Two Mitchells have Australia on brink of Test win in Durban

When Australia set South Africa 417 to win the first Test at Durban, it was all over bar the shouting when Dean Elgar, Hashim Amla, AB de Villiers, and skipper Faf du Plessis were back in the shed at 4-49.

That was the first of three vastly different sections of the very intriguing fourth day.

The second was the fifth and sixth wicket stands of 87 and 147 between opener Aiden Markram with firstly Theunis de Bruyn, then Quinton de Kock, that gave South Africa the sniff of an unlikely victory after a shocking start.

The third belonged to the two Mitchells – Marsh and Starc – to have Australia on the brink of what first appeared to be a cruise to victory.

Marsh had Markram caught behind for 143 with Tim Paine standing up to the wicket – he’ll never take a better, or sharper, catch.

Then it was Starc’s turn to turn it on as only Starc can do.

The big bloke had Vernon Philander caught behind with his second delivery of his 15th over, and spreadeagled the stumps of Keshav Maharaj and Kagiso Rabada with his fifth and sixth deliveries to be on a hat-trick.

He was denied the chance when the umpires ruled it was too dark for Starc to bowl despite the fact the lights were on.

Their ruling only allowed offie Nathan Lyon, and part-time leggie Steve Smith, to bowl with South Africa nine down.

Repeat – nine down.

That farce continued for six overs before umpires Kumar Dharmasena and Sundaram Ravi stopped play due to bad light, with the lights on.

What a farce, and the umpires wonder why they are so often criticized for lacking common sense.

So play will resume on the final day with South Africa 9-293, still needing 124 to win, and you can bet on Mitchell Starc having the first over for his hat-trick attempt.

Both Starc and Maharaj have led their attacks throughout this Test. They have been the most successful bowlers in all four innings – Starc 5-34 off 10.4 and 4-74 so far off 16, with Maharaj’s 5-123 off 33.4, and 4-102 off 29.4.

The most staggering stat overnight was Nathan Lyon’s wicketless day. One would have expected the Durban track, which has looked more like a war zone, would be right in Lyon’s wheelhouse on the fourth day.

Strangely, the wicket was so placid Lyon spent 32 fruitless overs trying to seal the win, and that was very much foreign territory to the world’s best offie.

(AAP Image/Dan Himbrechts)

While Lyon had a quiet day, Markram had the best of his life.

This is only his seventh Test, but his third Test ton.

He scored 143 against Bangladesh in Bloemfontein last year, followed by 125 against Zimbabwe at Port Elizabeth.

But last night’s 143 was very special, having survived a suicidal single on 99 to bring up his ton.

In all, he cracked 19 fours, but not one was on the leg-side. There was a strong message there for the Steve Smith for the next three Tests.

And Quinton de Kock’s unbeaten 81 was a timely turnaround from his previous Test digs with six in single figures, and a top score of 20.

So barring rain today, Australia will win the first Test and head for Port Elizabeth, Cape Town, and Johannesburg to complete the series on three very different surfaces to Durban.

And with them will go television commentator Michael Haysman whose quote on air overnight must win an award.

Needing 127 to win Haysman said – “South Africa is in trouble at 9-290”.