Proteas skipper scores majestic 179 to put Australia under pressure

SA captain Temba Bavuma led a record-breaking run fest for his side, scoring 179 as the home side turned their fortunes around against Australia before declaring on 425/9 on the third day of the second Test on Tuesday.

Australia lost a wicket in the first over of their reply and were 3/1 at stumps at St George’s Park with Travis Head unbeaten on one and nightwatchman Scott Boland on two.

Bavuma produced an impressive knock, full of gritty determination but also some flourishing stroke play, as SA moved from a precarious 110/6 in the first session to finish the day with the upper hand.

It was the diminutive skipper’s highest Test score, and he also featured in two record partnerships — first with Marco Jansen and then with Simon Harmer.

With Jansen, he compiled 132 runs to break the previous SA record of 89 runs for the seventh wicket in a Test at St George’s Park, set against England in 1896, and with Harmer the highest eight-wicket partnership of 183 for SA in any Test.

Jansen scored 85, Harmer hit his Test best of 82 while Boland (5/81) registered the third five-wicket haul of his career and first outside Australia.

Bavuma’s century came off 226 balls in a patient display, while Jansen punished the bowling to help the home side lift themselves out of a potential quagmire. They lost last week’s first Test in Durban by 214 runs.

SA resumed on 97/5 after only 43 overs were bowled on the opening two rain-affected days, but sunny conditions and a flat pitch on Tuesday allowed the batsmen to get stuck in and look to make up for lost time.

But they still looked in trouble when Wiaan Mulder was dismissed for 13, ducking into a short-pitched ball from Mitchell Starc and gloving it behind to slip Matt Renshaw.

Jansen was dismissed in the first over after the second new ball was taken. Boland hit him in the lower midriff with the first ball, and four balls later, after treatment for injury but still rattled, he chipped a catch to Head at midwicket.

Harmer then joined Bavuma to keep adding runs before part-time left-arm spinner Marnus Labuschagne bowled him as he chased a maiden Test ton in the afternoon gloom.

Bavuma then nicked Starc to wicketkeeper Alex Carey with the next ball, ending his innings, and promptly declared to put Australia in to bat with a handful of overs left in the day.

It took SA’s lead bowler Kagiso Rabada four balls on his return after a five-month layoff with a hamstring injury to have Australia opener Nic Maddinson caught at third slip by Harmer. — Reuters