Geoff Lemon's Blog

Updates from the final match of the series at Newlands

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2nd over: Australia 5-0 (Renshaw 5, Head 0) All 12 balls so far have been faced by Renshaw, after that sixth-ball single. He carries on as he played in Durban, leaving wherever possible. Jansen does beat his edge at one stage, getting movement away, but Renshaw doesn’t follow the ball. When Jansen ends the over going short at the body, Renshaw gets gloves underneath it. Very organised defensive approach to the over.

1st over: Australia 5-0 (Renshaw 5, Head 0) Lovely bounce and carry from Rabada with the new ball. Two left-handers for him to aim at. The sun is shining again, the sky brilliantly blue, it looks a lovely day on the Cape. You’d best believe the mountain is hulking over the shoulder of the ground like a suspicious bouncer. Rabada doesn’t use the bouncer himself, comes around the wicket after a few balls but bowls a low full toss, and Renshaw with placement rather than effort deflects his square drive behind point for four, then takes one.

Decision to bowl first looked like backfiring

But hosts all out for 329 after being 140-0 at lunch

For a time, it was heading up there with the worst. David Gower at Leeds in 1989, when Australia topped 600 and declared. Nasser Hussain in Brisbane, 2002, when Australia were 364 for two by the end of the day. Edgbaston 2005, where England lamped 407 from 80 overs. Those were the looming comparisons for captains deciding to bowl at the toss, after Pat Cummins did the same in the third Test at Cape Town, only for South Africa’s openers to smash 140 by lunch. Yet, by day’s end, Australia had taken 10 for a further 189, Mitchell Starc destroying the tail with four wickets in six balls, 329 all out constituting a serious Australian comeback.

What a rollercoaster. The Australian setup has looked frazzled on this tour: confused player selections for the squad, then for the XIs, confused shot selection in the middle, players bouncing around the order with nightwatch duties and injury absences. Here they chose to leave out their best player from the second Test, Scott Boland, for Nathan Lyon, and were forced to leave out their best player of the last decade, Steve Smith, for Josh Inglis, as well as dropping Nic Maddinson and Beau Webster for Cameron Green and Cooper Connolly. The last time a touring Australian side made four non-disciplinary changes was in the West Indies in 1984.

Mitchell Starc took six-for as Australia recovered to dismiss South Africa out for 329 on a topsy-turvy day

Among the Australia’s four changes for this Test, there’s still no proven replacement opener for Usman Khawaja, who has been on media street lately with his book coming out to coincide with an Australian Story episode.

Aiden Markram, Marques Ackerman, David Bedingham, Temba Bavuma (capt), Matthew Breetzke, Ryan Rickelton (wk), Wiaan Mulder, Marco Jansen, Simon Harmer, Gerald Coetzee, Kagiso Rabada.

Harry Brook hit a record-breaking 202 for England but still ended up on the losing side after Sri Lanka chased down 430 to win an incredible game by two wickets

3rd over: England 5-0 (Banton 2, Duckett 3) Duckett survives a run-out chance after taking a quick single on the off side. He was just short of his ground when Arachchige’s throw bounced past the stumps at the bowler’s end.

Another quiet over, with only one big stroke from Banton that didn’t beat the cover fielder. Sri Lanka have bowled an excellent length and England look like they want to get the measure of the pitch before they unsheath the long handle.

Rabada and Mulder lead hosts to victory in second Test

Boland bats for more than three hours as nightwatchman

It took time, it gently frayed nerves, but South Africa sealed the second Test in Gqeberha deep into the final day, clear by an innings and 31 runs, levelling the series with one to play. Although Australia made 295 and got within 28 overs of safety, they did not deserve to save this game, even if Scott Boland and Travis Head did.

Letting South Africa escape from 40 for four to pass 400 was the first offence, then came Australia’s capitulation for 99 to be forced to follow on. The salvage operation was in waters too deep.

Proteas level series in Gqeberha and will head for a series decider in Cape Town

“At risk of overcooking the Shield chat,” writes Eamonn Maloney, “you don’t have to select from a bunch of mediocrities averaging 35 when it’s early in the season and the small sample size is inflating averages. Made a big ton? In you go son!”

If they had more than four days between matches, you might be right, the emergency calls may be going out. Though on the other hand, the current regime is happy to ignore Shield cricket completely when they feel the vibe is more compelling: Maddinson, Connolly.

Updates as the Proteas host Australia in Gqeberha

Play starts after rain forces early lunch

Any thoughts? Get in touch with Jim on email

“At risk of overcooking the Shield chat,” writes Eamonn Maloney, “you don’t have to select from a bunch of mediocrities averaging 35 when it’s early in the season and the small sample size is inflating averages. Made a big ton? In you go son!”

If they had more than four days between matches, you might be right, the emergency calls may be going out. Though on the other hand, the current regime is happy to ignore Shield cricket completely when they feel the vibe is more compelling: Maddinson, Connolly.

Tourists all out for 99 and forced to follow on

Batters left to conduct desperate rearguard on last day

There it was, another entry in Australia’s hall of infamy against South Africa. There was 47 all out, in the innocent days when the 2011 Test was the worst humiliation in Cape Town. There was 85 all out in Hobart, 2016, that led to half the side being sacked. Now there is 99 all out in Gqeberha, one day after the home team blew past 400, only for the visitors to follow on halfway through day four.

At 156 for four, still 170 behind, Australia could yet save the second Test on its final day, but another batting failure has left the door wide open to defeat, and the table laden with defeat’s favourite snacks.

Head stands alone as Australia trail by 170 and face innings defeat after Jansen’s five-for bowled out the tourists for 99 and forced them to follow on

9th over: Australia 22-2 (Head 14, Labuschagne 6) This is some spell from Rabada. Operating at serious pace, even if there’s a little sauce on those readings. Making Head hop around by bowling at the pads, where Head has had a lot of trouble recently, getting out to leading edges a number of times, when he’s not dragging balls onto the stumps. Eventually he’s able to jump up and stab down a ball to leg, to get off strike. Labuschagne gets about a quarter of his bat on another quick delivery to edge it through square leg for two.

8th over: Australia 19-2 (Head 13, Labuschagne 4) Positive for Labuschagne, but risky, hurling the bat at Jansen’s angle across him and lifting a ball over backward point. There to hit, as they say.

Updates as the Proteas host Australia at St George’s Park

Any thoughts? Get in touch with an email

9th over: Australia 22-2 (Head 14, Labuschagne 6) This is some spell from Rabada. Operating at serious pace, even if there’s a little sauce on those readings. Making Head hop around by bowling at the pads, where Head has had a lot of trouble recently, getting out to leading edges a number of times, when he’s not dragging balls onto the stumps. Eventually he’s able to jump up and stab down a ball to leg, to get off strike. Labuschagne gets about a quarter of his bat on another quick delivery to edge it through square leg for two.

8th over: Australia 19-2 (Head 13, Labuschagne 4) Positive for Labuschagne, but risky, hurling the bat at Jansen’s angle across him and lifting a ball over backward point. There to hit, as they say.