AFTERNOON THING with JOHN STUPART
The Proteas reignited the fire that was snuffed out in India last year and started their tour Down Under with an emphatic 177-run win. Led by youngster Kagiso Rabada, the Proteas wrapped up the win just before tea on day five. After a slow day on day one, South Africa outplayed the Aussies in every single aspect, including Temba Bavuma's catch in just 0.264 seconds. Pleased as punched, the Proteas take their 0-1 series lead into the second Test which starts in Hobart on Saturday morning.
As it happened: Australia vs South Africa, 1st Test, day five - Rabada five-for leads Proteas to stunning 177-run victory
The Proteas completed a remarkable comeback to win the first Test against the Aussies in Perth with a session to spare, led by the indefatigable Kagiso Rabada. By MAX BENSON
09:43: Thanks for being there throughout what has frequently felt like a scarcely believable game of cricket. It's off to Tasmania we go. Have a great week and we'll see you there. But before you go, here's the best run out you're ever likely to see in cricket.
09:37: Just think back to an hour or so into day two. Australia were 158 without loss, having bowled the Proteas out for 242 on a dispiriting first day.Dale Steyn then smashed open the door by removing David Warner for 97, before removing himself with a broken shoulder shortly after.Step up Rabada, Philander and Maharaj - who were nothing short of incredible to roll the hosts out for the addition of just 86 more runs on a good pitch.Then the second turn of the batsmen, who atoned for their first go with centuries from Duminy and Elgar - plus tremendous knocks from Philander, De Kock and Maharaj as the home side wilted in the heat of their own back yard.That they have picked up another ten wickets, without Steyn, is testament to huge heart, perseverance and no little skill - not least from captain Faf du Plessis.Man of The Match? Has to be Rabada. With very honourable mentions to all of the above.South Africa go to rainy, cool Hobart (Saturday, 01:30 start) with a very warm feeling indeed.09:33: DRS ALERT AND... WICKET! SOUTH AFRICA WIN BY 177 RUNS! It's Maharaj who returns, rather than Rabada. He slips one past the hapless defence of Lyon and it's another one gone LBW. Pointless review from the Aussies and it's done and dusted in Perth. What a performance!
09:30: Right then, time for Philander to return to finish the job. Hopefully. The bowling speeds are down, the resources well and truly drained. But it'll all feel very worth it indeed when that last wicket drops...
09:25: DRS ALERT AND... NOT OUT! Bavuma can't resist demanding the third umpire's involvement after his LBW shout is turned down by umpire Nigel Llong. It's speculative at best as the ball is shown to be snaking down the leg side.
Australia 361-9: Nevill 60*, Lyon 8*. SA need one wicket to win.
09:22: Dane Vilas is doing a stint under the lid at short leg and he's just been clobbered between the shoulder blades by an errant throw from Du Plessis. There's gratitude for you.
09:09: WICKET! BAAAAVVVUUUUUMMMMAAAAA! After softening up Hazlewood with a beamer, the little fellah finds a leading edge that pops up to midwicket where Dean Elgar safely pouches the catch.
That's broken a thoroughly irritating stand - and brings last man Nathan Lyon to the crease. Tea will be delayed by half an hour, giving the Proteas a chance to polish things off and crack open a can with theirs.
Australia 349-9: Nevill 52*, Lyon 0*. SA need one wicket to win.
09:01: DROPPED! Amla shells another one, this time one-handed to his right as Bavuma takes Hazlewood's outside edge. What a rotten game the great man is having.
08:58: 50 UP FOR NEVILL! Well that's quite an effort as the under-fire gloveman reaches his third Test match half-century. He edges to third man, before clipping away through midwicket to reach the landmark and breath a personal sigh of relief, even with his side still in a hole bigger than Kimberley's.
Australia 340-8: Nevill 50*, Hazlewood 27*. SA need two wickets to win.
08:49: It's getting a little bit tricky for South Africa on the Rabada-front. He's obviously on his last legs - two wides from bouncers in his most recent over haven't helped - and they would really, really rather not bowl him again before Hobart on Saturday. The Aussies are digging in, but chances are still coming.
We have a very 21st century delay, too, as the spider cam almost snaps off its cables, thankfully by the boundary and not anyone's head. Anyway, they fettle that and the boy Bavuma is back on for another crack. Bowling from tight to the stumps, he's aiming for the yawning chasm running roughly down the off-stump line of Nevill.
Australia 323-8: Nevill 37*, Hazlewood 27*. SA need two wickets to win.
08:36: RUN OUT APPEAL AND... NOT OUT! Bavuma is at the stumps this time and is quick to whip the bails off as Nevill scrambles for his ground. A direct hit from Maharaj would have done for the keeper, but he sneaks home.
08:32: Well Australian cricketers are nothing if not annoying. These two take their ninth-wicket stand to 30 as Rabada is, curiously, replaced by Maharaj after a solitary over in order to switch ends.
Australia 310-8: Nevill 37*, Hazlewood 16*. SA need two wickets to win.
08:20: They pause for a drink in Perth before Duminy returns for a twirl with the wicket of would-be centurion Khawaja already to his name. He completes a tidy over as we pass the halfway point on day five. And that's only half the story as Bavuma is in the thick of it at short leg again, parrying a sharp chance away off his left hand.
Even more excitingly, Rabada returns to start his 29th over of the innings. Come on KG, lad!
Australia 302-8: Nevill 35*, Hazlewood 10*. SA need two wickets to win.
08:11: 300 UP! Australia need just 238 for victory (haha!) as Nevill and Hazlewood try to grind something out. 'Taking it deep' is the modern cricket gobbledygook for what they're attempting.
Their brave and noble effort nearly bites the dust as the latter edges a good 'un from big Vern, but it drops short of Amla at first slip.
Australia 301-8: Nevill 34*, Hazlewood 10*. SA need two wickets to win.
08:07: He's not The New Ntini... he's just Kagiso Rabada.
Australia 292-8: Nevill 30*, Hazlewood 6*. SA need two wickets to win.
07:54: Maharaj is yelping and leaping around at regular intervals here, as Hazlewood plays him with no conviction whatsoever. A couple of leg before shouts, a hint of an edge behind and a clip to leg just out of the grasp of the little magician Bavuma. It's coming.
07:41: WICKET! Philander is wheeled out once again with the new ball in hand and pins Siddle LBW. That's eight down, two to go...
Australia 280-8: Nevill 24*, Hazlewood 0*. SA need two wickets to win.
07:18: They've kept Maharaj on before taking the hard new ball which, if Michael Clarke had done it, would probably be labelled 'funky captaincy'. It's more born out of necessity with captain Faf nursing his Steyn-less attack through to the end. Anyway, he starts with a maiden after Lunch.
07:14: Rabada's third ball after the break suggests we may not be hanging around too long for victory. Nipping off the seam and whizzing over Peter Siddle's middle peg. Marvellous.
Australia 264-7: Nevill 21*, Siddle 0*. SA need three wickets to win.
06:33: LUNCH! That'll do nicely for the Proteas, who nip off for a sandwich with half of their required wickets safely in the bag. The sight of Rabada heading off to be iced up after his first spell was a scary one, but he returned to snaffle his eighth wicket of the match just before the break to leave the Aussies teetering. At least no one in Perth has bothered to turn up to bear witness to their nation's sporting humiliation.
We'll continue this fun in just over half an hour. If you're just waking up to begin your week, scroll down to see how things have panned out this morning. We'll be delighted to show you. You can also drop us a line on sportsdesk@dailymaverick.co.za any time. Now, time to get that kettle fired up.
Australia 263-7: Nevill 20*, Siddle 0*. SA need three wickets to win.
06:25: DRS ALERT AND... WICKET! Rabada is down on all fours, kissing the WACA pitch. He's speared Starc with another yorker, right on to the back foot. It was a review straight out of the Shane Watson School of Self Preservation - plumb as anything and the lanky left-hander is on his bike.
That's just the ticket with five minutes to go before the interval and Rabada has picked up five wickets in an innings for the fourth time in Test cricket. He's only played nine matches.
Australia 262-7: Nevill 19*. SA need three wickets to win.
06:18: Right then, just time to crank it up for a couple of overs before Lunch. Rabada comes back into the attack to extract the last remnants of reverse swing from the old ball and you'd never know he'd been away - straight back in the groove as he catches an edge that flies through the cordon.
The new ball is available, but Maharaj continues.
Australia 259-6: Nevill 18*, Starc 11*. SA need four wickets to win.
06:03: Mitchell Starc is out there and, far more excitingly, so is Rabada! Whether it was just a bit of psychological warfare with the opposition or what, we may never know, but he looks alright. We'll know for sure if they take that shiny new ball in three overs' time.
Australia 247-6: Nevill 16*, Starc 1*. SA need four wickets to win.
05:58: DRS ALERT AND... OUT! He's been dropped, an overstep away from LBW and was nearly caught playing a daft shot down the ground last night... and Khawaja has finally perished, leg before to wily old JP Duminy. He sends it upstairs - partly because he's three away from a century, partly because he's just about Austrlia's last hope. But to no avail. He stood tall while other around him threatened to crumble, but it's ancient history now with four wickets to go and a new ball in the offing.
Australia 246-6: Nevill 16*, Starc 0*. SA need four wickets to win.
05:50: Get behind your sofa and watch.
05:45: Good grief! Temba Bavuma is on, with South Africa running out of bowling options. His first ball in Test cricket barely bounces, hits Khawaja flush on the pad and would have been stone dead LBW... except Bavuma's little legs had somehow managed to overstep. We'll let him off because of yesterday's genius run out, but that's a huge opportunity passed up.
Australia 233-5: Khawaja 90*, Nevill 14*. SA need five wickets to win.
05:36: Aussie whine... stick a cork in it!
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