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Proteas batters Markram and Bedingham have both found the boundary already this morning, especially Markram who is playing his drives despite the possibility of nicking the ball.
Hazlewood and the Aussies are daring him to drive and he is taking their offer so far.
Bedingham has looked less assured, especially when Cummins can make the ball climb steeply.
But one does wonder how long the quicks will be at both ends and when Nathan Lyon will get his chance.
SA 1-49 with Markram on 28 from 48 and Bedingham on 21 from 33 chasing 390.
Cummins finished his over from last night and Hazlewood earned an early nick although it bounced before the slips could catch it.
South Africa have moved to 1-32 and the pitch seems to be playing pretty well although Cummins and Hazlewood have found the odd promising delivery.
Cummins had an lbw shout turned down, he’s asking some tough questions of Markram and Bedingham.
That shout wasn’t reviewed and it proved correct as the DRS showed it was bouncing over the stumps.
There are very few fans in the ground so far but more could well come in as the morning rolls on, that seemed to be the way the locals arrived yesterday.
South Africa are 1-33 from 11 overs chasing 390
The sun is out early in Durban today and Australia will be hoping for new ball success in the first session.
It will also be a big day for Nathan Lyon after his batting heroics yesterday on a pitch taking turn.
Matt Renshaw was the toast of the touring side overnight after his epic 190.
Doubtless he will be particularly chuffed to be publicly complimented (on Instagram) by Steve Smith, who called it “some knock” and doubtless would have loved to play a similar hand himself. Later in the series, perhaps.
Former Australian batter Simon Katich called the innings one of the top three Test hundreds in the last decade while Renshaw admits he doubted he would ever play Test cricket again, let alone add to his 184 scored in 2017.
Katich told SEN today that he rated Renshaw’s 100 among the top three Test centuries of the last decade while Renshaw reflected on a hundred that came nine years and 280 days after his last century.
“It’s been a long time coming and I probably didn’t think I’d be in this situation after [missing] a couple of opportunities after that,” Renshaw told Kayo Sports.
“It’s special to help the team out in a pretty important Test match.
Matt Renshaw’s superb century in the middle order against South Africa has left Australia with another selection headache.
Does the Queenslander’s 190 in Durban suggest he is best placed at No.5, and if so, who is best to open alongside Travis Head?
Australia’s selectors were heavily criticised for the decision to bring Nic Maddinson back into the side after almost 10 years on Friday, and have him open the batting.
Maddinson’s 33-ball duck left several questions over the left-hander’s position, but what it did do is allow Renshaw to bat No.5 after he impressed there in the ODIs.
We will be going with the longer sessions today to try and make up for some of the lost time but there is every chance the players will be cleared from the field before the final hour of the day judging from the light issues from the first two days.
First session: 6.30pm to 8.45pm AEDT
Second session: 9.25pm to 11.40pm AEDT
Third session: 12am to 2am AEDT
Durban: Test tours of South Africa have often produced unexpected events for the Australian public to wake up to.
That was, of course, the way most discovered sandpaper gate in 2018, but there have also been plenty of others. Greg Blewett and Steve Waugh batting all day in Johannesburg in 1997, then Mark Waugh conjuring a Test victory from nowhere in the next game, at what was then Port Elizabeth.
In 2002, South Africa lost 16 wickets inside a day to end a game that seemed to be lasting at least another 24 hours. And 2009 saw the morning herald remarkable twin centuries for Phillip Hughes, also at Kingsmead.
To that roll call can now be added a monumental innings, 190 in all, from Matt Renshaw, with the help of the touring side’s stout-hearted tail.
G’day everyone and welcome to our live blog for day three of the first Test in Durban.
I’m Roy Ward and I’ll be opening the bowling, in a blogging sense, as Australia attempts to bowl out South Africa after posting 390 in the first innings.
Play is due to start at 6.30pm AEDT.
Enjoy the evening to come.
