Australia four wickets away from winning first test

DURBAN, Oct 13 : Australia took two quick wickets to end a defiant start to the last day from South Africa and need four more scalps to ensure victory in the first test at Kingsmead on Tuesday with South Africa 166-6 at lunch.

Josh Hazlewood and then part-time spinner Matt Renshaw removed home batsmen after South Africa had held out for the first 110 minutes of the day’s play.

Opener Aiden Markram led his side’s rearguard action and was still unbeaten on 69 at lunch, along with Marco Jansen on seven.

South Africa were 102-4 overnight with Markram on 45 and Wiaan Mulder on five, and the pair extended the fifth-wicket partnership to a patient 69 runs off 205 balls before Mulder got an edge to a legside delivery from Hazlewood and was snagged by a diving catch from wicketkeeper Alex Carey.

It was Hazlewood’s third wicket of the innings and came in his first over after being brought on again as captain Pat Cummins regularly rotated his bowlers in search of a breakthrough.

Renshaw has been the star of the match for Australia with the bat, scoring 190 runs in the first innings and 82 in the second, and continued his fairytale performance with a first test wicket late on Monday.

He got his second in Tuesday’s opening session when Kyle Verreynne quickly followed Mulder back to the change room with a reckless shot that saw him caught at slip by Steve Smith. Verreynne faced three balls and made a single run as he went out to an injudicious stroke, reflective of the poor shot selection that dogged the home side’s batting.

Only Markram has made more than 50 for the home side, bringing up his half-century in the fifth over of the day.

Former Australia captain Smith, who did not field in Monday’s late session after a blow to the head while batting, returned to action on Tuesday.

"Steve Smith has undergone a series of clinical assessments over the past 24 hours in accordance with Cricket Australia’s concussion protocols and has been cleared to take the field this morning," a statement said.