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Proteas batsmen at the crease
It was a pretty even day at the office for South Africa and Australia after day one of the World Test Championship final at Lord’s in London. Led by seamer Kagiso Rabada, the Proteas bundled out the Australians for 212 in their first innings, just after the tea break. The Aussie bowlers however fought back the final session. They took four top order wickets, leaving South Africa 169 runs behind on 43 for the loss of four wickets, at stumps.
Captain Temba Bavuma won the toss and under cloudy skies opted to bowl first and South Africa’s seamers and slip cordon obliged. The spear hard of the Proteas bowling attack, Kagiso Rabada got proceedings underway with two scalps in the seventh over. He dismissed Usman Khawaja for a 20-ball duck and then Cameron Green for four leaving the Australians in some early trouble on 16 for two.
Marco Jansen picked up the mantle at the other end. He accounted for Marnus Labuschagne for 17. And he ensured that South Africa went into the break with the upper hand. He dispatched Travis Head for 11 on the cusp of lunch and the Aussies slumped to 67 for four.
Australia’s batsmen staged somewhat of a fightback in the second session. Steve Smith and Beau Webster shared in a 79-run fifth wicket stand with Smith scoring a half century. The Proteas did counterpunch with the wicket of Smith for 66 but Webster continued to score freely. He too notched up a half-century, his second in Test cricket as Australia was coasting on 190 for the loss of five wickets at tea-time.
The wheels seem to come off for the defending champions after the interval. In a dramatic collapse, they lost their last five wickets for the addition of just 22 runs. Rabada again found himself on the honours board at Lord’s with his 17th five wicket haul in Test cricket, with figures of 51 for five.
And with 332 wickets, the quick has now past Allan Donald, up to fourth on South Africa’s all-time wicket-takers list in the longest format of the game. Seamer Mitchell Starc also hit his straps in the final session.
Starc dispatched both the Proteas openers Aiden Markram for a duck in the first over of the innings. He followed up a little later with the scalp of Ryan Rickelton for 16, leaving the South Africans in some bother on 19 for two.
Skipper Pat Cummins and Josh Hazelwood also took a wicket a piece in the dying overs, as the Proteas ended the day on 43 for four, trailing by 169 runs.
