By Mark Gleeson.
Australia’s Matt Renshaw played a leading role to leave his side needing six wickets on the last day of the first test to beat South Africa as the hosts were 102-4 at the close of play at Kingsmead on Monday.
Set 421 runs to win after Australia declared their second innings on 314-6, South Africa saw opener Ryan Rickelton, David Bedingham, captain Temba Bavuma and Tristan Stubbs all dismissed before stumps with part-time spinner Renshaw weighing in with his first test wicket as his dream performance continued.
Aiden Markram (45 not out) and Wiaan Mulder, unbeaten on five, will resume on the final morning, needing to lead a stoic rearguard action if the home side are to avoid defeat.
“We gave up a couple of soft wickets again but the application Aiden showed is what we are looking forward tomorrow,” said veteran spinner Keshav Maharaj.
Rickelton’s place in the test side looks under threat after another early dismissal. He was out for a duck after three balls of the first innings and scored two on Monday before an attempted pull shot saw him edge Josh Hazlewood’s rising delivery to wicketkeeper Alex Carey.
Bedingham was the second wicket to fall, making 46 before being trapped lbw by Hazlewood and ending a patient 66-run partnership with Markram, while Bavuma scored a single run, prodding at Renshaw’s off spin and being caught bat-pad at short leg.
Stubbs also made one, getting a thick edge to captain Pat Cummins’ delivery with another example of the poor shot selection that has dogged South Africa’s batting.
“It’s been a good last two days for us,” said Australia’s Beau Webster. “We’ve still got a job to do tomorrow but given ourselves a great chance.”
Red-Hot Batting Form
Earlier, Renshaw continued his red-hot batting form to allow his side to declare at tea, picking up where he left off in the first innings when he scored 190 of Australia’s 390 runs.
The 30-year-old Queenslander continued to dominate the home bowlers, scoring 82 in the second innings before a controversial caught and bowled from Maharaj ended his contribution.
It was the top score for Australia, who accelerated their run accumulation in a bid to give themselves time to put South Africa into bat and chase down the 10 wickets required for victory.
They resumed on 33-0 and scored 141 runs in a fast-moving first session for the loss of four wickets and a further 140 in the afternoon.
Captain Cummins in Whirlwind Batting Display
Opener Nic Maddinson, who made a duck in the first innings on his return after a decade out of test cricket, played some expansive shots before Anrich Nortje clean bowled him for 48, and there were useful contributions from Beau Webster, 39 not out, and Cummins, who bludgeoned four sixes in his whirlwind 12-ball 32.
Travis Head’s 11 runs at the top of the Australia innings and 37 again from Marnus Labuschagne did not help their individual causes, although Labuschagne’s 53-run partnership with Steve Smith (27) for the third wicket did accelerate the run rate and put Australia into an advantageous position.
Smith was struck on the helmet by Nortje and is being assessed under concussion protocols. He batted on after the hit but did not join the rest of the Australian team on the field at the start of South Africa’s chase and could be a doubt for the second test, which starts in Gqeberha on Sunday.