Aiden Markram scored 84 on Day 3. (Source: AP)
South Africa did not beat around the bush for too long and took the final Australian wicket within the first half an hour of the match. The rest of the day was defined by sheer grit shown by the Proteas, particularly Aiden Markram, and about Australians getting into all sorts of trouble. Cameron Bancroft may face the music for seemingly tampering with the ball. Markram scored a gritty 84 while AB de Villiers is on 51 at the end of the day. De Villiers became South Africa’s all time highest run scorer in Tests against Australia.
South Africa vs Australia Day 3 Highlights:
© IE Online Media Services Pvt Ltd
There won't be any more play which means it will be an early start tomorrow. It has been another very eventful day for right and wrong reasons in equal measure. The most prominent controversy of the day has been talked about and a number of respected voices in cricket have weighed in so we won't get more into it. Let us instead, marvel at the two standout batsmen of the day, Aiden Markram and AB De Villiers. One man who is proving match after match that he truly is the future for South Africa and the other reminding us all why he is regarded as the best batsman of his generation.
De Villiers has been the name of the session so far and De Kock has done well to stick to the crease so far. De Villiers has become South Africa's highest run scorer against Australia in this knock. South Africa will be feeling very good about themselves. The Australians, particularly a certain Mr Bancroft and his captain and coach, not so much.
A reverse sweep straight out of De Villiers' expansive T20 textbook and the ball races away to the boundary. 44th Test 50 for the South African batting great. He and De Kock are dampening any hopes that South Africa may have had from that twin strike of Du Plessis and Bavuma.
Two counter attacking batsmen in the middle and they are swelling the lead ever so larger. De Villiers is on 46, De Kock is on 19 off as many balls.
First Faf Du Plessis and now Temba Bavuma. Du Plessis was trapped LBW. Umpire had given not out but the Australians succesfully reviewed the decision. Bavuma then nicked it to the slips and South Africa's strong standing has taken a dent. Meanwhile, this is what Colin Bancroft has done today.
How much of a hand (or sandpaper) Bancroft has in it is unclear as of yet but Starc is being able to get some good reverse. The debate is ragind everywhere, the accrimony of this series continues.
From what the visuals show, Bancroft seems to take out a small yellow object from his pocket and rubbing the ball with it. When the umpires summons him and Smith, he shows them a small black cloth that looks nothing like the object that was mentioned previously. There is then a visual of him transferring that object from his pocket into his underpants. All seems a bit dodgy at the moment and we will be hearing more of this.
That is the end of the second session. The wicket of Markram towards the end would be a positive for Australia but the young opener has done the damage. South Africa still have plenty of batting left and they will be looking at a lead of 300 at the least. How much of that will be achieved in the final session today will be interesting to watch.
The scoreboard is ticking away nicely and Markram has reached 80. He truly has found a purple match in this match. De Villiers is on 18 and is choosing to play second fiddle as Markram is showing the full range of shots he has got in his arsenal.
No flashy stuff here. Markram hit a four off a ball that was screaming to be hit from Hazlewood but apart from that, he and De Villiers have chosen to take runs only when there is absolutely no risk involved. There doesn't seem to be any continuation of that little chate between Cummins and De Villiers. Cummins is not known to be one for sledging and usually goes about his work with a shut mouth. It may be the effect of this series playing games in his head, just as it is with almost everyone else.
AB De Villiers off the mark with a six and then he gets an earful from the bowler, Pat Cummins. De Villiers respond with a smile on his face and it doesn't look like he says anything back from the footage. Cummins should know better than to rile up De Villiers though.
Cummins with the breakthrough, pitched up and Amla drives, a bait and the fish bites. Cover was placed just for this scenario and that is the second wicket of a parched day for Australia - wicket-wise. In the real sense of the word, though, both teams may have to go back sooner than later judging from the way the skies are darkening. For now, Aiden Markram is joined by the one and only, AB de Villiers.
And South Africa's lead is now 155. Markram likes to take tight singles it seems to get to milestones and this one was once again pushed away accross the line. Pat Cummins came in for the throw to the non-strikers end. It was difficult to get a direct hit but if he had, Markram was completely out of the frame. But a well desrved 50.
Amla and Markram standing strong. The latter has upped the ante a little bit and is now on 46 off 86. He took slight hit from Mitchell Starc with a short ball that did not climb and then just about made it to the other end for a single as Pat Cummins did well to manage a direct hit.
... with an eventful opening over to the second session. Amla hits a boundary off the second ball bowled by Starc and is then declared out for caught behind off the last ball. Amla reviews and as it turns out, there was no bat or glove on that pull-gone-wrong and hthe decision is reversed like a car on a steep slope without any handbreaks on.
Last over of the session was bowled by Steve Smith. Markram hit a rather risky four off the third ball of that over but that was all the runs that it produced. Just the one wicket for the Australians in this first session and it is that of first innings centurion Dean Elgar.
The Proteas now lead by 104 runs. Markram and Amla have kept things steady since Elgar's wicket fell and it remains a rather frustrating first session for the Australian bowlers. Nathan Lyon has been introduced into the spell and he is alternating with Pat Cummins at the moment. Meanwhile the South African crowds are doing everything they can to get the attention of Mitchell Marsh standing at near the boundary. Marsh does smile, and makes hand gestures to show whether he appreciates the crowd's chants or could they do better. It all seems to be in good spirits, nothing seemingly 'disgraceful'
And that is the first wicket of the day for Australia. Pitched up, Elgar drives and ends up getting a thick outside edge and it is straight at Smith. South Africa 28/1.
Markram and Elgar are steadily working away at the new ball. Apart from that dropped chance in the first over, there hasn't been much luck for the bowlers so far. Markram is on 14, Elgar has made 10.
Mitchell Starc opened the bowling for Australia and Markram was dropped off the fourth ball of his opening over at gully. Just to add salt to wounds, Markram took a four off the very next ball. Australia are currently 11/0 in the third over.
Hazlewood collected some runs before he went out but Kagiso Rabada makes sure that the latter doesn't go any further.
It is Kagiso Rabada who has come out with the ball on Day 3. He took 3 wickets on Day 2, and skipper Faf du Plessis will hope he can take one more in the day early on to bowl out Australia as soon as possible. Josh Hazlewood is in the middle with the bat. Can he survive Rabada?
Hello and welcome to our Live blog on the third day of the third Test between South Africa and Australia. Australia closed the shop at 245/9, trailing by 66 runs. But only one wicket is in hand - Tim Paine is still in the middle at 33 with Nathan Lyon. The Proteas will try to get the dismissal as soon as possible, while Australia will look to cover up the trail.