Scott Boland has five wickets, denying Marco Jansen a maiden Test ton before South African captain Temba Bavuma brought up his first Test century against Australia on day three of the second Test in Gqeberha.
With the first delivery with the second new ball, a Boland nip-backer struck Jansen in what commentator Mark Nicholas described as the “unmentionables” and a break in play was required for a few minutes.
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The blow clearly rattled Jansen and four balls later he clipped a catch to Travis Head at mid-wicket to be dismissed for 85 from 100 balls and to give Boland his third Test five-wicket haul.
It was Jansen’s second highest ever Test score, but his departure brought to an end a crucial 132-run partnership with Bavuma.
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After Starting the day 5/97, the Proteas were 7/275 when Bavuma raised the bat for a fifth Test hundred – his fourth as captain – by pulling his counterpart Pat Cummins to the fence.
He was left stranded on 95 not out in Johannesburg in 2018, but after weathering the storm on the rain-reduced first two days, having come to the crease at 2/12 and holding firm when 4/40 at one stage, Bavuma finally gets three figures against Australia
It has been an incredibly patient knock with the skipper facing 226 balls to reach three figures – hitting ten fours and one big hook over fine leg for six off Cummins.
Bavuma tried to recreate that shot off Mitchell Starc on 99, the ball before he nearly chopped and then swung and missed when attempting to hook a bouncer.
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In the first session, Australia’s bowlers looked to carry on their brilliance from the rain-reduced opening two days when Boland and Cummins kept things tight early in the session.
Starc was the man to get the breakthrough, however, with a vicious bouncer dismissing all-rounder Wiaan Mulder (13) on review.
The ball flew off Mulder’s helmet to Matt Renshaw at first slip, but replays showed that the ball had flicked his overhanging bat grip and potentially his glove first.
“I think it actually hit the top of his bat handle,” Australian great Mark Waugh said on Kayo Sports.
“It was a really good bouncer. It wasn’t played that well, obviously, he took his eye off it.
“Just watch the top of his bat handle, it just flicks back. Just see, and it might have got a bit of his shoulder or helmet on the way through as well.”
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The breakthrough made Starc just the fourth Australian – after Shane Warne, Nathan Lyon and Glenn McGrath – to take 450 wickets, but that was where the joy ended for the tourists as Jansen launched a counter attack with the sun shining and the pitch flattening out against the softer, old ball.
“Huge credit to Bavuma. He batted on the first two days when batting was really tough,” former Australian leg spinner Kerry O’Keeffe said on Kayo Sports.
“Yep, pitch is flatter, and Australia have had problems with the length.
“Five foot four for Bavuma, six foot eight for Jansen, and they just haven’t got the lengths right.”
The towering fast bowler smashed Boland over long off for six and he also hooked a Cummins bouncer over deep square leg on his way to a 43-ball half-century.
It was his fifth in Test cricket, and his second against Australia, but Jansen did not take his foot off the pedal after reaching the milestone.
In the absence of Lyon, he tucked into Renshaw’s part-time off spin with a thunderous six that crashed into the press box above the sight screen.
Renshaw thought he had the last laugh when Jansen was given out caught behind in his following over, but it was overturned on review with the No.8 only making contact with his back pad.
Jansen was swinging so hard that he even broke his bat soon after, but the pull shot from Starc still went to the fence.
His free flow innings brought the best out of Bavuma too.
The Proteas’ skipper fought and scrapped to reach his half-century from 140 balls and got busier as the session went on.
For all of Jansen’s hefty blows, Bavuma created the highlight of the session with an on drive to the boundary off Boland that former Australian batter Simon Katich labelled on commentary “the shot of the Test match”.
Australia were without the services of Josh Hazlewood with the ball in the first session.
After spending all of day two’s play at the hotel ill, Hazlewood was made to wait 30.4 overs before he could return to the bowling crease after lunch.
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Match details
Venue: St George’s Park, Gqeberha
First ball: 6:45pm (AEDT)
Watch it live: On Fox Cricket (channel 501), and streaming on Kayo, from 6pm (AEDT)
Teams
Australia: Travis Head, Nic Maddinson, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Matt Renshaw, Alex Carey (wk), Beau Webster, Pat Cummins (c), Mitchell Starc, Scott Boland, Josh Hazlewood
South Africa: Aiden Markram, Marques Ackerman, David Bedingham, Temba Bavuma (c), Matthew Breetzke, Ryan Rickelton (wk), Wiaan Mulder, Marco Jansen, Simon Harmer, Kagiso Rabda, Anrich Nortje