Captain Temba Bavuma showed tremendous grit and determination as he led from the front with a gritty 179 off 334 balls, his 5th Test ton and his first against Australia. Temba Bavuma fought hard like a lion and held one end up, and needed support from the other end. He got able support from Marco Jansen, who made 85 off 100 balls, and Simon Harmer, who made 82 off 157 balls, as South Africa recovered from 110/6 to post 425/9 declared in the end in 127.1 overs.
It was a hard toil for the Australian bowlers, with Scott Boland standing out with his 5-wicket haul while Mitchell Starc picked up 3 wickets. Pat Cummins, the captain and Josh Hazlewood remained wicketless. Marnus Labuschagne got a wicket. To add a little salt to the wound, Kagiso Rabada removed Nic Maddinson for a 3rd-ball duck as Australia ended the day on the back foot at 3/1 in 4 overs with Travis Head and Scott Boland at the crease. South Africa are unlikely to lose the match, but can they push for an unlikely win? Well, only time will tell.
Temba Bavuma & Marco Jansen lead South Africa’s roaring fightback after losing Wiaan Mulder early in the morning session.Â
Captain Temba Bavuma and Wiaan Mulder came out to resume proceedings for South Africa while Scott Boland had the ball in hand for Australia. Boland started with a maiden to kickstart the proceedings. Captain Pat Cummins shared the attack from the other end. Mulder got the first runs of the morning session as he shuffled across and looked to defend and got an inside edge past Boland at deep fine leg for a boundary as the 100 came up for South Africa in 44.3 overs.
Boland continued and bowled a decent over. Cummins bowled a decent over as well. Boland continued and bowled another probing over. Cummins bowled another tight over. Mitchell Starc came into the attack next and got the breakthrough for Australia, removing Mulder for 13 off 38 balls, with one four to his name, thanks to good use of DRS. The on-field umpire said NO, and thanks to DRS, we found glove involvement, so the decision was overturned to OUT. Marco Jansen came out to bat next.
Bavuma shuffled across and hit a beautiful shot through mid-on for a boundary against Cummins. Starc continued as Jansen was off and running straightaway as he stood tall and slammed it through the covers for a boundary. Jansen stood tall and punched it past Maddinson at backward point for a boundary. Jansen nailed the cover drive for a boundary.
Boland came back into the attack as Jansen shuffled across and clipped it away past short midwicket for a boundary. Jansen was on a roll as he shuffled across and hit it through mid-on for a boundary. Starc continued and overstepped this time. Bavuma shuffled across and clipped it to deep fine leg for a boundary as he got to his 27th Test Fifty in 140 balls. Boland continued as Jansen swung through the line and went over long-off for the maximum. Starc continued and bowled a decent over.
Boland bowled a decent over as South Africa reached 151/6 in 57 overs as we paused for the Drinks Break in the morning session. Cummins came back into the attack after the break. Jansen took on Cummins with a pull over deep backward square leg for the maximum. The 50-run stand came up between the duo. Boland continued as Bavuma shuffled across and clipped it past mid-on for a boundary. Cummins continued as Jansen whacked it away past covers for a boundary.
Matthew Renshaw came into the attack next. He bowled a decent first over. Cummins continued as Jansen cleared his front leg and smashed it past deep mid-on for a boundary. Jansen reached his fifty in 43 balls, his 5th in Tests and second vs Australia. Renshaw continued as Jansen took him on and went straight to clobber over the umpire’s head for the maximum. Starc returned to the attack and bowled a quiet over. Renshaw thought he had gotten rid of Jansen caught behind as the umpire gave it OUT. The batter reviewed it straightaway, and it was detected that the bat hit the pad. The decision was overturned to NOT OUT.
Starc continued as Jansen punched it past mid-off for a triple as the 200 came up for South Africa in 65.4 overs. Renshaw continued and delivered a maiden. Starc continued as Jansen pulled the short ball through deep midwicket for a boundary. Renshaw continued as the 100-run stand came up between Bavuma and Jansen. Beau Webster came into the attack next. He bowled a decent over. Nic Maddinson came into the attack. He bowled a decent over. Webster bowled the last over before Lunch. He bowled a maiden.
South Africa reached 216/6 in 72 overs with Bavuma unbeaten on 76 off 189 balls alongside Jansen unbeaten on 72 off 71 balls as the players trudged off the field for Lunch on Day 3.
Temba Bavuma’s gritty ton & Simon Harmer drive South Africa forward after Marco Jansen departs early in the afternoon session.Â
Temba Bavuma and Marco Jansen came out to resume proceedings for South Africa while captain Pat Cummins had the ball in hand for Australia. Cummins started with a tidy over after Lunch. Josh Hazlewood was back after his illness and bowled a decent over. Cummins bowled another tight over as well. Hazlewood continued as Bavuma bent his back leg and sliced the ball past backward point for a boundary. Nic Maddinson returned to the attack and bowled a decent over.
Beau Webster came back into the attack and bowled another tight over. Maddinson continued as Jansen cleared his front leg and got the inside edge past Carey and away to the fence for a lucky boundary. Webster bowled another tight over. The second new ball was due now. Scott Boland came back into the attack and hit Jansen on the box, and the batter was in pain for a while before resuming his innings. Boland struck for the Aussies and broke the partnership as he removed Jansen for 85 off 100 balls with 9 fours and 3 sixes to his name as he hit the ball to Travis Head at short midwicket, who took a sharp catch.
Simon Harmer came out to bat next as Boland finished a wicket maiden over. Mitchell Starc had the new ball in hand from the other end. He bowled a tight over as well. Boland continued and kept it tight as Bavuma entered the 90s. Starc continued and gifted 4 wides as a bonus to the batting side as the 250 came up for South Africa in 83.4 overs. Australia and Starc reviewed a caught behind appeal against Harmer, but there was daylight as they lost a review.
Boland continued as Harmer shuffled across and clipped the ball through square leg for a boundary. Starc continued as Bavuma leaned into the ball with an open bat face past gully for a boundary. Harmer survived a run check at the bowler’s end as the throw was wild from the Aussies. South Africa were 263/7 in 86 overs when we paused for the Drinks Break in the afternoon session.
Boland continued after the break and bowled a tight over. Starc continued and bowled a probing over. Josh Hazlewood came back into the attack next as Harmer hung back and punched it past backward point for a boundary. Pat Cummins came back into the attack next as Bavuma reached his 5th Test hundred with a pull with disdain over midwicket for a boundary to get to the milestone in 226 balls. This is his first Test ton against the Aussies.
Hazlewood continued as Harmer hung back and pushed it away from the body to get the outside edge past second slip and away to the fence for a boundary. Cummins continued and bowled a quiet over. Beau Webster returned as Bavuma drove it beautifully through the covers for a boundary. Cummins continued and bowled a maiden. Bavuma managed to get an inside edge off Webster, but the ball did not carry to the keeper, Carey. Cummins continued and gifted 4 leg byes to the batting side as the batter, Harmer, copped it on the helmet and concussion checks were done.
The 50-run stand came up between the duo. Harmer then responded with a cracking shot as he flicked it through square leg for a boundary. Webster continued as Bavuma shuffled across and planted the front foot through mid-on for a boundary. The 300 came up for South Africa in 96.2 overs. Bavuma leaned into the ball and clipped it away past short midwicket for a boundary.
Hazlewood returned for a fresh spell as Harmer hung back and pulled the short ball past mid-on for a boundary. Smith hurt his finger in the slip cordon and left the field for a while. Webster continued and bowled a tight over. Hazlewood continued as Harmer crunched the ball with a shuffle across and pulled it past deep square leg for a boundary. Webster bowled the last over before Tea. Bavuma survived a close stumping appeal, getting his foot down on time. Webster bowled a maiden to end the session.
South Africa reached 318/7 in 101 overs with Bavuma unbeaten on 125 off 266 balls alongside Harmer unbeaten on 30 off 68 balls as the players walked off the field for Tea on Day 3.
Temba Bavuma & Simon Harmer drive South Africa to 425/9 declared; Australia lose a wicket before the end of the day.Â
Temba Bavuma and Simon Harmer came to resume proceedings for South Africa after Tea while Mitchell Starc had the ball in hand for Australia. Starc started with a maiden after Tea. Scott Boland had the ball in hand from the other end as Harmer shuffled across and clipped to the short midwicket region for a triple. Starc continued and bowled a tight over as well. Boland bowled a tight over as well. Starc continued as Bavuma crisply drove through the mid-off region for a cracking boundary.
Matthew Renshaw came back into the attack and bowled a decent over. Captain Pat Cummins returned to the attack and bowled a decent over as well. Renshaw continued as the 100-run stand came up between Harmer and Bavuma. Cummins continued and bowled a decent over. Beau Webster came back into the attack as the 350 came up for the Proteas in 110.2 overs. Cummins continued as Bavuma stood tall and slapped the ball past the point fielder for a boundary. The 150 came up for Bavuma in 299 balls.
Webster continued as Bavuma took on the short ball and pulled it over midwicket for a boundary. Boland came back into the attack and bowled a tight over. Webster bowled a maiden over. Boland continued as Harmer took him on with a pull over deep square leg for the maximum. Harmer reached his maiden Test fifty in 116 balls. Webster bowled another miserly over. Josh Hazlewood came back into the attack next. He bowled a decent over as South Africa were 376/7 in 118 overs when we paused for Drinks in the final session of play.
Nic Maddinson came back into the attack after the break. He bowled a decent over. Hazlewood continued and bowled a probing over. Marnus Labuschagne came into the attack next. He bowled a decent first over. Hazlewood continued as Harmer picked the length early and took on the short ball as he pulled it away past midwicket for a boundary. Renshaw came back into the attack as Harmer rocked back and hammered it through midwicket for a boundary as the 150-run stand came up between the duo.
Webster returned to the attack as the 400 came up for South Africa in 123.1 overs. Harmer then hammered the ball with a slap past gully for a boundary. Nic Maddinson returned as Harmer rocked back and pulled it hard through square leg for a boundary. Webster continued as Bavuma stood tall and pulled the short ball past midwicket for a boundary.
Marnus returned to the bowling crease and broke the gigantic stand as he dismissed Harmer for 82 off 157 balls with 10 fours and one six to his name, as the wild slog across the line was missed as the ball clattered the off-stump. Kagiso Rabada came out to bat next. Starc came back into the attack and finally got rid of Bavuma by finding the outside edge to the keeper as Carey got to his 200th Test catch while Bavuma was dismissed for 179 off 334 balls with 18 fours and a maximum to his name.
As soon as Bavuma was dismissed, South Africa declared their innings at 425/9 in 127.1 overs. Rabada remained unbeaten on 0 off 0 balls. 14 extras were given by the Aussies.
It was a tough outing for the Australian bowlers after a sensational first two days. They had to work hard on Day 3. Scott Boland was the pick of the bowlers with figures of 5/81 in 29 overs. Mitchell Starc finished with 3/89 in 24.1 overs. Marnus Labuschagne finished with 1/8 in 2 overs. Josh Hazlewood finished with 0/43 in 14 overs. Captain Pat Cummins finished with 0/96 in 26 overs. Beau Webster finished with 0/43 in 19 overs. Matthew Renshaw finished with 0/33 in 8 overs. Nic Maddinson finished with 0/24 in 5 overs. It was now time for Australia to bat in their first innings.
After a hard day in the field, the Australian openers Nic Maddinson and Travis Head came out to open the batting while the returning spearhead Kagiso Rabada had the new ball in hand for South Africa. Rabada struck straightaway as Maddinson played away from the body and got the outside edge through to Simon Harmer at third slip, who made no mistake as Maddinson fell for a 3rd ball duck. Night watchman Scott Boland was sent in to bat at 3.
Simon Harmer shared the new ball from the other end as Head got off the mark straightaway. Harmer bowled a tight over. Aiden Markram was given the ball next, with the conditions gloomy and dark at St. George’s Park. Markram bowled a maiden to Head. Harmer continued and bowled another good over. Australia were 3/1 in 4 overs when the conditions worsened, and we went off for Bad light and the end of the day. Head remained unbeaten on 1 off 7 balls while Boland was unbeaten on 2 off 13 balls. 0 extras have been given by South Africa so far.
Three bowlers have been used by South Africa in this little phase of play. Kagiso Rabada was the star as he finished with 1/0 in 1 over. Simon Harmer bowled 2 overs for 3 runs, while Aiden Markram bowled a maiden in the only over he bowled. Australia still trail by 422 runs with 9 wickets in hand at Stumps on Day 3.
What Lies Ahead on Day 4.Â
For starters, South Africa are ahead and on top at the end of the third day’s play. But with so much time lost on the opening two days, this match is likely to head towards a draw. The pitch is decent to bat on, and if Australia applies itself well, it can get close to this total, and if they do so, then this match will be a draw. But the complexion has changed. Till last night, it was either a draw or an Australia win. Now it is a draw or a South Africa win.
South Africa will aim to skittle Australia out cheaply on Day 4. That’s the only way they can push for a result. If the Aussies bat well, this match will most likely be a draw, as we mentioned. Australia will have to play well and normal cricket. Day 4 morning session will be crucial for both sides, is what we feel. Let’s see what Day 4 has in store for all of us.
Also Read: SA vs AUS: Scott Boland’s 4-Wicket Haul Decimates South Africa