By Kevin Rademeyer, Sports Journalist.
Photo Credit: CSA.
South Africa were on the canvas after the second and third day. Australia just needed to knockout punch.
On the morning of the fifth day, the Proteas were in with a fighting chance. Australia needed 288 to win, with all ten wickets in hand and 90 overs to bat.
The Proteas came out of their corner swinging, compliments of heavyweight Kagiso Rabada. The “Baddest man on the planet,” with the red ball in hand.
Rabada struck three times in a devastating opening spell before Simon Harmer took over, claiming six wickets for 16 runs as Australia collapsed for 111 to hand the Proteas a commanding 176 run victory and a 2-1 series triumph.
It was a finish worthy of an enthralling contest.
Rabada removed Renshaw with the third ball of the innings, strangled down the leg side, before trapping Marnus Labuschagne lbw two balls after the Australian had opened his account with a boundary.
Labuschagne reviewed, but the decision stood.
Rabada then claimed the prized wicket of Travis Head, whose counterattacking instincts had made him one of Australia’s most dangerous players. Head edged to gully, giving Rabada his 350th Test wicket and completing a remarkable opening burst.
The milestone was another landmark for a bowler who reached 350 Test wickets in fewer deliveries than anyone before him, in Test cricket. More importantly, Rabada had given South Africa the start they needed after Australia had looked to make a contest of the chase.
At lunch, Australia were 60 for seven. Harmer had found the turn and variable bounce that had been less prominent on the fourth day, and he made the most of it.
Alex Carey fell to an ill -judged reverse sweep, well caught by Marco Jansen at backward point. Cooper Connolly edged behind, while Mitchell Starc was caught at bat pad just before the interval.
Harmer’s figures at lunch were extraordinary: three for five from eight overs. He was not finished.
The offspinner continued to exploit the footmarks and the uncertainty in the surface, finishing with six for 16 from 21.1 overs. Combined with his four wickets in the first innings, it gave him his first ten wicket haul in Test cricket, with match figures of 10 for 120, and the man of the match award.
Australia were eventually dismissed for 111. Nathan Lyon, with an unbeaten 33, was their top scorer, while Cameron Green made 27 from 110 deliveries. A 45- run stand between Cummins and Lyon for the ninth wicket helped Australia avoid the embarrassment of being bowled out for fewer than 100 in consecutive Tests, a feat last achieved 90 years ago. But, it did little to change the outcome.
The collapse was all the more striking because Australia had been in a strong position earlier in the match.
They took a first innings lead of 100 after posting 429, with Josh Inglis making 102, Alex Carey 80 and Matt Renshaw 74. South Africa had been under severe pressure at the close of the third day, effectively 31 for four in their second innings and facing the prospect of losing the series.
Then came the partnership that changed the match.
Ryan Rickelton and Wiaan Mulder produced hundreds under pressure, adding 154 for the sixth wicket and taking South Africa to 387. Rickelton made 101 from 218 balls, while Mulder’s 115 from 221 deliveries carried the innings deep into the final session.
Their patience against Australia’s pace attack and their discipline against Nathan Lyon gave the bowlers a target of 288 to defend.
Rickelton’s innings was particularly significant. He had arrived at the crease with South Africa in trouble and a modest recent Test record behind him. He resisted the short ball, absorbed pressure and refused to be drawn into Australia’s preferred method of attack.
“We knew the longer that we batted, obviously the more frustrated they would get,” Rickelton said after the fourth day. “What we did really well is just hone in on our partnership and really emphasise what the bowler was going to come with.”
Mulder followed his partner’s lead, showing the concentration and temperament required to bat for long periods. His century was his fourth in Test cricket, and his contribution ensured South Africa had enough runs to make the deteriorating surface count.
Captain Temba Bavuma stated after the match that the batting partnership gave the bowlers the confidence to attack. “I think the way Rabada started today, he kind of got everything going and from then we just managed to keep a tight grip on things,” he said.
Australia captain Pat Cummins admitted the match had slipped away from his side early on the final morning. “Probably within the first hour really, the game was away from us, so we just didn’t really give ourselves a chance,” he said.
Harmer, meanwhile, put his performance down to concentration and trusting the skills he had developed over the years. “I think it was just dealing with the expectation, putting that to one side, and understanding what I needed to do, getting the ball in the right areas as often as I could,” he said. “The biggest thing was just trying to get the win today, and it all worked out all right.”
It was a fitting end to a series that rarely allowed either side a comfortable spell. Australia struck first in Durban, South Africa fought back, and the contest swung repeatedly before the Newlands decider. Renshaw, Bavuma, Rickelton, Mulder, Rabada and Harmer all had their moments in a series defined by players stepping forward when their team needed them most.
South Africa took the blows, found a way back and landed the decisive one when it mattered. Australia were left on the canvas, while the Proteas celebrated a 2-1 series victory built on resilience, discipline and a refusal to surrender.