Key events
18th over: South Africa 55-1 (Markram 22, Bedingham 30) Three singles from Lyon’s fifth over. I’m not sure you’re ever in on this pitch, unless you’re Matt Renshaw, but Markram and Bedingham are playing nicely.
17th over: South Africa 52-1 (Markram 21, Bedingham 28) Oohs and aahs from the Australians when Markram inside-edges a low full toss from Cummins onto his pad. Turns out it was a no-ball anyway.
That might it for Cummins after five overs of toil. Australia would love one or two more wickets before the close, whenever that may be.
“Could there be a more Marnus possibility than dropping him for the next Test, and then bringing him in as Steve Smith’s concussion replacement?” wonders Pete Salmon.
Cricket loves a full circle.
16th over: South Africa 49-1 (Markram 20, Bedingham 27) Lyon tries his luck around the wicket to Bedingham, then moves back over. Nothing doing in that over, but Lyon could claim a decent record in this Test: the most wickets in the fourth innings of a Test victory. Shane Warne leads the way with 106; Lyon is on 104. Winning games in the fourth innings is a point of pride for all spinners.
15th over: South Africa 46-1 (Markram 19, Bedingham 25) Bedingham’s fifth boundary is another superb shot, flick-pulled behind backward square leg off Cummins. I still think he’s taking a risk on a slightly uneven pitch, but he timed and placed that one beautifully.
14th over: South Africa 42-1 (Markram 19, Bedingham 21) So far, so good with the light. Lyon continues after the drinks break and induces a false stroke from Bedingham, who inside-edges an attempted whip into his front pad. With Bedingham going a long way across to Lyon, Pat Cummins puts in a leg slip. The close fielders are extremely chirpy, particularly with Lyon is bowling to Bedingham.
The over ends with an unsuccessful LBW appeal against Markram, who played around a big off-break but just managed to get outside the line. It feels like a wicket is coming at Lyon’s end.
13th over: South Africa 41-1 (Markram 19, Bedingham 20) A quiet over from Cummins takes us to the drinks break. Markram has 19 from 37 balls, Bedingham 20 from 29.
12th over: South Africa 40-1 (Markram 19, Bedingham 19) Markham is surprised by some extra bounce from Lyon and edges for four. I thought it went straight past slip but replays show it hit the elbow of Carey, who had almost no reaction time, and then deflected past Labuschagne. Even Steve Smith would have struggled to catch that.
“Checking out the biggest chases,” writes Mark. “There were plenty of runs in the 2002 series. Aussies chased down 331 to win then SA 335 in Durban. Proper peak Aussie side too: Hayden, Langer, Ponting, Waugh, Waugh, Martyn, Gilchrist, Warne, Gillespie, Lee, McGrath. Warnie bowled 70 overs in one innings in the 2nd Test!! No workload management there…”
That was when Australia struggled with another DRS: Dead Rubber Syndrome. Most of their defeats in that time were when the series had already been won. Cracking series, though, as they usually are between these two. Adam Gilchrist’s 138 not out at Cape Town is one of the best counter-attacking innings I’ve ever seen. He smashed 204 with about 10 sixes, in the first Test of the series but I think the 138 was even better.
11th over: South Africa 36-1 (Markram 15, Bedingham 19) Markram square drives Cummins for four, a classy shot from a brilliant player. Cummins’ response is an unpleasant lifter; Markram gets on top of it but throws his head back in surprise.
When Markram rotates strike, Bedingham pulls smoothly behind square for four. Not sure it’s the best approach in these circumstances, but he plays some extremely attractive strokes.
10th over: South Africa 27-1 (Markram 10, Bedingham 15) A double bowling change from Pat Cummins, who introduces Nathan Lyon inside the first 10 overs. “Awwwwwwwwww Gary, I like it!” drawls Alex Carey after his second delivery is defended by Bedingham.
Bedingham, possibly affected by all the chatter, tries to cut a wide ball and is beaten.
9th over: South Africa 26-1 (Markram 9, Bedingham 15) Pat Cummins replaces Starc. His first ball sits up on middle stump and is timed expertly to the midwicket boundary by Bedingham.
After playing and missing outside off, Bedingham forces a back-foot drive behind square for his third boundary. Another lovely stroke, but Australia won’t mind because the margin for error is small.
8th over: South Africa 18-1 (Markram 9, Bedingham 7) A terrific shot from Bedingham, who stands tall and times Hazlewood to the cover boundary. He almost throws his wicket with an airy-fairy hook next ball; Australia enquired for a catch but it flew past the top edge.
7th over: South Africa 13-1 (Markram 9, Bedingham 2) Starc is bowling over the wicket to Bedingham and around to Markram. The days of one-size-fits-all bowling are long gone. Bedingham throws his hands at a wider delivery and cloths a single into the covers; Markram defends the rest of the over.
“Reckon they’re about 17 short,” writes Luca. “We chased down 438, why not 421?”
6th over: South Africa 12-1 (Markram 9, Bedingham 1) Hazlewood concedes his first run from his 16th delivery when Bedingham clips into the leg side. He’s been fiendishly accurate so far, with nothing even vaguely loose.
Cricket Australia have confirmed that Steve Smith is being assessed after being hit on the head by Anrich Nortje earlier in the day. The second Test begins on Sunday.
5th over: South Africa 11-1 (Markram 9, Bedingham 0) Markram is tempted into a drive by Starc, still bowling round the wicket, and thick edges it behind square for four. Australia have so many runs to play with that they’ll be happy to see Markram trying to drive.
Markram looks quizzically down the pitch after sniffing a ferocious lifter from Starc. South Africa surely have no chance of surviving 100+ overs on an increasingly awkward pitch.
4th over: South Africa 7-1 (Markram 5, Bedingham 0) Hazlewood v Rickelton in this Test: 12 balls, 0 runs, 2 wickets.
WICKET! South Africa 7-1 (Rickelton c Carey b Hazlewood 2)
That didn’t take long. After playing for his off stump, Rickelton’s eyes light up when Hazlewood bangs in a short ball. Rickelton launches into a pull but top-edges it through to Carey.
3rd over: South Africa 7-0 (Rickelton 2, Markram 5) An errant delivery from Starc is excellently saved by Carey, leaping to his left down the leg side.
No movement of note for Starc and Hazlewood just yet. We could see Nathan Lyon very early in the innings.
2nd over: South Africa 5-0 (Rickelton 1, Markram 4) Josh Hazlewood, who induced a loose drive from Rickelton in the first innings, starts with a few tempters outside off stump. Rickelton resists the bait and defends the straight ones. A maiden.
Steve Smith is off the field, presumably because of the blow he suffered during his innings this morning. That’s a concern, especially with his concussion history. Michael Neser is on as sub.
1st over: South Africa 5-0 (Rickelton 1, Markram 4) Ryan Rickelton gets off a pair straight away by taking a quick single to mid-off.
Starc digs a few deliveries in to Aiden Markram, then pitches one up to see whether there’s any swing. Not on this occasion: Markram leans into a gorgeous cover drive that rushes away for four.
That prompts Starc to go round the wicket for the last ball, which lifts to beat Markram’s defensive push.
In other news
Mitchell Starc will open the bowling as per. Australia are likely to have just two hours in the field tonight.
“If SA are to get anywhere close to a draw and a wi… [come on now], someone, if not a few of their batters will need to join Matt Renshaw’s sublime Test by getting on the half-century list,” writes Guy Hornsby. “This final session, like so many I’ve witnessed as an England fan, will be crucial.
“Get to the close one down and there’s hope, but how many times have this quartet rattled a few top order wickets out when they’re applying the thumbscrew? After the quicks, a man licking his lips since he walked off yesterday, will be central to this all: Nathan Lyon.”
I hope I’m wrong, and that it goes to the final over tomorrow, but I think it’ll be done by lunch. I’ve just checked the tea leaves and all I can read is Edgbaston 2019.
A lot was made of South Africa picking two spinners in this Test. It may not happen again for a while: Simon Harmer and Keshav Maharaj have combined figures of 4-320 from 82.2 overs.
Tea
The declaration means that tea will be taken early. South Africa’s players need a cold shower, and then another. They are in a world of trouble after some exemplary declaration batting from Australia, who went through the gears and finished the innings with a run-rate of 5.41.
Matt Renshaw hit 82 and is still the only man to reach fifty in this game, but everyone made double figures and there were particularly good contributions from Nic Maddinson (48 from 38 balls) and Pat Cummins (32 not out from 12).
South Africa need 421 to win
58th over: Australia 314-6 declared (Webster 39, Cummins 32) Pat Cummins calls time on the Australian innings – but only after smashing three sixes in four balls. He brought up the 400 by pumping Harmer over cow corner, heavesda cross-bat shot that was dropped over the boundary by Stubbs at deep backward square and then nailed another slog-sweep over midwicket.
Webster made it 23 from the over by reverse sweeping for four, at which point he and Cummins strode proudly from the field. Cummins finishes with 32 not out from 12 balls.
57th over: Australia 291-6 (Webster 35, Cummins 13) Cummins mistimes a reverse sweep off Maharaj and is dropped by Bedingham, a tough chance running back from short third. Later in the over, Webster marmalises a wide ball to the cover boundary.
South Africa are having an increasingly miserable time out there, which is all part of the Australian plan.
56th over: Australia 281-6 (Webster 29, Cummins 9) In the first innings, Australia were under all kinds of pressure when Pat Cummins came to the crease. There’s no pressure today, only freedom. Cummins embraces it by belting Harmer over midwicket for six.
“Something tells me this is not ‘declaration batting’, but rather a statement for the rest of the series,” says Gervase Greene. “And perhaps the one following too.
Given the Durban sunsets make for such truncated sessions, there’s no way even a well-performing South African batting order could chase 350-plus. Let alone this lot. I think Cummins and Smith know this is a draw in progress, and are set on rubbing their opponents’ faces in it.”
I don’t see it that way; I think Australia will win this game comfortably. Modern captains love shutting the door before a declaration, knowing it gives their opponents a form of cognitive dissonance in the fourth innings. You want us to bat for a draw?
55th over: Australia 270-6 (Webster 27, Cummins 0) Matt Renshaw ends the match of his life with 272 runs and a ticket to India.
The ball after driving six over long-on, Renshaw popped a drive back towards the bowler. Maharaj dropped it twice in his follow through but took the catch at the third attempt when the ball fell into his left hand while he was on all fours. A most unusual catch to end another brilliant innings from Renshaw: 82 from 99 balls with seven fours and two sixes.
WICKET! Australia 270-6 (Renshaw ct and b Maharaj 82)
Matt Renshaw: an apology. We stated that you were nailed on for another century, but you appear to have been dismissed for 82.
54th over: Australia 259-5 (Renshaw 75, Webster 23) Now Renshaw puts Harmer away on the off side, driving beautifully through extra cover for four. He’s in the zone of his life and – time permitting – seems nailed on for another century.
53rd over: Australia 249-5 (Renshaw 69, Webster 19) Webster, who is looking more fluent now, flicks Jansen behind square for another boundary.
It’ll be fascinating to see how South Africa approach their second innings. Graeme Smith’s great team of the early 2010s relished batting for a draw, most famously at Adelaide in 2012-13. But the last time any South African team managed to do that was in Colombo 12 years ago.