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Stumps: South Africa 140-4, lead by 40 in their second innings

Another compelling, gripping, dramatic day of Test cricket comes to an end.

Australia well on top thanks to Inglis’ ton and some pretty ordinary batting from the South Africans.

Staring at a 100-run defecit, Markram and then Bedingham threw their wickets away before Ackerman was bounced out by Starc for 62.

Bavuma dug in before he was bowled by Lyon playing a rare, and loose, attacking shot late on.

Rickelton, who survived this last over from Starc, the 47th of the innings, will start tomorrow on 8 having picked up two fours alongside Breetzke who was watchful for his 19 off 59 balls.

Batting isn’t easy, certainly not on this pitch which is offering great turn, but it’s a heck of a lot harder when you gift wickets.

Australia’s game to lose, but in this see-sawing series, there is no telling where we’ll be this time tomorrow.

Just one over to go. Why oh why did Bavuma play that shot?

46th over: South Africa 131-4 (Breetzke 18, Rickelton 0) Lyon finds Rickelton’s outside edge with the first ball to the lefty, pushing off the back foot, but somehow it splits the two slippers and scampers away for four. Oh, what an over from Lyon who compelled the mistake from Bavuma to castle the SA skipper. He almost bagged two in two. South Africa clinging on with mere minutes remaining. They lead by a paltry 35.

WICKET! Bavuma b Lyon 35 (South Africa 131-4)

Bavuma loses his head and loses his wicket! He’s played within himself all innings but this time he swishes at a full ball from Lyon and misses it as it rags out of the rough and knocks him over. Credit to the bowler, who has toiled and tested and challenged for almost 14 overs, but that must go down as another South African who has tamely given his wicket away. I’m not entirely sure where Bavuma was trying to hit that. Lost his shape and he’s left the ground with his team in a deep, deep hole.

45th over: South Africa 129-3 (Bavuma 33, Breetzke 18) Starc on for his fourth spell of the day. One more push from the big lefty who has produced some magic moments this Test. He’s over the wicket to Breetzke for just a ball before switching to around as he’ll look to angle it in and perhaps get it stand up, or shoot through, off the pitch. Breetzke drives away from his body, though he meets it with the full face as he eases it for one down to the sweeper before Bavuma does likewise.

Remarkable speeds from Starc, touching 150km/h even at this late stage. What a warrior he is!

44th over: South Africa 127-3 (Bavuma 32, Breetzke 17) Just the one over for Renshaw as Lyon returns, which makes sense to me. The shadows are lengthening. Such a crucial period in this Test. Bavuma drives twice, which Lyon won’t mind, especially as he finds the mid-off fielder on both occasions. A maiden from Gaz.

43rd over: South Africa 127-3 (Bavuma 32, Breetzke 17) Cummins has moved himself a metre off the pitch, standing at a close-in short mid-on. I like it. That means Hazlewood can attack the stumps, which he does after forcing Breetzke to duck under a bouncer. Hazlewood misses his line and offers width and Breetzke eyes it up quickly and eases a lovely square drive to the boundary. Survival is key, but so are runs and the South Africans won’t want to miss out on loose stuff. An on drive is hit straight to Cummins to close the over.

42nd over: South Africa 123-3 (Bavuma 32, Breetzke 13) Renshaw replaces Lyon. Again, I don’t quite get that. My guess is that the change of pace – he’s slower through the air than Lyon – and the fact that Renshaw is a part-timer might cloud the minds of the South Africans. He’s also taller, so perhaps a little extra bounce might be found. Bavuma steers into the covers for one but Breetzke is trapped on his crease for three balls. An outside edge squirts past Marnus, who hasn’t stopped yapping for a second, and they get another single.

41st over: South Africa 121-3 (Bavuma 31, Breetzke 12) Hazlewood targets the stumps. He almost gets one to burst through Breetzke’s defence. A slightly shorter one is met with a firm forward press and they take a cheeky single past the bowler. For Bavuma they move the midwicket to a very wide leg gully, but the short ball doesn’t get up and Bavuma tucks it into the newly created gap for one. The bumper to finish the set is down the leg side.

40th over: South Africa 119-3 (Bavuma 30, Breetzke 11) I like this from Lyon, who brings up his cover and tells the Saffas, ‘hit me through the field if you want something’. That might compel them to try and hit it harder. It certainly cuts off the easy single. There’s an appeal for lbw as Lyon drops on onto the rough and finds Breetzke’s pad from his big forward press. Five dot balls come before a stiff push into a gap that allows them to through for a single.

39th over: South Africa 118-3 (Bavuma 30, Breetzke 10) Hazlewood now. He’s around that nagging length, looking to bring it back it back into Breetzke off the deck. He then attempts a yorker, or had one slip out his hand. Either way, it gets to Breetzke on the full and os bunted down the ground but there’s no run. Dangerous balls, those. Breetzke flicks a single down to fine leg.

Right then. We’re a long way away, but what would South Africa want to defend? And what would constitute a ‘tricky score’, beyond ‘something to bowl at’?

38th over: South Africa 117-3 (Bavuma 30, Breetzke 8) Both batters show a bit more intent as they force Lyon off his length by making big strides to meet the ball and negate the spin. Rather than play from the crease, they’re able to steer four singles across the over, two down the ground to long on and two through the vacant cover. Better, but hard not to feel like one Lyon delivery will have their name on it.

37th over: South Africa 113-3 (Bavuma 29, Breetzke 7) Even on this pitch, Cummins is able to deliver searing bouncers. For me, he has the best bumper in the game. One cannons off an uncomfortable length and catches Bavuma’s glove as the batter looks to protect his head. It could have gone anywhere. Instead ot went over the close leg gully and away for a single.

36th over: South Africa 112-3 (Bavu,a 27, Breetzke 7) Lyon is getting so much turn out of the rough outside off for the right-handers. Bavuma shoulders arms and watches it spit back onto his pads. Lyon appeals. And though it looks totally speculative, it underlines how much it’s ragging. Bavuma gets a single away, making room and plinking a cut through cover. South Africa lead by 12 but the crucial thing for them is to not lose another wicket.

35th over: South Africa 111-3 (Bavuma 26, Breetzke 7) Cummins bowls a rare loose ball in this innings, dragging it down to Bavuma who pulls well in front of square for four. Cummins doubles down and then lands a ripper of a bouncer that takes Bavuma by surprise, causing him to hop and duck and pull out of the pull shot. He then works a single past midwicket.

34th over: South Africa 106-3 (Bavuma 21, Breetzke 7) Lyon has Breetzke pinned in his crease, looking pretty ungainly as he does his best to keep gary the Goat out. It’s gripping, it’s spitting, it’s turning. Marnus won’t shut up behind the stumps. The fielder at forward short leg is hovering. But he survives the maiden.

33rd over: South Africa 106-3 (Bavuma 21, Breetzke 7) Cummins back on. He’s pounding away back of a length before he over pitches slightly and Breetzke sends it back where it came from with a lovely drive for four past the bowler. Cummins brings his length back and finds a little seam. It kept low, and if Breetzke missed that he’d have been plumb. Instead a thick inside edge sees it squirt down to fine leg for one. Cummins to Bavuma and it’s a gem, he finds the edge but it doesn’t carry! Renshaw, stooping forward, gathers it on the half volley.

32nd over: South Africa 101-3 (Bavuma 21, Breetzke 2) Lyon back. This Australian attack just doesn’t let up. Bavuma punches off the back foot to bring up his team’s 100 and level the scores. But crucially South Africa have lost three wickets which means they’re basically 0-3. That becomes 1-3 when Breetke bat-pads a single past the forward short leg. Bavuma is almost caught in the same area as Lyon is extracting sharp, really sharp, turn. Harmer will like seeing that. The key thing, though, is how many runs will he have to defend?

31st over: South Africa 99-3 (Bavuma 20, Breetzke 1) Starc is peppering Breetzke with some short stuff. When he goes fuller he finds the outside edge, but soft hands means it lands well short of Green at second slip. Bavuma takes a single at the start of the over to close the gap to just one.

How’s this for a stat.

The last time, before Ackerman in this Test, a South African opener passed 50 twice in the same game was back in 2022 when Dean Elgar did it.

No time to consider that. Here’s Starc with the ball after drinks.

30th over: South Africa 98-3 (Bavuma 19, Breetzke 1) Breetzke is off the mark with a clipped single off Connolly. Bavuma takes two of his own. Marnus Labuschagne is whooping and hollering after every ball. He got some stick when he was batting and he’s giving it right back. Which is fair enough with his team well on top. At drinks, South Africa still trail by two with their top three back in the hut.

29th over: South Africa 95-3 (Bavuma 17, Breetzke 0) Starc breaks the game open once again after a 64-run stand threatened to swing momentum back towards South Africa. But now the Aussies are firmly back on top. A hayuuuuuuge innings is needed from both these Saffas. Carey and Inglis put on 185 together. Something similar is desperately needed here.

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WICKET! Ackerman c Green b Starc 62 (South Africa 95-3)

Starc bounces him out! What a delivery from the left-armer who returns after a change of ends and sends the set batter packing with a ripper! From over the wicket, it keeps going on with the angle, cramping him up as he tries to sway out of the way. A slight edge then a ricochet off the helmet before it looped back towards the cordon where Green make a simple catch. They considered reviewing but missed the deadline, which is just as well as the decision would have stood. South Africa effectively -5 for 3.

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28th over: South Africa 95-2 (Ackerman 62, Bavuma 17) Renshaw into the attack. Finger spin from both ends as they look to exploit a perceived weakness from Bavuma, who was dismissed by Renshaw in Durban. The Saffas start by milking him for five comfortable singles to bring the deficit down to just five.

27th over: South Africa 90-2 (Ackerman 59, Bavuma 15) Connolly’s left-arm spin joins the part, replacing Hazlewood. Again, I’m surprised by that, but I’m sure Pat Cummins knows a lot more than I do. It’s a maiden, though a drag down should have been put away by Bavuma instead of cut straight to backward point.

26th over: South Africa 90-2 (Ackerman 59, Bavuma 15) Starc replaces Lyon, which surprises me. I’d have thought Lyon would bowl out the day as he looked so threatening. Anyway, here comes the big lefty. A full ball invites a drive from Ackerman. He nails it, but Inglis is sharp at cover. Then Starc bumps him and he takes on the pull. It’s a thin edge, or a glove, but it’s just beyond Carey who can only watch it skip away for four. But that really could have gone anywhere. Ackerman gets another opportunity to drive. He doesn’t quite time this one like the last, but finds the gap in front of cover and takes two.

25th over: South Africa 84-2 (Ackerman 53, Bavuma 15) Hazlewood is relentlessly at Bavuma. A bumper is ducked. A back-of-a-length nipper is shoots up and hits the splice of the bat. A tempter outside the off stump is left alone. It’s a maiden, with no attacking shots, yet all of cricket was contained in that microverse.

24th over: South Africa 84-2 (Ackerman 53, Bavuma 15) These batters are looking nervy against Lyon. Bavuma rocks back and pulls, but it doesn’t quite get up and he just about manages to smear it away for one. Then Ackerman charges – recklessly if you ask me – and smokes it right at short extra. I thought for a second it was a catch but it was hit straight in the ground. Two singles closed the over.

23rd over: South Africa 81-2 (Ackerman 52, Bavuma 13) Really good from Hazlewood who is doing what he does best. Off a great length, a little bit of seam back into Bavuma, he cuts him in half twice, thwacking his body and pad with some delicious movement off the deck. A bit of width allows Bavuma to steer a cut to the sweeper at deep point and that brings up the 50 stand between the two. Their job together has only just begun.

22nd over: South Africa 80-2 (Ackerman 52, Bavuma 12) Ackerman skips down the track, thwacks Lyon through the covers. It’s in the air, and as it left the bat every South African in the crowd would have held their breath. Lyon then tempts him with a floater wide of the off stump but Ackerman resists. A single down the ground brings up his 50. Well played Marques. A single from Bavuma brings Ackerman back on strike who goes deep in his crease to cut for two in front of the sweeper at deep point. Phew, another eventful over.

21st over: South Africa 72-2 (Ackerman 45, Bavuma 11) Hazlewood into the attack, replacing Cummins. Two singles to start before he bangs in a bumper to Ackerman from round the wicket. There’s a short leg and men in the deep, but he takes on the pull and finds the rope at backward square. Then he dinks a single to deep third. He’s playing well, and playing with confidence. Bavuma is brought forward by Hazlewood who finds the edge but it lands short of Marnus at second slip. Oh my goodness, it’s so tense!

20th over: South Africa 64-2 (Ackerman 38, Bavuma 10) Ackerman charges Lyon, as he did when he was stumped on 95 in the first innings, and manages to squeeze his bat down in time. Then Lyon flights it and there’s a bat-pad, but the fielder at short leg is too square to catch that. Lyon really is in the groove here. He’s got this on a string, getting it to dip and grip. Ackerman plinks one down to midwicket before Bavuma drills a sweep but there’s protection down in the deep so it’ll just be one. Another risky single is made as Green, running on from cover, can’t stoop low enough to field.

19th over: South Africa 62-2 (Ackerman 37, Bavuma 9) Cummins has switched from his short ball tactic to targeting the stumps. One of the things the Aussies have done better than the South Africans is adjust their bowling tactics on the hoof. Though as I type that the skipper digs in a bumper that catches Bavuma’s glove and goes fine behind square on the leg side for two. The leg slip is moved in after the fact. At the top of the set, Ackeraman punched a single through point.

18th over: South Africa 59-2 (Ackerman 36, Bavuma 7) Ackerman gets low and unfurls an extravagant reverse sweep to Lyon. He gets just one. The risk versus reward on that seems way out of whack, but what do I know… Bavuma tries a conventional sweep and misses, compelling Marnus to launch into a loud appeal that no one else joins in on. Bavuma then tries to close this over from Lyon, who has conceded just three runs in four overs, with a cut shot to a ball that keeps a little low.

Just a quick contemptuous word for the DJs at South Afrifcan cricket grounds. I can’t stand them. Do we really need tinny music blasted between overs?

17th over: South Africa 58-2 (Ackerman 35, Bavuma 7) After Lyon found turn in the last over, Cummins now extracts some zip and seam. An nip-backer thwacks Bavuma on the back leg as he’s pinned on the crease. They review the not-out decision but replays show it would have gone over the stumps. Only just, though. Bavuma then tickles a lifter down to fine leg to bring up his 4,000th run in Test cricket. Ackerman takes on the short ball. Not quite in control but he gets it down to find leg for one of his own. High tension!

Missing over the top! Bavuma survives.

Oh, they’re reviewing for lbw! I think Cummins is too high with the nip-backer to Bavuma. But they’re having a look.

16th over: South Africa 56-2 (Ackerman 34, Bavuma 6) Big puffs of dust from the surface as Lyon is finding some big turn to Bavuma. He gets a single with a bunt down the ground. So much tension.

15th over: South Africa 55-2 (Ackerman 34, Bavuma 5) Ackerman gets a single off Cummins which brings Bavuma on strike. Sure I’ve said it before but he looks far more comfortable against the seamers. But he’s not going to simply stay there, as he drops into the off side and scampers a single of his own. Ackerman leans into a drive off the final ball but can’t pierce the field.

14th over: South Africa 53-2 (Ackerman 33, Bavuma 4) Lyon gets us going. He’ll fancy his chances against Bavuma, he rocks back to the second ball and swats into the leg side. That was streaky. If he missed he’d have been bowled. Big turn from the next ball from a great line outside the off stump and it explodes off the surface. He then beats Bavuma’s outside edge. Lovely bowling. He looks on here does Gaz, not too full, not too short, target the top of off. A maiden to start the session.

Righto, the batters, fielders and umpires are all set.

Cape Town looks a dream. The pitch is still playing true with only the odd gremlin.

There’s no reason why these two batters can’t dig in and bat to the close. As long as they don’t throw their wickets away like their mates before them.

The series is on the line. Australia well in front. Another two before the close and they’ll have victory well within their grasp.

Ewan Glenton has written in, and given me an excuse to plug a piece of mine from yesterday:

Hello Daniel.

The comments have closed on your enjoyable article yesterday about all-rounders, so I’ll post this here instead. Just an observation about the second part of this bit…

‘The tidy statistical definition, in which a player’s batting average exceeds their bowling average, is inadequate. By that measure Joe Root and Don Bradman qualify. The more useful question is whether a player could be selected for either skill...’

Recalling the age of the great all-rounders, I’m not sure how many test matches Richard Hadlee would’ve played if he could’t bowl, tbh; I seem to remember Kapil Dev & Imran Khan were generally superior to Hadlee with the bat, and all three obviously had their moments (quite a lot of them and some very big ones indeed), but…picked in tests just for their batting? Imran & Kapil Dev maybe, but Hadlee I really don’t think so.

In today’s different climate, of course they’d all be considered for their power-hitting capabilities in white ball cricket, but that wasn’t really an issue in those days.

I’d actually venture so far as to say similar about Ian Botham: not sure he was consistently good enough to hold down a test spot as, what, a number 6 batter?

I know you only said “could be selected”, not “would walk into the team”, but I imagine a scenario where if those big four of yore had been given a chance purely as batsmen, patience would probably have run out after a handful of tests in which they flexed their muscles, got a score or two, failed a few times and got discarded.

Stokes, Kallis & Keith Miller (mentioned in your article), they probably would all have racked up loads of test caps as only one or the other.

Phil DeFreitas (test batting average 14.82) was universally considered an all-rounder in his day; likewise Chris Lewis who, with a batting average of 23 and a bowling average of 37, I remember got picked a lot because he was capable sporadically of being quite good at both, but probably would not have been selected for either one alone.

Related: Marco Jansen belongs to a great tradition but top all-rounders are hard to find

What will irk South African fans is the fact that the Australians haven’t had to be at their best with the ball.

They have been gifted wickets, and could have had another if Connolly’s direct hit just before tea found its intended target.

What was Bedingham and Markram thinking when they played so loosely? Were they thinking at all? The pitch still looks decent and we know that it’ll be tough batting last.

If these two can bat for an entire session then we might be singing a different tune. But as it stands, it’s hard to see how Australia don’t win this match and take the series.

Tea: South Africa 53-2, trail by 47 in their second innings

Ackerman is almost run-out three balls before the interval! If South Africa do go and win this Test they would have crawled through the mud to get there. He dropped and ran instantly but Bavuma sent him back. He was halfway down the track which gave Connolly a moment to steady himself and throw at the wickets. If he’d hit it would have been another gimme wicket. He didn’t, so the Saffas survive to tea.

Ackerman has done well for 33 and he has his captain Bavuma with him on 4. Two really soft dismissals from Markram for 1 and Bedingham for 11 means it’s Australia’s game to lose.

I’m off to grab a cuppa. If you’re a fan of South Africa I imagine you’ll be reaching for something stronger.

12th over: South Africa 52-2 (Ackerman 33, Bavuma 3) There’s loads of chat behind the stumps – mostly from Labuschagne – as Lyon twirls away at Bavuma. There is turn there though the SA skipper punches a single into the covers. Lyon then roars with certainty as he’s convinced he has Ackerman lbw. They review but the replays show it was hitting him outside the line of off stump. Australia all over them like right now!

Spin now, as Nathan Lyon comes on. He’ll know that Bavuma has been a walking wicket against off spin.

11th over: South Africa 51-2 (Ackerman 33, Bavuma 2) Cummins angles one across Ackerman and he throws his hands at it. It was too close to cut so it catches the edge, but he went hard at it and it flies over the cordon for four. Again, Australia won’t mind that. Ackerman checks his pull and takes two before Cummins switches to round the wicket and beats the outside edge off a lovely length. Ackeerman gets two more, and brings up the 50, with two squirted through square leg.

10th over: South Africa 43-2 (Ackerman 25, Bavuma 2) Hazlewood, from round the wicket, bounces Ackerman who swivels as he rides the bounce, taking it on with a fine pull. Neser, on for Starc, runs round from fine leg and makes a proper mess of it on the slide, almost kicking it over the rope for four. Another pull is more firmly struck and it finds the sweeper at square leg for one. Australia won’t mind Ackerman taking on the short ball, though.

9th over: South Africa 38-2 (Ackerman 20, Bavuma 2) Cummins brings himself on to replace Starc and it’s skipper on skipper. Bavuma gets back up the other end with a punch to deep backward point. Ackerman ducks under a bouncer, conscious that there is a leg slip in place. Cummins goes short again but Ackerman has enough width to steer it for one to a wide deep third.

Replays show just how pumped Marnus was after that Bedingham dismissal. Sure, he’s on a pair himself, but fair dos. His team are in total control of this game.

8th over: South Africa 38-2 (Ackerman 19, Bavuma 1) Bavuma strides to the crease needing to produce a captain’s knock to rival the one he unfurled in the last Test. He bunts his first ball into the covers and runs immediately, but a direct hit at the striker’s end would have run-out Ackerman. My word, are they trying to lose this? Ackerman steers Hazlewood for four behind square, but that’s another successful over for the Aussies thanks to some meek and brainless batting from the South Africans.

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It’s just brainless cricket from Bedingham. He went out hooking in the first innings after reaching his 50. Here he was set and went out hooking again. I just can’t fathom what he was thinking. Clearly he wasn’t. One wonders if that’s the last we see of him in this Test side, to be honest

WICKET! Bedingham c Lyon b Hazlewood 11 (South Africa 31-2)

What is actually going on?! Bedingham wafts at a short ball with no control, no thought, no appreciation for the game situation or what his team needs, and sends a top edge straight to Lyon down at deep square. Utterly bizarre. South Africa are throwing this series away.

7th over: South Africa 31-1 (Ackerman 15, Bedingham 11) A lot of cricket in this Starc over. It begins with a lovely square drive for four from Bedingham. Then a firmer, more imperious cover drive screams off the bat but it’s well fielded. A bumper turns Bedingham into a T-rex as he lifts his hands awkwardly, lucky not to have the ball loop to a fielder. He closes the eventful set with a tuck off his pads for one down to fine leg. Starc runs off the park. He was little a little niggly, but he lopes up the stairs which suggests he’s OK.

6th over: South Africa 26-1 (Ackerman 15, Bedingham 6) They’re definitely targeting Ackerman with the short ball. There’s a catcher under the helmet in place. He swishes at a pull shot but can’t get a hold of it. Then he tucks a single off his hips. Bedingham drops into the off side for one before a thick inside edge from Ackerman’s prodding blade gets him one down to deep square. Bedingham slices a drive through cover for one. He wanted two but was rightly sent back by his partner.

5th over: South Africa 22-1 (Ackerman 13, Bedingham 4) Starc bangs in a bumper but it almost bounces on his own toes, that’s how short it was. It digs into the pitch and comfortabley clears a leaping Carey as it bobbles away for four bonus runs for the Proteas. Super quick, though. He’s touching the 150km/h mark. Ackerman does well off the last ball, riding the bounce to tuck a single through square leg.

Gareth Wilson wants me to mention something:

“6-55 feels like another Aussie collapse but no mention at all? Interesting.”

Consider it mentioned.

4th over: South Africa 16-1 (Ackerman 12, Bedingham 3) The Australians placed such a high price on their wickets. The South Africans have not learned any lessons. After Markram gave away his wicket, Ackerman is wafting at a back of a length ball from Hazlewood that rises as it kisses the surface and moves across him. Ackerman scampers a single either side of a pair of ones for Bedingham. This pitch is only going to get harder to bat on, though it still looks decent now. South Africa have to bat for as long as they can to make a game of this.

3rd over: South Africa 13-1 (Ackerman 11, Bedingham 1) Starc has bagged early wickets throughout his career but surely none have come easier than that. Markram will be livid back in the shed as he’s put his team in trouble with that soft dismissal. Bedingham, off the mark with a single down to deep point from his first ball, has a proper job to do now.

WICKET! Markram c Head b Starc 1 (South Africa 12-1)

What has Aiden Markram done?! I’ll tell you, but if you’re South African you won’t like it. A full ball, but not a half volley, from Starc is driven firmly but in the air and straight to Head at mid-off. Such a poor shot from such a quality player. That is the frustration with a batter who can look like a dream but haunt your nightmares if you’re willing him to produce on a more consistent basis. Starc with a gimme and the Aussies are rolling.

2nd over: South Africa 7-0 (Markram 1, Ackerman 6) Hazlewood is bang on the money from the off, as you’d expect. He beats Ackerman by going across the left hander from over the wicket and then finds the edge from his second ball. But it’s played with soft hands flies through a gap between third slip and gully for four. There is a leg slip and Hazlewood bangs it in short and pings Ackerman on the body. The follow up is a gem, beating the outside edge again, squaring him up. He’ll keep the strike again with a little flick down to fine leg.

1st over: South Africa 2-0 (Markram 1, Ackerman 1) Starc is finding early movement back into Markram. One is pushed fuller and there’s a big appeal for an lbw, but there was clear bat on it. A shorter one allows Markram to stand tall and steer it to a fielder who is already stationed at deep point (I know it’s the way of the modern world, but I don’t quite get that). Ackerman survives the two balls he has to face, dropping into the covers and running to get off the mark.

Thanks Martin. What a stint from you, and what a game this is! Australia’s to lose from here, of course, but anything can happen. The pitch is flat (for now) and is threatening to turn loads on days four and five.

You don’t want to stray too far from this!

Starc with the new rock to Markram.

It’s hard to walk away from closely watching such a gripping Test. But Daniel Gallan is ready and waiting to take the reins for the rest of day three as South Africa look to knock off their 100-run deficit then … who knows what will happen from there?!?

Thanks for following along, I’m heading to the sofa to watch the rest of the day’s play …

Australia all out for 429

Australia have compiled a 100-run lead off the back of a second Test century for Josh Inglis (102) and important contributions from Alex Carey (80) and openers Matt Renshaw (74) and Travis Head (41). Cooper Connolly (29) showed promising signs in his second Test as he battled hard for every run while batting with the tail to keep the South African bowlers toiling away. Simon Harmer (4 for 104) was the standout bowler as he made the most of the pitch that looks set to give spinners plenty to work with. Marco Jansen (3 for 60) was below his best today but wrapped up the innings with a fine catch.

Advantage Australia! But surely we’ve learned to expect more twists in the tale to come with the halfway point of the Test series decider now just minutes away.

WICKET! Connolly c & b Jansen 29 (Australia all out 425)

Connolly finally looks to open up with Australia’s No 11 at the crease but mistimes the straight drive and Jansen takes a sharp caught and bowled chance.

125th over: Australia 429-9 (Connolly 29, Hazlewood 4) Mulder finds a way through Lyon’s defences to get his reward for a good spell. Hazlewood steps the crease and immediately clobbers a sublime drive through cover for four. The Australia lead reaches 100 runs.

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WICKET! Lyon c Harmer b Mulder 1 (Australia 425-9)

Mulder has been troubling Lyon with outswingers since lunch and finally he gets his man. Lyon reaches to prod at a delivery heading for the imaginary fifth stump but can only get an edge to Harmer at second slip who dives low to his right to grasp the chance.

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124th over: Australia 425-8 (Connolly 29, Lyon 1) Ooft! Jansen gives Connolly a working over with a short-pitched barrage at varying pace and height. The young Australian keeps his gloves down for a slower bouncer that stays lower than the pitch suggested. But then fails to pick up another bouncer as he ducks and turns his head at the next delivery that fails to get up. The ball crashes into Connolly’s helmet and he needs some attention before eventually being allowed to play on. Maiden.

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123rd over: Australia 425-8 (Connolly 29, Lyon 1) Mulder has two slips, a gully and the ball moving away from Lyon as the Australian tailender can’t help play along. Lyon prods and gets an edge flying towards Harmer in the cordon but the ball bounces just before it reaches the fielder. A fine over and a maiden.

122nd over: Australia 425-8 (Connolly 29, Lyon 1) Jansen picks up the pace with South Africa otherwise offering little threat since lunch. Connolly punishes a half-volley with a blazing drive through cover to the rope. That’s one way to keep the scoreboard ticking over while staying on strike. But this time Connolly is unable to find a single late in the over as Jansen ends it with a bouncer.

121st over: Australia 421-8 (Connolly 25, Lyon 1) Connolly works Mulder behind square for a single as Lyon is left with two balls to face. Clever batting from the relatively young Australian.

120th over: Australia 420-8 (Connolly 24, Lyon 1) Jansen keeps staking his claim to be the best cricketer in the family as he holds Australia to a leg-bye.

The Spin newsletter on Marco Jansen has piqued some interest. Though it seems to have overlooked a key ingredient of the Jansen clan.

“Daniel Gallan’s otherwise entertaining take on Marco inexplicably failed to mention that the Jansen family lab bioengineered two cricketers, and at the same time. What stars the Jansen parents are!” Stephen Gelb says. “Duan has already played white ball cricket for SA and hopefully one day soon we’ll see the two of them playing a test together.”

To save you searching too far down the OBO, here is Daniel’s story again …

Related: Marco Jansen belongs to a great tradition but top all-rounders are hard to find

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119th over: Australia 419-8 (Connolly 24, Lyon 1) Mulder takes the ball as South Africa begin with the same pair as in the first session. Connolly drives a half-volley for two through cover and picks up a single as Mulder comes around the wicket and drifts on to his pads. Lyon swings at a ball that darts down the leg side but Mulder is too good to find the bat or keeper’s gloves for four byes.

118th over: Australia 412-8 (Connolly 21, Lyon 1) Connolly picks up where he left off before lunch as he keeps Jansen out with South Africa left-arm quick working away back of a length. But Connolly can’t resist a shorter ball as he gets under a pull shot and is happy to see it drop safely in a vacant deep backward square. Once again Australia turn down a run as Connolly takes a single to keep the strike.

The players are heading back out on to the Newlands field after lunch. Interesting to note that four of the five Tests since that infamous day in 2018 have been won by the side chasing down their fourth innings target, even if the most recent match at the start of 2025 included South Africa forcing Pakistan to follow on.

Cooper Connolly is on strike as Australia try to build a commanding first innings lead. Marco Jansen has the ball in hand to begin his attempts to do the opposite. Let’s play …

Daniel Gallan will be taking the OBO reins here later today but has earlier opened his mind to the wonder that is Marco Jansen for this week’s edition of The Spin newsletter: sign up here.

If you were to bioengineer a cricketer in a laboratory, which attributes would you give them? You would make them tall, with long limbs and a whiplash action to extract steep bounce. Add speed, movement both ways and a left arm to offer a point of difference. With the bat, make sure they can whack sixes but also go down the gears when an innings starts to unravel. For an added trait, have them catch meteorites in the outfield and the cordon.

You might end up with Marco Jansen. At the start of the third Test, the 6ft 8in South African had taken 99 Test wickets at 20.81. His 85 against Australia at Gqeberha in the second Test came after South Africa had slumped to 110 for six before his counterattack helped turn a precarious position into an innings victory. Jansen is still developing as a batter, but his 25.66 average before this current Test understates his potential.

Related: Marco Jansen belongs to a great tradition but top all-rounders are hard to find

ICYMI, my learned friend Jack Snape scoured David Boon’s to-do list as the former Australia top-order batter puts memories of facing the West Indies’ bowling cartel behind him to now tackle the equally unenviable task of guiding the big ship that is Cricket Australia.

David Boon walked on to one of the stickier wickets in Australian sport on Wednesday, after Cricket Australia warned the national pastime faces years of financial losses and a period of “cost minimisation”. The outlook is grim, and that’s without a glance towards a cricketing world of emboldened match-fixers and upturned by Indian interests, facing an Australian summer that is no longer the country’s own.

The moustached former Test No 3 batter was sent into the middle due to the ousting of Mike Baird, whose place as chair was pulled out from under him by New South Wales officials unhappy at the manner of his pursuit of BBL private investment.

Related: David Boon on front foot as Cricket Australia hands new boss a sticky wicket | Jack Snape

The runs are flowing once again in the ODI tri-series between England-Sri Lanka-Pakistan, this time with openers Ben Duckett and Tom Banton enjoying the flat deck at Lahore. We hope you don’t venture too far away, and not for more than another half hour, but do check in on the white-ball action over at …

Related: Sri Lanka v England: men’s cricket tri-series one-day international – live

Lunch: Australia lead by 82 runs

An even session in keeping with much of this series. Australia added 81 runs while South Africa picked up four wickets including Josh Inglis (102) a couple of deliveries after he raised the bat for a century and Alex Carey (80) just as he looked well down the path to also reaching three figures. Simon Harmer claimed those two crucial wickets and he heads to the break with 4 for 104 from 37 overs as the Newlands deck shows signs of favouring the spinners. Cooper Connolly (20 not out) looked solid after a shaky start and was comfortable protecting the strike as Australia look to push their lead past 100 and perhaps well beyond.

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117th over: Australia 411-8 (Connolly 20, Lyon 1) Lyon keeps Harmer out as South Africa crowd the bat. A maiden over and that’s lunch on day three.

116th over: Australia 411-8 (Connolly 20, Lyon 1) Coetzee keeps Connolly on strike as he spends half the over pitching the ball short and the rest sending it out wide. A maiden gives Harmer a shot at Lyon before lunch.

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115th over: Australia 411-8 (Connolly 20, Lyon 1) Harmer gets the ball to straighten up and beat Connolly’s inside edge. The ball raps him on the pads and the South Africans are up in arms. But the umpire has little interest and Bavuma has even less in considering a review. A single to deep point from the fifth delivery helps keep Connolly on strike.

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Cooper Connolly is doing all that he can with the bat at the moment. But he has been underused with the ball in his only two Tests with nine overs in South Africa’s first innings in Cape Town, and five overs on debut in Sri Lanka.

“Tuning in inbetween making lowball offers on marketplace – not sure of the logic of dropping one bit-part player in Webster, whose only real crime was to lack much opportunity, for another in Connolly, unless long term hes seen as a viable frontline spin option (which would make room for Boland),” Eamonn Maloney ponders. “What would you pay for a second hand set of bifold doors by the way? This guy’s dreamin’.”

114th over: Australia 410-8 (Connolly 19, Lyon 1) Connolly turns down an easy single as he is happy to face Coetzee and leave Lyon at the non-striker’s end. The South Africa quick overpitches with an attempted yorker and Connolly punches a drive through cover to the rope. He ends the over easing a single to deep point to maintain the strike.

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113th over: Australia 405-8 (Connolly 14, Lyon 1) Lyon works the ball off his pads for a single to deep midwicket and Connolly adds another with a drive through cover. Dare I say, Connolly has looked quite comfortable against Harmer.

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112th over: Australia 403-8 (Connolly 13, Lyon 1) Coetzee sends Starc on his way and South Africa are just a couple of wickets away from limiting what might have been serious damage to their hopes. Lyon gets off the mark with a glance. Connolly ends the over jabbing out a nasty yorker.

WICKET! Starc c Rickelton b Coetzee 11 (Australia 402-8)

Coetzee gets his first as Starc stands tall and attempts to drive a delivery that pitches back of a length. A thick edge carries through to the keeper just as Starc looked as if he was about to get going.

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111th over: Australia 401-7 (Connolly 12, Starc 11) Australia bring up the 400 as Starc clobbers a shorter ball through point and to the rope. He looks for the same stroke off Harmer again but is unable to pick the gap.

110th over: Australia 397-7 (Connolly 12, Starc 7) A better over from Coetzee as he finds his line and varies his length. Starc picks up a single as he steps back, opens the face and prods to deep point. Connolly has been patient but he can’t help to end the over taking a swipe at a full and wide delivery.

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109th over: Australia 396-7 (Connolly 12, Starc 6) Connolly drives to long-off for a single as Starc picks up the same in less convincing fashion as he guides the ball wide of the cordon.

108th over: Australia 394-7 (Connolly 11, Starc 5) Gerald Coetzee takes the ball and immediately releases the pressure. Connolly punishes a wide ball with a slice that takes two bounces before crossing the rope at backward point. Coetzee is hardly at fault as Starc slashes and nicks the ball wide of second slip for another boundary. The South African ends the over pushing a slower ball well wide of the batter as it barely reaches the keeper.

107th over: Australia 385-7 (Connolly 6, Starc 1) Connolly picks up another easy single, this time through mid-on. Starc goes searching for runs off Harmer but is unable to find a gap.

Australia’s pair of wicketkeeping types made their mark with the willow over the past couple of days and Gervase Greene has been suitably impressed:

“You said Inglis’ fine knock might have “gone some way to silence the doubters.” Yes, no doubt it should have … but if anyone still doubts Australia’s need for an Inglis – or someone very like him – then they are spending too long watching the hit’n’giggle boondoggle comps.

“Alex Carey is quite fantastic, but he is 36. And keepers endure the reverse of dog-years – they do age quickly – even if as enviably footballer-fit as Carey. Inglis is 31, and happens to be a very good keeper – while still being extremely proficient with the blade. Surely it’s not too hard to figure – however accidentally – that a quite neat succession plan might have landed in our lap?”

Carey isn’t too far past 35 years old. But I think Gervase’s point still stands.

106th over: Australia 384-7 (Connolly 5, Starc 1) Connolly guides a wider ball through point for a single, once again handing over the strike early in an over. Australia won’t mind their young all-rounder getting his eye in like this. Rabada somehow misses leg stump as Starc plays across the line and is beaten by the seam and swing and whatever other movement is available at Newlands today.

105th over: Australia 381-7 (Connolly 3, Starc 0) Connolly drives Harmer to long-off for an easy single. He is doing well to turn over the strike in just his second Test. Starc sees out the rest of the over watchfully. He is probably due a decent score after being dismissed for 6, 1 and 11 so far in this series.

104th over: Australia 380-7 (Connolly 2, Starc 0) Rabada keeps the wickets tumbling as he dismisses the Australian captain. One brings two seems to be a major theme of this game.

WICKET! Cummins lbw b Rabada 0 (Australia 380-7)

Rabada angles the ball into Cummins pads as the Australia skipper plays across the line but is unable to get his bat near it as he leaps at the same time as contact. The umpire raises the finger and Cummins immediately reviews. Ball tracking shows it was clipping the top of leg-stump and the decision goes with umpire’s call.

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103rd over: Australia 379-6 (Connolly 1, Cummins 0) Simon Harmer has helped change the contest once again with a second wicket as Alex Carey is gone for 80 from 168 deliveries with eight boundaries. A wicket maiden as Pat Cummins comes to the crease.

WICKET! Carey c Markram b Harmer 80 (Australia 379-6)

Harmer gets his second wicket of the morning to drag South Africa back into the game. Carey gets down low to defend a fuller delivery but the extra turn takes an edge on the way through and Markram dives live to grasp the chance from slip.

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102nd over: Australia 379-5 (Carey 80, Connolly 1) Carey pulls Rabada for a single through midwicket as Connolly passes the test while the South Africa quick works away outside off stump.

101st over: Australia 378-5 (Carey 79, Connolly 1) Carey sends a full delivery to long-off for a single as Harmer gets a first look at Connolly. An inside edge on to the pads gets the South Africa in-close fielders up on their toes but the ball falls safely. Connolly looks keen to give himself some room and defend off the back foot.

100th over: Australia 377-5 (Carey 78, Connolly 1) Rabada forces Carey into a panicked defensive stroke as he gets the bat down just in time to direct it through point to the boundary. A cut to deep point brings Connolly on strike. After a sighter he plays and misses with a half-hearted jab. Connolly gets off the mark with a well-timed cover drive.

99th over: Australia 370-5 (Carey 72, Connolly 0) Simon Harmer needs some attention on his finger after the diving chance off Carey but then takes the ball in a double change for South Africa. Josh Inglis is immediately on the front foot to reverse sweep his way to a century and lets his emotions all hang out with an intense celebration. But just a couple of balls later his important knock ends as Harmer gets a much-needed breakthrough and Inglis looks as if he left runs on the table.

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WICKET! Inglis c Rickelton b Harmer 102 (Australia 370-5)

Inglis brings up his century and then two balls later is on his way as Harmer gets the ball to drift away from the right-hander and catches the edge on the way through to the keeper’s gloves. A fine knock from Inglis comes to an end but he has gone a long way to silencing the doubters with his second Test ton and first since his debut against Sri Lanka.

CENTURY! for Josh Inglis

Josh Inglis brings up his second Test hundred in style with a reverse sweep to the rope. He reaches the milestone from 133 balls with 11 fours and two sixes.

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98th over: Australia 362-4 (Inglis 97, Carey 69) Kagiso Rabada comes into the attack with South Africa desperately needing a breakthrough. It turns out Rabada couldn’t bowl straight away after spending time off the field yesterday. Inglis nudges closer to a milestone as he glances the opening delivery for a single to fine leg. Carey looks comfortable defending anything full but has to get his gloves down quickly as Rabada gets a ball pitched back of a length to rise up unexpectedly. Carey survives as he drives on the up with an angled bat and can only get a thick edge. Harmer dives low to his left and gets a hand to it – perhaps after the bounce – but the ball carries through his hand for four.

97th over: Australia 357-4 (Inglis 96, Carey 65) The ball keeps following Mulder even as he is moved off the rope and into the covers. Carey punches a powerful drive in the South Africa all-rounder’s direction and Mulder seems to fail to pick up the trajectory as the ball bounces past him and to the boundary. Jansen gets away with one as Inglis misses out on a full toss as the drive picks out a fielder at deep point for a single. Another full toss, this time to Carey, is directed at the batter’s head. Jansen puts his hand up to apologise. Might be time for a change of bowler.

96th over: Australia 350-4 (Inglis 95, Carey 60) Inglis and then Carey both work Mulder off their pads with ease for a pair of singles. The runs keep flowing as Inglis cuts a shorter ball for two more. 350 up for Australia.

95th over: Australia 346-4 (Inglis 93, Carey 59) A loose over from Jansen as he drifts on to Inglis’s pads and the Australia No 6 glances to fine leg for a single. Carey cuts a wider delivery through point that is only just pulled up short of the boundary by a diving Mulder. The South African is made to work hard again as Carey hammers another shot through point and this time Mulder fields with his feet before picking the ball up. All this running isn’t ideal when he has to charge in with ball in hand again.

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94th over: Australia 339-4 (Inglis 91, Carey 54) Mulder continues with Ryan Rickelton standing up at the stumps. The South Africa pace bowler has the ball nipping around. Inglis doesn’t know much about it as he defends with a straight bat and gets a thick inside edge that runs away to square for a single. Mulder goes around the wicket to Carey who comfortably defends four times.

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93rd over: Australia 338-4 (Inglis 90, Carey 54) Jansen wakes up Carey with a shorter ball. He gets the ball angling into the left-hander before ending the over with two more bouncers. Maiden.

92nd over: Australia 338-4 (Inglis 90, Carey 54) Wiaan Mulder takes the ball for South Africa. Have to think Kagiso Rabada is still feeling below full fitness as he stands in the field with his side desperate for an early breakthrough or two. Gerald Coetzee dives over the ball at mid-on and it races away to the boundary. It was an exquisite straight drive from Inglis and Coetzee got an unlucky bounce. But that is two little slices of misfortune that have already struck the Proteas today.

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91st over: Australia 334-4 (Inglis 86, Carey 54) Marco Jansen comes around the wicket and cramps up left-hander Alex Carey without finding a way through. The towering left-arm quick drifts to the offside and Carey makes the most of being given a little bit of room with a drive for one. Jansen angles the ball across Inglis with the left-right combination messing with his line as he gives up another single through cover. Carey ends the over riding his luck as a thick inside edge nearly chops on to the stumps but he picks up a couple more.

Marco Jansen rolls the arm over as he prepares to get day three under way with Alex Carey on strike. A huge first session coming up. Let’s play …

The South African players are getting into position at Newlands as Josh Inglis and Alex Carey prepare to continue their partnership. A minute or so until it’s game on …

Cameron Green looked solid as he returned from an abdominal strain to make 65 while batting at No 4. But he would still be kicking himself over not making a much more impactful score both for his side in this Test and his own long-term future. He speaks to Fox Sports … while it is worth noting Australia had partnerships of 58, 0, 126, 1 and an unbroken 145 on day two.

It was a great day for us yesterday. We spoke about big partnerships on a great batting pitch. And we did that beautifully with a couple of big partnerships.

South Africa will pin their hopes on bowling with a ball that is only 10 overs old and with Kagiso Rabada still having much more to give. The pace bowler was suffering from stomach cramps yesterday as he finished with 0 for 81 from 18 overs. If he is back to anything resembling his best, then the Proteas could soon be right back in this Test.

A near perfect day for batting at Newlands with the sun belting down, no cloud, little wind and a forecast high of 26C. Could be worse for the punters in Cape Town too.

All but one of Australia’s batters spent a prolonged period at the crease as the tourists wrested back the momentum on day two at Newlands. Catch up on how it all played out, and much about what it means, with Geoff Lemon’s daily recap …

If Cape Town’s first day was a rollercoaster, the second was some more sedate form of transport, though it continued with ups and downs fitting its mountainous backdrop. Twice, South Africa produced double strikes to stall promising Australian positions; twice the Australians rebuilt. Finally, Josh Inglis and Alex Carey pushed Australia in front, 330 for four to South Africa’s all out 329, ready to surge on through day three with those six wickets left in hand.

Related: Carey and Inglis counterpunch to put Australia on top in South Africa

Preamble

Hello and welcome to live coverage of day three of the third Test between South Africa and Australia in Cape Town. Hump day in this series decider has a lot to live up to after a rollercoaster ride across the first two days as the Proteas, and then Australia, each had a turn at tightening their grip on the game.

Australia have edged one run ahead of South Africa’s first innings total of 329 and still have six wickets in hand as Josh Inglis (85 not out) grasps his opportunity after a late call-up in place of Steve Smith and Alex Carey (51 not out) returns to form. The tourists are in a strong position as they seek to build a commanding first innings lead. But we only have to look back to barely more than a day’s play ago to when South Africa were 327 for 6 and in sight of stumps to be reminded of how quickly the tables can turn in this three-match contest between two evenly matched teams.

Inglis and Carey will be back at the crease in about 45 minutes with the first ball to be bowled at 10:30am in Cape Town / 7.30pm AEDT / 8.30am GMT. In the meantime, get in touch with your thoughts and predictions by email or find me @martinpegan on Bluesky.