- Video
-
Club Roar
Captured a great grassroots sporting moment? We want to see it!Content Collections
The Roar Community
- Join
- Login
With Day 2 completely rained out in Hobart, South Africa will look to continue building their first innings lead against Australia with more favourable weather anticipated for Day 3. Join The Roar for live scores and coverage from the earlier time of 10am (AEDT).
After 15 wickets fell on the first day of this match, leaving the hosts in a position where they will need everything to go perfectly if they are to pick up the win and stay in the series, rain ruined the second day.
It never looked like play was going to commence yesterday, but the rain will only make the already bowler friendly pitch harder to bat on.
At one point on the first day, Australia had slumped to a horrendous 5 for 17 before Steve Smith played a steady hand, scoring 48 not out for the hosts to reach 85.
There is almost no question the Australian’s will get another chance to bat today when their second innings kicks off, with South Africa only have five wickets in hand so it will be interesting to see where their confidence is at.
A mixture of bad shots and good bowling created a perfect storm for the Australian’s to capitulate on the first day’s play, and it could well happen again.
In reply, South Africa batted 55 overs – all the way to stumps and as mentioned only dropped five wickets, making 171 runs in the process and taking their lead to 86.
Given they have to bat last on the wicket, a first innings lead was crucial, and again something the Australian’s couldn’t achieve in the first Test at the WACA when batting last.
The bowlers struggled for consistency, but full credit must go to the Proteas batsmen who knuckled down and batted for ugly runs.
With the exception of JP Duminy and Faf du Plesis, who faced the best of the Aussie bowling, all of the tourists batsmen got some sort of runs, which has helped them build the lead.
With the rain yesterday though, and only one more wicket to expose the tail they will be looking to get every run possible before they get knocked over.
Day 3 Prediction
South Africa have dominated nearly every moment of this series so far, and it’s hard to see them not going on with it today.
While batting first up on a pitch that will have plety of moisture in it after the rain yesterday will not be easy, they already have the first innings lead and the way their bowlers have been swinging the ball another Australian collapse is on the cards.
If Australia manage to roll the Proteas quickly and then see off the new ball – that is a responsibility that Joe Burns and David Warner must take care off then they could work their way back into the match.
Still, it’s tough to see it happening.
Be sure to join The Roar for live coverage of Day 3 at Hobart from 10am (AEDT) and don’t forget to drop a comment in the section below.
Follow Scott on Twitter @sk_pryde