- Australia 14-0 in reply to South Africa’s first innings 259-9 declared
- David Warner caught off guard by Faf du Plessis declaration
Related: Honours even as Australia and Warner caught short by Du Plessis declaration
Related: Sport picture of the day: best view in the house for The Richies
The final analysis
It was a much-improved effort today from the Australians, who let the tail wag far more than they should have, but bowled excellently to the top order to have South Africa 117-5 before Faf du Plessis dragged the rest along with him as he scored a resourceful and stirring century. His undefeated 118 was the highlight of his team’s 259-9 declared, while Stephen Cook regained some confidence with 40 at the top of the order.
Good to hear from Channel 9 that surviving the opening 10 overs without losing a wicket means Australian cricket is fixed. #AUSvSA
12th over: Australia 14-0 (Khawaja 3, Renshaw 8)
And that is stumps on day one. It ended with a piece of evil genius from Faf du Plessis, who declared nine down knowing that David Warner was off the ground receiving treatment on an injury, which has meant Usman Khawaja needed to open with debutant Matt Renshaw. It’s been a nervy little period for both batsmen but Renshaw has been superb so far. He’ll enter tomorrow with fewer nerves than he might have and has taken part in an aborbing and fun day of Test cricket.
11th over: Australia 14-0 (Khawaja 3, Renshaw 8)
Shamsi gets another go with the penultimate over of the first day and Khawaja is nothing less than disciplined in the face of the circumstances and some probing spin bowling, but does drive attractively for one to give Renshaw one ball of spin to face. He’s not entirely comfortable but survives it.
10th over: Australia 13-0 (Khawaja 2, Renshaw 8)
This is better from Rabada now, who takes the ball away from Renshaw and almost draws an outside edge. It moved too much, if anything. It’s a maiden from the Proteas speedster and Renshaw does well to hang in there.
9th over: Australia 13-0 (Khawaja 2, Renshaw 8)
Faf is throwing the kitchen sink at them now and introduces Tabraiz Shamsi for some left-arm wrist spin. If you haven’t seen him before, imagine a slightly less exaggerated Paul ‘Frog in the Blender’ Adams. His opening over has all sorts, and Khawaja misses out on punishing a long hop, but it’s interesting at the very least and a maiden.
8th over: Australia 13-0 (Khawaja 2, Renshaw 8)
With Kyle Abbott failing to make inroads Faf throws the ball to Kagiso Rabada, who might get three overs in here and put the frighteners into this improvised opening pair. One thing I will say about Renshaw is that his wide stance – with bat tapped between well-spread legs – is a nice change from the robotic styles elsewhere in Australian cricket. It clearly works for him. Rabada’s first over reaches no great heights.
7th over: Australia 12-0 (Khawaja 1, Renshaw 8)
Calm down Adelaide, there’s no need for Bronx cheers when Usman Khawaja gets the first runs of the bat. What do you want, another collapse? Renshaw is thus on strike to Philander and does the job the crowd prematurely saluted him for before, glancing well to pick up a boundary and start his account. There’s a lovely boyish smile once he’s done haring between the wickets and realises he’s passed his first test. A ball later Philander almost kisses the outside edge of the bat with an excellent off-cutter but Renshaw recovers by clipping four more through square leg. An edge falls just short of second slip but it’s determined stuff from Renshaw. He doesn’t look out of place at all.
6th over: Australia 3-0 (Khawaja 0, Renshaw 0)
More drama! The Adelaide crowd are cheering their heads off when Renshaw glances two to get off the mark but there’s no bat on it, so Richard Kettleborough does a wonderful heel turn and extravagantly signals the leg byes, grinning devilishly as the punters turn on him. Renshaw has played the most assured zero not out I’ve ever seen. It’s better than Rob Quiney’s debut nine and Usman Khawaja’s career-starting 37 combined.
5th over: Australia 1-0 (Khawaja 0, Renshaw 0)
Another maiden to Philander. This is...it’s like REAL TEST MATCH BATTING from Australia. What is going on? Maybe Warner’s absence is a blessing in disguise.
4th over: Australia 1-0 (Khawaja 0, Renshaw 0)
Someone has had a word to Kyle Abbott after his wasted energy an over ago and he’s pursuing a stump-to-stump line to Renshaw, even with his high-looping bouncers. As ever with the early stages of a Proteas bowling effort, the other eye-catching sight is Quinton de Kock writhing in pain after wearing a ball to the fingers when it dips late. Renshaw might have got a tickle on the final delivery, which strayed down leg, but there’s no contact to pick up his first runs at Test level. Maiden.
Khawaja should now retire hurt. #AUSvSA
3rd over: Australia 1-0 (Khawaja 0, Renshaw 0)
Oof, Philander sends an absolute peach past the outside edge of Khawaja here, shaping it away beautifully towards a stacked slips cordon. That injudicious prod done with, Khawaja then follows the lead of his junior partner and tries to leave where possible. It’s a maiden. “If he’s half as good as Matthew Hayden Australians will be happy,” says Shane Warne of Matt Renshaw. Really? I think this team needs someone averaging more than 25, but I could be wrong.
2nd over: Australia 1-0 (Khawaja 0, Renshaw 0)
Renshaw is probably a bundle of nerves her but he’s calm and leaves well as Kyle Abbott steams in and pursues a line outside off stump. In actual fact he barely has to play at it in this maiden over from Abbott, which never truly tests the youngster. Odd. Surely you’d attacking middle stump at this point?
1st over: Australia 1-0 (Khawaja 0, Renshaw 0)
Just to add to the drama, Vernon Philander starts with a no ball and although it’s wide, Khawaja almost takes a swing at it. It’s a nervy period for Khawaja but he negotiates the rest of the over and Renshaw is up next and set to face his first delivery in Tests. David Warner looks on from the sheds, utterly miffed. What a blunder by the Australian support staff.
Usman Khawaja will open with Matt Renshaw
Is this really the time when we need a tactical blunder by the Australian vice-captain? #cricket#ausvsa
Warner has spent too long off field to be able to open. Renshaw with Khawaja you'd think. Faf must've known... #ausvsa
Oh this is brilliant skullduggery! David Warner was off the ground receiving treatment and the Proteas knew it, so they declared knowing the umpires wouldn’t let Warner open the innings. This is chaotic for Australia. Who will partner the debutant Renshaw? Another first-gamer in Maddinson or Handscomb? Surely not. Faf, you evil genius.
76th over: South Africa 259-9 (du Plessis 118, Shamsi 18)
Now Shamsi is playing inside-out lofted drives over point, or at least that’s where they’re ending up. Starc is furious and makes that schoolboy error of sledging the woeful tailender he’s not actually getting out. Wait till you castle him, Mitch. Faf du Plessis tops off the carnage by slogging a four straight down the ground and then he declares! South Africa will come out and have 12 or so overs at a new Australian opening pair. Thus ends a superb and undefeated century by Faf du Plessis, who might win a few fans back with this attacking declaration.
75th over: South Africa 249-9 (du Plessis 113, Shamsi 13)
Shamsi is having a ball out there at the moment, even if his shots aren’t from the text book of any sport. Two ungainly swipes somehow elude mid-on and mid-off respectively and pick him up two runs apiece. Chadd Sayers is out on the ground to field now, which seems a little harsh the night before the Shield game he’ll be jetting off for tomorrow. Hazlewood finishes with a bouncer and a big sledge but that’s a ball after Shamsi clattered him for a boundary to leg. It’s abssolute filth from Shamsi, but very amusing.
Shamsi has already pissed off Aust here and he's not even faced 20 balls #ausvsa
74th over: South Africa 240-9 (du Plessis 112, Shamsi 5)
There’s a beautiful crimson tinge to the skies as Mitchell Starc sends a snorter past du Plessis’ outside edge to start this over, which causes the mind to wander (and wonder); how is Matt Renshaw feeling right now? He’s smiling and chatting away with Matthew Wade but he must be at least a little nervous about the prospect of his first bat in Test cricket, which will come soon. In the meantime, Starc roughs up Shamsi with a bouncer to the elbow, which glances his arm guard and flies away to the fence at fine leg.
73rd over: South Africa 234-9 (du Plessis 111, Shamsi 5)
The intent here from du Plessis is clear, but Nathan Lyon is a wily bowler and does well to tie him down for the first four balls of the over but finally the batsman releases the shackles, skipping down the track to the penultimate delivery and lofting four over long-off and then a single to retain the strike. Lyon looks like he’s just had the jam stolen from his donut.
72nd over: South Africa 229-9 (du Plessis 106, Shamsi 5)
Ha, Shamsi doesn’t have much of an idea what is going on here as Starc slings them down from a great height. He’s squared up seemingly before the ball is even delivered, jitterbugging and jiving around his crease as he hopes to lay bat on it. Somehow he survives, edging short of Smith at slip to finish the over and allowing Faf to perhaps have one last bash at Lyon from the other end.
71st over: South Africa 229-9 (du Plessis 106, Shamsi 5)
The debutant Shamsi is out ther now and with a first class average of eight, we’re not expecting much of him. Lyon duly brings in a leg slip but Shamsi hammers the next delivery over cow to get off the mark in Test cricket with a towering boundary. It almost cleared the rope, in fact. “He’s got a great energy,” says Mark Nicholas, as though he’s won a competition on the back of a cereal box. A little more damningly, Ian Chappell says he’s watched him bowl in the nets and that his wrong’un is very easy to pick. The poor bloke hasn’t even bowled yet and they’re already consigning him to John Watkins-style one-Test-wonder territory.
Wade stumps Rabada! Or does he? The square leg umpire calls for a review but it can’t save the Protease paceman. He thought he had something back behind the line but he doesn’t, so Nathan Lyon finally has his 214th Test wicket after 110 fruitless overs and Matthew Wade caps a sturdy day behind the stumps with a very smart stumping.
Reader Pete Salmon arrives now with the joke on everyone’s lips: “Declaration on the cards? I think they probably have enough.”
70th over: South Africa 220-8 (du Plessis 102, Rabada 1)
It’s been a funny kind of bowling performance from Jackson Bird today. His first spell wasn’t great, but the one before this was excellent. Now? He’s followed a very good wicket-taking over with a pretty ropey one to take us through to drinks.
Now look here @rustyjacko - at least @phil_withall is there. Every parent checks their phones at school concerts - the bad ones don't go.
69th over: South Africa 218-8 (du Plessis 101, Rabada 0)
Lyon continues and du Plessis gets down on one knee to sweep two and bring up a superb hundred right when his country needed it. It came from 147 deliveries, has stretched over 225 minutes and featured 14 boundaries. He’s delighted as he raises the bat and well he might given the events of the last week. Rabada deals with the rest of the over competently but hopefully we’re in for some enterprising batting from the Proteas captain from here.
Abbott goes! And Jackson Bird does the trick for Australia, angling it into the pads to trap him in front. Abbott conferences with his skipper to consider a review but decides against it in the end. He’s on his way and du Plessis, currently on 98, has some nervous moments ahead of him.
67th over: South Africa 214-7 (du Plessis 97, Abbott 17)
This is a nice little opportunity for Nathan Lyon, who now returns with two well-set batsmen at the crease but also the tail up for grabs if he can get a breakthrough. There’s a single for du Plessis and Abbott handles the rest just fine.
66th over: South Africa 213-7 (du Plessis 96, Abbott 17)
A few overs before dinner I was not convinced that Faf du Plessis would be able to reach 100 here but he looks a Monty the way he’s creaming Halzewood through cover to reach the 90s at the start of this over. There’s another a few balls later and already the #AshesBantz has begun, and I’m already bored of it. This partnership now totals 52 runs from 79 balls faced. Prediction: it could have significant impact on the result of this game.
Mitchell Starc, josh hazlewood, and Jackson bird. Sorry but Australia are not regaining the Ashes with this attack. #ausvsa
65th over: South Africa 203-7 (du Plessis 87, Abbott 17)
One thing I will say about Matthew Renshaw is that he looks the part as he glances around the field from his perch at first slip. He’s only played 12 first-class games but you could convince me it’s at least 25. As South Africa pass the 200 mark and continue to hit threes at will, it’s worth pointing out that David Warner is still in pain from that shoulder complaint. It begs the question as to why the hell he’s in a position where he keeps having to throw, but then I’m not a sports scientist so take my opinion with a large pinch of salt. It’s a pretty ordinary over from Bird.
64th over: South Africa 194-7 (du Plessis 83, Abbott 12)
ICYMI, a little earlier Australian cricket legend Karen Rolton was inducted into the ICC Hall of Fame:
Congratulations to the 81st inductee to the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame, Karen Rolton! https://t.co/Ubn2A9Mkpcpic.twitter.com/4HZFHaDxdz
@rustyjacko I'm at a school Christmas concert. Does the fact I'm OBOing make me a bad parent?
63rd over: South Africa 193-7 (du Plessis 82, Abbott 12)
Jackson Bird’s back now and I wish they’d film his approach to the crease from side-on every time he runs in, because it’s a joy to behold. There’s a few proppy half-steps to start with, then he sort of slows down right as he’s truly taking off, like he’s run out the door but quickly realised he doesn’t have his wallet. The bowling itself is tidy enough, certainly more so than Starc’s last over. It’s a maiden.
62nd over: South Africa 193-7 (du Plessis 82, Abbott 12)
Australia have just gone into their shell a little bit here. Starc is bowling from wide on the crease to Abbott. Isn’t it better just just whang it down on a stump-to-stump line? Abbott is looking positively batsmanlike now and drives three to long off, giving Warner something to do other than daydream about “carDoons” featuring dinosaurs and giant robots. Ooh actually, a ball later Warner’s inactivity possibly counts against him when he appears to throw his shoulder out trying to prevent a single. He’s grimacing like...well...like someone who isn’t watching this on a OLED TV. Faf finishes the over by blazing another cut shot to the fence at deep point. That was just dross from Starc.
61st over: South Africa 184-7 (du Plessis 77, Abbott 8)
Clang! Du Plessis gets some width from Hazlewood and clatters another boundary left of cover, throwing that kitchen-sink-sized bat of his at the ball and reaping the rewards. Abbott’s now cruising to the point that he’s happy to take a single off the final delivery of the over.
60th over: South Africa 178-7 (du Plessis 72, Abbott 7)
We’re in a bit of a lull here but it’s allowed du Plessis to get back into the swing of things in his unassuming way. He’ll do well to get a hundred from here but you couldn’t rule it out. In this Starc over there’s a bit of argy bargy as du Plessis completes a run and guess who is involved? Yep, Matthew Wade, fulfilling his ‘mongrel’ act quota for the day. Or not quite. He’ll be back soon bellowing about whatever is “noice”.
59th over: South Africa 171-7 (du Plessis 68, Abbott 4)
Replays of the final ball of that last Starc over reveal how tricky that one was for Abbott, who wasn’t expecting so much bounce and literally got chinned. Starc was every bit the ‘Demon’ fast bowler with his wispy moustache and thousand yard stare in the aftermath. I wonder whether, like Spofforth, he’ll keep running down the hallway well into old age and bowling four ‘overs’ of deliveries. Might be a little hazardous for one so big-boned, I guess.
58th over: South Africa 168-7 (du Plessis 65, Abbott 4)
Mitchell Starc is in for the kill too, but Abbott is handling him reasonably well to start with, fencing away at the wide ones and keeping the straight ones out without discomfort until the final delivery of the over smacks into his chin. That was spiteful bowling.
57th over: South Africa 168-7 (du Plessis 65, Abbott 4)
OK, the lights are on, the sun is almost gone and we’re back at it with Josh Hazlewood rambling his way in. Kyle Abbott has a few sighters and then burgles three runs through mid-wicket with an improvised dab. That was a bit stiff and disjointed from Hazlewood first up. He’ll be back on the mark soon, I’m sure.
The Ashes is a year away and already shots have been fired
Anglo-Australian Guardian cartoonist David Squires might break the internet here, but having ingested far too many servings of fish ‘n chips in the Old Dart and here in Australia, I have to agree with him. Australians just CANNOT do a proper batter. We must lift. We simply have to do better. Spots in the team are on the line. You need to show something, fish n chip purveyors of Australia.
Australia is shit at fish and chips.
And this one
...which buys literally any drink you would like at any given bar in Australia.
Richie Benaud is now in esteemed company. pic.twitter.com/PYazqAh6hv
An ideal companion piece to your Richie Benaud 50 cent coin
With a Richie Benaud 50c coin, both captains of the iconic 1960-61 series are on national currency. Here's Frank Worrell on the Barbados $5 pic.twitter.com/HGRwWreqrM
Other things you need to know
Josh Hazlewood has bowled superbly for his 4-36 from 16 overs and looks a sure thing to add another five-wicket bag to his collection when night falls. He’s been ably assisted by Mitche Starc’s 2-50 off 17 overs, and Jackson Bird, whose 1-45 off 12 was more impressive than it reads. Nathan Lyon has 0-27 from 11 luckless, occasionally average overs. I might go grab a drink too, but we’ll be back with more cricket in the next half hour or so.
56th over: South Africa 165-7 (du Plessis 65, Abbott 1)
That is dinner on day one of the day-night Test in Adelaide, with Kyle Abbott surviving the final over before the break to accompany his skipper to the sheds. It was a session that didn’t pan out so well for the tourists, who lost four wickets as du Plessis stood firm. Gone in this session were Stephen Cook, Temba Bavuma, Quinton de Kock and Vernon Philander, and the Australians will be most content with their work.
55th over: South Africa 163-7 (du Plessis 64, Abbott 0)
What a difference a week makes, though I suppose the Australians are yet to bat, which is the most pressing problem. But they’re full of energy in the field, which is a nice change. Faf is happy to let Abbott have the strike late in this Hazlewood over and I’m not sure why, because he’s fencing at the ball like a real rube at the moment. Why is Rabada batting below him?
54th over: South Africa 162-7 (du Plessis 63, Abbott 0)
Hmm, Snicko says that Philander edged that but it was desperately hard to see anything on the replays. “I’ve never seen a thinner edge on the Snicko frequency meter,” says Ian Healy. “A dangerous player removed by technology.” It’s just sounding like really crap science fiction now.
Philander goes in contentious circumstances! Did he edge that? I couldn’t see it on the first few replays but Nigel Llong gave it and after a quick review, so did the third umpire. Josh Hazlewood cut the tailender in half with an in-ducker and it looked like it glanced Philander’s back leg and that alone on the way through to Wade, but he’s gone!
52nd over: South Africa 157-6 (du Plessis 62, Philander 0)
It’s been an unsettling five minutes for the Proteas but Faf du Plessis still looks like a man carved from exquisite, flawless granite. He crunches Mitchell Starc to the ropes with a classic cover drive and then gets a little lucky with a thick edge for four through gully. He’ll need a few more of those to get to three figures here, and will want Philander to hang around for a while yet.
51st over: South Africa 149-6 (du Plessis 54, Philander 0)
Whheeyyyyhhh... Vernon Philander is at the crease now and he wouldn’t want to leave too many like his second from Hazlewood, which angles back in the same direction as the de Kock wicket ball and rushes past the top of the off stump. Close call.
For those blocked. #ausvsapic.twitter.com/NJoIj9pOOK
Hazlewood strikes! Well that was completely against the run of play but the burly Australian paceman has removed the danger man de Kock, angling it across the left-hander to draw another thick edge through to Wade. Where did that come from? The Proteas young gun looked a million bucks until that false stroke. South Africa bat deep but they’re in a bit of bother here.
50th over: South Africa 147-5 (du Plessis 54, de Kock 22)
“Noice Gaz, noice” drawls Matthew Wade behind the stumps as Nathan Lyon bowls now, but he’s referring to the second delivery of the over rather than the first, which was a putrid long hop that Quinton de Kock crashed to the boundary at deep point. That was the very opposite of noice.
49th over: South Africa 142-5 (du Plessis 54, de Kock 17)
How about Ian Chappell using Our Lord Adam Gilchrists’s name in vain. Is de Kock that good yet? He’s pretty good, I guess. 84, 64, 104 and now 17 not out for the Proteas keeper in this series. His skipper has the better of this over, hammering the returning Josh Hazlewood to the fence with a rasping cut shot. That sizzled to the fence.
48th over: South Africa 137-5 (du Plessis 5o, de Kock 16)
Bang! Quinton de Kock gets down the track to Nathan Lyon and goes down town with a lofted drive. Is it six bits? The third umpire is consulted and the verdict comes down: four. Hit the rope. A moral victory for de Kock though, followed by a frustrating one for Nathan Lyon. The latter draws a top edge from the former’s slog-sweep but it drops frustratingly short of the man in the deep. If Lyon dropped a slice of bread on the ground right now you’d stake your house on it landing butter-side down.
47th over: South Africa 130-5 (du Plessis 5o, de Kock 9)
That’s a half-century for Faf du Plessis, who has returned to one of his happiest hunting grounds in style, bringing up his minor milestone in 92 deliveries across 130 minutes. There have been seven boundaries along the way and you can bet your Richie Benaud commemorative 50-cent piece that he’s in this for the long haul and will relish the opportunity to stick it to the haters.
46th over: South Africa 127-5 (du Plessis 49, de Kock 7)
“I’ve got a good feeling about Nathan Lyon here,” says Shane Warne, and Quinny de Kock duly plays an absurd slog, which is toed agonisingly short of the man at mid-off. Areas, Warnie. I wonder what else SKW has a good feeling about tonight. Answers on the back of a envelope.
45th over: South Africa 126-5 (du Plessis 49, de Kock 6)
A misfield from Bird off his own bowling and an aggressive bit of running from the Proteas pair generates three runs for du Plessis when a dot ball should have been the result. It’s not Bird’s best over, but finishes with Faf driving with the hint of a leading edge, so the bowler isn’t completely unhappy with his efforts.
44th over: South Africa 122-5 (du Plessis 46, de Kock 5)
Wowsers. Lyon starts with an absolute gem to de Kock, who strides down the track and gropes hopelessly inside the line of a sharp turner, beaten all ends up as Matthew Wade purrs in appreciation behind the stumps. But Lyon can’t continue the pressure, dropping short a ball later to be cut four a boundary. Two steps forward, one step back.
The flip side of Hobart. Now it's the SA captain needing batsmen to stay in with him. #AUSvSA
43rd over: South Africa 118-5 (du Plessis 46, de Kock 1)
Quinton de Kock arrives at the crease now in what has been something of a coming-of-age tour for the 23-year-old. He gets a short one on his hip first up and pulls a single fine leg, and it’s interesting to note that he still appears troubled by the hand injury he struggled with in Hobart. Well, struggled all the way to a match-winning century, but you know what I mean...
Jackson Bird strikes! Well, I can’t say I’m surprised about that the way he’s bowled in the last few overs but it’s an uncharacteristic error from Bavuma, who pushes with hard hands and sends a thick edge through to Matthew Wade. Bird really deserved that wicket and it caps an excellent little spell.
42nd over: South Africa 117-4 (du Plessis 46, Bavuma 8)
There’s been 11 maiden so far today, by the way. Certainly an improvement on Hobart for Australia. Nathan Lyon concedes a single early in this over, so won’t bring one up, but the more pressing issue is that he’s now 103 overs away from his last first-class wicket. I suppose he just has to stay calm and trust himself. He’s done it before, time and time again.
41st over: South Africa 115-4 (du Plessis 45, Bavuma 7)
More searching stuff from Jack Bird, who is tying up Bavuma this time and delivers the kind of maiden lacking last week, when Joe Mennie served as third seamer. 0-37 off 8 overs doesn’t sound super impressive but this spell is asking questions of both batsmen so far.
40th over: South Africa 115-4 (du Plessis 45, Bavuma 7)
Nathan Lyon’s getting plenty of bounce and spin in this over but it’s all a bit angular and flat. A little more loop and drift might do the job. Lyon has been seriously maligned in the last few weeks and would have lost his spot here if Steve O’Keefe was fit. Unfair? I reckon so. There’s no mugs who’ve taken 213 Test wickets.
Related: Tasmanian town may rename cricket oval after Donald Trump
39th over: South Africa 114-4 (du Plessis 45, Bavuma 6)
Jackson Bird is back to partner with Lyon and his first ball is a classic example of why he should have played in his native Hobart last week; it pitches on a perfect length and jags back appreciably to give du Plessis a brief tremor of doubt. The batsman picks up a boundary through gully a few balls later but it’s far from convincing, coming when he tries to pull the bat away from a ball that moved away this time. How’s this for a rough plan: if Peter Siddle is not available, Bird is the word. You could argue he’s even ahead of the Victorian now. Just pick him. All the time.
38th over: South Africa 110-4 (du Plessis 41, Bavuma 6)
Nathan Lyon is on for a trundle now and Kevin Pietersen is incensed by the conservative placement of a deepish mid-on for the spinner. It’s only Lyon’s fifth over for the day and he’s a little too straight, so both batsmen are looking to turn him to leg and short leg fieldsman Peter Handscomb wears one in the arm as a result. That’ll sting.
Slats and KP in the com box. #ausvsapic.twitter.com/J0A2TCvfFM
37th over: South Africa 109-4 (du Plessis 40, Bavuma 6)
Is Bavuma loving being worked over like this? I sense yes. Starc’s giving him a real workout at the moment but he’s hanging tough, ducking and swaying when they’re really short and watchful when they’re angled across him. Starc’s trying the Stephen Cook trick from earlier, but Bavuma is wise to his ways, eventually tucking a couple off his hip to keep things ticking over. Starc shakes his head in frustration, but his final delivery draws the first thing approaching a false stroke when Bavuma is very unconvincing in backward defence, losing his bearings ever so slightly. The only other news is that Faf might have some tennis elbow: the MAGIC SPRAY is out there!
36th over: South Africa 107-4 (du Plessis 40, Bavuma 4)
In a nice theatrical flourish, the local broadcaster is now showing footage from earlier, when Faf Du Plessis first walked to the crease. I’m not sure whether the effects microphone was being operated as per normal, but the South African skipper appears to have been booed onto the crowd by a large number of patrons. So much for South Australians being gentle and polite. They sounded like Adelaide Crows fans on Showdown day. It’s a maiden for Hazlewood, who is cutting it around beautifully.
35th over: South Africa 107-4 (du Plessis 40, Bavuma 4)
Oof, Bavuma gets very lucky here when another short one from Starc hammers into his gloves but falls a fingernail short of Renshaw at first slip. It was a strange sight, as is the next delivery, which sticks in Starc’s hand a bit before it’s biffed out to leg for one in an ungainly passage of play. I’ll tell you one other thing for free: I stillhatethe giant replay screen now sitting next to the antique Adelaide Oval scoreboard. It’s a bit like sticking a digital picture frame featuring snaps of your last trip to Bali next to grandma and grandpa’s wedding photo.
34th over: South Africa 104-4 (du Plessis 38, Bavuma 3)
Hmm, Nic Maddinson was the man standing under the lid when Stephen Cook departed a few minutes ago, and replays show the Australian debutant having plenty to say in the aftermath. Not sure that’s great karma before you’ve had your first bat in Test cricket. Anyway, Josh Hazlewood liked what he saw in the last Starc over and duly flings down another awkward bouncer to Bavuma, who sways out the way in the nick of time to avoid being chinned. Bavuma picks up two to finish the over but he’s really being worked over early in this innings.
33rd over: South Africa 102-4 (du Plessis 38, Bavuma 1)
Temba Bavuma strides out to the crease now in what has been a reputation-enhancing series for him. He arrived unknown to most Australians but none will quickly forget his unflappable efforts with the bat as the Proteas secured their last two wins. Starc greats him with an absolute snorter, which rears up with a lot of bounce to have the batsman flinching. He survives that ordeal and gets off strike with a single to fine leg, which sets the scene for an imperious cut shot by du Plessis to collect four. He really hammered that in front of point. With it and two to mid-wicket the Proteas are past three figures.
Cook departs! That was well strategised by the Australians. They put a man in at short leg, so Cook was probably preparing for a barrage of short ones, but Mitchell Starc merely slanted a length ball across him and the Proteas opener duly hung his bat at it, sending a thick edge to Steve Smith in the cordon. Cook won’t want to watch that replay.
32nd over: South Africa 95-3 (Cook 40, du Plessis 32)
As Josh Halzewood continues on a nagging line to Faf du Plessis, slipping in a bouncer to keep the Proteas skipper on his toes, I find myself appraising the various Movember moustache efforts on the Australians. Matthew Wade has gone for the Merv Hughes handlebar look, which is probably a little played out at this point, but there’s an enjoyably esoteric hint of Chuck Fleetwood-Smith about Mitchell Starc’s entry.
31st over: South Africa 95-3 (Cook 40, du Plessis 32)
Australian cricket hall of famer Karen Rolton got a motorcade around the ground during the break, by the way. Well earned too. What a star. She averaged 55.66 in Tests, 48.14 in ODIs and 50.62 in T20Is. G.U.N. Back in the middle there’s three more to Faf from whence the last runs came, though it would have been four without an enthusiastic dive at the boundary from Nic Maddinson. On Test debut, the latter is strutting around in a pair of sunglasses (Oakley Frogskins?) that make him look like Keanu Reeves’ “Johnny Utah” in Point Break. Hopefully we don’t get a 50-year storm tonight.
30th over: South Africa 92-3 (Cook 40, du Plessis 29)
Faf du Plessis gets on the attack immediately, flicking Josh Hazlewood off his pads with typical insouciance to pick up three cheap runs. Hazlewood chides himself briefly and then returns with sterner stuff to Stephen Cook, who is soon weaving out of the way or else leaning forward to defend as the bowler works through his full repertoire.
29th over: South Africa 89-3 (Cook 40, du Plessis 26)
Mitchell Starc grabs the ball and charges in after the break, and he’s right on the money to Stephen Cook, who got the slice of luck he’s been looking for all month with that early reprieve. I will admit, he hasn’t stayed in long enough to like a batsman with 38 first-class centuries to his name and a highest score of 390, but that he does. His Dad, Jimmy Cook, was the opener who faced South Africa’s first white ball in one-day internationals, and now the progeny has repeated the feat with the pink one in Tests.
The Australians are now taking the field
And we’ll have the 29th over coming right at you in a moment. My favourite moment of the first session: Matt Renshaw swallowing his first chance at slip. How often have you seen a debutant slotted straight in at first slip like that? Not in my day...
Hello all
Thanks Geoff. Russell Jackson here to take you through the rest of the day’s play in Adelaide, where the teams are currently taking their 20-minute ‘tea’ break, which will be followed by 40 minutes of dinner later. I’ve gotten in the spirit with an almond croissant, which I’ll try and eat without getting icing sugar or pastry all over my keyboard. And you think batsmen have it tough seeing the pink ball...
So the first break of the day is the tea break, with the longer dinner break to come between the second and third sessions. A fairly even session, though with the good bowling conditions early, Australia perhaps should have taken another wicket or two to make the most of their advantage. Lord knows they’ve had trouble getting through South Africa’s lower middle order.
And of course they did have one of those wickets early in the day, only for Stephen Cook to be recalled after Mitchell Starc was shown to have overstepped in the delivery stride. Cook is still there, 40 from 84 balls. Starc came back with the wicket of Elgar, while Hazlewood got Amla and Duminy.
28th over: South Africa 89-3 (Cook 40, du Plessis 26)
Lyon has helped bring the over rate up a bit, they’ll finish this session having got through 28 overs. Still short, but not as dire as it looked like it might become. Two close catchers on leg, plus a slip. Another maiden, and the sessions ends.
27th over: South Africa 89-3 (Cook 40, du Plessis 26)
Close to the tea break, the South Africans just want toget there safely, and Bird has settled into a more disciplined line and length. His strength. Faf du Plessis plays one shot in anger, stopped by the bowler, but otherwise leaves and defends.
26th over: South Africa 89-3 (Cook 40, du Plessis 26)
Lyon is mixing it up nicely, some flat, some flighted, and sends down a tidy over. Just the Cook single.
25th over: South Africa 88-3 (Cook 39, du Plessis 26)
Bird hasn’t bowled that well today, but he’s been the only bowler to trouble du Plessis. Another edge drawn, against it’s played softly enough to go to ground, and Khawaja makes a hash of the stop and lets it through for four. That’s the first ball, and Bird probes away on off stump for the rest of an otherwise scoreless over.
Australia made it to 2pm on day one without being bowled out. Progress!
24th over: South Africa 84-3 (Cook 39, du Plessis 22)
Wade’s first byes of the match come in Lyon’s second over. That turned substantially from outside off, and got good bounce. Went between bat and pad well over the stumps, and Wade was blindsided by the batsman. Two other singles from the over.
23rd over: South Africa 79-3 (Cook 38, du Plessis 21)
Still three in the slips, a gully, a point, as Starc searches for another catch behind the wicket. Long leg is waiting for the top-edged short ball. Midwicket, mid-on, mid-off saving runs. Cover is open to encourage the drive. Cook isn’t playing it. Still brilliant carry for Starc’s pace. Maiden.
22nd over: South Africa 79-3 (Cook 38, du Plessis 21)
Needing to break through, the Australian captain has turned to Nathan Lyon. He bowled and batted well here in the last day-night Test, and despite some recent struggles, maybe this ground will give him some happy memories and turn things around. Pretty accurate first over, they harvest three singles but there is some anticipation as the ball hangs in the air.
21st over: South Africa 76-3 (Cook 36, du Plessis 20)
Shot from Faf. Straight drive to a full Starc ball, four. Smacked that. He does look in good touch.
20th over: South Africa 72-3 (Cook 36, du Plessis 16)
Another three runs for Cook, who plays to the on-side. Faf gives the strike back, the Hazlewood has a big appeal for a ball that was hitting a bit high and leg-side for the umpire’s liking.
19th over: South Africa 68-3 (Cook 33, du Plessis 15)
Starc is still struggling to produce his best, though there have been some great deliveries. This over he goes wide of leg, and du Plessis is sharp on that shot today - full face of the bat to the fine-leg boundary. Then an overpitched one that Faf drives through midwicket beautifully for four. Could be the captain’s day.
18th over: South Africa 60-3 (Cook 33, du Plessis 7)
Cook is buckling down against Hazlewood - two runs from the first ball that was going down leg, but then he blocks and leaves the rest of the over.
17th over: South Africa 58-3 (Cook 31, du Plessis 7)
Starc is back, and as is his early wont, slides one down leg which Faf glances away for four. Easy done. Someone send Joe Burns the footage of how to play that shot. Should maybe get a short leg in, as Starc lashes a short ball and du Plessis just fends it away. Picks the ball up, throws it back to the bowler, and a handful of people in the crowd boo that as well. Can’t win.
16th over: South Africa 54-3 (Cook 31, du Plessis 3)
Bird lashed square for four more by Cook, he’s rolling along nicely now. Then another three down the ground. But Bird hits his length, takes the edge from du Plessis, and again sees it die short of the cordon. Faf works a two and a single.
15th over: South Africa 44-3 (Cook 24, du Plessis 0)
An unfortunate round of booing - not from all of the crowd, but some of it, as South Africa’s captain comes onto the field. There was some classic tabloid idiocy in the local papers this morning about him being a cheat, despite Steve Smith saying that Australia’s players had no problem with what he’d done, and shine the ball in much the same way.
The drinks break strikes again. South Africa are in the pipe, 555. Three identical scores for their dismissed batsmen, as Duminy looked to drive a little bit across his front pad, angling towards leg, but Hazlewood nipped the ball off the seam and it took the nick through to Wade, who takes it cleanly. Close watch on his keeping this Test, he’s passed the first few challenges.
14th over: South Africa 44-2 (Cook 24, Duminy 5)
Bird starting to look a little more threatening - he’s getting a touch of shape through the air, and he mixes up his length balls with a fuller one that Duminy jams past his leg stump for a run.
13th over: South Africa 40-2 (Cook 21, Duminy 4)
Hazlewood gets a little full following the wicket, and Duminy is away with a lashed cover drive for four. Then a very good leave from a ball that nearly threatened off stump.
Great ball from Hazlewood! Just back of a length but it reared at Amla, who was camped with his weight a bit too far back. He ended up fending forward at that ball coming straight at his ribs, and it struck high on the edge and Renshaw dives for the slip catch.
12th over: South Africa 36-1 (Cook 21, Amla 5)
Bird is having trouble starting, and Cook is starting to make trouble. The South African opener is getting his game going, after that reprieve from Starc. Gets a very full ball and eases it through wide long-on for four on an easy drive.
11th over: South Africa 30-1 (Cook 16, Amla 4)
Starc is off for his first rest after 5 overs, 1 for 8. Hazlewood takes his spot on the fast-man rotation. Cook drives a couple through cover, then takes a very tight single as Warner throws at the stumps but misses. Amla then flicks delightfully off his legs for two, stopped by Bird in the deep.
10th over: South Africa 25-1 (Cook 13, Amla 2)
Bird to Amla, circumspect in beginning, but punches a couple of runs down the ground past mid-off.
9th over: South Africa 23-1 (Cook 13, Amla 0)
Starc is getting tremendous bounce here, any time he gets a bit short it trampolines through to Wade behind the stumps. He’s hitting his rhythm. Tempts Cook outside off but Cook resists, that line getting tighter. Then the swinging yorker again, takes the pad and then flies away for four leg byes, but the appeal is turned down.
8th over: South Africa 19-1 (Cook 13, Amla 0)
Jackson Bird into the attack early, Smith wanting to get some confidence into his third bowler. He doesn’t start too well, too full second ball and Cook drives square for four.
7th over: South Africa 12-1 (Cook 6, Amla 0)
Kevin Stracey is on the email line: “Writing from home, close enough to the Adelaide Oval to have heard the cheer at Cook’s wicket that wasn’t just now. The city was indeed named after William IV’s consort, Queen Adelaide. The decision to name the city after her was apparently made before establishing where it would be located, as part of the free colonisation of which we South Australians are so proud (there has to be something).”
Australia’s strike bowler makes amends! Some width outside the left-hander’s off stump, a push, and a thick edge. Chris Rogers on ABC radio had just finished discussing how Usman Khawaja would not have made it into too many previous Australian slip cordons, but the first drop does not produce his first drop. Safely held.
6th over: South Africa 11-0 (Cook 5, Elgar 5)
Elgar’s turn to edge through the cordon for four. That ball from Hazlewood drew the push, but went downwards, may not have reached a fourth slip. There wasn’t one there anyway, so he gets it through.
5th over: South Africa 7-0 (Cook 5, Elgar 1)
Elgar finally off the mark, but unconvincingly, as he gloves a Starc ball into the leg-side for a single. Cook is back where he doesn’t want to be, and after a leave and a block, he chips another ball away in the air into the leg-side. Then he’s nearly yorked but keeps that one out too.
4th over: South Africa 6-0 (Cook 5, Elgar 0)
Another maiden to Hazlewood, Cook looking much more comfortable against the right-arm bowler than the left.
3rd over: South Africa 6-0 (Cook 5, Elgar 0)
Wicket! But off a no-ball.
To be fair, he has thrown a kettle over a pub. #Finchy#Movemberpic.twitter.com/s6DX3HFlpR
2nd over: South Africa 4-0 (Cook 4, Elgar 0)
Good start from Hazlewood as well, he nips one away that only just beats the edge of Elgar’s bat. There’s some great carry in this pitch. People are excited in the crowd. Great atmosphere here at the ground already, you can feel the energy.
South Africa
Cook
Elgar
Amla
Duminy
du Plessis*
Bavuma
de Kock†
Philander
Abbott
Rabada
Shamsi
Australia
Renshaw
Warner
Khawaja
Smith
Handscomb
Maddinson
Wade
Starc
Hazlewood
Lyon
Bird
1st over: South Africa 4-0 (Cook 4, Elgar 0)
Starcers with the ball first up for Australia, and he starts with venom. The hot-pink missile swings hard back in to hit Cook on the pad, too high, then swings wider of the stumps to take a thick edge past third slip for four.
Now: as the Lord Kitchener of the OBO, I need YOU.
Send in your comments, questions, objections and lavish praise to geoff.lemon@theguardian.com. Or find me on the tweet machine @GeoffLemonSport.
Renshaw was presented his baggy green cap by fellow Queenslander Ian Healy, Handscomb his by fellow Victorian Chris Rogers, and Maddinson his by NSW stalwart Simon Katich. I guess it does pay to have ex-players on commentary duties.
Shamsi apparently wasn’t presented his cap by anyone, as far as I can find out. They must have slipped it under his door or popped it on the tray with his continental breakfast.
South Africa also have a debutant: Tabraiz Shamsi, the 26-year-old left-arm wrist spinner, comes into the team, interesting after Lakshan Sandakan did Australia such a mischief during their mid-year tour to Sri Lanka.
Australia’s debutants are Matt Renshaw from Queensland (age 20), Peter Handscomb from Victoria (25) and Nic Maddinson from NSW (26).
Jackson Bird is back instead of Joe Mennie in the seam-bowling ranks, and Matthew Wade has taken over from Peter Nevill.
Such a strange lead-up to this match. The series was already decided, but all the bluster over Faf’s ball-tampering charge, plus the five changes to the Australian team and the three debuts, plus the day-night format, have made for a lot of excitement.
Think about that for a second. South Africa smashed the home side so hard that they brought about five changes to the XI.
Australians groan.
“I would have had a bat,” says Australian captain Steve Smith. “There’s less grass on the wicket than last year. I’m happy with the feeling in the rooms the last couple of days. We’re expecting a better performance than Hobart.”
Good morning, Adelaide fanciers. The lovely Queen Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen for whom this city is named (I assume, I’m not going to research that now) would be delighted to see such a charming day at such a charming cricket ground.
The sun is shining, the temperature is a mild 19 degrees, the breeze is cool but not chilly, and the big old fig trees at the far end of the ground are branching out. A didgeridoo is ringing out around the ground. The second day-night Test on these shores is soon to begin.
Geoff will be here shortly. In the meantime, here’s his view on the Faf du Plessis minty spit and shine affair (warning: includes sweet, sweet puns):
Related: Du Plessis, lollygate and the airport scuffle: needless faff over a trivial issue | Geoff Lemon
Related: Three Australians to make debuts against South Africa in third Test
Continue reading...