Cape Town: Australia seized control of the series-deciding third Test at Newlands on Thursday, building a 100-run first-innings lead before late strikes from Mitchell Starc and Nathan Lyon left South Africa precariously placed at 140/4 in their second innings at stumps — an overall lead of just 40 runs.
Resuming on 330/4, Australia were bowled out for 429 midway through the afternoon session. Josh Inglis, playing his first Test in nearly a year after a late call-up following Steve Smith’s injury, scored 102 — reaching his second Test century with a reverse sweep off Simon Harmer — while Alex Carey made a patient 80 off 168 balls. The pair added 185 runs for the fifth wicket after Cameron Green departed for 65, and in the Pat Cummins era Australia have bettered 429 only five times in away Tests.
South Africa’s reply began disastrously. Starc struck in the third over, with Aiden Markram pushing a delivery straight to mid-off, where Travis Head held on this time after dropping Markram early in the first innings. David Bedingham followed just before tea, top-edging a pull off Josh Hazlewood to Lyon in the deep.
Marques Ackerman, who had scored 95 in the first innings, then led a rousing fightback with a second half-century of the match, reaching fifty off 64 balls and striking eight fours in a 62 off 80 balls. But his innings ended in contentious fashion at 95/3, when a venomous Starc bouncer skimmed his top glove, clanged off his helmet grill and flew to Cameron Green at slip. Ackerman reviewed as time expired and was harshly sent walking without his case being heard, though replays confirmed the glove graze.
Captain Temba Bavuma and Ackerman’s successor at the crease, Matthew Breetzke, then blunted Lyon on a pitch that had begun puffing up dust with most deliveries, surviving close chances against Cummins as stumps approached. But five minutes before the close, Lyon produced a classic off-spinner’s dismissal, spinning one prodigiously through Bavuma’s wandering flick to bowl him between bat and pad for a careful 115-ball 35. It was the seventh time Lyon has dismissed Bavuma, and the second time in this match.
Starc finished with 2/29 and eight wickets in the match, while Lyon’s late intervention ensured Australia retained the initiative on an increasingly dusty Newlands surface offering sharp turn and uneven bounce.
At stumps, Breetzke was unbeaten on 19 with Ryan Rickelton on 8, and South Africa face a huge day four on Friday with the series — level at 1-1 — on the line.
Read the Day 2 report: https://t20star.com/inglis-and-carey-put-australia-ahead-as-south-africa-toil-on-day-2-at-newlands/
Brief scores: South Africa 329 all out and 140/4 (Marques Ackerman 62, Temba Bavuma 35; Mitchell Starc 2/29); Australia 429 all out (Josh Inglis 102, Alex Carey 80, Cameron Green 65).
