Boland showing stubborn resistance

South Africa picked up two wickets but faced stubborn resistance from Australian nightwatchman, Scott Boland, as they continued to pursue a series tying victory at St George’s Park on Thursday.

After the first session on the final day in Gqeberha was washed out, Australia reached tea on 263/6, with Boland still unbeaten on 40 at tea having faced 154 balls.

He will return to the crease in the company of Alex Carey, who has 12. Australia still need to knock off 73 runs to ensure the South Africans have to bat again.

It has been a frustrating day for the Proteas who turned up at the ground on Thursday morning, with drizzle ensuring the covers were still firmly in place. With the wind howling across the venue, three different start times were scheduled but minutes before the players were due to start, it would begin raining again.

Eventually after the teams took a very early lunch, play began at noon, but batting was relatively easy for Travis Head and Boland. In fact, Boland, who lasted just one ball when he returned to the crease as nightwatchman in Australia’s first innings on Wednesday, showed admirable defensive qualities from the beginning of play. He middled his first three forward defensive shots, and his bat has been as broad as a four-lane highway.

Head reached his 12th Test century, only his second outside of Australia, but barely celebrated as he understood the task that awaited

It took the Proteas 82 minutes to make the breakthrough, when a crestfallen head chopped the ball onto his stumps from Wiaan Mulder after scoring 121.

His partnership with Boland was worth 59, but it was the number of ball 162 they used up and time they spent together - over two hours - which proved invaluable for the tourists.

Steve Smith didn’t ;last long after coming to the crease at noi.7. The former Australian captain was struggling with a neck ailment, but never looked settled on Thursday. Having already survived a chance on nought when Mulder found the outside edge, which Ryan Rickelton standing up the stumps, would have been exceptionally lucky to hold onto, Smith attempted to pull Kagiso Rabada.

The ball went straight up into the sky, with Matthew Breetzke juggling and then catching it. So tense was the Proteas skipper Temba Bavuma, that he couldn’t watch that catch being taken.

With a second new ball that is only 12 overs old, the Proteas will remain confident of knocking over the last four Australia wickets, but the longer Boland can resist, the less enthusiastic they’ll become.