Nic Maddinson and Travis Head have made a fast start to Australia’s second innings in Durban to leave South Africa trailing by 139 runs after being bowled out for 284 on day three.
Steve Smith took three spectacular catches during the innings with Pat Cummins picking up three vital wickets as the tourists took control of the opening Test match.
After taking a 106-run first-innings lead, controversially recalled opener Nic Maddinson signalled his intent from the opening delivery as he clattered Marco Jansen’s short ball to the rope.
In just 5.4 overs Maddinson and Travis Head hit four fours and a six between them with the maximum, unsighted at deep square leg by Ryan Rickelton, apparently bringing about another early end to play.
Bad light ended play for the third straight day, with the premature stumps calls having now cost 61 overs in total and looking almost certain to affect the result.
Look back at all the day three action in our live blog below, and check out all the stats in our ScoreCentre.
Live: South Africa vs Australia — first Test in Durban
Stumps has been called with Australia 0-33, leading by 139 runs
We’ve officially lost 61 overs to bad light over the first three days of this Test.
But the good news is Australia will take a healthy lead into day four and has the chance to dictate terms in this contest.
Nic Maddinson (17*) and Travis Head (10*) look ready to launch, so we look forward to welcoming you back here again tomorrow!
Say it with me now: Bad light has stopped play
Straight after Ryan Rickelton failed to pick up that skied ball in the field, the umpires come together and send the players off.
It doesn’t look as dark today as it has the previous two days, but if they took the light reading that’s what the umpires have to go with.
6th over – More from Mulder
He’s across Maddinson, who hangs the bat out at one and misses.
BOOM! On the pads and Maddinson flicks it miles into the air. Ryan Rickelton is out at deep square leg but doesn’t pick it up at all. Not that it would have made a difference because that ended up in the stands.
That won’t do wonders for the light concerns.
5th over – Jansen is moving it away from the lefties
That seam away is tempting Maddinson to push at it, but the movement is almost too extreme to be a real threat. I think it’s going to beat the outside edge of any bat that’s even remotely close to vertical.
Four off the pad as Jansen strays down leg.
Four! Off the bat this time as Head punches through cover as he jumps to handle the bounce.
4th over – Mulder to Head
A very fortunate four for Head as he clips off his pads and the ball sails off a leading edge and up over mid-wicket. It lingers in the air for an age before falling safely and rolling into the rope.
Gorgeous bowling by Mulder to seam past the outside edge from over the wicket. That’s where Mulder needs to be.
Full, wide, slapped and superbly stopped at cover. Head remains on 6 off 11.
3rd over – Jansen continues
Beaten! Huge seam away from Maddinson to beat the outside edge.
Better line and length in this over from Jansen, forcing Maddinson to leave outside off.
He gets too straight and Maddinson manages to work one to square leg.
A good short ball to finish, but Head’s able to glove it down to the leg side.
2nd over – Wiaan Mulder from the other end
In all the Maddinson drama, Travis Head’s poor innings snuck under the radar. He is also hunting a good knock to feel more comfortable at the top of the order.
He’s almost chopped on again! Playing with that 45-degree bat and again the big inside edge goes close, but into the back pad.
Straight after threatening, Mulder gives Head an easy single (leg bye) to fine leg.
Now Maddinson almost chops on but manages to eke a single out to point.
Too straight and full from Mulder, allowing Head to clip off his pads for one more.
1st over – Nic Maddinson takes his guard against Marco Jansen
FOUR! Short, hooked and it’s away to the boundary. Nic Maddinson has his first Test runs in a decade to get off a pair.
It’s probably just me, but it already feels like Maddinson looks more relaxed after that opening delivery.
By the way, why the hell did Marco Jansen open up with a bouncer?
LAUNCHED! Full and wide from Jansen, and Nic Maddinson sends it flying over backward point for another boundary.
Well, that’s a much nicer start for Maddinson and Australia.
The clouds are gathering again as the teams emerge
The South African experts in commentary are anticipating another early stumps today.
They’ve been pretty consistently right about this stuff so far in this Test.
South Africa is all out for 284
That’s a 106-run first-innings deficit.
What a patient bowling effort from the Australians on a tame deck against a South African batting line-up that was up for the fight.
Partnerships of 84, 56, 35 and then 52 and 35 for the last two wickets threatened to give South Africa control of the innings, but the Aussie bowlers just kept finding wickets when they needed them.
Now Australia’s under-pressure batters need to go better and get this lead up over 300 to give the bowlers something to defend in the fourth innings.
GOT HIM! Beau Webster nicks off Anrich Nortje to end the innings
78th over – And now it’s Beau Webster again
The bowling changes are coming thick and fast.
And Simon Harmer doesn’t much mind as he works another two runs into the deep on the leg side.
Harmer does well to ride a shorter ball and take a single off the penultimate Webster ball.
77th over – Nathan Lyon tries again
The reserve umpire looms on the boundary with the new rock.
Four! Anrich Nortje crushes through cover. Too full and wide from Lyon.
The number 11 looks rock solid out there.
76th over – Mitchell Starc is back
Interesting move to bring him back on with the old ball, trying to do some damage with reverse swing and the occasional short ball.
Four more! Another Nortje outside edge goes frustratingly between the slips and away to the boundary for valuable runs.
Another single leaves South Africa just 113 runs behind. It’s not small, but if they can get it to double digits that will be big.
Meanwhile, the lights have been turned on.
75th over – Beau Webster is going to take us to the second new ball
The field is spread to offer Simon Harmer a single but he refuses to take it.
SIX! The cleanest of pull shots from Harmer as Webster drops short and that sails over the mid-wicket fence.
Four. The field comes up to try to save one, and Harmer lofts four over the top of mid-off. Some proper batting here.
Four more! This time a late cut between the two slips in place.
Fourteen runs in three balls from Harmer.
74th over – Nathan Lyon will get a look at Anrich Nortje
A big stride from the number 11 to defend the off spin. He looks tidy in defence. I say as he edges out to point.
BANG! Stand and deliver from Anrich Nortje as Lyon lobs one up and the number 11 slaps it through the air, straight back down the ground for four.
South Africa trails by 132 runs.
73rd over – It’s still Josh Hazlewood
I wonder if Pat Cummins will give himself an over or two with the old ball.
Anrich Nortje gets off strike with a lovely little dab behind point for a single. Good soft hands in defence.
Harmer is looking for a late single here. He has one ball left to find it.
But he can’t find it.
72nd over – Nathan Lyon returns
He’ll want a look at Anrich Nortje, but he’s bowling at Simon Harmer for now.
Harmer cuts to deep backward point, but doesn’t take the single. OK. Interesting. They weren’t worried about Nortje taking the strike against the seamers, but against the spin is a different story.
Lyon is getting good turn to beat Harmer’s inside edge.
Harmer is trying to manipulate the field, but can’t find a single, so Anrich Nortje will start the next over on strike.
71st over – Josh Hazlewood firing in at Anrich Nortje
Nathan Lyon is limbering up, so I’d say he’ll be coming on soon.
Nortje does enough to get off strike with a late back cut.
Harmer is also hanging in there and pushes a single to cover. Good batting and alert running.
dan