PORT ELIZABETH: Australia lost captain Steve Smith cheaply as they went to tea on 86 for three on the third day of the second Test on Sunday, still 53 runs behind South Africa as they struggled to get themselves back into the contest.
Australia’s hopes of fighting back suffered a setback when Smith, ranked the world’s
top test batsmen, was caught behind for 11 after he got a slight edge to the spin bowling of Keshav Maharaj.
David Warner, bowled by Kagiso Rabada for 13, was the first wicket to fall after
lunch followed by an unlucky Cameron Bancroft, who played on to a full ball from Lungi Ngidi for 24.
Usman Khawaja, who like Bancroft is tenuously holding onto a place in the tourists’ line-up, was 28 not out with Shaun Marsh (1) having just come to the crease.
AB de Villiers stroked an unbeaten 126 as South Africa took a 139-run first innings lead by reaching 382 all out in a busy morning session. The talismanic batsman notched up his 22nd test century.
De Villiers, who had not scored a ton in his last 13 tests, featured in an 84-run
partnership with Vernon Philander for the eighth wicket as the pair saw off any potential impact of the new ball from an Australian attack that looked tired after their exertions on Saturday.
Philander added 22 to his overnight tally before being caught at short leg by Bancroft off Pat Cummins for 36.
De Villiers reached his century soon after with an audacious shot over the slips as he was joined by Maharaj, who swatted at the
Australian bowling to score 30 off 24 balls before he was bowled by Josh Hazlewood.
Brief scores:
Australia: 243 and 86-3.
South Africa 382
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