Rabada restores South African ascendancy in 2nd Test

By AFP

March 12, 2018

PORT ELIZABETH: Kagiso Rabada struck shortly before the close to restore South Africa´s ascendancy on the third day of the second Test against Australia at St George´s Park on Sunday.

Australia were 180 for five in their second innings at the close, a slender lead of 41 runs with five wickets remaining.A magnificent century by AB de Villiers enabled South Africa to take a first innings lead of 139 and Australia lost four wickets before they wiped out the deficit. But Usman Khawaja and Mitchell Marsh shared a fighting fifth wicket partnership of 87 and almost succeeded in taking their team through to the fourth day with at least a glimmer of hope.Then Rabada struck for the third time in the innings. Bowling around the wicket he trapped Khawaja in front of his stumps with a full delivery after the left-hander made 75 off 136 balls.

Khawaja and Marsh (39 not out) came together when Australia were 86 for four but batted for more than two hours on a pitch which was largely placid. In contrast to the first innings, there was no pronounced reverse swing for the bowlers. De Villiers made a magnificent 126 not out and had good support from the tail as South Africa scored freely before they were all out for 382 shortly before the scheduled lunch break. South Africa then started well with the ball.

Fast bowler Rabada, under threat of a suspension which could rule him out of the rest of the four-Test series, made a key breakthrough when he bowled David Warner for 13 during a hostile opening spell in which his fastest delivery was timed at 151 kmh.

Australia first innings: 243

South Africa, first innings

(overnight 263-7):

D. Elgar c Paine b Hazlewood 57

A. Markram lbw b Cummins 11

K. Rabada b Cummins 29

H. Amla b Starc 56

A. de Villiers not out 126

F. du Plessis lbw b M. Marsh 9

T. de Bruyn lbw b M. Marsh 1

Q. de Kock b Lyon 9

V. Philander c Bancroft b Cummins 36

K. Maharaj b Hazlewood 30

L Ngidi run out (Smith) 5

Extras: (b9, lb2, w2) 13

Total: (118.4 overs) 382

Fall: 1-22 (Markram), 2-67 (Rabada), 3-155 (Amla), 4-155 (Elgar), 5-179 (Du Plessis), 6-183 (De Bruyn), 7-227 (De Kock), 8-311 (Philander), 9-369 (Maharaj)

Bowling: Starc 33.4-5-110-1, Hazlewood 30-5-98-2, Cummins 24-6-79-3 (1w), Lyon 22-5-58-1, M. Marsh 9-1-26-2

Australia second innings:

C. Bancroft b Ngidi 24

D. Warner b Rabada 13

U. Khawaja lbw b Rabada 75

S. Smith c De Kock b Maharaj 11

S. Marsh c De Kock b Rabada 1

M. Marsh not out 39

T. Paine not out 5

Extras: (lb10, w2) 12

Total: (5 wkts, 63 overs) 180

Fall: 1-27 (Warner), 2-62 (Bancroft), 3-77 (Smith), 4-86 (S. Marsh)