Key Takeaways
- Australia declared on 314-6 at tea on the fourth day of the first Test.
- Matt Renshaw scored 190 runs, the top score for Australia.
- Bad light curtailed play on each of the opening three days.
Australia’s Matt Renshaw continued his impressive batting form, scoring 190 runs in the first innings, setting South Africa a daunting target of 421 to win the first Test at Kingsmead in Durban.
Renshaw’s performance was a significant boost for Australia, who had a 106-run lead after his contribution. The 30-year-old Queenslander dominated the home bowlers, but his innings ended controversially when he was given out after a television review following a caught and bowled from Keshav Maharaj.
Australia resumed on 33-0 and scored 141 runs in the first session, losing four wickets, and then added another 140 runs in the afternoon. Opener Nic Maddinson, who made a duck in the first innings after a decade out of Test cricket, played some expansive shots before being bowled for 48 by Anrich Nortje.
Beau Webster and captain Pat Cummins provided valuable contributions, with Webster scoring 39 not out and Cummins bludgeoning four sixes in his 12-ball 32. Travis Head’s 11 runs and Marnus Labuschagne’s 37 runs did not help their individual causes, but Labuschagne’s 53-run partnership with Steve Smith (27) for the third wicket accelerated the run rate.
The match has been affected by bad light, which curtailed play on each of the opening three days and is expected to bring a premature close on the fourth day. South Africa will need a gutsy batting display to stave off defeat and keep up Temba Bavuma’s unbeaten 12-Test record as captain.
The match is crucial for both teams, with Australia aiming to secure a win and South Africa fighting to avoid defeat. The remaining day will be decisive, with both teams needing to capitalize on their strengths and overcome their weaknesses.
