Live: Australian bowlers look to press home advantage on day three

It’s been noted on the broadcast that Boland is bowling from the slightly more comfortable end, with his run up ever so slightly downhill. Which means captain Cummins is taking one for the team and running in ever so slightly uphill.

Cummins bowled well without luck yesterday. Pace was good and the short ball looked dangerous. He’s got Wiaan Mulder on strike now.

FOUR! Mulder moves across his stumps and gets a thick inside edge down the leg side. Boland isn’t able to reel it in on the rope. Cummins won’t be concerned with that though, he’s beaten the moving batter there.

There’s the first short one, and Mulder plays a pull shot. Doesn’t time it but it takes two runs out through midwicket.

BEATEN! A little bit of shape away from Cummins, beating the prod of Mulder who is still moving across his stumps.

Six runs from the over.

Right, let’s play cricket. Josh Hazlewood is back on the field but he won’t be allowed to bowl for a while as he sat out yesterday’s session of play with what we believe to be a dodgy belly.

So it will be Boland from the top, chasing his fifth wicket. Temba Bavuma is on strike.

Boland is on the money immediately. Bavuma solid in his forward defence, as he has been for most of his innings.

That’ll be a maiden over to kick things off then. Bavuma is in this for the long haul. Let’s see if he can find some help at the other end.

It’s looking like an absolutely gorgeous day right now in Gqeberha and we are certainly beginning on time.

But it ain’t all good news.

The clouds are slated to roll in during the early afternoon, and the heavens a chance to open a couple hours later.

Eek.

Like most of us yesterday, Russell Jackson was probably sensing another wasted day as the rain fell and the water lingered on the St George’s Park surface.

But any opportunity to bowl in a Test match is one that Scott Boland and Mitch Starc won’t want to waste, and they made hay despite the fact that Josh Hazlewood was indisposed through illness.

Here’s Russell’s analysis.

I don’t think anyone was more surprised than Matt Renshaw when he snaffled a magical catch at slip to dismiss Ryan Rickleton.

Read all about that and the other things you may have missed, here.

On last night’s evidence, I’m not actually sure there will be too many demons in this wicket. It spent most of yesterday baking under the sunlight and seemed to me to be playing pretty true for the most part. Only Scott Boland found any real sideways movement.

Of course Kagiso Rabada is going to be a problem, as he is on any pitch. But I reckon it’s more likely it flattens out for the rest of the week now.

A lot of rain started the day, then a patch of muddy ground stopped play, and then when the players did get onto the field, it was wickets that started tumbling as Australia pressed home its advantage.

Here’s how the day unfolded.