Tag: Australia vs South Africa

SYDNEY: South Africa strike bowler Anrich Nortje claimed the key wickets of David Warner and Marnus Labuschagne on Wednesday to prise Australia’s grip on the third Test in Sydney as rain plagued the opening day.

Nortje was the Proteas’ star man as he removed Warner cheaply for 10 and late in the day denied Labuschagne (79) his 11th Test hundred.

As bad light and rain conspired to prematurely end the first day, Australia were 147 for two with Usman Khawaja, who averages 98 in Sydney Tests, unbeaten on 54 and Steven Smith yet to score.

Nortje got the big breakthrough with a ripper, taking the edge of Labuschagne’s bat to get him caught behind and end his 151-ball stay.

The pacer earlier struck in his second over of the day when he had Melbourne Test double-centurion Warner caught at slip by Marco Jansen for 10.

No sooner had Smith arrived at the wicket after Labuschagne’s dismissal than the players left the field for bad light for the final time.

It is the sixth bedevilled Sydney Test out of the past seven to be affected by rain.

There was controversy earlier in Labuschagne’s innings when on 70 he edged Jansen to Harmer at slip.

The on-field umpires referred the decision with a soft signal of out, only for third umpire Richard Kettleborough to rule that the ball had touched the ground between the fingers of Harmer.

Khawaja also survived a review straight after lunch on 25 as he reverse-swept Harmer and was given out leg before wicket, but replays showed the ball touching the glove.

The opening day was also marked by Matt Renshaw, recalled for his first Test for Australia since April 2018, returning a positive Covid-19 test after the toss was taken and the team composition confirmed.

But team officials said he would continue to play in the match with his symptoms only described as mild.

Renshaw was transferred to a separate dressing room from his teammates where he will prepare for the rest of the match, and spent most of play sitting away from the team runners near the Australian dug-out.

Skipper Pat Cummins won his fifth successive toss and decided to play an extra spinner with left-armer Ashton Agar, and Renshaw coming in to bolster the batting, squeezing out in-form paceman Scott Boland on a dry cracking Sydney Cricket Ground pitch.

South Africa did likewise, with off-spinner Harmer ousting Lungi Ngidi while Heinrich Klaasen replaced Theunis de Bruyn at number three.

Apart from a series clean sweep, Australia will be looking to lock in a place in the ICC World Test Championship final in London in June. The Proteas still have an outside chance but must first cause an upset in Sydney.

The Australians have already wrapped up the three-match series after hammering the Proteas by an innings and 182 runs in Melbourne following a six-wicket rout in the opener in Brisbane inside two days.

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MELBOURNE: South Africa were on the wrong end of a “hammering” against rampant top-ranked Australia on Thursday, losing the second Test by 182 runs and with it the series.

The loss capped a dismal first two Tests for the visitors who slumped by six wickets in the opener at Brisbane inside two days, with a potential face-saving third match at Sydney still to play.

“It is not easy at the moment. That was bit of a hammering,” Proteas skipper Dean Elgar said.

Australia declared on Wednesday at 575-8 built on the back of man-of-the-match Warner’s 200 and a gutsy 85 from Steve Smith in searing heat, in reply to South Africa’s first innings 189, and then took complete control with the ball.

South Africa resumed day four on 15-1 after Elgar went for a duck before rain halted play early on Wednesday.

But their resistance didn’t last long with three wickets falling before lunch at the Melbourne Cricket Ground and the rest in the second session as they succumbed for 204.

Temba Bavuma top-scored with 65 while Nathan Lyon took 3-58 in a depleted, injury-hit, attack.

“The win is right up there. We have had a number of great contests against South Africa over the years. It’s really sweet and something to be proud of,” said Australian skipper Pat Cummins.

“I thought how Warner and Smith batted in the heat was pretty gutsy. (Mitchell) Starc and (Cameron) Green as well, put their injuries behind them and turned up.”

It leaves South Africa facing a trip to Sydney next week for the final Test with only pride to play for and potentially some changes to a batting line up that has largely failed to fire.

“We have got to do a lot of reflection going ahead once again. There are a few positives coming out of this Test but not a lot,” Elgar said.

“There’s lot to play for (in Sydney), South Africa are a proud cricketing nation and 2-1 sounds a lot better than 3-0,” he added.

Australia will have a new-look team with Green and Starc already ruled out with finger injuries as they race the clock to be ready for a blockbuster series in India in February.

Josh Hazlewood is set to return for Starc after recovering from a side strain, with Green’s replacement to be decided.

Bruised finger

The wickets fell despite the hosts’ attack being depleted, with Green, who took 5-27 in their first innings, not bowling due to a fractured finger.

Theunis de Bruyn (28), Sarel Erwee (21) and Khaya Zondo (one) all departed before lunch at the hands of Australia’s high-class pace attack.

Then the spin of Nathan Lyon, and two careless run outs, ended any hope they had in the second session.

Starc was also nursing a bruised and bloodied finger, but he played through the pain and his sheer pace caused plenty of problems.

Erwee, who resumed on seven, hit a superb drive for four off him as his confidence grew, but Starc quickly got his revenge, trapping him lbw with a cracking yorker.

De Bruyn began on six and built up to 28, but he soon followed his teammate back to the pavilion.

This time Scott Boland did the damage, enticing an edge that was taken by the ever-reliable Smith in the slips for his 150th catch. He is 14th on the all-time list, led by Indian great Rahul Dravid’s 210.

South Africa were under the pump and needed to dig in, but Bavuma inexplicably attempted a single from Cummins and Khaya Zondo was easily run out by a Travis Head underarm throw.

It left them teetering at 65-4 before Bavuma and Kyle Verreynne knuckled down.

But Boland struck again soon after lunch with Verreynne, one of their best batsmen this series, out lbw for 33.

Lyon’s spin removed Marco Jansen before another disastrous run out involving Bavuma, with Keshav Maharaj out after a confusing mix-up and Starc made a direct hit.

More weak dismissals by Lyon and a rare wicket for Smith ended the match.

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MELBOURNE: Australia closed in on winning the second Test and the series against South Africa on Wednesday after Alex Carey struck a maiden century to leave them in a commanding position.

The hosts declared at tea on 575-8 on day three with an ominous lead of 386 after South Africa were bowled out in their first innings for 189.

In reply, the Proteas were 15-1 when play was abandoned early at the Melbourne Cricket Ground due to persistent drizzle.

Their bid to save the Test, and the three-match series after losing the opener in Brisbane, got off to a horror start with under-pressure skipper Dean Elgar caught by Carey off Pat Cummins without scoring in the second over.

Theunis de Bruyn, who was dropped by David Warner on three, was not out six alongside Sarel Erwee on seven.

Wicketkeeper Carey, playing in his 14th Test, was superb in reaching three figures for the first time before he was caught and bowled by Marco Jansen for 111.

At the declaration, a battling Cameron Green was not out 51 despite a fractured finger, alongside Mitchell Starc on 10.

Carey and Green piled on the misery in a 117-run partnership after South Africa gave themselves a glimmer of hope with early wickets, including David Warner first ball after he resumed on 200.

Australia resumed on 386-3 with Travis Head on 48 and Carey on nine after a herculean unbeaten double century from Warner in his 100th Test in gruelling heat on day two.

The veteran opener retired exhausted with severe cramp after making his third Test double ton, but he returned to the crease when Head was out for 51, walking out to huge applause.

He told host broadcaster Fox before play began that he had a “rough night’s sleep”.

“I probably woke up six or seven times,” he added, and was bowled first ball by an Anrich Nortje yorker as Australia lost three wickets for five runs.

Green ruled out of bowling

Temperatures were much cooler than the 37 degrees Celsius (98.6 Fahrenheit) on Tuesday, with conditions overcast and humid — generally favourable to the bowlers.

And the ever-dangerous Anrich Nortje took advantage, bowling Head in the third over before snaring a bewildered Warner next ball.

Pat Cummins fended off the hat-trick delivery, but he did not last long.

The Australian skipper fell to the third ball he faced when South Africa successfully reviewed a caught behind decision off Kagiso Rabada’s bowling that was initially denied by the umpire.

Carey was joined by Nathan Lyon and they steadied the ship.

Lyon made an entertaining 25 before holing out to Khaya Zondo off Lungi Ngidi

Ahead of play, Green, who took 5-27 in South Africa’s first innings, was ruled out of bowling again in Melbourne — and the third Sydney Test — with a fractured finger, but he bravely came out to bat.

After a slow start, he began playing his shots in an admirable supporting role to Carey, who counter-attacked after the early wickets fell to consolidate Australia’s advantage.

Carey was the first Australian wicketkeeper to make a Test century since Brad Haddin in 2013 and only the second at the Melbourne Cricket Ground after Rod Marsh.

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Melbourne: Australia’s veteran opener David Warner hit a double century on Tuesday against South Africa in his 100th Test before being helped off the Melbourne Cricket Ground in agony.

En route to three figures, the 36-year-old passed 8,000 Test runs — the eighth Australian to do so — after coming into the game under pressure after a lean run.

He notched his first Test century since January 2020 to prove the doubters wrong on day two of the second Test and with the opposition bowlers tiring in searing heat, he battled the elements and converted it to 200.

His third Test double century came off 254 balls with 16 fours and two sixes in a test of endurance in the heat.

He needed treatment for cramp several times and eventually retired in pain on 200, helped off the field.

Warner, who dropped to his knees which he reached 200, insisted before the match that “you’re never out of form”.

“They’re not the words that I use and they’re definitely not used in our change rooms,” he said. “It’s about (being) out of runs.”

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MELBOURNE: Allrounder Cameron Green took a career-best 5-27 as Australia ripped through South Africa’s fragile batting before piling on late runs to seize control of the second Test in Melbourne on Monday.

After the visitors were dismissed for 189, an aggressive David Warner, in his 100th Test, was unbeaten on 32 and Marnus Labuschagne was not out on five to steer the hosts to 45-1 at stumps on day one.

Usman Khawaja was out for one, caught behind by Kyle Verreynne off Kagiso Rabada.

Australia won the first of three Tests by six wickets inside two days on a hostile and green Gabba pitch in Brisbane last week.

The wicket at the Melbourne Cricket Ground was less bowler-friendly, but captain Pat Cummins surprisingly chose to field at a venue where toss-winning teams normally bat first.

South African skipper Dean Elgar said he was bewildered by the decision, but it proved to be inspired in front of 64,876 fans with the Proteas losing early wickets as they again struggled against the hosts’ bowling firepower.

After slumping to 67-5, Verreynne and Marco Jansen launched a stirring fightback in a gutsy 112-run stand.

But then Green — the second-most expensive buy at the Indian Premier League auction last week — went on a blitz, snapping the partnership when Verreynne got an outside edge on 52 that Steve Smith collected.

Two balls later, Jansen was gone, caught by wicketkeeper Alex Carey for 59 off Green before the giant Australian bowled Kagiso Rabada and Lungi Ngidi.

Green took 4-8 in the spell with the Proteas losing their last five wickets for 10 runs.

Early pressure

South Africa started the day nervously, losing Sarel Erwee and Theunis de Bruyn cheaply.

They were stunned just before lunch when Elgar, who passed 5,000 Test runs, and the experienced Temba Bavuma departed in consecutive balls.

It left them in trouble at 58-4 and the inexperienced middle order facing a daunting task.

When Khaya Zondo was out in the fifth over after lunch for five, courtesy of a stunning Marnus Labuschagne diving catch, the end looked nigh before Verreynne and Jansen dug in.

On a humid day, Cummins asked some searching early questions, dropping Elgar on seven off his own bowling and then having two big lbw shouts against Sarel Erwee denied.

Erwee lived dangerously and was no match for local hero Scott Boland.

The seamer, who took 6-7 in the corresponding Test against England a year ago, came on to thunderous applause and got the breakthrough in his second over, with Khawaja taking a low catch at third slip to remove Erwee for 18.

South Africa’s batting has been under the pump recently and as the senior player, Elgar knew he had to stick around.

But it was a grind, with the captain surviving when an inside edge off Boland sent the ball rolling onto his stumps only for the bails to stay on, then being dropped by Nathan Lyon.

Green got Australia’s second wicket when Theunis De Bruyn attempted a pull shot and wicketkeeper Carey took an easy catch.

Disaster then struck with a sluggish Elgar needlessly run out by Labuschagne going for a single on 26, and Bavuma fell for one next ball, edging Mitchell Starc to Carey after a poor shot.

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DUBAI:  The pitch used in the Brisbane Test – the first of the three-match series between Australia and South Africa – has been rated below average by the International Cricket Council on Tuesday. 

Australia won the Test match by six wickets inside two days and took a 1-0 lead in the series, but the green top at the Gabba came under severe criticism for its hostile nature towards the batters.

South African captain Dean Elgar also took a dig at Gabba’s wicket, saying ” I don’t think it’s a very good Test wicket.”

According to the governing body of cricket, member of ICC Elite Panel of Match Referees, Richie Richardson has now released his report for the pitch and gave a ‘below average’ rating to the venue.

“Overall, the Gabba pitch for this Test match was too much in favour of the bowlers. There was extra bounce and occasional excessive seam movement. The odd delivery also kept low on the second day, making it very difficult for batters to build partnerships.” said Richardson in his report.

“I found the pitch to be “below average” as per the ICC guidelines since it was not an even contest between bat and ball,” the report added.

Following a below average, the venue earned one demerit point in accordance with ICC Pitch and Outfield monitoring process.

According to ICC guidelines, when a venue accumulates five demerit points (or crosses that threshold), it will be suspended from hosting any international cricket for a period of 12 months, while a venue will be suspended from staging any international cricket for 24 months when it reaches the threshold of 10 demerit points.

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BRISBANE: Australia captain Pat Cummins spearheaded a pace barrage that tore through South Africa before his side chased down a target of 34 runs Sunday to claim a six-wicket win inside two days on a hostile Gabba pitch. 

After finishing their first innings 66 runs in front midway through the first session Sunday, Australia dismissed the visitors for just 99 despite a fighting 36 not out from Khaya Zondo.

But the Australians then lost four cheap wickets in the chase as paceman Kagiso Rabada ran amok, with Usman Khawaja, David Warner, Steve Smith and Travis Head all falling to catches behind the wicket.

However, Marnus Labuschagne and Cameron Green — aided by 15 extras — guided Australia home to give them a 1-0 lead in the three-match series on a day when 19 wickets fell.

“Tricky wicket. I thought the way Head and Smith batted (in the first innings) got us to this winning position,” said Australia captain Pat Cummins.

Man of the match Head added: “Very difficult wicket, plenty for the bowlers. We saw that the whole game. Nice to be able to contribute and get a win.”

Despite the victory, Australian selectors will be concerned with Warner’s form after yet another failure.

Warner is due to play his 100th Test in Melbourne on Boxing Day without scoring a century in almost three years, as calls for him to be dropped grow louder.

The two teams went into the series both boasting high-quality bowling attacks, but Australia’s batting always looked stronger.

And on a green Gabba wicket, South Africa’s frailties at the top of the order were brutally exposed.

“Another 60 runs and we would have been in the game. Pretty spicy wicket, bowlers were licking their lips,” said South Africa skipper Dean Elgar.

“I don’t think we could prepare any better. Conditions weren’t in favour for the batters.”

South Africa slumped to 27-4 in the first innings and 5-3 in the second, positions from which they never recovered.

While the Australians also struggled at times, Head’s superb 92 from 96 balls proved the difference between the two teams.

Australia started the day at 145-7 and South Africa did well to restrict them to 218, a lead of 66.

But the South African batsmen never looked up to the task of setting Australia a competitive total after slumping to 3-2 at lunch.

Stop the Rot

Although Temba Bavuma and Zondo tried to launch a recovery in the middle session, they continued to lose wickets in clumps to a rampant Australian bowling attack.

Cummins, who finished with 5-42, started the second innings rot when he trapped his South African counterpart Dean Elgar lbw for two in just the second over.

Mitchell Starc then took the 300th wicket of his career when he bowled Rassie van der Dussen for a duck.

South Africa limped to lunch but Cummins struck again soon after the resumption when Sarel Erwee got a top edge to gully where the two-metre-tall Green leapt high to pull in a superb catch.

With South Africa staggering at 5-3, Bavuma and Zondo survived a torrid examination from Cummins, Starc and Scott Boland before slowly starting to chip away at the deficit.

Bavuma reached 29 before playing back to off-spinner Nathan Lyon to leave South Africa 47-4.

Boland then had first innings top-scorer Kyle Verreynne caught at second slip before bowling Maro Jansen two balls later to leave South Africa 48-6, still 18 runs from making Australia bat again.

Keshav Maharaj hit out to make a quickfire 16 before edging Starc to be caught behind, before Zondo and Rabada survived to the tea break.

But wickets fell quickly after the break with Cummins particularly dangerous with his impeccable line and length.

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WELLINGTON: Australia’s skipper Meg Lanning shone with a magnificent century in the run chase to power her side to a comfortable victory over South Africa by five runs in the 21st match of the ongoing ICC Women’s World Cup 2022, here on Tuesday.

Set to chase a commendable 272, Australia comfortably sealed the victory in the 46th over by five wickets, thanks to the unbeaten 135-runs knock from the skipper Lanning.

Coming out to chase, Australia fumbled a little at the start as the side lost their first wicket for a mere 14 as the wicket-keeper batter Alyssa Healy perished after scoring a mere five.

Lanning then came out to bat and stood firm at her end, while the rest of the batters kept walking back after scoring briefly. She kept ticking the scoreboard single-handedly and put on a brilliant century.

She remained unbeaten with 135 off 130 balls with the help of 15 boundaries and a six. Apart from Lanning, Tahlia McGrath also chipped in as she scored 32 off 35 balls.

For South Africa, Chloe Tyron and Shabnim Ismail picked up two wickets apiece.

Batting first, South Africa posted a commendable total of 271/5 in the allotted 50 overs; setting a 272-runs target for the former champions.

The opening batter Laura Wolvaardt and the skipper Sune Luus scored half-centuries, while the rest of the batters also made small contributions.

Luus scored 52 off 51 balls, laced with six boundaries, while Wolvaardt top-scored for her side with 90 off 134 deliveries with the help of six boundaries.

For Australia, Alana King, Annabel Sutherland, Ashleigh Gardener, Jess Jonassen, and Megan Schutt managed to pick one wicket each.

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