Anrich Nortje, bowling with pace and hostility, claimed two wickets in three balls to help reduce Australia to 149 for six in 53 overs at tea on the opening day of the first test at Kingsmead in Durban on Friday.
Australia, who had gone into lunch on 84 for three after Wiaan Mulder had trapped Marnus Labuschagne leg before with the last ball of the session, then lost another kingpin immediately after the break when Marco Jansen claimed the scalp of Steve Smith. Jansen rapped Smith painfully on the knuckles with his second sharply rising delivery, then induced an edge with a similar ball, with Mulder taking a low catch in the gulley.
Matt Renshaw and Alex Carey played cautiously to add 36 in 91 balls before Nortje struck twice in quick succession. First Carey, attempting to drive a fuller delivery, edged to Aiden Markram in the slips, then, with the final ball of the over he induced a feather of an edge from new batter Beau Webster. The appeal was initially turned down but when reviewed it was shown that Webster had edged the ball.
That was the end of South Africa’s successes in the session with Renshaw (32) and Pat Cummins knuckling down to add 25 in 66 balls to take Australia to 149 for six at tea.
South Africa’s pace attack accounted for all six Aussie wickets to fall with Nortje bowling particularly well, supported by Jansen and Mulder. Their figures after two sessions are impressive with Jansen (16-7-35-2), Mulder (11-4-21-2) and Nortje (11-2-26-2) all keeping an iron grip on the Australian batters whose run rate was a lowly 2.8 at tea.
SOUTH AFRICA: Aiden Markram, Ryan Rickelton, David Bedingham, Temba Bavuma (capt), Tristan Stubbs, Wiaan Mulder, Kyle Verreynne (wk), Marco Jansen, Simon Harmer, Keshav Maharaj, Anrich Nortje.
AUSTRALIA: Travis Head, Nicolas Maddinson, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Matthew Renshaw, Beau Webster, Alex Carey (wk), Pat Cummins (capt), Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood.
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