SYDNEY: Australia reduced South Africa to 149-6 at the close of play on the fourth day of the rain-disrupted third Test on Saturday after declaring on 475-4 in pursuit of a victory that would give them a 3-0 series sweep.

The poor weather that had washed out the best part of two days of the match finally relen­ted at lunch and Aust­ralia imm­e­diately declared to allow the bowlers as much time as possible to dismiss the tourists twice.

Skipper Pat Cummins (3-29) and Josh Hazlewood (2-19) rose to the task with some ferocious pace bowling as the hosts broke South African resistance every time a partnership looked like developing. Marco Jansen, who had made 10 not out, and Simon Harmer, unbeaten on six, will resume on Sunday as South Africa — still 126 runs short of avoiding the follow-on — look to bat out the final day to force a draw.

“I’m pretty excited about tomorrow,” said spinner Nathan Lyon. “It’s going to be an exciting day’s cricket, we know what we have to do. We’ve just got to stick to our basics, that’s what we’ve done over the last 10 years or so […] thrilling day tomorrow, do the basics well and see how we go.”

Hazlewood said Australia were confident of being able to take 14 wickets to claim the victory and said it would be a big day for spin bowlers Lyon and Ashton Agar.

“The follow-on is 275, so hopefully we can keep them under that and then go again,” he said. “Reverse swing is in play, with a little bit of variable bounce, the short ball is difficult to play because of how slow it is coming off the wicket.

“I think Ash (Agar) and Gazza (Lyon), it’s a big day tomorrow for them with the ball spinning with lefties and righties for them both to work with, there will be plenty happening tomorrow.”

Cummins’ decision to dec­lare had left the unfortunate Usman Khawaja stranded five runs short of his maiden Test double century, on 195 not out.

Khawaja’s tally was 164 more runs than Dean Elgar had managed in four innings in the series so far and the South Africa captain continued his poor run of form by gloving a short Hazlewood delivery behind for 15.

South Africa survived the remainder of the early pace offe­n­sive but Sarel Erwee followed his opening partner ba­ck to the dressing room for 18 when he left a Lyon delivery that clipped the side of his off stump.

Heinrich Klaasen departed for two in the next over, also gloving behind, to give Cummins his first wicket but the tourists held on to reach the tea break at 71 for three.

Temba Bavuma edged a Hazlewood delivery behind to depart for 35 to break up his promising stand with Khaya Zondo, who had made 39 when he was trapped lbw by a Cummins yorker in a decision confirmed by DRS.

Kyle Verreynne, South Afri­ca’s best performer with the bat over a miserable series for the tourists, departed for 19 in a late pace barrage, Cummins inducing a stab at the ball which Steve Smith snaffled up in the slips.

“Oohs” and “aahs” echoed around the Sydney Cricket Ground in the evening gloom as Cummins and Hazlewood sought to make further inroads into the South African batting order but Jansen and Harmer held firm.

“We’ve got a day to bat,” said Zondo. “We’ve done it before and we can do it again. “It’s not been the greatest of tours but the guys are still in good spirits.”

The weather forecast is for improving conditions and Australia have potentially 98 more overs on Sunday’s final day to finish off the South Africans.

SCOREBOARD

AUSTRALIA (1st innings; overnight 475-4):

U. Khawaja not out 195

D. Warner c Jansen b Nortje 10

M. Labuschagne c Verreynne b Nortje 79

S. Smith c and b Maharaj 104

T. Headc sub (van der Dussen) b Rabada 70

M. Renshaw not out 5

EXTRAS (LB-5, NB-6, W-1) 12

TOTAL (for four wkts declared, 131 overs) 475

FALL OF WICKETS: 1-12 (Warner), 2-147 (Labuschagne), 3-356 (Smith), 4-468 (Head).

DID NOT BAT: A. Carey, A. Agar, P. Cummins, N. Lyon, J.Hazlewood.

BOWLING: Rabada 28-3-119-1 (4nb), Nortje 22-5-55-2 (2nb), Jansen 25-4-79-0 (1w), Maharaj 25-1-108-1, Harmer 31-3-109-0.

SOUTH AFRICA (1st innings):

D. Elgar c Carey b Hazlewood 15

S. Erwee b Lyon 18

H. Klaasen c Carey b Cummins 2

T. Bavuma c Carey b Hazlewood 35

K. Zondo lbw b Cummins 39

K. Verreynne c Smith b Cummins 19

M. Jansen not out 10

S. Harmer not out 6

EXTRAS (B-1, NB-4) 5

TOTAL (for six wkts, 59 overs) 149

FALL OF WICKETS: 1-22 (Elgar), 2-37 (Erwee), 3-37 (Klaasen), 4-85 (Bavuma), 5-130 (Zondo), 6-137 (Verreynne).

TO BAT: K. Maharaj, K. Rabada, A. Nortje.

BOWLING: Hazlewood 12-3-29-2 (2nb), Cummins 14-5-29-3 (1nb), Lyon 25-8-65-1, Agar 7-1-19-0 (1nb), Head 1-0-6-0.

Published in Dawn, January 8th, 2023