Advantage Australia as WTC series hangs in the balance

Nathan Lyon ended South Africa captain Temba Bavuma’s resistance in the middle as Australia closed Day 3 of the third ICC World Test Championship Test in an advantageous position. 

With a 40-run lead in the second innings, the Proteas are four wickets down in the second innings at the score of 140 and with Matthew Breetzke (19*) and Ryan Rickelton (8*) at the crease.

Australia centurion Josh Inglis believes his side is on top, with Nathan Lyon's late wicket of South Africa skipper Temba Bavuma a key moment in the game.

"I think we controlled the tempo really well in that last session," Inglis said.

"Although they were playing well, they weren't really getting away from us. I thought Gaz (Lyon) bowled brilliantly and looked threatening the whole time.

"When you work for a couple of hours and get the rewards right at the end, it's really satisfying," 

South Africa spinner Simon Harmer thinks there is still plenty of cricket left in the series decider and his spin may still have a big say across the final two days of play.

"If you look at how the wicket changed from this morning to this evening, it's been quite a dramatic change," Harmer noted.

"I think Mitchell Starc does a pretty good job of churning up the wicket (with footmarks). 

"So yeah, I definitely think that spin is probably going to come into it a lot more than it has in the first two-and-a-half days."

The hosts had mounted an impressive display earlier on Day 3, restricting Australia to 429 after they began the day’s play with six wickets in hand and 330 runs on the board.

Inglis went on to complete an impressive century while Alex Carey also compiled 80 runs. For the home side, Marco Jansen and Harmer split seven wickets between them.

While Harmer finished with bowling figures of 4/104, Jansen continued his impressive run in the series with 3/60.

The performance comes on the back of the left-arm quick rising to the top of the ICC Men’s Test Bowling Rankings as well as the Test All-Rounders Rankings.   

Trailing by 100 runs in the first innings, the Proteas were put on the back foot early on the innings as Mitchell Starc got rid of Aiden Markram in the third over. 

A second wicket followed soon as Josh Hazlewood removed David Bedingham from the equation.

It was from here that South Africa’s highest run-getter in the first innings, Marques Ackerman and Bavuma, added crucial runs on the board.

The pair added 64 runs for the third wicket partnership as Ackerman scored his second half-century of the Test.

Starc however, got Australia right back into the game, snapping Ackerman. A final blow to the visitors was dealt by Lyon in the penultimate over as Bavuma returned to the dressing room.

Series schedule

First Test: 9-13 October, Durban  (Australia won by 214 runs)

Second Test: 18-22 October, Gqeberha (South Africa won by an innings and 31 runs)

Third Test: 27-31 October, Cape Town