Australia falls to defeat in final session, South Africa levels series

I reckon we’ll leave it there from the blog. A strange Test match, frustrating at times due to the pesky weather, but also quite entertaining when the cricket did break out.

We’re locked at 1-1 now and have a decider on our hands in Cape Town. Couldn’t ask for much more than that. That third Test kicks off on Tuesday so I hope you’ll join us again then, but from me, Simon and Henry, thank you so much for your company over the past five days. Bye for now.

The skipper plays a pretty straight bat in his interview during the presentation, but no doubt he’s disappointed with much of what has transpired this week:

“We were a long way away from our best. Across the board not enough of us contributed.

“The balance is fine, we’ve got lots of all-rounders to call on. You saw a blueprint today the way Scotty and Trav went about their innings. We might need to weather the odd storm but when you do, there are runs out there.

“After a loss there’s always a few things you look at. Ideally you look at scoring more runs. We’ve got a few days and we’ll look at all that.

“It’s the reverse of last week, isn’t it? One side gets ahead and suffocates the other one. They’re a great side, 1-1 in the series is probably about where we expected to sit.”

Would have come down to him or Marco Jansen, who did it with both bat and ball, but you can’t argue with 179 very crucial runs in the South African innings.

Utterly comprehensive from South Africa. It is a top to bottom demolition of Australia, one which really ought to provide genuine introspection inside the tourists’ camp. They were taught a batting lesson by Temba Bavuma and failed to match the skill and fire of the South African bowling attack.

Having lost the bulk of the first two days to rain this seemed like an unlosable game for Australia. Indeed even an average first innings with the bat would have secured a draw, but what was produced was well below average. Bowled out for 99, it was always an uphill battle from there.

Travis Head and Scott Boland gave it their all but there simply was not enough support forthcoming from the rest of the batting lineup. Against Kagiso Rabada, Marco Jansen and Wiaan Mulder, too often the batting meekly folded.

So we go to Cape Town all square, a fabulous result for Test cricket and this series. South Africa carries the momentum, but given the wild swings in fortune we’ve already seen this series, who knows how much that is actually worth.

A waft from Hazlewood sends the ball quickly to Markram at slip, and the catch is smartly completed. One more wicket to Jansen and the South African celebrations can begin.

Hazlewood on strike to Jansen. South Africa one wicket away.

He’s got Carey on strike, and he’s coming from around the wicket.

Carey defends the first four deliveries.

Now he’s struck on the pad and Hazlewood asks about a leg bye, but it is turned down. They’re going to run now from this last ball one way or another.

FOUR! Never mind, Carey has belted Rabada over cover for four. Good for the scoreboard, not good for keeping Hazlewood off strike.

Over bowled.

The big guns are back. They want this finished off. Jansen is bowling to Carey.

Now Carey is going to hog some strike. For the first time he’s turned down a single to hold the strike. The Australians are still behind by 36 runs, so I can only assume the tactic is hold on and prayt for some rain.

Five balls down, Carey will look to find a single from this final ball.

RUN OUT CHANCE! They took that single but Hazlewood was halfway down when Ackerman’s throw came in from point. He had one stump to aim at, and he missed it.

That’s the over. And for some insane reason, we are having a drinks break. Just imagine if it starts raining now.

He’ll get one ball at Josh Hazlewood here to end the over. Could one ball be enough?

Hazlewood defends. A wicket maiden comes to an end.

South Africa is just one wicket away! I had wondered why Rabada hadn’t been tossed the ball sooner, but it’s taken him only have balls of this spell to find a breakthrough.

Full and straight, a loose shot from Starc brought about his undoing. Leg stump is the target and the ninth wicket goes down.

There is a big cloud above the ground currently, and the ground staff are strolling around into position just in case. Surely it couldn’t rain again.

Anyway, here’s Rabada. Starc on strike.

SHOUT! Another LBW shout, but again it’s not quite right. Probably going down leg, so Carey survives.

FOUR! Looks like Carey got a little tickle on that one down the leg side and helps himself to four runs.

Nicely played by Carey through midwicket now and he’ll get back for two. Australia 36 behind now.

Over bowled. Six from it.

Carey on strike, defending.

BEATEN! Carey is done past the outside edge this time. Mulder has it on a string.

The keeper goes back for some reason and Carey advances, padding away for a leg bye.

Starc survives the rest of the over. Another one down.

Carey on strike and leaving with a solid stride forward.

BIG LBW SHOUT! It’s that reverse sweep again from Carey, and the South Africans like it… but the umpire doesn’t. And there shall be no review. I’m a bit surprised at that, I reckon that was worth another look.

FOUR! Carey sticks with the reverse sweep and gets this one away. Picks the gap and gets four for his good work.

Another reverse sweep, this one edged over slip but short of backward point. One run.

Nicely driven by Starc through the covers for a couple more runs.

And that’s another over down.

There are 34 overs left to bowl today. Starc on strike to Mulder.

BEATEN! Same ball, same shot, same result. No nick.

FOUR! He got some bat on that one at last. Nicely timed through the covers by Starc and all the way for four.

BEATEN AGAIN! Frustrating for Mulder, who is just begging for an edge on one of these Starc prods.

Starc survives. It’s uncomfortable and a little fortunate, but he survives.

Sticking with the spin then, keeping the big quicks on ice. Carey on strike.

Carey drives to long off for a single.

Sharp running from Starc as he drives out to the covers and hurries through for a single.

Carey leaves the final ball alone and that ends another over.

BEATEN! Starc is prodding at those wide ones but without success. Keeper and slips in the game here.

A little straight that time from Mulder and Starc whips him through the leg side for two.

Thick inside edge from Starc there which very easily could have gone back onto the stumps. It gets to fine leg instead and earns him a run.

One more for Carey into the off side. It’s business as usual for him despite the situation.

BEATEN AGAIN! The outside edge of Starc’s bat continues to flirt with the ball, but no nick just yet.

Over bowled.

Wonder if there’s some thought to get Jansen or Rababa on to try to blow these last two wickets away. Not yet, anyway.

Carey takes a single to long off, so no thought of protecting Starc.

Starc off the mark with a gentle nudge out to deep point.

Carey pulls out the reverse sweep now, and it’s a bit top-edgy. Flies away safely enough and earns him two.

Australia need 60 more runs to make South Africa bat again. Is that in the back of Alex Carey’s mind right now?

Over bowled.

Mitchell Starc has strolled to the middle now to face a man on fire.

BEATEN! Mulder’s first ball to Starc swings gently away and nearly takes an edge through to the keeper.

This has been a brilliant spell from Mulder, and a pretty fantastic Test match for the seamer in general.

Inspired stuff from Wiaan Mulder! He’s proving to be the match-winner, and he’s doing it by hitting the stumps again and again. With the keeper up Cummins was trapped on the crease and just a little hint of seam movement was all it took for the off stump to be knocked back.

It’s collapsing a bit now for Australia and Mulder is the man making it happen. South Africa is only two wickets away from a famous victory.

He’s around the wicket still to Carey, Rickelton still up to the stumps. As he was for the Boland wicket.

Thick inside edge from Carey onto the pad, and it balloons away to the leg side for a single.

Edged by Cummins straight away, but low and almost rolling to the slip cordon.

Pat Cummins is the new man in but Carey is on strike to begin this over.

Carey gets off strike with one into the leg side, so Cummins can face the music.

Lots of men around the bat for Cummins, South Africa can smell blood.

FOUR! Cummins is off the mark with a thick outside edge from a quicker ball which was angled across him.

Decent over from Harmer, five from it.

Wiaan Mulder has done it again for South Africa! It is no mean feat to beat the defence of Scott Boland today, but Mulder has managed it with a fantastic delivery which nipped back sharply between bat and pad into the stumps.

Boland’s 166-ball 40 comes to an end. It was a brave and determined knock, one which really ought to have embarassed some of his teammates. At the moment though it looks like it will be in vain.

South Africa just three wickets away.

He’s around the wicket to Carey.

I feel like Mulder has always looked more dangerous with the keeper up to the stumps in this Test. Rickelton is back for now.

Now he comes back up to the stumps. Carey is undeterred.

An inside edge this time from a prodding Carey, but it escapes to the leg side for a single.

Reckon Harmer is going to be bowling an awful lot of these overs in this final sesion. He bowls to Carey now, who works against the turn into the leg side for one.

Boland defends and defends and defends.

One off the over again.

Okie dokie, we’re back for the final session of this Test match. And it might be a long one, with three hours of play possibly in order to get the 43 required overs in. Bad light the only possible concern there because the rain is gone.

South Africa needs four wickets and Australia needs 74 more runs to make the hosts bat again.

Mulder is bowling to the defending Boland, and begins the session with a no ball.

Boland picks up immediately where he left off. He defends and leaves an entire over without concern.

There have been a number of points over the past few years where I have thought that very opportunity had arisen, but there has been a real reluctance to experiment with the makeup of this (admittedly very successful) Test team.

I don’t see that changing in this summer’s Test series against New Zealand, largely because there is so much critical Test cricket coming in the next 12 months. After New Zealand we’re off to India for a five-Test series, then the one-off 150-year celebration match against England at the MCG, then possibly a World Test Championship final and then the Ashes.

You could look at that crowded schedule and suggest some rotation and experimentation is essential, but instead I think some members of this group will instead view it as a last hurrah and won’t want to miss a minute.

There will be mass turnover sooner rather than later, but perhaps next summer is more likely than this.

A stunning last-wicket partnership from Western Australia has denied New South Wales victory at the WACA.

Joel Paris (25 from 82), who needed a runner due to a leg injury, and Joel Curtis (19-113) came together with Western Australia at 9-205.

But try as they might, the Blues could not bust the belligerent partnership that lasted 169 deliveries as the Joel’s held on to save the draw.

New South Wales were odds on to win when Ben Dwarshuis removed openers Cameron Bancroft (11) and Sam Whiteman (17) after the Blues set the hosts 364 to win yesterday.

Jayden Goodwin’s 67 and night watchman Liam Haskett’s 101-ball stay for 17 runs seemed to only delay the inevitable when Dwarshuis came back to get rid of Kieran Elliott (8) and Jhye Richardson (0) to leave WA 9-down.

It was a great innings from Paris, who has been seeing the ball pretty clearly all game, to be fair…

There are, in theory, 44 overs remaining in the day.

44 overs to save the Test match.

Travis Head and Steve Smith fell in that session, but that was all and the new ball has not delivered the avalanche of wickets that this undermanned and fatigued pace attack will have wanted.

Simon Harmer has started to extract some turn though, which will ensure that this final couple of hours or so is no walk in the park.

Plenty still to play for in Gqeberha.

And Carey pushes, bisecting the two close catchers on the off side at slip and silly point.

Now he clips to the square leg region.

BEATEN! What a ball! Turn that has Carey reaching for it and beating the outside edge.

Carey digs the next one out and suddenly it feels like the battle is joined again, the sparing and feinting over for a short while.

FOUR! Carey sweeps delicately to very fine leg for a boundary. Just too full from Harmer.

A leg slip comes in to stop that from happening again, and Carey defends it away.

That’s over, and tea.

Carey pushes away to cover for a single.

Boland fends a rising ball angled into him away from his ribs.

Jansen changes from around to over the wicket again – I think he’s better at Boland from this angle.

Boland dangles his bat out at a ball that fizzes past his outside edge.

A bouncer is ducked under by Boland.

And then he defends the last.

Just a single from the over. Boland is on 40 off 154 balls, a superb innings.

Has not threatened with the new ball yet.

There’s turn there away from Carey, who pushes to backward point, wants a single but is sent back. He gives Boland the thumbs up.

More turn outside off, Carey leaves it alone.

CLOSE! Carey jams down on the ball and it bounces off the inside edge just past leg stump. My goodness that was close. They run a single.

Boland drives past silly point for a couple out to cover.

Lovely drift from Harmer, nicely watched and played by Boland, who sees out the over for just three runs.

Jansen only has a short rest. Remember, South Africa are a bowler down, Anrich Nortje playing no role after suffering a right groin injury.

Carey defends the first and then slaps the second away to point for a single.

BEATEN! How did that one not find the edge?! Angling in from around the wicket towards the right hander, the ball passed perilously close to the outside edge.

Boland pushes the next one to point for no run.

Cooper Connolly can’t watch, so is going around the boundary padded up, presumably to go and have a net. Michael Neser is with him – cue people putting two and two together to make 24 and assuming he’ll get the nod for the next Test as Boland sees out the rest of the over.

Carey defends, a big stride. He loves a sweep, does Carey. I wonder when we’ll see it.

Carey defends again, the floating loop of Harmer’s flight just giving him pause at the moment.

Carey clips to wide mid on for a single to rotate the strike, Harmer getting a bit leg side.

All the fielders come back close, four of them, as Boland defends into the ground, with short leg leaping acrobatically to take the ball on the bounce.

He steps forward now and defends back down the pitch.

Boland pushes to midwicket for no run. Not a lot of chat out there from South Africa.

Rabada pops the ball up and he hits Carey on the bottom glove. Good bounce, and well played by Carey.

Carey defends. Rabada is not at express pace at the moment, 135km/h. Must be tired after coming back from injury to play this game.

Carey defends.

The clouds are absolutely racing across the sky, their shadows mottling the green of the St George’s Park turf.

Carey drives uppishly towards deep point, who takes it on the bounce. Just a moment of fear rippling through the Aussie crowd no doubt.

Short and wide, Boland slashes away over point, there is a call of catch it, but he can only get there on the bounce racing back.

One slip, a bat pad, and Carey fends the ball past him for a single.

Leg slip comes in for Boland, who defends the ball to the feet of square leg.

Silly point appears, but Boland fends the ball towards short leg again.

Silly point is so close he could tie Boland’s shoelaces together – and Boland is so focused on watching the ball you’d get the feeling he wouldn’t realise until he set off for a run.

Boland defends nicely to the next couple, just a single off the over.

And he hits Alex Carey with a shorter ball, great bowling, superb aggression.

Three slips and a gully, all interested as Rabada comes in again, this time Carey defends.

Carey looks to drive into the off side but it’s edgy and pinballs off his pads – they run a single.

OH, LATE! Scott Boland backs away at the last possible moment and Rabada does really well not to hurl the ball in his direction. The Rabada of old would have sent the ball screaming into the stumps (or body of the batter) if that had happened. Looked like a bit of grit got in Boland’s eye – it is windy out there.

Rabada bowls and Boland defends, but it’s a no ball.

BEATEN! On the inside edge! Boland drives and is early, the ball coming very close to catching the inside edge.

And now Boland defends with soft hands off the outside edge to the slips.

BEATEN! Boland parries at a rising ball outside off stump and was very fortunate not to edge it behind.

EDGED! FOUR! Boland slashes outside off and gets a top edge that sends the ball just over the top of the three slips. Very close, Boland needs to put that away.

Jansen comes around the wicket, changing the angle once more.

I think he’s better from over the wicket to Boland, he’s not looked comfortable at all when he’s had the ball angle across him.

Boland defends the ball that’s angling into him nicely.

FOUR! Boland slaps the ball between point and gully for another boundary! He throws the hands at it but that’s a cut shot that even Travis Head would have been proud to play.

Alex Carey is the new man in. He watches the first fizz past him at a rate of knots.

Now he gets off strike with a single.

Boland defends solidly.

Now Boland pushes to deep point for three.

Oh Steve Smith!

Rabada digs in a bouncer. We all knew that it was coming. Smith was expecting it too.

He was ready, pulling the ball hard but he mistimes it, sending the ball straight up into the air towards midwicket.

Matthew Breetzke is there, chasing back. He bobbles it as it falls but then gathers!

Rabada screams in visceral joy!

Australia 6-225, still 101 runs behind.

Smith is out for 3, a poor shot akin to the one that Labuschagne fell to.

Temba Bavuma wasn’t even looking! He turned his back as the ball went up!

Perhaps he’s just recognising the man in form?

Smith clips off his pads for a single down to deep backward square.

Boland fends the next one away and looks for a run, but is turned down by Smith.

Short square leg comes in for this ball. Three slips and a gully, point too.

BEATEN! That’s a lovely ball, Boland squared up and beaten from over the wicket as Jansen sends the ball across in front of the night watchman.

BEATEN! Good pace from Jansen, another ball flashing across on the angle from the left hand quick to the right handed batter.

Leg slip comes in, and Boland defends.

Leg slip goes back to third, and Boland defends.

Just the single from it.

This is where the game will be won or lost.

Three slips, a gully, and Smith fends square to deep point to get off strike. A loosener for Rabada.

BEATEN! Good ball from Rabada, Boland playing inside the line as the ball goes past his outside edge.

FOUR! An exquisite drive from Boland! Straight bat, perfectly timed and the ball races away to the long off boundary.

BEATEN! Good follow up from Rabada, beating Boland’s outside edge again. It was a bit wide to be driving at that one.

Boland defends to mid on for no run.

Well played, a fuller ball, aimed at the base of the stumps and Boland has to jam the bat down to keep it out.

Australia are 107 runs behind.

Four men around Boland, with two men right under his nose at point. They’re so close they could link arms. A slip and a leg slip complete the crew of support for the keeper.

Boland defends solidly, with vociferous reaction coming in surround sound with ever effort.

Boland drives square, under the feet of the leaping silly point, a lovely cricket shot, for a couple.

The second silly point moves back round to silly square leg, and the ball is dropped at his feet by Boland.

Stretching forward, Boland defends the last.

Smith defends the first couple, Mulder bowling stump to stump here and keeping Smith honest.

Catching, very straight, mid off for Smith, who fends the ball back to Mulder, who picks it up on the follow through and shapes to throw it back at Smith.

There’s a slip and a gully in place too, Smith playing the ball with a straight bat to Mulder again.

Smith drives with purpose there, another straight ball. Mulder fields in his follow through. Mulder looking for that little bit of deviation off the deck, as a result of those divots from day one or two perhaps.

Smith leaves outside off, a tight one but a good leave at that.

It’s early in his innings, and expect the quicks to deliver a bouncer or two to test that flexibility of his neck when the new ball comes.

Second new ball is due in a couple of overs. I’d expect South Africa to take it.

Boland defends with a good stride.

He’s been out there 103 balls now, a brilliant innings.

OK, four men around the bat now, the four points of the compass covered off, plus the keeper.

It’s Bavuma at silly point and Boland plays the ball to him straight away.

Nicely played by Boland, turning the ball past short square leg for a single that moves him to 19 off 105.

Only slip and bat pad remain for Smith, who dabs the ball past the later to mid wicket who runs around to field.

Smith tickles the next one down the leg side, actually it’s a leg bye and there’s two of them.

Smith clips the last to deep square leg for another single.

It hit him before he even realised it was coming.

He found the truth that South Africa had been looking for all day in the last over.

Smith aggressively drives the first back to him.

There is a catching short mid off, Ryan Rickelton is standing up, there’s a slip and a gully.

EDGED! DROPPED! Smith edges to Ryan Rickelton who just can’t react fast enough! It’s a brilliant ball, Smith getting a big edge on it that would have been hard to catch at slip standing back, let alone right up at the stumps. That’s a massive deflection. Can’t blame the keeper for that. But dropping Steve Smith on 0? That could be costly.

Smith takes a couple of seconds off the clock by changing his bat. Inexplicable, really.

Smith defends the next one. Solidly but it was a great ball.

Another good over ends in a maiden, a great over, that one. But it could have been even better.

Simon Harmer, with that sumptuous swerve through the air, delightful flight, drifting the ball from leg to off for Boland, is coming back in.

Boland, with three close catchers, is showing more application than a lot of his upper order compatriots have shown over the past couple of years.

CLOSE! Boland clips the ball into the leg side, but it’s too far forward of short square leg. The replay showed that there was no edge actually, so danger averted. A bit of turn for Harmer though.

Steve Smith is the new man in.

BOUNCER! FOUR BYES! Not sure bowling bouncers when your keeper is standing up – and he appears completely unaware of what is about to be bowled. It was a good bouncer that had Smith rearing back.

Smith defends the next.

MASSIVE BREAKTHROUGH!

Head was looking so good.

The shot before was as good as they come.

But the next ball Mulder moved his line in and it was just far too close to cut, a familiar failing for Head and he has to go, after a spell standing in disbelief at his error.

He goes for 121 off a brilliant 190 balls.

Australia 5-209.

Thanks Dean, great job managing not to take a wicket – can I maintain our record?

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Mulder resumes his search for the truth, bowling to Head, who defends.

Head defends the next ball too, nicely done from the opener.

Ryan Rickelton is standing up to the stumps.

FOUR! What a shot! Just a gorgeous push down to the long on boundary.

He’s padded up at the moment so he’ll be out there at some point. Whether he’s next in or if he lets Alex Carey go first remains to be seen.

Or, as you say, perhaps he won’t be needed.

Head on strike, defending again.

He defends five and then works the final ball to midwicket for a single.

That will be over, and that will be drinks.

He’s around the wicket to Head and cramping him up with the angle. Head probably shouldn’t have been trying to cut that one but got away with a bottom edge to the cordon.

Head works one down to fine leg and takes a single.

Mulder has his hands on his head for some reason. Boland has been defending those ones all day.

Over bowled, one from it.

It is still blowing a gale at the ground. Massive palm trees just outside the stadium rocking back and forth, flags on the grandstands contorting and convulsing. Can’t be fun to be playing cricket in that sort of wind.

Head pushes off the back foot through cover for a single.

SHOUT! Is that a short leg catch? I don’t think Boland got anywhere near hitting that. The umpire agreed and there will be no review.

Harmer does look slightly more dangerous from this end. Boland sees it out though, one from the over.

There’s a short cover in for Boland here. The new ball is 10 overs away.

I wish I had more news to bring you, but Scott Boland is just defending and leaving every ball he faces like it’s nothing.

No alarm and no surprises. A maiden.

This was the end he was bowling at last night in that important late spell. In theory the breeze should help him more from this end.

Harmer gets a little bit excited when he thinks he’s nearly skidded one through Head, on with the arm, but Head could argue he’s defended it with the middle of his bat.

It’s a maiden over, Head not really threatened at all.

First look at Mulder on day five. He’s bowling to Head and is cut away for another single.

Apart from one leave that was a little bit close, I guess, Boland sees out the rest of the over with no alarm whatsoever.

That’s one hour down for Australia. No damage done yet today.

Imagine Rabada will have a breather pretty soon with the new ball 12 overs away. They’ll want him fresh for that.

Boland on strike, cutting well but straight to the man at point.

There are no demons in this wicket at the moment. Rabada is doing his best but only getting them down at about 135kph.

RAMPED FOR FOUR! Scott Boland! Gets a short one from Rabada and ramps it over third man for four, only a metre or two short of being six.

All going Australia’s way at this current moment.

Head on strike.

He pushes one out to Bavuma at cover and gets through for a quick single.

Harmer fires in a quicker one to end the over but Boland reacts smartly to turn it away for another single. Another over down, these two just keep ticking them off.

There is some misty rain floating through at the moment, which might just about be enough to tip me over the edge.

Rabada carries on for now and drops short to Boland. Nearly gets a bit of glove.

BEATEN AGAIN! Boland throws his head back in frustration after having a nibble at one outside the off stump.

Boland sees out another maiden. He has now seen off 70 balls in this innings of 13 runs.

Head on strike, cutting away for a single.

A no ball! Don’t see that often from a finger spinner.

Boland plays with the spin around the corner for one.

IN THE AIR! Just short! Head was an inch away from chipping that to Ackerman at short cover. Ackerman dived forward and some of his teammates thought he’d got there, but he didn’t. Still the umpires are checking it, which is a bit odd.

Confirmed not out.

And there’s your over bowled.

BEATEN! That is even better than the last one. Travis Head stands there and laughs at his immense fortune. Squared up, done for all money but somehow the stumps remain in tact and there is no nick. Brilliant bowling

Head gets off strike with one out to deep point, and will be relieved to be off strike.

FOUR RUNS! Scott Boland! He’s just belted a length ball through backward point and away to the fence. Where did that come from? Probably not the right play long-term, but fun to watch.

Wonderfully played by Boland. Over bowled.

Men all around the bat for Boland here. Harmer over the wicket, needs to stay full to test that inside edge and front pad.

It’s just resolute from Boland. There’s not a whole lot to report, just a succession of the most solid forward defences you’ve ever seen.

It’s a maiden, and it’s another over survived.

There you go, there’s your answer. Rabada is going to come down the hill now.

FOUR! Head absolutely wallops that one up and over the gully for four. Trademark Travis Head really. A bit of width and a fraction short and it disappears.

FOUR MORE! That one was far more edgy from Head but for the same result. A thick outside edge squirts past gully for four.

A couple of leg byes are added to the extras column as Rabada strays down the leg side.

BEATEN! That’s more like it, Kagiso. A ripper of a delivery that just barely missed the outside edge and just barely missed the off stump. Could hardly have come closer.

A real mixed bag of an over comes to an end.

BEATEN! Slipped past the outside edge of Boland’s bat there. Natural variation from the offie.

Boland really is looking rock solid for the most part though. His job is clear and simple, and he’s going to hang around out there as long as he can.

A maiden over from Harmer.

And he brings it up with another boundary, creaming Marco Jansen through midwicket for four. Celebrations are muted for there is much work still to be done, but take nothing away from his efforts so far.

If Australia can somehow fight on and save this Test, this Travis Head knock will rate among his very best. That’s his fourth ton as a Test opener, and his first in any position outside Australia against a team in its home ground*.

*His only other away century was in the WTC final against India at The Oval.

He’s bowling to Head for the first time and really cranked up the speed on the first-up bouncer. He’s the prized scalp here.

FOUR RUNS! Jansen strays onto the pads and is put away by Travis Head, who has moved to 98. He’s racing to this century now.

I may have been talking about Rabada’s shorter spells before, but I wasn’t quite expecting this. Perhaps they just want him at the other end. Harmer’s off spin is into the attack already.

SHOUT! Kind of. Head is struck on the pad and Bedington catches well at short leg, but there didn’t seem to be any bat in it. Barely a shout, to be fair.

Head takes a single quickly, Boland blocks out the last ball and that will do us.

He’s still around the wicket to Boland with a short leg and a leg slip.

Boland sees the bouncer coming and gets under it quickly.

BEATEN! Not quite as short that time but making Boland play. He prods at it but can’t get anything on it. Jansen looks cranky. But Jansen always looks cranky.

He’s a rock, Scotty Boland. Impenetrable defence. A maiden over.

It will be interesting to see how many overs Rabada bowls today. Reminder this is his first Test in a very long time after finally overcoming injury concerns. Don’t expect too many long workhorse spells if this one goes the distance.

One run there through cover for Head, before Rabada sends one past the outside edge of Boland’s bat.

EDGED! FOR FOUR! Genuine nick to slip from Boland, but it fell just short of the cordon and slipped through the gap as a result. A bit of luck.

More runs for Boland as he takes a single out to the sweeper on the leg side. Very much looked like South Africa was hoping he would do that, as he will now have the strike to begin the next over.

He was the main man yesterday, and the might need him to be the main man again today.

Jansen opens up with a bouncer to Boland, but one that looked to me to keep rather low. Expect some inconsistent bounce today.

Jansen moves around the wicket now, but Boland defends back down the wicket.

There’s a short leg in place for Jansen now and he’s attacking Boland’s body. There was some glove on that one down the leg side but Boland deflected it downwards, safely into the ground before it reached the keeper.

Nicely defended by Boland. Another over down.

Hello everyone! What an absoutely stupid morning that was.

Anyway, the sun is shining and the cricket is about to begin. Australia’s task has become a little bit easier with the lost overs, but it will take a titanic effort to pull this one out of the fire.

Rabada has the ball and Travis Head has the strike on 87. Head gets a low full toss, drives it away for a single and moves to 88. We’re away.

Scott Boland is here too, and in surviving one ball has managed better than he did at the beginning of day four.

A run for Boland now, worked to the leg side off his hip.

FOUR! Head gets a half volley and he crashes it through point for four. Into the 90s he goes already.

Pretty ordinary over from Rabada. We’ll call it a loosener.

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What good news.

Play is due to start imminently.

I reckon you’ve probably heard enough from me for a while, so here’s Dean Bilton to take you through the first passage of play.

Fair point, Kane.

And who would replace him?

As we have found out, there’s not a lot of people really banging the door down to step in and excel at Test level.

Labuschagne’s ceiling is far higher than most, which is probably why they have persisted for so long with him.

This is one of the things that Usman Khawaja raised before play was due to start on Fox Sports earlier today.

Very, very few batters have been given as much leeway as him to be out of form.

And bring thi stick o’ Rhubarb.

Absolutely right.

But the question will soon be who is going to step up when these bowlers lose their level.

The cupboard is looking relatively bare.

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So, the first session has been a wash out.

But by taking lunch now means that I expect they hope to be playing at 9:00pm AEDT.

No confirmation on that yet, and I am sure there will have to be an inspection, but if I am reading the tea leaves correctly, that’s what we have in store.

We will update you all as soon as we know anything about a resumption time.

And the ground staff are working on removing the water from the covers.

That’s good news.

But I wont hold my breath for a resumption until the players are on the pitch and the ball is in a South African bowlers hand.

I think getting dropped was the best thing for him.

He was promoted into the Test team because he had something at the top of the order. A bit of swagger. A bit of confidence. But above all, an intense concentration and discipline to bat long.

He came into the Test team, adrenaline got the better of him and, against India, he found success hitting out. That was never going to last and so it proved.

He spent time back in the Shield remembering how to bat long innings, curbing that big hitting and regaining the confidence he lost.

He’s still in the picture, he played on the Australia A tour of India last month – although didn’t bat well then with scores of 25, 20, 2 and 40 in the first class matches in Puducherry, adding 67 in the second white ball game.

But this week, on his return to Australia and the Sheffield Shield, he has scored big, 71 in 142 in the first innings and then 151 not out in the second.

Ben Cameron has told the ABC radio broadcast that the rain is getting heavier.

“It’s raining as heavy as it has all morning,” he says.

You can hear it hitting the roof of the commentary box.

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Funnily enough, I think the defeat against Bangladesh was worse.

A team that, on paper, were far inferior, missing their two best bowlers, proving that competent batting and disciplined bowling can win Test matches.

Australia were so poor in that match.

This has been bad too, but this rain may even mask those issues much in the same way as the second Test win over Bangladesh in Mackay put the gaffer tape back on, just as the terrible batting displays against England in the Ashes were ignored because England were even worse.

I would not have made this connection.

Unless you’re Australian.

If it hangs around long enough, then why not? Every minute they are off the pitch now means that overs are being taken off the time Australia will need to survive.

There is also the fact that the pitch is going to sweat under these tarp covers, which will impact the surface. For better or worse is the question.

It won’t help Harmer with getting grip, but could help Rabada and Jansen get variable bounce.

Two half centuries for Marcus Harris in a low scoring match is a positive for him I suppose.

But you’d feel that his chance has been and gone.

We’re been told that play is due to begin at 8:00pm AEDT, so about 20 minutes or so.

The new session times are thus:

• 11:00 to 12:30 local time (8:00pm to 9:30pm AEDT) 
• 13:10 to 15:30 local (10:10pm to 12:30am AEDT)
• 15:50 to 17:45 local (12:50am to 2:45am AEDT)

Australia will have to survive 87 overs salvage a draw.

Good/bad news from Gqeberha.

The covers are coming off, according to CricInfo, so that means we will get a resumption time sooner rather than later.

The rain was not heavy so, according to CricInfo, the outfield is not a concern.

Heroic half centuries from Marcus Harris (63), Liam Blackford (80) and Fergus O’Neill  (53) were ultimately in vain for Victoria, who fell to a four-run defeat against Tasmania in Hobart today.

22-year-old left arm quick Marcus Bean dismissed both Harris and Blackford, before Gabe Bell came back to mop up the tail as Victoria was bowled out for 266 chasing 271.

Ben McDermott was player of the match for Tasmania for his 128 and 33, with Tasmania going top of the ladder after two rounds following their first-up draw with New South Wales.

Well look, while we’re waiting for the rain to stop, how about we round up the second round of the Sheffield Shield, shall we?

No rain in Hobart or Perth today to ruin the result chasing…

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The radio boys are saying that this “light and misty” rain is going to linger.

Apparently, it’s all down to former Australian batter Phil Jaques’s fancy weather app.

He says the rain will be around until noon or early afternoon local time.

You can listen to them talking about it all here.

What frustration for the South Africans.

Hi Cam, lovely to have you with us.

As far as the rain is concerned, we are told that once this blows over the rain will disperse and we’ll be able to get a full day’s play in, or near enough.

Whether South Africa will need a full day’s play is anyone’s guess.

Play has been scheduled to start at 7:20pm AEDT, but then it started raining again.

However, that rain has apparently done little to dispel the hopes of a swift resumption.

The start time has been revised to 7:25pm AEDT, but we’ll keep you updated on what seems to be a bit of a rolling issue at the moment.

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That’s a diamond stat, Wishful thinker.

The Aussies actually won by 5 wickets despite scoring just 75 in their first innings in response to South Africa’s 311.

The great offspinner Hugh Tayfield did the damage with 7-23 in that innings for the team then known as the Springboks.

However, in the second innings, South Africa was skittled for 99, Victorian offy Ian Johnson taking 5-34, with Bill Johnston adding 4-39 with his slow left arm.

The great Neil Harvey then scored an unbeaten 151, part of a 135-run partnership with Sam Loxton (54) to steer Australia to a famous win.

We are told there is a little bit of rain about.

Not much, but enough for the start of play to be held back a little bit.

As Australia was bundled out for under 100 in their first innings, it’s easy to forget that the Proteas were missing one of their key strike bowlers on day four.

Anrich Nortje suffered a right groin injury in his fourth over, despite taking the wicket of Marnus Labuschagne in that time.

There were fears that his extensive workload in the first Test after a lengthy absence from first class cricket – the 32-year-old bowled 40 overs in Durban after three-and-a-half years without playing first class cricket.

The Proteas didn’t miss him in the first innings but, having enforced the follow on, being a bowler light could still end up hurting the hosts.

 AccuWeather tells me that the weather for Gqeberha today is as such…

A shower in spots this morning; otherwise, partly sunny and increasingly windy. The temperature is a high of 20°C.

The wind gusts are up to 72 km/h.

The BBC, however, says there’s going to be rain…

Fox Sports had an interview with Josh Hazlewood where there was no mention of rain, indeed Mark Howard said there was “no rain, unfortunately”.

And yet, what do I see out there?

Covers on…

He may have a perpetual scowl on his face on field, but Marco Jansen had plenty to smile about during yesterday’s day’s play, as he claimed 5-33 in 11 overs.

The 26-year-old has had a good mate, scoring 85 runs on Tuesday, his second-highest Test score, before backing up with an accurate display of seam bowling yesterday.

“With the two days of rain we had to try and bowl them out as quickly as possible, and I’m just very, very happy the way it turned out and just happy that we could capitalise on the wickets and the new ball,” Jansen told reporters.

“I thought the guys bowled really, really well with a lot of intent and energy.

“But it’s one thing to bowl well, but it’s another thing to be backed up by your fielders as well. They took some stunning catches with just everything, basically, going our way.”

Jansen noted that the conditions were far better suited to bowling at St George’s Park than they were in Durban last week.

“The ball got a bit more bounce and a bit more seam, and fortunately for me, it just got the edge,” he said.

“We bowled in better areas for longer periods and stuck at what we thought was going to work at this wicket.

“Test cricket is all about resilience coupled with consistency.”

with Reuters

It has been hosing it down in the South East corner of the Sunshine State today.

Thoughts, of course, with anyone affected by the flash flooding. If you are worried, check out the ABC disaster blog here.

If you need any emergency assistance, contact the SES on 132 500.

If you’re in a life-threatening situation – call Triple Zero.

He was speaking on Fox Sports a short while ago.

He said that he was feeling a lot better and will be at full batting fitness.

Unfortunately, I don’t think that Australia will be in a great position if they need to rely on Hazlewood’s bat to save them…

A week is a long time in sport.

Or maybe, we are all too guilty of short term thinking.

After Matt Renshaw’s heroics masked the woeful batting problems at the heart of this Australian line up, the cracks were once again exposed in a Test match as Marnus Labuschagne, Nic Maddinson and Beau Webster all failed on day four.

And there’s a suggestion that all three should all be in the firing line when the panel sits down to pick the squad ahead of next Tuesday’s start for the third Test in Cape Town.

“I’m not going to sit here and hang anyone out to dry,” coach Andrew McDonald told reporters on Wednesday when asked about possible changes, but he acknowledged his side had suffered a “significant setback”.

“It was only a week ago we were a really, really good team,” he said.

Labuschagne has now gone 46 Test innings without scoring a century, and his second dismissal on Wednesday put his approach in the spotlight, leaving his side further in the mire.

He and Head had put on 92 for the second wicket as the home bowlers tired but instead of continuing the fightback, Labuschagne took on spinner Simon Harmer in a fierce gale and was caught skying a rash shot, precipitating the fall of two more Australia wickets before stumps.

“There’s probably some shots players would like to take back,” McDonald said.

“When you do that hard work, you’ve got to cash in, and unfortunately that wasn’t the case for Marn.

“He’d be disappointed, we’re disappointed and we find ourselves in this situation.”

With Reuters

There’s a feeling perhaps that it’s a bit too late for a couple of Australia’s batters to save their personal bacon – but the game is still there to be saved, that’s for sure.

Was there a plan?

Watching Australia’s batters flounder about on a pitch that, over the previous 24 hours, had proven to be as placid as they come, makes one think that whatever plan there was, it was not being applied.

Here’s Russell Jackson’s analysis of another painful day for Australia’s Test team.

Australia was hampered yesterday by a neck injury to former skipper Steve Smith.

The veteran batter was in clear discomfort throughout his first innings, changing his stance regularly to deal with the pain he was in before eventually being bowled.

He was seen in the sheds with a warming blanket around his neck in a bid to loosen the muscles, and did not come out to bat as expected when Australia was following on.

However, the Australian camp expect Smith to bat today.

“We felt it was best to hopefully get the batting unit through to tomorrow and then hopefully he’s better placed,” coach Andrew McDonald said.

“We’ve seen the physio working on him, so he’ll bat tomorrow.

“It’s not something that will rule him out of the innings, but it was just a little bit more time than we expected on the back of the first innings.

“Sometimes he changes his technique when he’s fully fit too, but he was limited in what he could do.”

Marco Jansen was a pain in the neck for all Australia’s batters on day four, while we all know Marnus Labuschagne can cause a crick in the most sturdy of spines at the best of times – which these most definitely are not.

But it was the literal pain in the neck that felled Steve Smith on a tough day for Australia batters.

Here’s the quick hits from day four.

There’s no hiding it, but day four represented a low point in Australia’s recent Test batting history, bundled out for 99 and being asked to follow on for just the third time this century, before going on to lose four wickets in their second innings to put them on the cusp of defeat.

Here’s how it all went down.

In the history of Test cricket, just four sides have ever responded to the ignominy of being asked to follow on by coming back and winning the match.

Australia, in the 40 times they have been asked to do so, has never managed it.

They have, however, drawn 11 pf those matches and that surely is the only hope that the Aussies have on day five at St George’s Park.

Hello everyone and welcome to the final day of the second Test from Gqeberha, as Australia stares down the barrel.

My name is Simon Smale, Dean Bilton and Henry Hanson are with me and it’s safe to say that if we are to be still with you for the entirety of the next seven hours or so, we’re going to need a fightback of epic proportions from an Australian team that has wilted in the face of South Africa’s fast-bowling.

Travis Head is nearing a century but was streaky as Danish bacon at times, while Steve Smith has a literal pain in his neck and is likely to be under-strength as a result.

The Aussies still trail by 170 runs. The situation is bleak.

But stranger things than this have happened in Test cricket. I once saw Monty Panesar survive 35 balls alongside Jimmy Anderson in Cardiff save a Test.

And, with all the respect and love for Monty in the world, if he can survive that long, then Australia’s far more accomplished lower order batters can do their part too.