HANGING IN: Belligerent Proteas on back foot, but stay in the fight against Aussies

Despite a great fightback by the bowlers, the Proteas are on the precipice of a series defeat against a rejuvenated Australia unless they produce a batting performance for the ages on day four.By stumps on day three, the Proteas were 140 for four, effectively 40 for four, with Matthew Breetzke on 19 and Ryan Rickleton on eight at the crease.Dreams of posting in the region of 220 for Australia to chase seem a long way off. It will require at least one big hundred from the remaining batters and some big partnerships to set a big enough total for the bowlers to defend.It had been South Africa’s day until five minutes from the end when the Aussies snared the big wicket of Proteas skipper Temba Bavuma.Bavuma was dismissed after a carefully compiled 35, to open the door after he and Breetzke had repaired some damage.The Aussies celebrate the wicket of Temba Bavuma (35), bowled by Nathan Lyon, late on day three of the second Test at Newlands. (Photo by Grant Pitcher / Gallo Images) It was an untimely end, as Bavuma surprisingly attacked a delivery from off-spinner Nathan Lyon outside his off-stump and missed to be clean bowled. Bavuma faced 135 balls, and even though he struggled against Lyon most of his stay, he looked well set.The skipper will be livid with himself, but when he reflects, he knows his team are still in the fight.FightbackAfter toiling on day two, taking just four wickets in 90 overs, the Proteas made amends by taking six Australian wickets for the addition of only 99 runs on day three in just 35.1 overs. It ensured that they remained in the contest – just.Resuming day three on 330 for four, Australia were bowled out shortly after lunch for 429 – a lead of exactly 100 runs.On a pitch still playing well, it will be up to Bavuma’s men to bat as long as they can to post a tough score for Australia to chase. A result either way looks like the most likely outcome at this stage, with two days to play and a fine weather forecast.Considering how well the pitch was playing and how hard wickets were to come by, it was a stellar performance by the South African bowling unit to limit the damage.Simon Harmer was the star performer, taking four for 107 in 37 gruelling overs.Proteas spinner Simon Harmer took four wickets in Australia’s first innings. (Photo: Grant Pitcher / Gallo Images) Having taken two wickets on day two, he chipped in with the scalps of Josh Inglis (102, 135 balls, 11 fours, two sixes) and Alex Carey (80, 168 balls, seven fours), who shared a 194-run fifth-wicket stand.Fast bowler Kagiso Rabada, who struggled with a stomach ailment on day two, produced five fine overs on the third morning, which yielded the wicket of Aussie skipper Pat Cummins, trapped leg before without scoring.Gerald Coetzee, Wiaan Mulder and Marco Jansen mopped up the rest to give the home team a fighting chance.Proteas fast bowler Kagiso Rabada (right) celebrates the wicket of Pat Cummins. (Photo: Grant Pitcher / Gallo Images) Inglis and Carey had looked immovable on day two, but with Rabada firing and beating the edge several times, he was able to sow some doubt in their minds.Inglis, who resumed the day on 85 not out, and Carey on 51, added to their score, but showed slight signs of nerves.Inglis went to his second Test century on his recall to the side, with a reverse sweep for four through extra cover. He was naturally delighted, punching the air in joy.Considering the pressure on the Aussie batting unit coming into the Test after their 99 all out in Gqeberha, it was a big moment for the team as well as Inglis. So far, he is the only batter to score a century on a good wicket.Australian batter Josh Inglis celebrates scoring a century during day three of the third Test. (Photo by Grant Pitcher/Gallo Images) There have been eight scores of 50 or more across two-and-a-half completed innings in this Test. There have also been six ducks. It’s been a strange combination of feast or famine from the batters.Harmer’s introduction in the ninth over of the day produced a wicket when Inglis edged the ball to Rickleton behind the stumps, to give the Proteas a needed breakthrough.Soon after, Harmer removed Carey, caught at slip by Aiden Markram, and Cummins followed an over later. South Africa were well into the tail and still had hopes of keeping the deficit below three figures.Cooper Connolly, Mitchell Starc and later Lyon managed to steady the innings, adding 45 runs between them to frustrate South Africa a little longer.Proteas’ second inningsProteas openers Markram and first innings top scorer Marques Ackerman started the team’s second innings with intent.Markram, though, fell for just one when he drove a Starc delivery straight to mid-off where Travis Head completed the catch. It was perhaps a loose shot, but one metre either side of Head, it was four. Such are the margins in batting.No 3 David Bedingham has less excuse, though, losing his wicket for the second time in the Test by falling for the short-ball trap.Josh Hazlewood dropped the ball short with two fielders on the boundary and Bedingham, like a moth to a flame, could not resist the pull shot even though the ball was pitched outside his off stump.He missed the middle of the bat and it sailed into the grateful hands of Lyons on the square leg boundary for 11.A dejected David Bedingham trudges off after being caught at deep square leg off the bowling of Josh Hazlewood. (Photo: Grant Pitcher / Gallo Images) At 31 for two, the Proteas were in trouble. Bedingham will take some criticism for falling to the same ploy twice, but Harmer was sympathetic to all the batters who were dismissed.“Pressure is a funny thing, and I think sometimes it is easy to sit on the balcony or in the stands and pass judgement on somebody’s innings or how they get out or how they play a shot,” Harmer said.“But there’s a lot going through your head when you’re waiting to face a bowler, and sometimes you make the incorrect decision at the wrong moment.“And I’m pretty sure that the players that feel that those shots weren’t good enough will be the first people to put their hands up. I think everybody sitting in that dressing room wants to contribute, wants to win the game for the team and are despondent when they get out.“So I speak more personally here, but I’m my harshest critic. And if I do something that affects the team, I’m going to be the hardest, regardless of what I read or see on social media.“I am the person who is going to be hardest on myself. I’m sure guys would have preferred to have not got out in certain ways, but ultimately it boils down to a lot more factors than something as simplistic as a shot selection.”Bavuma and Ackerman, though, blunted the attack with the latter playing aggressively, which is his way.He helped himself to eight boundaries on his way to a fine 62 in a 64-run third-wicket stand with Bavuma.Australia wasted two reviews in this period on close LBW decisions, leaving just one more for the remainder of the innings.It took a nasty bouncer from Starc – easily the pick of Australia’s bowlers in this match – to remove Ackerman. The ball reared up at his face grill as he fended at it with the bat.He was adjudged to have edged it, even though Ackerman seemed adamant he hadn’t. He opted to review, but left it too late and was timed out before his signal for the review.As it turned out, there was a scratch, and the correct decision was ultimately made – and the Proteas did not lose a review.There is a small chance for South Africa to produce a stunning result in this Test. But as Harmer noted, the first hour of batting on day four will go a long way to determining how the match plays out. DM