3rd Test Australia v South Africa: Re-live all the day five action from the SCG
Pat Cummins has weighed in after three catches in the third Test were denied, and South Africa’s captain had a different view. Plus, re-live day 5 as it happened.
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Pat Cummins has called for improvements to the identification of grass-skimming catches in the wake of cricket’s “green finger’’ controversy.
Three times in the third Test catches were denied by third umpire Richard Ketteborough because the ball was deemed to have touched grass even though it appeared to be safely held within players fingers.
The law states that until the ball is fully controlled by the fieldsman any contact with the ground deems it not out.
Steve Smith took two of the catches including a sharp, low chance of Heinrich Klaasen off Nathan Lyon on the final day which he thought was out but a five minute review found otherwise.
“I kind of feel for the umpires in that situation,’’ Australian captain Cummins said.
“I don’t really know the answers but there has to be a way to try and improve it somehow.
“As it stands now it is really hard to give a batter out. If there is any benefit of the doubt it goes the batter’s way.
“I don’t know the answer but surely there must be small changes we can make to get a more definitive answer on that.
“There are 30 or 40 cameras here. Sometimes the third umpire only has a couple of angles. Maybe there’s more camera angles we can use.’’
South African captain Dean Elgar praised the umpires for their “brilliant’’ handling of the close calls.
“I thought the way the umpires conducted the three (decisions) was brilliant,’’ Elgar said.
“I think once you have decided the first one was not out you can’t really budge from there. You will rarely get three catches like that in a Test. Those things are always going to be a grey area. Some guys will say out. Others not out.’’
RE-LIVE THE FIFTH DAY AS IT HAPPENED
5.40PM: KHAWAJA, WARNER TAKE HONOURS
Many of the 20,000 strong crowd that came here for the gold coin donation have made their way onto the SCG for the on-field presentations.
And there’s no surprises when man of the match is named: Usman Khawaja, for his brilliant 195 across the first two days.
“I would love to have a double ton next to my name, but at the end of the day it’s about winning,” Khawaja says of the controversial decision to declare with him unbeaten on 195.
“Australia is always team-first, and that’s an important way to play the game.”
Player of the series? That’s a tougher one. Travis Head? Pat Cummins? Usman Khawaja?
No, it’s David Warner! For his Boxing Day Test double century.
5.22PM: ALL OVER: IT’S A DRAW, AUSTRALIA WIN SERIES 2-0
And with that, players shake hands and this match is officially drawn.
A fairly engrossing final day considering so many overs throughout the test were lost due to rain. South Africa did well to hold firm and dig in for their first draw in nearly six years.
For Australia, Josh Hazlewood was superb today - taking four fist-innings wickets, and another one in the second innings.
It ends a fairly disastrous series for South Africa. They were never in the contest in any of the Tests to be quite honest and will go home with a lot of soul-searching to do.
Australia will be pleased, but do go to India next month with some questions of their own - not least of all the fitness of injured stars Mitchell Starc and Cameron Green.
5.04PM: THEY THINK IT’S ALL OVER...
...and surely now it is.
If the sight of Ashton Agar bowling in tandem with Marnus Labuschagne doesn’t scream ‘end this Test now’, I don’t know what is.
And yet, 10 overs to go. And Australia need eight wickets. It’s not over till it’s over!
4.57PM: THE END IS NIGH - BARRING A MIRACLE
There’s 11 overs remaining, and barring a stunning barrage of wickets it the only discussion which needs to be had is between the captains: and calling an early end to this Test.
History shows that Australian captains tend to think they only need eight deliveries to take eight wickets - so don’t expect that conversation to happen just yet.
But perhaps with about five overs to go we might see Cummins made that concession.
Australia have leant on their spinners to bowl the bulk of the overs, but it’s been Hazlewood and Cummins who have taken the only wickets in this second innings.
But they can’t bowl every over. It would break them.
And so South Africa’s near six-year wait for a draw looks like it is about to end.
4.41PM: ONE HOUR TO GO - AUSTRALIA’S FINAL CHANCE LOOMS
It’s drinks. There’s 15 overs to go. But, feasibly, from this point the captains can come together and call an early close to play.
But Australia will always feel as though they are a chance of causing a mini collapse against this South African team. They’ve done it all summer.
Josh Hazlewood had the ball reversing a touch earlier, before being taken off. Give him another spell to see if he can come up with a bit of magic.
Erwee (31) and Bavuma (6) have looked rock solid through their five-over partnership. At most, they have 15 more overs to survive. But if they can hang around for another half hour... that might be enough.
4.21PM: WICKET! HAZLEWOOD WITH A JAFFA
Josh Hazlewood, you absolute demon. That is a filthy delivery.
Klaasan - who has lived a charmed life, it must be said - has his stumps demolished by a scorching ball that swings in through the gate. He departs for 35. South Africa 2-75, and in comes Bavuma.
Hazlewood has got the ball starting to reverse, and when that happens he’s an incredibly tricky customer to deal with.
20 overs remaining. What would WinViz say?
4.10PM: WATCH: OUT OR NOT OUT?
Another not out call.
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) January 8, 2023
Klaasen survives #AUSvSApic.twitter.com/H1Mb2STvPb
4.02PM: LYON DENIED AFTER ANOTHER CATCH CONTROVERSY
It’s a wicket! Wait. No. It’s more controversy over a low catch...
Klaasen edges Lyon to first slip, where Steve Smith appears to take a good low catch. He claims it, Australia celebrate - but it looks close to the grab he took yesterday that was denied by the third umpire.
After a five-minute review, the decision is overturned. Australia are mystified.
“I thought naked eye, he got his fingers under the ball. but the more forensically you look, the more you can find,” says Kerry O’Keeffe.
“And so... more conjecture over a catch.”Former New Zealand Test star Ian Smith ponders whether any of the three controversial calls had been correct.
“In all those three cases, you ask yourself: has the right decision been made?” he asked Fox Cricket.
O’Keeffe replied: “I’d have to say no... which is sad isn’t it? I think he’s clearly caught that.”
3.55PM: DRAW FIRMING AS AUSSIES RUN OUT OF IDEAS
25 overs remaining. Nine wickets to secure it.
Pat Cummins is trying little bits of everything to change things up. An over of Travis Head here, one of Josh Hazlewood there, and now Steve Smith has been handed the ball.
A last roll of the dice? A concession that this is a task too great for even the side he said was the best he’d ever played in, just last week?
3.35PM: SOUTH AFRICA ON VERGE OF BURYING INCREDIBLE STATISTIC
They’ve waited until the last day of the tour, but South Africa have a chance to end one of the most remarkable runs in the famous cricketing history of this country.
With 30 overs remaining in the day, South Africa are in line to secure their first draw in a remarkable 47 Tests.
As revealed by our own Crash Craddock last week, South Africa haven’t played in a drawn Test since March 2017, when they faced New Zealand at Seddon Park.
That’s almost six years of cricket, a period which has recorded 23 wins and 23 losses. A perfectly even split that could, in a matter of hours, be bookended by draws.
South Africa are 1-48, with Klaasen on 18 and Erwee on 20.
3.10PM: THE EQUATION: WHAT AUSTRALIA NEEDS FOR WIN
32 overs remaining. Australia need nine more wickets. It’s that simple.
But how much gas is left in the tank? Josh Hazlewood bowled so well after lunch to give his captain Pat Cummins the chance to enforce the follow-on, but since then he’s had just two overs.
Coming back from a sidestrain, has the workload taken its toll on Hazlewood? Or is he being saved for a final push after tea?
Ashton Agar has bounced back after two expensive first overs, but the wickets - and chances - haven’t come yet. Much will fall on his - and Nathan Lyon’s - shoulders in a gruelling final session.
“It’s about building some pressure and momentum, hopefully we can create that,” said David Warner to Fox Cricket.
3.00PM: WATCH - ELGAR’S AWFUL END TO HORROR SERIES
Writing a book titled 'Dean Elgar and his leg-side nightmare'. 😂 pic.twitter.com/IITcMIslJE
— News Cricket (@NewsCorpCricket) January 8, 2023
2.43PM: WICKET! ELGAR STRANGLED ON LEGSIDE AGAIN
How many times has that happened this series to Dean Elgar? Strangled down the legside, gloving the Pat Cummins bouncer to Alex Carey.
He goes for 10, and seems genuinely distraught about that. He’d done well to get through the opening half hour of this innings... and then falls in such soft fashion.
His series average of 9.33 tells much of the story. He’s had a terrible summer.
Less than half an hour to go until tea, too. That’s a frustrating dismissal for the Proteas captain. They are 1-27 and still trail by 193 runs.
2.30PM: AUSSIES BURN FIRST REVIEW
That is one review down for Australia, with Pat Cummins chasing Dean Elgar’s scalp.
Cummins never looked super convinced on that review, and ball-tracker backs up his suspicions by showing the ball sailing over the top of the stumps.
It was Cummins’ first ball of the second innings, with Ashton Agar opening the bowling at the Randwick End.
Elgar remains, on 8.
2.15PM: CUMMINS GETS FUNKY WITH CAPTAINCY
Pat Cummins is going to have to get funky with his captaincy to get the most out of his four-man attack and push Australia to victory.
And he’s pulled his first trick already, opening the bowling with Ashton Agar - alongside Josh Hazlewood.
It’s almost a masterstroke: two balls in and he has Erwee edging just short of Steve Smith at first slip.
But Cummins has to find a way to keep himself and Hazlewood fresh throughout the remaining 47 overs. Agar needs to chime in with overs.... and ideally wickets.
1.57PM: WICKET! LYON ENDS THINGS, PROTEAS TO FOLLOW-ON
And that is that! Wow. When things happen, they happen in a hurry.
Nathan Lyon has Kagiso Rabada out caught-and-bowled - a fine effort, really - to close South Africa’s innings on 255.
That gives Pat Cummins the chance to enforce the follow-on, and he has done so. Australia’s slim chances of victory continue here.
Four wickets down, 10 to go.
South Africa have 47 overs to face across the rest of the day - and need to score 225 or more to potentially set Australia a target to chase.
1.54PM: WICKET! HAZLEWOOD STRIKES AGAIN!
He is too good. Josh Hazlewood finally removes Simon Harmer, just shy of his half-century.
That’s a massive wicket - with South Africa still 21 short of the follow-on mark.
It’s a beautiful delivery, shaping back in and taking an edge onto the stumps.
It’s Hazlewood’s fourth wicket of the innings and he truly has been Australia’s best the past two days.
Enforcing the follow-on is suddenly back in play. Would Cummins consider it, after Australia has spent more than 100 overs in the field?
1.45PM: LYON TWICE DENIED BY UMPIRE’S CALL
Nathan Lyon has twice been cruelly denied an LBW - with both times a review favouring umpire’s call, meaning the not-out decisions stood and Simon Harmer survives.
On the first, balltracker had the ball taking a decent chunk of leg stump - having beaten the bat and hit him in line- but not enough to overturn.
The second was a double umpire’s call - hitting just in line with off stump, and just taking a piece of leg stump.
But again, Paul Reiffel’s not out call stands, and former Australian great Mike Hussey thinks that’s a good thing.
“I think it’s excellent umpiring by Paul Reiffel,” Hussey said on Fox Cricket.
“With the ball turning that much, it’s gotta be either hitting you just outside the line of the off-stump... or with that amount of turn it’s got to spin past the stumps.”
Australia is hunting. But the little things aren’t quite working for them right now. South Africa needs 21 runs to avoid the follow on.
1.34PM: DROPPED! AGAR SPILLS TOUGH CHANCE
Dropped! That’s the chance Australia wanted. Rabada chips Hazlewood to short mid-wicket, where Ashton Agar is patrolling.
It’s a sharp chance, and high, but for a fielder of Agar’s quality you expect those ones to stick.
He’s had a tough time with the ball, but that catch might have ignited something within Agar.
“Ashton Agar would normally catch that,” says Mark Waugh on Fox Cricket.
1.22PM: WICKET! HAZLEWOOD STRIKES AFTER LUNCH
Bang! When all hope is lost, you turn to Josh Hazlewood.
The ever dependable Australian seamer strikes in his first over after the lunch break, trapping Keshav Maharaj in front and sending him on his way for 53.
Maharaj requests a review, in the hope he’s snuck his bat in front of the pad but it’s a fruitless effort - and he gets all three reds.
A great partnership comes to an end for South Africa, just 23 runs shy of avoiding the follow-on mark.
Can Australia pull something out of the hat here?
1.10PM: LYON’S CHANCE TO ROAR?
The middle session is underway, Pat Cummins steaming in for his 22nd over straight after lunch.
Australia’s chances of victory rapidly declined across the first session, to the point where the draw is now a near unbackable $1.01 option.
One of the bigger problems has been the lack of penetration from Australia’s spinners Nathan Lyon and Ashton Agar - which was hoped to be their ace up the sleeve on a day five wicket.
The pair went wicketless through the first session, with Lyon’s SCG struggles coming to the fore again.
It’s a ground where he averages more than 40 for his wickets, something which often comes as a surprise at a group with a reputation for offering support for spinners.
“Ìronically it’s not his favurite ground to bowl at,” said Mike Hussey on Fox Cricket.
“He averages over 40 at the SCG, which is well above his career average.”
12.30PM: LUNCH: GAME SLIPPING AWAY FROM AUSTRALIA
Today promised a lot - and there’s still plenty of time for twists and turns with 58 overs remaining in the day - but South Africa have shown some backbone for the first time this summer.
And that’s frustrated the Australians.
Across two and a half hours of play, Australia have taken just one wicket - through part-timer Travis Head - as the Proteas trimmed the follow-on target runs to just 31.
Head gave Australia some hope, dismissing Marco Jansen for 11, but it was the last joy Australia enjoyed in the first session.
Spin duo Keshav Maharaj and Simon Harmer have combined to add 72 for the eighth wicket, with both closing in on half-centuries: Maharaj is 49, and Harmer 45.
Australia were even charged five penalty runs when the helmet behind Alex Carey was struck, suggesting that luck isn’t on their side today.
12PM - COULD CUMMINS PULL OUT ALL-TIME CAPTAINCY GAMBLE?
With half an hour until lunch, some nerves might be infiltrating the Australian camp.
Simon Harper has reached his highest Test score - he’s unbeaten on 40 - and has added 41 for the eighth wicket with Keshav Maharaj.
And just as important, for South Africa, as the pair not losing their wicket is that they’ve chipped away at that follow-on mark quite comfortably, scoring at nearly three runs an over.
With lunch in sight, the Proteas are 7-208 and need a further 67 runs to avoid the follow-on.
If they hit that mark, it could take the air out of this contest - barring the boldest of captaincy moves from Pat Cummins. He could declare Australia’s innings on 0/0 and set South Africa a sub-200 target.
That would do Warney proud on the ‘you’ve got to be willing to lose if you want to win’ attitude.
11.40AM - AGAR’S CRUCIAL DAY WITH INDIA TOUR IN PLAY
- BEN HORNE
Ashton Agar needs wickets on day five of the Sydney Test.
As Fox Cricket’s spin guru Kerry O’Keeffe said on commentary, decisions are about to be made for next month’s heavy-duty tour of India and Agar needs results.
So far in the first innings, captain Pat Cummins has scarcely used Agar, bowling the left-armer just 11 overs when Nathan Lyon has taken the bulk of the work with 32 overs.
Even part-timer Travis Head has bowled five overs of spin.
Agar has a huge opportunity to take wickets, not only to spearhead Australia to a last day victory against South Africa, but boost his own confidence ahead of the biggest tour of his career.It’s been nearly six years since Agar’s last Test match and due to his white ball career he hasn’t played much first-class cricket.
Agar needs to start beating the outside edge as the day goes on.
Australia have missed a couple of tough chances on day five – with Marnus Labuschagne putting down a very low percentage chance at short leg off Head and an over later Head dropping a flying return catch opportunity off his own bowling.
In between, Alex Carey dropped one off Head, but it wasn’t clear whether the small spike on snicko was bat or pad.
11.25AM: NEW BALL TAKEN, CRUCIAL PERIOD UPCOMING
For the first time this series, Australia have taken the second new ball. And the next half hour feels like it could decide the day.
Cummins and Hazlewood looked superb yesterday with the new rock, and if they can run through the tail before lunch then it’s game on as far as the victory hunt is concerned.
But if Harmer and Maharaj get through the worst of it, it’ll be give the tourists the biggest lift they’ve had all summer.
WATCH: TRAVIS HEAD’S CRUCIAL BREAKTHROUGH
11.10AM: HEAD BOWLING GRENADES, CATCHES GOING DOWN
Travis Head alomst has a second - and he has Simon Harper in all sorts.
Harmer whips an impossible chance to Marnus Labuschagne at bat-pad - hitting him on the fleshy part of his right hand, up onto the thigh and almost giving him enough time to recover.
It would’ve been an all-time catch, but no dice.
The very next ball, Head beats the bat and it looked like there could’ve been the faintest of tickles on snicko, but Alex Carey can’t hold onto it.
Head has turned into a major gamechanger here - and he almost snaffles a return catch off Keshav Maharaj.
He gets a hand to a sharp drive, but it bursts through his hands.
That’s three chances - all in the ‘fairly tough’ category of chances, at least - that have gone down in the past two Travis Head overs.
10.57AM: WICKET! HEAD GETS THE BREAKTHROUGH!
Pat Cummins has the midas touch again - after a flat morning, he turns to Travis Head and the part-timer delivers immediately.
In his first over, Head removes Marco Jansen with a skiddy delivery that takes a faint touch and is well caught by Alex Carey.
Jansen goes for 11, soaking up an impressive 78 balls. Could that breathe a bit of life into the Australian attack? Six overs to go before the new ball.
South Africa are 7-167. 13 wickets to go for Australia, today.
10.30AM: THE CRUCIAL NUMBERS AUSTRALIA MUST ZERO IN ON
A quiet start to the morning. Some desperate shouts from the crowd, both in the stands and the crowd around the bat, from some narrorw misses off Nathan Lyon’s bowling.
Lyon started today at the Randwick End, where he’s likely to operate for much of the day you’d imagine. Pat Cummins started at the Paddington/Members’ End, but has just been replaced by Josh Hazlewood.
Those two will be rotated regularly today in a bid to keep them fresh, despite Hazlewood’s willingness to bowl himself into the ground for the final time this summer.
There are two numbers Australia needs to have on its mind: the first is 4, the number of wickets they need to end South Africa’s first innings.
The second is 275 - if South Africa passes that, and Australia are required to bat again, it would almost certainly kill off the game.
But at 6-160, it’s slow going on all fronts right now.
However South Africa are approaching their longest innings of the tour - 67 overs down. They made it to the 69th over twice at the MCG.
10AM: BRUTAL HISTORY FACING AUSTRALIA IN VICTORY HUNT
Play is underway at the SCG - a decent smattering of fans are in already this morning, taking advantage of the gold-coin donation entry fee.
It promises to be a memorable day if Australia can pull off an unlikely victory and take 14 wickets on Day 5.
But can they do it? There are signs that point to both yes and no.
Recent history at the SCG would suggest... probably not. Australia has been in this position before, and been close to victory coming into the final day, only to fall agonisingly short.
Think England last year. And India two years ago.
Day 5 in Sydney
— Swamp (@sirswampthing) January 7, 2023
2022 v ENG
AUS needed 10 wickets to win, took 9
2021 v IND
AUS needed 8 wickets to win, took 3
#AUSvSA
However this South African team is not Engand - and certainly not India 2021.
On balance, Australia have just enough overs in their locker today to get the job done against Proteas batting ineup that hasn’t come close to batting out a day this summer.
South Africa haven't batted 90overs in their last two series/9 innings. In fact, on average they face just 60overs per innings during that stretch. Australia have allowed themselves 157overs to bowl RSA out twice here - well above average. #AUSvSA
— Corbin Middlemas (@CorbinMiddlemas) January 7, 2023
9.30AM: SUMMER’S BIGGEST BARGAIN
Don’t look now, but it is officially SUNNY at the SCG. It looks an absolute peach of a day, with 98 overs to be bowled and a fascinating day of cricket upcoming.
Australia needs 14 wickets to seal a famous 3-0 series win, and it is not out of the question at all - with the world class trio of Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Nathan Lyon bowling superbly late on Saturday.
And the best bit for Sydney sports fans?
It’s a gold coin donation entry. So for $2 (or $1, I suppose) you can watch some of the greatest cricketers on the planet chase a victory that seemed impossible after nearly two days of play were lost to run.
We’ll take you through every bit of the rollercoaster today, where South Africa resume on 6-149 with Simon Harmer on 6 and Marco Jansen on 10.
BIASED RULE THAT DENIED SMITH CLASSIC CATCH
- BY DAANYAL SAEED
Josh Hazlewood has called for cricket to abolish the ‘soft signal’ which is causing mass confusion and controversy after two hairline third Test decisions.
Hazlewood enticed South African captain Dean Elgar to edge to second slip early in the Proteas’ first innings, with Steve Smith diving low to his right and cradling the ball with fingers touching the turf.
With the SCG crowd breaking into rapturous applause, Smith’s reaction said he wasn’t convinced at all.
The incident was a replica of Simon Harmer’s effort in the first innings off Marnus Labuschagne.
Hazlewood said he considered both were fair catches, yet both were given not out, with Kettleborough backing the on-field ‘soft signal’ to deny Smith what would have been one of his greatest catches ever.
“I think you should probably take the soft call completely out of it,” said the 31-year-old Hazlewood.
“Obviously the two umpires aren’t sure on the field and I guess they should just go straight to the third umpire when they’re uncertain - you make the call.
“They’re sort of biased by that decision on-field and can’t find a lot to overturn it.”
Despite Smith’s fingers clearly nestling underneath the ball and the 33-year-old rolling upwards and away from the turf, spectators at the Sydney Cricket Ground were convinced he had taken a clean catch.
Front-on camera angles appeared as though the ball had kissed the turf whilst in Smith’s grasp at the apex of the dive, using the ground to stabilise the ball in his hand.
Out or not out - what's your verdict? 🧠pic.twitter.com/Hxx8vec2QK
— News Cricket (@NewsCorpCricket) January 7, 2023
Former New Zealand wicketkeeper Ian Smith said on Fox Cricket he considered it a fair catch, but former ICC Umpire of the Year Simon Taufel said he thought the correct decision had been made.
“When the fielder first touches the ball, they have to have complete control over the ball and their movement, and the ball can not touch the ground,” he explained.
“I’m very happy Richard (Kettleborough) has made that call.”
Taufel made a point of noting the soft signal process, which doesn’t require a third umpire to have conclusive evidence to overturn, in contrast to being required to do so for an on-field decision.
“We must remember this soft signal process has been tweaked a little bit. This decision was entirely in the hands of the third umpire.”
It would prove to not cost the Australians too dearly, with Elgar gloving a catch off Hazlewood moments later and departing for 15, having only added nine runs to his tally.
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