By Liryn de Jager.
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Despite South Africa only losing one wicket in the first session of play on day three, Australia remains on top in the once-off test at the WACA in Perth.
At lunch, the Proteas are on 140 for four in their second innings, still trailing by 359 runs. Delmi Tucker (55) and Chloe Tryon (26) will continue to try and stave off the inevitable after the break, their fifth-wicket partnership at 31.
By close of play on day two, the Proteas were barely hanging on at 67 for three. This after Australia declared their first innings on 575 for nine.
The first chance this morning came with just two runs added to the overnight score when Tazmin Brits edged a Darcie Brown delivery that fell just short of double-centurion Annabel Sutherland in the slips.
Test debutants Brits and Tucker put up a spirited fight to give some respectability to the South African innings. When the 100 was up, their unbeaten 87-run partnership exceeded South Africa’s first-innings total of 76, their lowest-ever test innings score.
With the score on 109 and just four runs short of what would have been a fantastic 100 fourth-wicket partnership, Ellyse Perry got the breakthrough when Brits (31, 127b, 4×4) edged a delivery to Phoebe Litchfield in the slips.
After her golden duck in the first innings, Tucker redeemed herself with a fighting 50 (114b, 7×4). She also denied Alyssa Healy her first test 100 when she caught and bowled the Australian captain for 99 in the home team’s first innings.
Australia: Beth Mooney, Phoebe Litchfield, Ellyse Perry, Tahlia McGrath, Alyssa Healy (capt), Annabel Sutherland, Ash Gardner, Sophie Molineux, Kim Garth, Alana King, Darcie Brown.
South Africa: Laura Wolvaardt (capt), Anneke Bosch, Sune Luus, Tazmin Brits, Delmi Tucker, Chloe Tryon, Nadine de Klerk, Sinalo Jafta, Nonkulueko Mlaba, Masabata Klaas, Ayanda Hlubi.