Half-centuries from Matt Renshaw, Cameron Green, Josh Inglis and Alex Carey helped Australia close out the second day on 330-4 against South Africa in the third and deciding Dafabet test at YesPlay Newlands in Cape Town on Wednesday.
With a lead of just one and still six wickets in the bank, Australia will look to pile on the pressure on day three with Carey (51*) still at the crease with Inglis, who finished the day unbeaten on 85.
Australia batters shone on an exciting day two in Cape Town 💪 #WTC27 | 📝:https://t.co/PbEtXCxPjY https://t.co/449VdrmSRL
— ICC (@ICC) October 28, 2026
"The bowling was six out of 10, no lateral movement so it was always going to be about effort and I can't fault the effort, it was there the whole day," said Proteas bowling coach Piet Botha. "We just didn't create enough pressure through maidens and good lengths," added Botha.
The pair came together shortly before tea after Marco Jansen (14-4-37-2) had claimed the wickets of Renshaw (74) and Green (65) with a fiery spell of bowling of 2-3 in five overs.
With Australia 185-4, Carey and Inglis added 145 unbeaten runs to leave the hosts under the pump and needing something special to avoid conceding a massive first-innings lead.
"It was just sticking to our processes. We knew they would come hard at us but it was just about building partnerships," said opener Renshaw at the end of the second day's play.
Australia began the day after dismissing South Africa for 329 shortly before close on day one and it was Renshaw and Travis Head (41) that added 58 for the first wicket.
Enter Simon Harmer (27-4-84-2) who claimed the wickets of Head and Marnus Labuschagne (0) in his first over.
𝐖𝐎𝐎𝐎𝐎𝐖 😏🇿🇦 Simon Harmer bags two quick sticks for the Proteas Men 💣 📺 Stream #SAvAUS on DStv: https://t.co/rM90YyQxaw https://t.co/6pL7uobAkt
— SuperSport 🏆 (@SuperSportTV) October 28, 2026
That was all the success the home side would taste as the visitors went to lunch on 90-2.
Renshaw and Green continued after the luncheon interval, amassing 126 runs from 191 deliveries before Jansen's reintroduction.
"I get along with Cam really well off the field and that helps. It was obviously different stages, I was in for about an hour and a half before Cam came in so I was at a different mindset and tempo, he was fresh and buzzing around so it was about me being the calmer head out there," added Renshaw.
The two scalps before tea would have given the hosts a glimmer of hope of evening out the match but Inglis and Carey batted superbly to nullify any threat the Proteas attack tried to present.
"We got blown away when the clouds came over yesterday and I was hoping for some clouds today," quipped Botha.
Their unbeaten stand of 145 from 232 deliveries will leave Temba Bavuma in a state of worry that his side, who came back brilliantly in the series with an innings victory in Gqeberha, will cede the series under the shadow of Table Mountain.
"He has a lot of different options, he can hit down the ground, over mid-wicket, he's a good player of spin so he doesn't give them anywhere really to bowl," said Renshaw of Inglis's efforts.
Kagiso Rabada (18-1-81-0) had his tail up with the new ball and despite a failed review for lbw, had little else to offer.
"Well he's got some stomach cramps, so he came off the field and I am not sure whether it is related to last week," said Botha.
"I'm not a curator so I have no idea what it's going to do," quipped Renshaw. "It's a nice wicket but there's still three days of cricket so a lot of foot traffic to go across it," added Renshaw.
STARC SIZZLED ON DAY 1
Pat Cummins had won the toss on Tuesday surprisingly asking the Proteas to bat first. The decision looked a poor one as Aiden Markam (78) and Marques Ackerman (95) enjoyed the sunny skies, adding 140 without loss in the morning session.
"We spoke about it, we felt we could have capitalised on the opening stand but there were a couple of shots that we shouldn't have played and we should've got more runs the way the wicket played today," said Botha.
Australia though fought back in the post-lunch session, claiming four wickets while restricting the hosts to just 81 runs.
It was also spin that broke the opening stand of 158 - a new record for South Africa at Newlands against Australia - as Nathan Lyon (23-1-71-2) had Ackerman stumped just five runs short of a maiden test ton.
Markram, who had been dropped on 39 by Head from the bowling of Mitchell Starc (16.3-2-72-6) shortly before lunch, was next to go, trying to pull Josh Hazlewood (15-3-59-1) only to sky the ball to Starc in the long-on region.
Bavuma (0) lasted just three balls as he was bowled by Lyon and then the left-arm spin of Cooper Connolly (9-0-41-1) accounted for Matthew Breetzke (2), trapped in front.
Ryan Rickelton (42) and David Bedingham (50) went to tea with the hosts on 221 for four.
The evening session belonged to Australia and Starc in particular.
Shortly after the tea break, Starc removed Bedingham, caught by Hazlewood at fine leg and then had Mulder edging behind to Carey for just two.
Rickleton and Jansen (52) then stemmed the flow with a 95-run stand for the seventh wicket before the new ball caused absolute chaos.
Starc, with some excellent left-arm pace, claimed four wickets in the space of six deliveries to end the innings shortly before the close.
Rickelton was trapped plumb in front, two balls later Jansen was castled and then in his next over, Starc clean bowled Gerald Coetzee (0) with the first delivery and then trapped Kagiso Rabada (0) in front with the third ball.
SOUTH AFRICA: Aiden Markram, Marques Ackerman, David Bedingham, Temba Bavuma (capt), Matthew Breetzke, Ryan Rickelton (wk), Wiaan Mulder, Marco Jansen, Simon Harmer, Gerald Coetzee, Kagiso Rabada.
AUSTRALIA: Travis Head, Matthew Renshaw, Marnus Labuschagne, Cameron Green, Josh Inglis, Alex Carey (wk), Cooper Connolly, Pat Cummins (capt), Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood.
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