Third Check, Cape City (day 5 of 5)
South Africa 329 & 387: Mulder 115, Rickelton 101
Australia 429 & 111: Lyon 33*; Rabada 3-39; Harmer 6-16
South Africa gained by 176 runs
Scorecard
David Warner labelled Australia “horrible”, “completely disgraceful” and “un-Australian” as his former aspect crumbled below the stress of a final-day chase and allowed South Africa to cost to a well-known Check and collection victory in Cape City.
Chasing 288 to win an enthralling contest themselves, Australia misplaced two wickets within the first over bowled by Kagiso Rabada and by no means recovered.
Rabada was irresistible, additionally including the important thing wicket of Travis Head caught at slip in an outstanding first spell to turn out to be the quickest bowler to 350 Check wickets.
However Australia performed an element in their very own downfall, with Josh Inglis run out for 4 after inexplicably being known as via by Cameron Inexperienced.
That opened the door to spinner Simon Harmer, who had Alex Carey caught reverse sweeping with simply two to his identify and Cooper Connolly caught behind for a two-ball duck.
At 60-7 at lunch, former opener Warner, who retired from Check cricket in January 2024, tore into his former team-mates.
“It’s horrible,” he stated on Fox Sports activities. “It’s un-Australian. There is no such thing as a combat in anyway. It’s disgraceful.
“The batters have let the bowlers down all collection. [Matt] Renshaw confirmed combat in that first Check however I feel the batters have been completely disgraceful.”
Australia then dropped anchor in a weird interval – one scoring shot got here in 50 minutes – however Harmer was to not be denied, taking the ultimate wicket for career-best figures of 6-16 as Australia have been dismissed for 111.
Defeat comes at first of an intense run of Check cricket for Pat Cummins’ aspect, with consideration now turning to 4 Exams at house towards New Zealand beginning in December earlier than a five-Check tour of India, the one hundred and fiftieth anniversary Check towards England in March and subsequent summer time’s Ashes. The implications might be important.
South Africa’s fantastic victory, earned throughout three fascinatingly fluctuating Exams, means the Proteas regain their place on the prime of the world rankings and reaffirms their standing as one of many world’s best possible sides.