South Africa v Australia: day one struggle in Durban

It was attritional cricket on the first day of the series in South Africa, at the end hard to establish just who has the upper hand.

Mitchell Marsh leaves the field as the match is delayed by bad light on day one of the first cricket test match between South Africa and Australia at Kingsmead. Picture: AP.

It was hard, attritional cricket on the first day of the series in South Africa and it was difficult at the end of it to establish just who has the upper hand.

When bad light stopped play Australia was 5-225 with Mitch Marsh 32no, Tim Paine 21no and the new ball due in four overs.

Relive day one as it happened with our blog

The average first innings score at the ground in the last five matches is 309.

The whole day was an arm wrestle. The pitch got lower and more difficult to bat on after lunch, the ball reversed and a string of middling scores suggested just how difficult it was to bat.

The slow medium reverse of Vernon Philander and canny left arm off spin of Keshav Maharaj kept the batsmen on their toes.

David Warner made the most of the easier going early but was out played by Philander with lunch due. The opener had 51 from 79 deliveries and had established a platform he should have been able to cash in on, but the South Africans had other ideas.

When Warner tried to take guard outside his crease to counter Philander’s movement de Kock moved up to the stumps and forced him back into his crease from where he nicked a good length delivery to the slip cordon.

Steve Smith posted his 24th Test half century and had been out there for 155 minutes before he chopped one hard into de Kock’s gloves. The ball ballooned gently to first slip and the skipper was gone.

Shaun Marsh should have been out LBW for 19 but umpire Kumar Dharmasena believed the delivery from Kagiso Rabada was missing the stumps. Ball tracker suggested otherwise. Unfortunately the home team couldn’t ask for a review after squandering both reviews early in the match.

Shaun Marsh was dismissed for 40 runs on day one. Picture: Getty Images.

One of those failed reviews was the talking point of the day. Many believe Maharaj had trapped Warner in front Dharmasena didn’t and neither did ball tracker. A lot of experienced observers scoffed at the amount of turn the machine predicted and no other delivery did that much for the rest of the day.

Philander bowls at about 130kmh, but proved the most effective seamer in the conditions.

He has lost 10kgs since copping criticism for his fitness and weight during South Africa’s tour of England last year.

Smith had an escape on 47 when he slashed one low and to the left of de Villiers at gully. The fielder got a hand to what would have been a brilliant catch.