Career best test scores from captain Temba Bavuma and Simon Harmer punished the Australian bowling attack on day three and arguably guaranteed that they can’t lose the second test unless there are a few surprising sporting declarations at St George’s Park in Gqeberha.
It was a wonderful massive century from Bavuma, as he hit 179 off 334 deliveries (18x4;1x6) to eclipse his previous test best of 172 against the West Indies three and a half years ago, that spearheaded the effort, with the Proteas eventually declaring their first innings on 425-9 shortly before the end of play.
That gave them just a few overs to have a crack at the Aussie batting line-up, and Kagiso Rabada came steaming in on his return from injury with the first over and snagged Nic Maddinson for a fourth-ball duck, edging to Harmer at third slip.
But with the light fading the Proteas were forced to bowl their spinners, with Harmer and Aiden Markram bowling the next three overs, before stumps was called with Australia on 3-1.
𝐃𝐚𝐲 𝐓𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐞 | 𝐒𝐭𝐮𝐦𝐩𝐬 South Africa are in the driver's seat at the end of the day's play 🇿🇦🇦🇺 #SAvAUS | #SSCricket https://t.co/XJZYtmgyaa
— SuperSport 🏆 (@SuperSportTV) October 20, 2026
The Proteas' first-innings score is likely to be enough for them to secure at least a draw over the final few days, while they will need to bowl incredibly well if they want to claim 19 Aussie wickets to win the match and make the series 1-all heading into the final test in Cape Town next week.
Speaking after the day's play Bavuma said he was proud of his innings and believed that they still had a chance of winning the game.
“It was definitely one of my better innings. I think looking at the situation of the game, and also personally I have found myself in those positions a lot, coming in early and having to manage myself and scramble through to a 50 or 60. I think what was nice was my ability to take it further and make it really count,” explained Bavuma.
“Marco Jansen came in and threw a couple of punches, it was a very brave innings from him. Then Simon as well, he came in a showed a lot of application, and I think he was unlucky there (to get out) at the end and not get close to that three figure mark.
“From a batting point of view I think we have done half the job, I guess it is up to the bowlers now. There were thoughts (of declaring earlier), but I was a little bit hesitant because of the weather.
“If we had declared earlier we would have got in one or two extra overs. In saying that we got the one (wicket) that we wanted, and hopefully if things go our way we can set ourselves to be on the field (trying to bowl the Aussies out) for the majority of the next two days.”
Temba Bavuma reflects on a hard-fought day with the bat 🇿🇦🏏 #SAvAUS | #SSCricket https://t.co/rzWZKQI5ek
— SuperSport 🏆 (@SuperSportTV) October 20, 2026
JANSEN FLAYS AUSSIES
Earlier the Proteas batting fight back was built on two big partnerships anchored by Bavuma, of 132 for the seventh wicket with a counter attacking Marco Jansen, 85 off 100 balls (9x4; 3x6), followed by a record highest eighth-wicket stand for the Proteas of 183, with Harmer, 82 off 157 (10x4; 1x6).
It's a special batting performance for Bavuma and Harmer 👏 They become the highest 8th-wicket partnership for South Africa 🇿🇦 #SAvAUS | #SSCricket https://t.co/KgcwL1oKJb
— SuperSport 🏆 (@SuperSportTV) October 20, 2026
Harmer is definitely considered a bowling allrounder, having hit 36 half centuries and two centuries over his long first-class cricket career, but in 15 previous tests had never gone past 50, with his previous best 47 and he easily surpassed that.
Scoring over 400 must have been a dream for the Proteas, after they were 40-4 during the rain-hit day two, and had then slipped to 110-6 early in the morning on day three, before the incredible recovery.
The day started with Bavuma and Wiaan Mulder (13) resuming the Proteas' first innings on 97-5, with them seeing out the first half hour confidently, before Mitchell Starc snagged the breakthrough by bouncing out Mulder.
That brought Jansen to the crease and he proceeded to flay the ball around the ground, as he immediately signalled his intent by thumping five boundaries in his first 10 balls, while Bavuma soon brought up his half century with a flick to the deep fine-leg boundary off Starc.
Jansen then went big with three maximums as he beautiful drove Boland back over his head, dismissively pulled Pat Cummins over deep square leg, and tried to take out the commentary box with a thumping shot over Renshaw’s head, as he raced to his half century off 43 balls, with South Africa safely reaching lunch on 216-6.
50 off 43 balls 🏏🔥 A crucial knock from Marco Jansen as he brings up his half-century 👏 📺 Stream #SAvAUS on DStv: https://t.co/rM90YyQxaw https://t.co/Qweb8fa0ls
— SuperSport 🏆 (@SuperSportTV) October 20, 2026
The post lunch session then got under way with Bavuma on 76 and Jansen on 72 off 71 balls, and he will be slightly disappointed that he didn’t come out after the break as aggressive as he was in the morning session.
He managed to add 13 to his score, but fell as soon as the new ball became available as Boland first got a ball to jag back and hit him in his lower midriff, and a few balls later flicked the ball straight to Travis Head at short midwicket, leaving the home side on 242-7.
MILESTONES FOR BAVUMA AND HARMER
That was Boland’s fifth wicket of the match, but if the Aussies thought they would get the last few wickets cheaply that wasn’t the case, as Harmer came in and superbly supported his captain to his fifth test century, which Bavuma reached in style with a lovely pull for four to the deep midwicket fence off Aussie captain Cummins.
They eased to the tea break on 318-7, and in the day's final session picked up the scoring rate, as Bavuma went past 150 for the second time, and Harmer past 50 for the first time in tests, while taking their side past 400 and into the driving seat.
A maiden Test half-century for Simon Harmer 🤩👏 He anchors the innings with Captain Bavuma 🏏 📺 Stream #SAvAUS on DStv: https://t.co/rM90YyR504 https://t.co/5M12k2IGqW
— SuperSport 🏆 (@SuperSportTV) October 20, 2026
1️⃣5️⃣0️⃣ 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐒𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐡 𝐀𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚'𝐬 𝐬𝐤𝐢𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐫 🇿🇦📈 Temba Bavuma is making a statement in Gqeberha 👏👏 📺 Stream #SAvAUS on DStv: https://t.co/rM90YyQxaw https://t.co/dnkAuON6lg
— SuperSport 🏆 (@SuperSportTV) October 20, 2026
PROTEAS: Aiden Markram, Marques Ackerman, David Bedingham, Temba Bavuma (capt), Matthew Breetzke, Ryan Rickelton (wk), Wiaan Mulder, Marco Jansen, Simon Harmer, Anrich Nortje, Kagiso Rabada
AUSTRALIA: Travis Head, Nic Maddinson, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Matthew Renshaw, Beau Webster, Alex Carey (wk), Pat Cummins (capt), Mitchell Starc, Scott Boland, Josh Hazlewood
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