Australia fought back brilliantly in the post-lunch session as South Africa went to tea on 221 for four in the third and deciding Dafabet test at YesPlay Newlands in Cape Town on Tuesday.
The hosts, sent in to bat by Pat Cummins, were dominant in the morning session, piling on 140 runs without loss as Aiden Markram and Marques Ackerman made hay while the sun shone. But the visitors claimed four wickets to peg the home side back.
Ackerman, resuming on 82, looked to be ultra-aggressive after lunch, especially against the spin of Nathan Lyon (15-0-51-2) but came down the track once too often and was stumped by wicketkeeper Alex Carey just five runs short of a maiden test ton. Ackerman's innings was breathtaking though, striking 12 boundaries and two maximums in his 94-ball stay at the crease.
Markram (78), who brought up his 15th test fifty, looked set to pull Josh Hazlewood (12-3-44-1) for six but sliced the ball up into the air and found the trusty mitts of Mitchell Starc in the long-on area. Markram was more circumspect, facing 141 deliveries with 10 fours and a six.
In walked the hero of Gqeberha, Temba Bavuma (0) but was bamboozled by Lyon, having his off stump knocked back after just three deliveries. Cooper Connolly (2-0-7-1) then got in on the act with his slow left-arm orthodox bowling, trapping Matthew Breetzke in-front for just two after reviewing a not-out decision for lbw.
David Bedingham (40) and Ryan Rickelton (2) took the Proteas to tea without any further issues.
Ackerman and Markram were sublime in the morning session as the pair registered the highest opening stand for the Proteas against Australia at Newlands, beating the previous best of 87 made by Jack Siedle and Herbert Wade back in 1936. This was also only the 10th century opening stand against the Australians in 201 innings.
Cummins will feel a little more comfortable having won the toss and electing to field first, especially after conceding 140 runs in the opening session, but having cleared four South African wickets, will be hoping that they can press on and make the day a more successful one than they have had so far.
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.
--------------------------------------------------------
SPORTS PACKAGE
Watch every single ball of every Proteas match this summer with DStv’s new Sports package. Also includes the world’s best football and a Vodacom URC Match of the Week. All this for just R399 a month – click on the banner below
