After a scintillating performance in the first Test, Australia head to Port Elizabeth knowing another win over South Africa will keep their 48-year unbeaten series win streak in the country intact. Join The Roar for live scores and analysis from 7pm (AEDT).
Whether with the bat, with the ball or in the field, Australia’s win in Durban by 118 runs, against a quality opponent on foreign soil, was nothing short of emphatic.
Led by, of all people, resurgent all-rounder Mitchell Marsh, the Aussies blunted the Proteas’ vaunted bowling attack after winning the toss to post a good first-innings score, before Mitchell Starc led a supreme effort with the ball to round up the hosts twice for under 300.
Though not without resistance – a dynamic stand between Aiden Markram and Quinton de Kock on the fourth day brought about plenty of nail-chewing – it was almost a complete team performance from the tourists, with nearly every player contributing.
One man who didn’t was under-fire first drop Usman Khawaja, and with young opener Cameron Bancroft posting his second Test half-century in the match, the stylish left-hander finds himself in the unfamiliar position of being the batsman most likely to lose his spot.
While the Proteas will be disappointed with their performance, there were still plenty of diamonds in the rough that can give the hosts heart.
Spinner Keshav Maharaj produced a career-best nine-wicket haul, out-of-form keeper-batsman de Kock returned to his swashbuckling best, and most significantly, young opener Markram showed he is a star of the future with a magnificent 143 in the second innings, rescuing the Proteas from embarrassment in the process.
But aside from him and the masterful AB de Villiers, the Proteas’ batting looked flaky, and with Hashim Amla a shadow of the player he once was, and important cogs Dean Elgar and Faf du Plessis struggling as well, what should be a fearsome line-up has some gaping cracks.
Prediction
The toss in the first Test was crucial, but throughout, Australia looked the better side with both bat and ball, and it’s difficult to see that changing in a week.
Australia by seven wickets or 140 runs.
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Andrew
Guest
I agree ronan and with one down for 39, wouldn't take too much for S.A to crumble fairly quickly either. Australia bat deeper than S.A so the more early wickets the better.
Pope Paul VII
Guest
Rabada is taking the p#ss
Tim Miller
Editor
Stumps, Day 1: South Africa 1/39 (12 overs; Rabada 17*, Elgar 11*, Cummins 1/9) trail Australia 243 (Warner 63, Bancroft 38, Paine 36, Rabada 5/96, Ngidi 3/51) by 204 runs with 9 wickets remaining in the first innings.
Tim Miller
Editor
That's it from me this evening/night. Thanks for your company! An engrossing day, and one on which South Africa have set themselves up nicely to forge a first-innings lead. Day 2 will be absolutely vital, so be sure to tune back into The Roar for that! Until then, goodbye!
Tim Miller
Editor
On a day of Test cricket marked by rapid momentum swings and bursts of runs and wickets aplenty, a familiar foe thought defeated reared its ugly head to torment Australia, a batting collapse giving South Africa the edge on Day 1 in Port Elizabeth. Looking comfortable at 3/161, with Steve Smith and Shaun Marsh motoring along, a burst of sublime seam bowling from South Africa’s young quick Kagiso Rabada saw the heart ripped out of the Australian middle, five wickets- all Rabada’s- falling for 21 runs on either side of tea to send the visitors plummeting to 8/182. After David Warner and Cameron Bancroft survived a hostile opening hour of play to add 98 runs for the first wicket, it was all one-way traffic, the Proteas wrapping up the visitors’ first innings with just 243 runs on the board, and while Aiden Markram couldn’t survive a tricky 45 minutes before the close of play, LBW to Pat Cummins for 11, the hosts ended the day in control at 1/39, with Rabada unbeaten on 17 after coming in as nightwatchman. But if familiarity bred contempt for Australia, it could spell disaster for the Proteas, with Rabada potentially drawing the ire of the ICC once again for a bump on Smith after dismissing the Aussie captain LBW for 25. The fiery fast bowler already has five demerit points thanks to several outbursts on last year’s tour of England, and one more would see him banned for the final two Tests of the series- an unmitigated disaster for the Proteas. But while the future looks worrisome, the present was delightful for Rabada, the 22-year old rebounding from a disappointing Test in Durban to rip the Aussies limb from limb in an eight-over spell for the ages. First dismissing set batsmen Smith and Shaun Marsh in successive overs with a pair of hooping inswingers- Smith also spurning an optimistic review in the process- before getting an edge from an ill-looking Mitchell Marsh on the last ball before tea. And if that wasn’t enough, the ball after the interval, Pat Cummins followed suit in an eerily similar manner, only his dismissal was off an outside edge compared to Marsh’s inside feather. He soon castled Mitchell Starc with one that jagged back off a length for his five-wicket haul, only a rearguard effort from Tim Paine (36) together with tailenders Nathan Lyon and Josh Hazlewood seeing the Aussies post a competitive total, Lungi Ngidi wrapping up the tail to finish with three wickets after being recalled for retiring quick Morne Morkel. Earlier, it was David Warner and Cameron Bancroft who saw off a difficult first hour of play after Smith won the toss and elected to bat for the second time in the series. With the ball hooping around and cutting viciously off the deck, Vernon Philander particularly menacing, the two openers added an invaluable 23 runs in the first 14 overs of the day, then cut loose after the drinks break, Warner racing to 50 in quick time as the run rate nearly reached 4 an over by lunch.
Tim Miller
Editor
Stumps on Day 1, and South Africa are in control at 1/39 after bowling Australia out for 243.
Tim Miller
Editor
11.6, Lyon to Elgar, flat again outside off and spinning away, Elgar doesn't have to play the final ball of the day. (SOUTH AFRICA 1/39)
Tim Miller
Editor
11.5, Lyon to Elgar, fired in on the stumps, Elgar defends. A bit of turn here for Lyon, even at 94 kph. (SOUTH AFRICA 1/39)
Tim Miller
Editor
11.3, Lyon to Elgar, tossed up again on middle stump, turning away from the left-hander, Elgar moves with the spin to defend. (SOUTH AFRICA 1/39)
Tim Miller
Editor
11.1, Lyon to Elgar, tossed up via a flat trajectory outside off, Elgar defends into the covers. (SOUTH AFRICA 1/39)
Tim Miller
Editor
Time for one more over, you'd say. And it's a gamble from Smith; Nathan Lyon to bowl it.
Tim Miller
Editor
10.4, Hazlewood to Rabada, FOUR RUNS, Rabada motoring here! Valuable runs from the nightwatchman, another length ball outside off that Rabada plays with soft hands, keeps it down and it finds the gap between point and gully, down to the boundary for another four. (SOUTH AFRICA 1/39)
Tim Miller
Editor
10.3, Hazlewood to Rabada, back of a length and rearing up at the batsman, outside off though so Rabada can just lower his bat and watch the ball fly on by. (SOUTH AFRICA 1/35)
Tim Miller
Editor
10.1, Hazlewood to Rabada, FOUR RUNS, a third boundary for Rabada! Length ball from Hazlewood and angling across, Rabada drawn into the shot and gets a thick edge, but soft hands keep it low and in any event, he finds the gap between third slip and gully for the ball to race through down to the rope. (SOUTH AFRICA 1/35)
Tim Miller
Editor
9.6, Cummins to Rabada, one run, back of a length and rearing at Rabada, he fends in the air but it squirts safely away behind square leg, they run a singe. (SOUTH AFRICA 1/31)
Tim Miller
Editor
9.5, Cummins to Rabada, FOUR RUNS, another lovely cricket shot from Rabada! A touch full and straying onto the pads, Rabada accepts the gift gratefully as he crunches an on drive through mid-wicket for four. Lovely shot. (SOUTH AFRICA 1/30)
Tim Miller
Editor
9.3, Cummins to Rabada, there's the bumper from the Aussie quick, well directed but a touch too short, and Rabada ducks under it. (SOUTH AFRICA 1/26)
Tim Miller
Editor
9.2, Cummins to Rabada, full ball outside off and angling across the left-hander, Rabada leaves. (SOUTH AFRICA 1/26)
Mitch
Guest
Gota love pitches like this you always have the sense that something is going to happen and makes for some great batting knocks.
Tim Miller
Editor
7.4, Hazlewood to Elgar, dear me, what's that done? Around the wicket to Elgar, a good length with angle back in, Elgar caught in two minds as he opts to leave too late, the ball catching the withdrawing bat and falling dangerously close to the stumps. (SOUTH AFRICA 1/26)