Two wickets for Harmer as SA continue to fight

Josh Inglis would not have started the third Test had Steve Smith been fit, but on Thursday morning he ensured that his late call up would never be forgotten as he raised his arms to celebrate a second Test century.

Under glorious blue Cape Town skies, the 31 year old, playing his sixth Test, earned deserved reward for his tough labour on the second evening, when he brought up the three figure landmark with a reverse sweep for four off Simon Harmer.

The Proteas off-spinner led a fight back by the hosts, picking up two of the four wickets in the session. Australia went to lunch on 411/8, leading by 82 runs.

Inglis had missed the first two Tests after fracturing his finger during the ODI series, and would not have played at Newlands had Smith been fit. All the to-ing and fro-ing within Australian camp, the night before the start and then on the first morning before the toss, could not have been helpful to his mindset.

However you couldn’t tell, such was the way in which he and Alex Carey counter-attacked on the second evening. Inglis, who made a hundred on debut in Galle last year against Sri Lanka defended solidly and then unleashed punishing cuts when the South Africans dropped the ball short.

Thursday dawned with the Proteas knowing they needed to throw themselves into the first session if they had any hope of pulling off a victory. However for the first half an hour batting continued to look easy and with Kagiso Rabada unable to bowl after leaving the field early on Wednesday morning, neither Marco Jansen nor Wiaan Mulder caused the Australian pair discomfort.

Thirty four minutes into the morning’s play, Temba Bavuma eventually called on his spearhead and Rabada, found the edge of Carey’s bat, but the ball fell underneath Harmer’s attempt to catch it at slip. In addition to the anguish over the missed chance, with Carey on 65, Harmer also picked up a cut on his left ring finger, and damaged the middle finger on that hand too.

Fortunately it didn’t impact his bowling. Having watched Inglis bring up his landmark, five balls later Harmer found the edge of his bat, with Ryan Rickelton taking a good catch standing up to the stumps.

The South Africans were ecstatic, having ended a partnership that was ultimately worth 185 runs.

Carey was dismissed four overs later falling to a beautifully flighted delivery from Harmer, that spun away, to nudge the edge, with Aiden Markram taking an excellent low catch at slip.

Rabada finally got something going in his favour with umpire Richard Illingworth adjudging Pat Cummin lbw, a decision upheld on ‘umpire’s call’ by the television replays after the Australian captain reviewed.

Gerlad Coetzee picked up his first wicket, when Mitchell Starc swung wildly and was caught behind for 11.

Cooper Connolly, playing his second Test was unbeaten on 20 at lunch, with Nathan Lyon on 2.