South Africa successfully navigated a tense race against deteriorating weather conditions on Thursday, bowling out Australia for 295 to secure a victory by an innings and 31 runs at St George’s Park. The result brings the three-match series to 1-1 with one contest remaining.
The match appeared destined for a draw early on, as rainfall washed out the majority of the first two days. When play finally resumed on the third morning, South Africa found themselves in a precarious position at 110-6. However, a transformative 179-run innings from captain Temba Bavuma shifted the momentum, propelling the hosts to a declaration at 425-9. South Africa then dismantled the Australian batting order for just 99 in their first innings to enforce the follow-on.
Resuming the final day at 156-4, Australia sought to hold firm as Travis Head and nightwatchman Scott Boland anchored the crease. Head reached 121, marking his 13th Test century and only his second away from home, before he chopped a rising delivery from Wiaan Mulder onto his stumps. The dismissal broke a period of defensive resistance that had lasted nearly 90 minutes. Who was 87 overnight, went on to score 121 before chopping onto his stumps a rising delivery from Mulder, head and Boland had resumed on 156-4 in the second innings after rain returned and wiped out the morning session and Head. And his departure offered the home bowlers hope again after almost 90 minutes of frustrating attack without success at the start of the day’s action, it was Head’s 13th Test century but only his second outside Australia. Then Cummins (4) played down the wrong line and was also clean bowled in Mulder’s next over.
Boland, who provided stubborn defiance by facing 166 balls for his 40 runs, eventually fell after tea when he was bowled through the gate.
Shortly after, Pat Cummins saw his stumps rattled by Mulder, and the collapse accelerated as the clouds darkened overhead. Kagiso Rabada, performing strongly in his first match following a long injury layoff, returned to clean bowl Mitchell Starc. Marco Jansen claimed the final wicket when Josh Hazlewood was caught behind on his first delivery. He immediately bowled Starc (11), leaving one wicket to get, which Jansen snagged as Hazlewood showed no sign of sticking around and nick, when Rabada came back for a fresh spell as dark clouds loomed ominously overhead.
Rabada finished with impressive figures of 4-77, while Mulder contributed 3-64 to the bowling effort. Alex Carey remained unbeaten on 37, but Australia’s lower order could not survive the late surge from the South African pace attack. Reflecting on the challenging nature of the win, Bavuma noted, “We were scrambling a bit, not sure about the weather and Australia made us work hard for those last six wickets.”
Australia’s captain, Pat Cummins, acknowledged the struggle of his side throughout the contest. “I thought we showed some good fight, but it wasn’t quite enough. We were a long way from our best,” he admitted. Former skipper Steve Smith, hindered by a neck injury earlier in the match, was dismissed for just three runs when he top-edged a Rabada delivery to Matthew Breetzke at mid-wicket.
With the series now balanced, both teams will turn their attention to the final Test match, which is scheduled to begin this coming Tuesday at Newlands in Cape Town.
