Category: Cricket

What a few days it has been in the life of Matt Renshaw. His comeback to the Test team had consisted of one innings, edged to slip for eight, before he made the trip to South Africa, where his job as opener suddenly changed to batting five.

His first two days of the first Test in Durban were spent compiling his epic 190 to rescue Australia. Then came his fourth day, hammering in the nails on a declaration by top scoring again with 82. Pulling out at 316 for six, Australia set South Africa 421 to win, then took four wickets for 102 by the close; Aiden Markram on 45 will be the main obstacle to an Australian series lead on the final day.

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The first Test of this highly-anticipated series between Australia and South Africa is set to go the way of the visitors following another dominant day in Durban.

Champion batsman Steve Smith is in doubt for the second Test of the prized series against South Africa after he was struck in the head with a venomous delivery by South African speedster Anrich Nortje in Durban on Monday

Australia is marching towards victory, needing six wickets on the final day to wrap up the first Test against South Africa in Durban following a dominant day four.

“Oh my God, Smudge!”

As Nathan Lyon was assessing the dominant position Australia finds itself in three days into the first Test of the highly anticipated series against the Proteas, there was an air of surprise at just how easy it had been for the Aussies.

A vintage display from Steve Smith in the slips cordon and a fine performance from Australia’s esteemed bowling attack furthered the tourists’ ascendancy on day three of the first Test against South Africa in Durban.

• Australia 390 & 33-0; South Africa 284

• Starc, Hazlewood, Cummins and Lyon share nine wickets

As a fractured news environment demonstrates, observations can be made from just about any perspective. One view of Australia’s Test team could focus on age, with the principal bowlers all having more than 33 years to their names. Another could focus on them all having more than 300 wickets.

At the first Test in Durban, an unprecedented achievement by Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon is continuing, one that they began in Mackay two months ago: being the only quartet in history to walk on to Test fields as members of the 300 club. By the end of day three they had taken another nine, South Africa bowled out for 284, trailing by 139 runs by the time bad light stopped play with Australia 33 without loss.

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Steve Smith has been on fire in the field for Australia, producing three of the best catches you will ever see.

Georgia Voll has smashed an unbeaten century as Australia continued their dominance over Bangladesh with a nine-wicket victory in the second day/night ODI.

Nic Maddinson (17*) and Travis Head (10*) made a bright start with the bat, but bad light once again halted Australia’s charge on day three of the first Test in Durban.

A WA batter has defied a hamstring injury to prove the hero in an epic finish to seal a thrilling comeback; while South Australia started their Sheffield Shield title defence in brutal fashion.