Posted March 04, 2014 04:09:18
Australia's pace bowlers put their Proteas counterparts to shame on day three of the third Test at Cape Town, forcing the South Africans to battle to save the series.
Australia declared on the overnight score of 7 for 494, giving themselves three full days to bowl South Africa out twice.
The home side was eventually dismissed for 287 half an hour before stumps, and Australia was 0 for 27 in the second innings when play finished for the day, a lead of 234 runs.
As it happened: Grandstand's live blog of day three at Newlands
South Africa needed a solid start to see out the new ball, but the home side only lasted five overs before Ryan Harris found the edge of captain Graeme Smith with a swinging delivery to be caught behind by Brad Haddin for 5.
The Proteas were 1 for 8, and Dean Elgar joined a nervous Alviro Petersen at the crease.
They moved the score to 42 before Elgar was out for 11 to a brilliant acrobatic catch by Brad Haddin off the bowling of James Pattinson.
Hashim Amla came in to join Petersen, who found his groove and hit several boundaries to get things moving.
He reached his 50 but then departed soon afterwards for 53 as Mitchell Johnson induced the edge for a catch behind to Haddin. South Africa was 3 for 95.
Australia gave Du Plessis a couple of chances and he made them pay.
He was nearly out first ball when he looked to have missed a ball from Johnson, but replays showed he had nicked it to Haddin and would have been out.
Du Plessis then started gathering runs. His partner Amla was looking well before he was done by a jaffa from Harris, who clean bowled him as Amla picked the wrong delivery to to drive.
That made it 4 for 121. The home side held on until lunch at 4 for 127, still 367 behind and needing 157 more to avoid the follow-on.
Johnson grabbed the prize wicket of AB De Villiers after lunch when he had the wicketkeeper caught by Michael Clarke in the slips for 14 to make it 5 for 133.
Harris chimed in three overs later, when he had JP Duminy nicking one to give Haddin his fourth catch of the innings. Duminy was gone for 4 and South Africa was 6 for 146.
Thoughts of the follow-on were growing, but Vernon Philander and Du Plessis did their best to stave it off, making steady progress and frustrating the Australian attack.
Haddin had a nightmare when Du Plessis on 30 came well out of his crease to a Nathan Lyon delivery and missed it. Haddin was unable to take the opportunity to stump him.
Du Plessis kept going and the tea score was 6 for 200.
The partnership had reached 95 in the final session when Johnson got one to move away from Du Plessis (67), who edged it to gully where David Warner took a good catch low down.
That made it 7 for 241, and Australia was well into the tail.
Kyle Abbott was next in, and he looked all at sea early on. He made three runs before Shane Watson unnerved him with a good bouncer and then clean bowled him next ball.
Dale Steyn came in and swung lustily at a few fast deliveries to make a quick-fire 28, but he was out with the score on 279, and Morne Morkel followed soon after for 7 to leave the Proteas all out for 287.
Australia declined to enforce the follow-on, and David Warner came out attacking in the six overs before the close.
He hit four boundaries as the tourists raced to 0 for 27 at stumps.
With two days to go, the Australians are in the box seat. Only a defiant rearguard effort from the South African batsmen can save the Test when they are likely sent in to bat again later on day four.
Play will again start half an hour early at 10am local time (7pm AEDT).
Topics: sport, cricket, australia, south-africa