Source :- THE AGE NEWS
The night watchman Scott Boland has gone in the first ball of the second over as Marco Jansen strikes.
Boland will be disappointed, he would have loved to stick around for a time and take some of the fizz out of the new ball.
Mind you, he would be very tired after bowling so much.
Australia are 2-11
Australia quick Mitchell Starc claimed his 450th test wicket on Tuesday, but South Africa’s lower order exposed the tourists’ decision to omit spinner Nathan Lyon on day three of the second test.
Starc became only the 10th bowler to reach the milestone when Wiaan Mulder gloved a rising delivery from the 36-year-old to Matt Renshaw as South Africa slipped to 6-110.
The home side then turned the tables, seeing off the all-seam attack and the back-up part-timers and making the absence of Lyon more pronounced as they went on to score 9-425 before declaring.
It did not help that Josh Hazlewood, who took a career-best 6-49 in helping Australia to an emphatic 214-run victory in last week’s first test, could only bowl after lunch.
It’s another beautiful morning in Gqeberha and Australia are about to come face to face with Kagiso Rabada as he tries to blast them out and open up the possibility of a win here.
Nic Maddinson was dismissed by Rabada in very dull light on the third evening, but as significant was the fact that Rabada got the new ball to swing.
The easterly breeze is blowing this morning, a direction thought to aid bowlers.
Gqeberha: Mitchell Starc says Josh Hazlewood’s stomach bug left the Australians pining for another bowler at times as South Africa took control of the second Test, while insisting Nathan Lyon has put a brave face on his latest omission from the team.
While Hazlewood returned to the team on day three, Starc said he was still feeling the effects of the illness that confined him to the team hotel the previous day, and that his absence had a cumulative effect on the rest of the attack.
Beau Webster took up much of the slack with his seamers, but like skipper Pat Cummins finished wicketless, as did Durban surprise packet Matt Renshaw. South Africa declared at 9-425 on the back of captain Temba Bavuma’s magnificent 179.
“Coming into the game, you don’t know you’re going to be a man down there,” Starc said. “So Beau bowled a lot more than he probably expected to, and I thought he bowled quite nicely. Beat the bat a lot, so he probably played that role, that holding role a bit more, and came from both ends.
“We saw him there at the end, bowling with the part-timers a little bit as well. If you know you could be a man down from the start, you’re probably playing a different make-up, aren’t you? But yeah, unfortunately, Josh has had a dodgy prawn or something, and he’ll be fresh legs for the second innings.”
South African captain Temba Bavuma has noted the St George’s Park pitch has not deteriorated as much as usual as he contemplates how his side can bowl Australia out twice.
The Proteas made 9-425 declared and Australia will resume at 1-3 as day four begins.
Bavuma said he expected speedster Kagiso Rababa would lead his attack as they tried to get early wickets.
“We have another opportunity here, a fresh new ball and hopefully, we can do something special today,” Bavuma told Kayo Sports.
Gqeberha: Skipper Temba Bavuma struck a test-best 179 to help South Africa recover from 6-110 to post an imposing 9-425 declared on Day three of the second cricket test against Australia on Tuesday.
Bavuma came out to bat on the opening day with the Proteas 2-12 and then saw them limp to 5-92 as rain and a wet outfield disrupted play a day later.
But he held South Africa together in stoic fashion, hitting 18 fours and one six in 334 deliveries, to put his side in control at St. George’s Park. He had good support from the lower order, Marco Jansen scoring 85 and Simon Harmer adding 82 as the duo put on big partnerships with Bavuma in the first innings.
In reply, Australia was 1-3 at stumps.
Here are the adjusted session times in AEDT for day four:
1st session: 6.45pm to 9pm
2nd session: 9.40pm to 11.55pm
3rd session: 12.15am to 2.15am
You will be happy to read that Accuweather says that there is a zero per cent chance of rain today up until 1pm local time and then only a one per cent chance between 1pm and 6pm.
Otherwise, it should be sunny with a little wind and cloud with temperatures in a high of 23 degrees.
G’day everyone. It’s Roy Ward here and welcome to our cricket live blog for day four of the second Test at St George’s Park in Gqeberha.
I’ll be tapping away on the keys tonight while Daniel Brettig will be sending us his take on proceedings from the ground.
Play is set to begin at 6.45pm AEDT. Enjoy the hours to come.
