South Africa 6 for 194 (Cook 81*, Lyon 3-48) lead Australia 383 (Khawaja 145, Smith 59, Handscomb 54, Starc 53, Abbott 3-49, Rabada 3-84) by 70 runs
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
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Brettig: Australia’s fielders need more cohesion
By the time Nathan Lyon took his first wicket of this Test, he had endured a 660-ball drought without a first-class breakthrough. He was lucky even to be playing, for only Steve O’Keefe’s calf injury saved Lyon from the axe, prevented the Goat from becoming the scapegoat. But on the third evening Lyon gave Australia’s selectors a reminder of why he has become Australia’s most prolific offspinning Test wicket taker, his three strikes tightening Australia’s grip on the match.
Lyon picked up three wickets, a fired-up Mitchell Starc collected two, and Josh Hazlewood removed Hashim Amla for the fifth time from five innings in this series to leave South Africa on 6 for 194 at stumps, with a lead of 70 runs. Stephen Cook was on 81 and Quinton de Kock was yet to score, and they faced the task of adding at least another hundred or more runs on the fourth day to set Australia a target that would prove challenging.
Full report to follow
Josh Hazlewood dismissed Hashim Amla for the fifth time from five innings this series as South Africa chipped away at their deficit on the third day at Adelaide Oval. Earlier in the day a half-century from Mitchell Starc had helped Australia extend their lead to 124 runs as they were bowled out for 383 just before tea, and by the dinner break South Africa had cut the margin to 24.
Stephen Cook, who has had a miserable tour at the top of South Africa’s order, managed to bat through the session and went to dinner on 43, while JP Duminy was on 5. South Africa had moved along to 2 for 100, a good recovery after they lost a wicket in the first over of the innings when Dean Elgar edged Starc to slip for a third-ball duck.
Cook looked far from convincing in his footwork but he survived, and with Amla put on 81 for the second wicket. Australia should have had Amla on 13 when he edged Starc between the wicketkeeper and first slip. It could have been a comfortable catch for either Matthew Wade or Matt Renshaw had they been quick to move, but in the end the ball bounced off Renshaw’s outstretched left hand and away for two runs.
Amla looked like he might make the most of the reprieved and struck six fours and one six on his way to 45, but his struggles against Hazlewood continued when he was given out caught behind. Amla immediately asked for a review and the ball did appear to have flicked the flap of his pad on the way through to Wade, but Hot Spot revealed it had also tickled the outside edge.
The second session was longer than usual as an early tea break had been taken when Australia were dismissed for 383 within half an hour of the scheduled break. Australia had batted for 19.1 overs on the third day and added 76 for the loss of their last four wickets.
Usman Khawaja added only 7 to his overnight score before he was lbw to Vernon Philander for 145, his 308-ball innings the longest by an Australian opener in a home Test since Justin Langer made a double-century at Adelaide Oval in 2004. But even after Khawaja departed, the Australia tail provided some frustrations for Faf du Plessis and his men.
Starc struck five fours and one six on his way to 53, which was the seventh half-century of his Test career. He eventually prodded a return catch back to Rabada, who finished with 3 for 84. The debutant left-arm wrist-spinner Tabraiz Shamsi endured a long wait for his maiden Test wicket but finally achieved the feat in his 27th over when he had Nathan Lyon caught top-edging a sweep for 13.
Hazlewood finished unbeaten on 11 when the final wicket fell, the No.11 Jackson Bird caught at slip off Rabada for 6. Kyle Abbott did not add to his wicket tally on the third day but finished with the miserly figures of 3 for 49 from 29 overs, including 11 maidens.
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Source: ESPN Crickinfo