Scott Boland claimed his fifth wicket of the innings when he had Marco Jansen caught by Travis Head, leaving South Africa's captain Temba Bavuma stranded on 91 and tantalisingly close to a century as play progressed on day three of the Test match at St George's Park in Port Elizabeth.
Jansen's dismissal came after a painful passage of play for the tall left-hander. Boland struck him above the thigh guard with the first delivery of the new ball, sending him to the ground in considerable distress. Despite lengthy treatment, Jansen attempted to bat on, but he never truly recovered from the blow, and clipped a ball to Head in the final delivery of the over to end a partnership that had genuinely threatened to wrest control of the match away from Australia.
Jansen's Innings Changes the Complexion of the Match
Before his dismissal, Jansen had been extraordinary. He struck a score in the mid-80s in what is his highest innings against Australia, combining a fearless, occasionally streaky approach with genuine world-class shot-making. Alongside Bavuma, who had batted for close to 300 minutes in a composed and determined knock, Jansen dragged South Africa back into contention from a position of significant deficit.
The partnership recalled memories of how South Africa's batting has disrupted Australian plans at this ground in years past, with the pair combining power and patience to blunt what had been a dominant bowling performance. At one stage, South Africa reached 6-241 with Bavuma on 88 and Jansen on 84, representing a genuine fightback for the home side.
Earlier in the session, Jansen had shown his own good fortune. He inside-edged a delivery from part-time spinner Nic Maddinson and watched it narrowly miss leg stump, a reprieve he nearly capitalised on fully before Boland's decisive blow with the new ball.
Bavuma Close to Landmark Century
While Jansen's exit was the main bowling talking point, the match situation remains far from resolved with Bavuma still at the crease and nudging toward three figures. The South African captain reached 96 at one stage, guiding a ball through the slips for four, before a moment of unnecessary risk in the same over. Bavuma attempted a second run to retain the strike and move to 98, with his partner Simon Harmer lucky to survive a run-out when the throw at his end missed the stumps. Bavuma reportedly acknowledged the error to his batting partner.
Despite the near-miss, Bavuma has not appeared to be in a rush to reach three figures. He is backing the experienced Harmer to hold firm against Australia's attack, including the second new ball now in play. Bavuma faced 217 balls to reach 91, demonstrating the kind of disciplined, match-saving approach that has defined his innings throughout the day.
Mitchell Starc added a moment of unintended comedy to proceedings when one delivery from his bowling became so short and rearing that it sailed clear over wicketkeeper Alex Carey's leaping gloves and rolled away for four byes.
Australia Navigate Challenges Without Lyon
The day has not been without difficulty for Pat Cummins's side. The absence of front-line spinner Nathan Lyon has been keenly felt, with Cummins forced to turn to part-time options in Matt Renshaw and Maddinson during the first session as batting conditions improved under sunshine at St George's Park. Former Australian batsman Mark Waugh noted during the lunch interval that no spinner had hurt South Africa on the day, making the arrival of the new ball critical to Australia's fortunes.
"The new ball is going to be the key for Australia," Waugh said.
Cummins and Josh Hazlewood opened the second session with the older ball, counting down the mandatory overs until the new cherry became available at the 80th over. Australian coach Andrew McDonald had reportedly already made his selection of the new ball before lunch, with the television cameras providing close-up coverage of the replacement ball waiting on the sidelines.
Hazlewood's return to bowling after missing the first session was itself a notable subplot, with Australia keen to have their full pace attack available once the new ball arrived. Boland's wicket, taken at the first opportunity with the replacement ball, has justified that patience and restored Australia's sense of momentum heading into what promises to be a gripping final phase of the innings.
For context on how Australia approached a similar contest in this series, their commanding victory in the first Test against South Africa demonstrated the bowling depth at Cummins's disposal when conditions cooperated.
What Comes Next
With Bavuma agonisingly close to a century and Harmer providing resistance at the other end, Australia's task is clear: remove the remaining wickets as quickly as possible to maximise whatever time remains in the match. Boland's five-wicket haul has done much of the heavy lifting, but Bavuma's hundred, if he reaches it, would ensure South Africa can claim considerable pride from a difficult position, and potentially enough runs to make Australia's eventual chase a less comfortable proposition than the touring side might have hoped for at the start of the day.
