Green and Renshaw share 126-run partnership

Marco Jansen claimed his 99th and 100th Test wickets in back-to-back overs, to give South Africa a much-needed boost 10 minutes before tea at Newlands on Wednesday.

Jansen removed Matt Renshaw and Cameron Green, who’d shared a 126-run third-wicket partnership, within the space of three balls, to leave Australia on 191/4 at the interval, still trailing South Africa by 138 runs.

It had been another gripping afternoon session in which Green and Renshaw had each survived close calls but then counter-attacked beautifully, to give their side a hold on the match.

Green won an intriguing battle against Kagiso Rabada immediately after lunch, thumping drives against the Proteas spearhead, and then pulling him for successive sixes, one of which only just cleared the head of Matthew Breetzke stationed on the square leg boundary.

Renshaw was producing a repeat of his Durban display, busily running singles and twos and driving imperiously when the South Africans erred in length.

He survived after Harmer reviewed an lbw appeal not given by umpire Richard Illingworth, but replays went in the Australian’s favour with the ball predicted to just brush the top of the stumps.

A few moments earlier, Green was given out caught at slip off Gerald Coetzee but despite Simon Harmer claiming the catch, TV official Chris Gaffney felt the ball had touched grass before nestling in Harmer’s hands.

With South Africa’s shoulders starting to slump and Australia within reach of a wicketless session, Jansen intervened.

Renshaw, on 74, tried to ramp a short ball from Jansen over the slips, but only managed to feather the ball through to Ryan Rickelton. Neither umpire Illingworth nor Renshaw felt he touched the ball, but the snickometer indicated an edge.

In Jansen’s next over Green was brilliantly caught by Harmer, standing close in at slip, for 65. Harmer didn’t seem to know much about the ball, reacting on reflex, but the Proteas were over the moon. They’re still in this contest, which continues to be extremely watchable.