Australia vs South Africa live: Kagiso Rabada’s late strike crushes Khawaja
Fiery paceman Kagiso Rabada struck minutes from stumps on day three to almost certainly end Australia’s Test hopes.
- Khawaja falls late on day three
- Warner cops another spray
- A rare thaw in bitter relations
- De Villiers blasts brilliant ton
Australia v South Africa, day three of the second Test from St. George’s Park, Port Elizabeth. Australia are 5-180 at stumps in their second innings, a lead of 41 runs after South Africa made 382 in their first innings.
Khawaja’s fightback falls short
Usman Khawaja did enough to keep the wolves from the door of his Test career outside Australia but failed to keep out the South African attack, falling close to the end of play with the team in trouble.
Australia resume on day four at 5-180, a lead of just 41 runs.
The left-hander had to be there at stumps if the visitors were to start the fourth day with any hope of posting a significant chase, but was out lbw two overs before the close of play.
With all the recognised batsmen in the change rooms and a significant deficit on the scoreboard, it fell to Khawaja and Mitchell Marsh to navigate a way toward blue sky.
A brilliant twilight century by AB de Villiers earlier in the day had pushed the home side to a 139-run first innings lead.
Australia were in trouble straight away in the third innings.
David Warner (13) fell with the score on 27, it had moved to 62 when Cameron Bancroft (24) trudged off, and when Steve Smith (11) fell to the left-arm orthodox bowling of Keshav Maharaj, Australia were 3-77. `
When Shaun Marsh (1) played a lazy shot after the tea break Australia still trailed by 53,
Khawaja and Marsh steadied the ship and put on 87 runs before the left-hander was trapped on the crease by a fired up Rabada, who was bowling at speeds around 150km/h.
The quick got himself into hot water again earlier in the day with a fiery, unnecessary and almost predictable send off when he had Warner bowled.
He already had an overnight date with match referee Jeff Crowe which people expect will earn him a two-match suspension, effectively taking him out of the series.
His second indiscretion in the match should earn him more demerit points and another fine, but he is unlikely to miss more cricket.
Rabada, 22, is the bad boy of cricket and needs to mend his ways. He is a rare talent, with 128 wickets at an average of 21 and a long career ahead of him. If he can stay out of trouble.
Maharaj’s dismissal of Smith further confirms a hint of Achilles heel for the batsman. Since 2014 the batsman averages 77 with the bat against all bowlers but only 33 against left-arm spin.
International sides will take notice of the trend and prepare accordingly.
Khawaja has a poor record away from home and selectors must be starting to consider it a waste of a plane fare to send him on away tours, but under immense scoreboard and a degree of personal pressure he went some way to countering that notion on day three.
The batsman is employing the reverse sweep against spin — a form that troubles him — going for the stroke early in his innings and using it at regular intervals to upset the bowlers lines. It was noticeable that Smith stood on the boundary and clapped with encouragement when it resulted in boundaries during the innings.
AB de Villiers combined with the tail to give the South African’s a 139-run lead. The veteran batsman scored his sixth hundred against the Australians and the 22nd of his extraordinary career.
Many thought he would not return to Test cricket after he took a long injury/apathy lay off, but he came back for the series against India and has been brilliant against Smith’s men.
De Villiers was undefeated on 71 in the first innings at Durban, run out for 0 in the second and undefeated on 125 when the last wicket fell.
No Australian bowler has taken his wicket in the series. He and Vernon Philander put on 84 for the eighth wicket then 58 with Keshav Maharaj to further frustrate the visitors.
The Australian bowlers were treated with contempt by the South African tail. Maharaj, the spinner, hit Mitchell Starc for three consecutive fours — each to different parts of the ground — and two sixes from the bowling of Nathan Lyon.
At first de Villiers milked the bowling and protected the tail ender, but it soon became apparent he needed no shielding.
How day three unfolded
2.30am: Stumps
That’s it for day three, South Africa have the upper hand after the late dismissal of Usman Khawaja. Mitch Marsh is still there on 39, and much will depend on him on day four. Wicketkeeper Tim Paine will resume on 5. Australia’s lead is just 41.
2.25am: Crushing blow!
Usman Khawaja is gone, as Kagiso Rabada unleashes some late-day magic to trap the batsman in front lbw. Khawaja batted bravely, scoring 75 and averting disaster for the visitors.
He was just minutes from the safety of stumps, but Rabada once again strikes the crucial blow for the Proteas. He has 3-38 and has bowled superbly.
2.15am: Just out of reach
A near-miss for Khawaja, as he miscues a drive and puts it just over the head of mid-off from the bowling of Vernon Philander. It races to the boundary and Khawaja moves to 71. Marsh has 37 and the lead is 30.
1.50am: Proteas will bat again
Australia have taken the lead, and South Africa have just wasted their second and final review after a Vernon Philander appeal for lbw against Khawaja was rejected. The left-hander plays back and is struck on the pad, but the replay shows leg stump in no danger.
Khawaja edges Philander through the gap where second slip would be, and he moves to 65. The lead is 12 runs.
1.35am: 50 partnership
Usman Khawaja and Mitch Marsh have slowly and steadily dragged the visiting team back from the brink. Marsh has looked solid in defence. He slaps Ravada for a single to deep cover to bring up the 50 stand, in the process ending a run of 18 dot balls.
1.15am: A break
At drinks in the final session the visitors have inched to within eight runs of a lead. Rabada is still steaming in, getting the odd delivery to shape away from Usman Khawaja, who has 56. There are still 20 overs scheduled to be bowled today, so more to do for the last of the recognised batsmen.
1am: Half-century to Khawaja
Usman Khawaja tucks Keshav Maharaj to mid-wicket and scampers through for his 50, his 11th at Test level. He’s been unafraid to take the bowling on, and it’s resulted in 11 boundaries to all parts of the ground.
Mitch Marsh cuts the next ball for four, taking him to 15. Australia trail by 15 runs.
12.50am: Warner fallout continues
Cricket Australia has complained to its South African counterpart after officials were involved in mocking David Warner and his wife. Read more here
12.30am: Khawaja playing lone hand
The stylish left-hander seems reasonably comfortable, reverse sweeping again for four, then tucking Vernon Philander off his hip to fine leg for the same result. He has 49, Mitch Marsh has three and Australia now trail by 28 runs.
Some pundits and fans wagging their fingers at Rabada getting in people's faces. Just a quick reminder that the great fast bowlers are great precisely because they walk the fine line between control and red mist. And sometimes the red mist wins. #SAvAUS pic.twitter.com/V4nU1OQqK8
— Tom Eaton (@TomEatonSA) March 11, 2018
12.10am: Shaun Marsh out!
Shaun Marsh has lasted just two balls after tea, feathering a wide delivery from Kagiso Rabada for one. A shocking start to the session, leaving Australia 4-86. Khawaja then cracks Vernon Philander to the boundary behind point, and follows with an edge through slips to move to 36.
11.50pm: Tea wrap
Australia are in trouble at tea. Deep trouble. Steve Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft are out and the tourists are still 53 runs in arrears.
Warner was the first to go, bowled by the belligerent Kagiso Rabad for 13. The delivery almost as brutal as the send off.
The fast bowler was almost nose to nose with he batsmen when he let out a series of celebratory bellows that will certainly find him in even more trouble with the match referee.
Bancroft (24) looked reasonably comfortable before edging one from Lungi Ngidi onto his pads and stumps.
Steve Smith, the rock on which so many Australian victories are founded, played a peculiarly loose shot to the bowling of spinner, Keshav Maharaj, and was caught behind for 11.
Usman Khawaja (28no) is batting to save his side and possibly his right to tour with the team and was with Shaun Marsh (1no) when the sides left the field.
11.40pm: That’s tea
Usman Khawaja takes on Maharaj, advancing down the wicket to the spinner and stroking a pair of boundaries to cover in the final over before the break. Khawaja has 28 and Shaun Marsh one as Australia battle to 3-86, still trailing by 53 runs.
11.35pm: Disaster for Australia
The skipper is out, caught behind off the bowling of spinner Keshav Maharaj for 11. Smith’s brief innings contained one boundary and a six, but the left-armer spears one in from around the wicket and it squares-up the batsman, who walks straight off without even waiting for confirmation from the umpire. The visitors are 3-77, trailing by 62.
11.15pm: Bancroft drags one on
Bad luck for gritty opener Cameron Bancroft, as he aims an off drive at Lungi Ngidi but the ball takes an inside edge onto his pads and dribbles back towards the stumps, barely removing the off bail.
Celebrations from the paceman are suitably muted, but it’s no comfort to Bancroft, who is on his way for 24. Australia now 2-64, with Steve Smith joining Usman Khawaja (17). The deficit is 76.
10.45pm: Khawaja living dangerously
Usman Khawaja has been looking to play his shots, driving a couple of wide Rabada deliveries for four. Keshav Maharaj comes into the attack and the left-hander attempts a reverse sweep that doesn’t go as planned, but at least it doesn’t result in a wicket.
Khawaja was dismissed in the first Test playing the reverse sweep, and it probably wouldn’t go down well if he repeated it here with his team in trouble. He plays the shot again in Maharaj’s next over and it yields a boundary.
Australia are 1-53, with Khawaja 12 and Bancroft 20.
10.20pm: Warner out!
Kagiso Rabada has the breakthrough, as David Warner plays all around a straight one and has his timber rattled. The fiery paceman gets in Warner’s face as he delivers a send-off. Wasn’t much of a shot from the opener, he was anticipating a wider delivery and left a huge gap between bat and pad. He’s out for 13 and Australia are 1-27.
Commentator Michael Holding remarks that Rabada has gone over the top with his celebration of Warner’s wicket. “There’s no need for that,” the Test great says.
Top bowling by Rabada to dismiss Warner. However, he might face yet another Code of Conduct violation for that sendoff. It would be a shame (for South Africa) if he is suspended for the rest of the tour #SAvAUS
— Shaun Star (@ShaunJStar) March 11, 2018
10.05pm: Digging in
Rabada continues to trouble both batsmen, beating Warner and nailing Bancroft with a sizzling delivery that thumps into the batsman’s chest. That had to hurt — it leaves a red mark on his shirt — but to his credit Bancroft doesn’t flinch.
Warner dabs a delivery wide of slips for four, then gets a gift boundary when Faf du Plessis misfields at mid-off. Sloppy from the skipper.
9.40pm: Warner faces the music
Kagiso Rabada takes the new ball from the other end and looks sharp against David Warner. He gets good pace, about 143km/h, across the left-hander and throws a bouncer into the mix. This promises to be a willing contest between a pair of cricketers who won’t back down.
9.35pm: Australia second innings begins
Vernon Philander opens proceedings for the Proteas against Cameron Bancroft. The bowler starts a line outside the right-hander’s off stump, and when he straightens up his line Bancroft gets off the mark with a bunt between mid-on and mid-wicket that yields a couple of runs.
9.10pm: Innings wrap
AB de Villiers combined with the tail to give the South Africans a 139-run lead. The veteran batsman scored his sixth hundred against the Australians and the 22nd of his extraordinary career.
Many thought he would not return to Test cricket after he took a long injury/apathy lay off, but he came back for the series against India and has been brilliant against Smith’s men.
De Villiers was undefeated on 71 in the first innings at Durban, run out for 0 in the second and undefeated on 126 when the last wicket fell.
No Australian bowler has taken his wicket. He and Vernon Philander put on 84 for the eighth wicket then 58 with Keshav Maharaj to further frustrate the visitors.
The Australian bowlers were treated with contempt by the South African tail. Maharaj, the spinner, hit Mitchell Starc for three consecutive fours — each to different parts of the ground — and two sixes from the bowling of Nathan Lyon.
At first de Villiers milked the bowling and protected the tail ender, but it soon became apparent he needed no shielding.
Maharaj was almost caught by Usman Khawaja on the boundary, the fielder catching the ball and throwing it up in the air as he stepped over the rope, but replays showed his foot had landed on the wrong side before he released the ball and it was given six.
De Villiers brought up his century with a ramp shot over the slips field for four. Playing the ball late and placing it at will he appeared in total control.
8.55pm: It’s all over
Australia have dismissed South Africa for 382 after a run-out ends Lungi Ngidi’s innings on 5. Steve Smith knocks down the stumps from deep cover with a direct hit in a sharp bit of fielding.
De Villiers is the not out batsmen on 126. It was a breathtaking knock, off 146 balls with 20 boundaries and one six. He made it look easy on a pitch that has been tricky to score on.
Fittingly, most of the Australians wander up to shake the hand of de Villiers and then clap him off as the umpires take an early lunch. A long overdue piece of sportsmanship in a series marked by ill will.
De Villiers also passed 8500 test runs during the innings, the fourth South African after Jacques Kallis, Graeme Smith and Hashim Amla. It was de Villiers’ first test century since January 2015 after he took nearly two years out of Test cricket in an effort to prolong his career. He returned to tests late last year.
Good Gesture from Aussies.
— Utkarsh Shukla (@utksays) March 11, 2018
With all these friction between these two sides ABD comes to rescue and acts as a Lubricant.
Yes, AB Can Do Everything.@ABdeVilliers17 #SAvAUS #AusVsSA
8.45pm: Maharaj misses
Josh Hazlewood ends Keshav Maharaj’s dazzling cameo on 30, as the batsman goes for a lusty swipe across the line and is bowled. His 30 contained three boundaries and two 6s in a 58-run stand that looks to have put the game out of Australia’s reach. South Africa are 9-369.
8.30pm: Run spree
All of a sudden the lead has blown out to 126 after some audacious batting from de Villiers and Keshav Maharaj. De Villiers blasts Cummins for six over mid-wicket, Maharaj puts Lyon over long on and then smashes Mitchell Starc for three straight boundaries.
The pair have added 58 in no time, and things are looking grim for the visitors.
Last two partnerships have added 142 in 30.1 overs #shutthegate #SAvAUS
— Daniel Brettig (@danbrettig) March 11, 2018
8.10pm: Close call
Keshav Maharaj joins de Villiers out in the middle, and he has a lucky escape while trying to belt Nathan Lyon over the mid-wicket boundary. Usman Khawaja appears to take a clever catch, tossing the ball to himself as he goes over the boundary, but the third umpire reveals that the Australian’s foot has hit the ground before he can get the ball back in play.
Six to Maharaj, de Villiers has 100 and the lead is 86.
8pm: Breakthrough!
Pat Cummins strikes, having Vernon Philander caught at short leg by Cameron Bancroft. The fielder makes the most of a second chance, as he drops a similar nudge from Philander on the first ball of the over. Two balls later, he makes no mistake.
Philander is out for a valuable 36, off 85 balls with five boundaries. Two balls later, though, de Villiers reaches his century with a glided shot over the slips.
7.40pm: Bowling change
Off spinner Nathan Lyon is into the attack now. He picked up just the one wicket yesterday, but it was a peach of a delivery that knocked over Quinton de Kock. The pacemen haven’t threatened so far, and Steve Smith will be hoping for some magic from the offie.
De Villiers continues to roll, pulling Pat Cummins to the boundary to move to 93. The Proteas reach 300.
54 runs in this 8th wicket partnership #SAvAUS #SABCcricket pic.twitter.com/LezXIACRxp
— SABC Sport (@SPORTATSABC) March 11, 2018
7.30pm: So far, so good for the batsmen
Not much encouragement for the bowlers in the first half-hour. AB de Villiers and Vernon Philander have added 25 runs, with a couple of lovely shots and some sloppy fielding resulting in boundaries.
Josh Hazlewood gets an edge off Philander that doesn’t carry to first slip and goes for four, despite the efforts of keeper Tim Paine. Paine also allows four byes as another Hazlewood delivery simply slips through the gloves.
South Africa now 7-288.
AB holds the key
Australia came back with five wickets in the final session to stop South Africa’s momentum on day two, but AB de Villiers remains not out and looking dangerous on 74.
He will be the difference between a big lead, or a narrow advantage for the home team as we head into the second innings on a wearing pitch.
De Villiers has looked untroubled in his 81 balls, in a free-flowing innings with 14 fours that made batting look much easier than it really was on a pitch offering reverse swing for Australia’s four pacemen.
“Today was a tough day of test cricket and those people who are test-match lovers would appreciate the skill of the bowling and, especially when AB was batting toward the end, the skill of the batting,” Hashim Amla said after play.
Warner comes under scrutiny
South Africa appeared to accuse David Warner of ball tampering on day two, as tensions between the bitter rivals continued to simmer.
The opening batsman was sporting a lot of tape on his left hand, which sparked inquiries from AB de Villiers and raised questions in the commentary box. Read more here
#SAvAUS @davidwarner31 whats this then? Init illegal? pic.twitter.com/sSmDYoVmQd
— Sam Rogue (@SamRogue1) March 10, 2018
Proteas forced to apologise to Warner family
Cricket South Africa chief issued an apology after Proteas team officials were pictured posing with fans in Sonny Bill masks, which were aimed at David Warner’s wife Candice. Read more here
Paceman Rabada faces ban
South Africa fast bowler Kagiso Rabada could be banned for the rest of the series when he faces a disciplinary hearing after play over his bump of Steve Smith on day one.
Rabada was the chief destroyer in the Australia first innings with 5-96, including a burst of 5-13 off 18 balls. But his participation in the remainder of the series is in doubt after he was charged with misconduct. Read more here
Additional reporting: AP
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