pair added 4 runs before Connolly fell for 29 off 83 balls with 3 fours to his name as he was the last man out.
Hazlewood remained unbeaten on 4 off 3 balls with a boundary to his name. Australia were bowled out for 429 in 125.1 overs. 22 extras were given by the fielding side.
It was a hard toil for the South African bowlers. Simon Harmer was the pick of the bowlers with figures of 4/104 in 37 overs. Marco Jansen supported him well with figures of 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 finished with 0/14 in 3 overs. Australia had a lead of 100 runs in the first innings, and now South Africa had to bat in their second innings in the afternoon session on Day 3.
Wiaan Mulder & Ryan Rickelton’s tons power South Africa to 387 in 134.4 overs
Aiden Markram and Marques Ackerman came out to open the batting for South Africa in their second innings while Mitchell Starc had the ball in hand for Australia. The opening duo mustered 12 runs for the first wicket inside 3 overs before Markram fell for 1 off 6 balls to Mitchell Starc as the batter chipped it to Travis Head at mid-off. David Bedingham came out to bat next.
Ackerman and Bedingham added 19 runs for the second wicket before Bedingham fell to the short-ball ploy as he pulled it to Lyon at deep backward square leg, as Josh Hazlewood struck for his side before Tea on Day 3. Captain Temba Bavuma came out to bat next and got off the pair to show grit and determination out there in the middle. The duo batted after Tea with Ackerman scoring the runs while Bavuma held one end up with defense.
The duo of Bavuma and Ackerman added 64 runs for the third wicket before Ackerman fell for an enterprising 62 off 80 balls with 8 fours to his name to Mitchell Starc as he fended it off to the gully fielder. Matthew Breetzke came out to bat next.
Breetzke and Bavuma got together and wiped out the 100-run lead as they took the innings forward. The duo were going well and added 36 runs for the 4th wicket before captain Bavuma was cleaned up by a beauty from Nathan Lyon. Bavuma fell for 35 off 115 balls with one four to his name. Ryan Rickelton came out to bat next and hit a couple of boundaries as South Africa ended Day 3 at 140/4 with a lead of 40 runs with 6 wickets in hand after 47 overs.
The duo resumed on Day 4 with Australia having their noses in front, and the duo of Breetzke and Rickelton showed tremendous grit and application in the first session to defy the Aussies out there. The duo added exactly 50 runs for the 5th wicket before Breetzke fell to the short-ball tactic for 43 off 121 balls with 5 fours to his name, as Starc took the catch in the deep off captain Pat Cummins who broke his drought of 330 balls without a wicket. Wiaan Mulder came out to bat next.
Mulder and Rickelton then got together and first took the team to Lunch at 202/5 with a lead of 102 runs. Thereafter, the Proteas endured a wicketless session post-lunch as they made the Aussies sweat hard and earn their wickets. Australia were good with the ball and in the field, but the South Africans applied themselves really well. The duo took South Africa to 294/5 with a lead of 194 runs at Tea on Day 4. Australia were suddenly feeling the heat now.
Post Tea, the duo carried on and had to weather some tight overs by the visitors as they crossed the 300-run mark. Rickelton soon got to his hundred while Mulder got close as well. The duo put on a match-turning 154 runs off 319 balls for the 6th wicket before, against the run of play, Rickelton was run out for 101 off 219 balls with 12 fours to his name as he departed after making his 3rd Test ton. Marco Jansen came out to bat next.
Just about 8 runs were added to the score before Jansen fell for a rare failure, an 8-ball duck to Mitchell Starc. Simon Harmer came out to bat next. Just one run was added to the score before Harmer left the ball and it clattered the stumps for 1 off 3 balls to Nathan Lyon. Gerald Coetzee came out to bat next. Another 7 runs were added as the 350 came up for South Africa before Coetzee fell for 1 off 6 balls, run out by Marnus. Kagiso Rabada came out to bat next.
From hereon, Mulder added crucial runs alongside Rabada at the fag end of Day 4 and hit fours and sixes while farming the strike. Rabada got a brace, but Mulder completed his 4th Test ton and carried on from there. The duo added a crucial 36 runs for the final wicket before Mulder fell in the last over of the day for a magnificent 115 off 221 balls with 10 fours and 4 sixes to his name to Cummins.
Rabada remained unbeaten on 2 off 14 balls as South Africa were bowled out for 387 in 134.4 overs. 15 extras were given by the fielding side.
It was hard work for the Australian bowlers. Mitchell Starc finished with 3/65 in 24 overs. Captain Pat Cummins finished with 2/71 in 24.4 overs. Nathan Lyon finished with 2/101 in 44 overs. Josh Hazlewood finished with 1/68 in 21 overs. Cooper Connolly finished with 0/14 in 4 overs. Matthew Renshaw finished with 0/22 in 8 overs. Travis Head finished with 0/15 in 5 overs. Marnus Labuschagne finished with 0/18 in 4 overs. This meant Australia’s target was 288 runs to win on the final day with all to play for.
Simon Harmer’s 6-wicket haul seals series win for South Africa as Australia get bowled out for 111 in 57.1 overs
Chasing 288 for the win on the final day’s play, Travis Head and Matthew Renshaw came out to open the batting for Australia while Kagiso Rabada had the ball in hand for South Africa. Rabada struck straightaway as the opening duo added just 1 run to the tally before Renshaw fell for a golden duck. Marnus Labuschagne came out to bat next. He got a lucky boundary away before Rabada got two in the over dismissing Marnus for 4 off 3 balls with one four to his name to Rabada. Cameron Green came out to bat next.
Head lived his life dangerously and hung in there as much as he could. They added 17 runs for the 3rd wicket before Head gave his wicket away for 14 off 26 balls with 3 fours to his name to Rabada yet again as the Aussies were now 22/3 in 7 overs. Josh Inglis came out to bat to join Green in the middle. The duo of Green and Inglis resisted the Proteas attack that was on fire.
They put on 18 runs for the 4th wicket before Inglis was sold down the river and run out for 4 off 17 balls. Keeper-batter Alex Carey came out to bat next. Just 2 runs were added to the tally before Carey fell for 2 off 9 balls to Simon Harmer. Cooper Connolly came out to bat next. The score remained at 42 when Connolly fell for a 2-ball duck to Harmer. Mitchell Starc was promoted up the order ahead of Cummins.
Green added some runs and got the score past 50 and then added a few more as Starc held one end up. The duo added 18 runs for the 7th wicket before Starc fell at the last ball of the session for 0 off 25 balls to Harmer. Australia were reeling at 60/7 in 26 overs at Lunch on Day 5. Green was joined by Pat Cummins after Lunch as the duo carried on blockathon mission for quite a few overs as the score never moved.
The duo just added 2 runs in loads of overs before Green was cleaned up for 27 off 110 balls with 3 fours to his name to Harmer after Lunch. Nathan Lyon came out to bat next. Cummins was focused on blocking while Lyon defended well, but looked to score as well. It was due to Lyon that the Aussies got past the 100-run mark. The duo added a valuable but frustrating 45-run stand for the 9th wicket as the bowlers showed more application than the batters out there.
Eventually, the resistance ended as after the 45-run stand for the 9th wicket, Cummins fell for 11 off 90 balls with one boundary to his name. Josh Hazlewood came out to bat next. Lyon managed to hit a boundary to take the score to 111 and move himself to 33*. But then the winning moment came as Hazlewood was knocked over by Harmer for a 4-ball duck as Australia were skittled out for 111 in 57.1 overs. Lyon remained unbeaten on 33 off 57 balls. 16 extras were given by the fielding side.
South Africa were excellent with the ball in hand. Simon Harmer was the pick of the bowlers with figures of 6/16 in 21.1 overs and 10 in the match. Kagiso Rabada started the rot as he finished with 3/39 in 14 overs. Marco Jansen finished with 0/17 in 8 overs. Wiaan Mulder finished with 0/4 in 2 overs. Gerald Coetzee finished with 0/7 in 6 overs. Aiden Markram finished with 0/13 in 6 overs. So, South Africa beat Australia by 176 runs to win the series 2-1. Simon Harmer was adjudged the Player of the Match while Marco Jansen was adjudged the Player of the Series.
What Lies Ahead for Both Teams
With this, the South Africa vs Australia series came to an end with the Proteas winning both the ODI and Test series 2-1. Plenty of action for both teams going ahead. South Africa next plays Bangladesh in a 2-match Test series from November 15th at Highveld. Australia in November will have 3 ODIs and 5 T20Is against England at home from 13th November onwards, while in December/January Australia hosts New Zealand in a 4-match series.
The WTC table has changed, with New Zealand now topping the group, followed by South Africa, and Australia has slipped to 3rd place for now. In the ICC Test Rankings, which is a different table, South Africa are ranked Number 1, followed by Australia and New Zealand. There is a lot of cricket to look forward to for us even as the series between these two nations comes to an end.
Also Read: SA vs AUS: Ryan Rickelton & Wiaan Mulder’s Tons Defies Australia