In closing, the presentation.
Vernon Philander is the Man of the Series.
He didn’t get the gong in either of their wins, but it is a logical decision for the work he did across the three Tests. Outstanding.
Steve Smith is up at the presentation now. “I am very pleased and proud of how the boys stood up this game,” he says. “It was obviously a disappointing start to the series and we were outplayed... but I’m proud of how the boys turned it around.”
Smith adds that he’s pleased that two debutants were in the middle at the end. Nice touch, wasn’t it?
Next up on stage is the winning series captain, Faf du Plessis. “It’s pretty disappointing that we didn’t win the Test Match also hard to look past the fact that we had already won the series. I’m a very satisfied captain,” he says. “It is very easy to captain with a bowling attack like that.”
Faf’s a fan of the day/night Tests too. Says he likes it more than he expected. That’s a pretty good endorsement from the captain of the losing side, I reckon. And now they’re up to lift the trophy. Big smiles. Big victory. Well played.
You know what, I might leave it there. It’s been quite a match and quite a series. Huge turnover in the Australian side, masterful bowling from the tourists. I doubt we’ll forget it in a hurry. Thanks for all your company across the Tests, it’s been very much appreciated.
For our part, we’ll be back with the OBO for Guardian Australian in the Chappell-Hadlee ODIs coming up in the first week of December. Until then. Goodnight from Adelaide Oval.
Updated
While the players gather for the presentation.
A win for Australia with their remodelled XI. It could be said that they have come a very long way in the space of a Test Match. But with Pakistan ahead, considered assessments might be best at the end of the summer. Still, it’s a start. And the hosts really did earn this win, with excellent bowling across the match the defining Khawaja ton.
Usman Khawaja is the man of the much. “He solidifies the top of the order,” he says of the new man Renshaw. “Hopefully this will lead into a big series against Pakistan because there’s a lot of work to do there.” He’s not wrong.
Matt Renshaw is on the ABC now: “It has been amazing, trying to embrace it all and have a lot of fun,” he says. “I was just trying to have find but once the crowd got going that was the hard part. I had to just keep myself grounded and not play something stupid.”
AUSTRALIA WIN BY SEVEN WICKETS (Renshaw 34, Handscomb 1)
Peter Handscomb, the man who had such a hand in giving Australia a healthy first innings lead, hits the winning runs. It takes a few attempts after getting the strike, nearly giving a return catch. But it matters little when he finds the gap at midwicket and claims the win. Handshakes all around.
40th over: Australia 125-3 (Renshaw 33, Handscomb 0) It looked like they were going to get it that over too before the captain fell to the last ball, Smith picking up four through the cordon after a couple by midwicket. But now, as noted before, it’ll be a rookie. Shamsi has the ball.
WICKET! Smith c de Kock b Abbott 40 (Australia 125-3)
Smith is fuming. It’s a great bit of bowling from Abbott, two runs short of the win. After all those plays and misses from Renshaw, the captain gets a feather. Handscomb out to the middle means that one of these two will get to hit the winning runs on debut. Nice. A handy knock from Smith, by the way.
39th over: Australia 119-2 (Renshaw 33, Smith 34) Oh this is brilliant, the crowd are livid when Smith takes one. Even in the press box there is a cry of “No!”. But when he times the next Shamsi delivery off his pads through the onside for four? An enthusiastic round of applause! 31 balls he spent on 24. A single - indeed a dropped catch at slip - earns more cheers. Then when he goes down the ground for another boundary it’s all-but a standing ovation! Test cricket... wouldn’t have it any other way. Eight to win now.
Listen to the fans! This is brilliant from Renshaw #AUSvSA https://t.co/2KKk9gVOlW
— cricket.com.au (@CricketAus) November 27, 2016
38th over: Australia 108-2 (Renshaw 24, Smith 32) Smith take Abbott’s first ball of a new spell to midwicket putting Renshaw on strike. The crowd probably aren’t enjoying the prospect of Renshaw batting out the over to dinner, ensuring the long break will take place you would have to think? We will see. By half way through the over the slow clapping has begu, and Renshaw... is on front foot defending. Glorious. I can only imagine some corners of twitter at the moment. He’s beaten by the penultimate delivery, just to stick with the theme, a very good one from Abbott, again missed by quite a decent margin. He defends the last ball into the offside. Is that... dinner? No, it is not! We will continue on.
Critics of Aus team have been crying out for a player who will value his wicket like Renshaw does.
— Ric Finlay (@RicFinlay) November 27, 2016
37th over: Australia 107-2 (Renshaw 24, Smith 31) Bronx cheer of sorts goes up when the board ticks over for the first time in a while, Smith pulling Shamsi for a couple. He follows it with a single to cover. That doesn’t modify the Renshaw approach, who has 11 scoring shots in nearly 130 balls now. Defending and leaving, even when Shamsi goes around the wicket to provoke a stroke. The crowd are egging him on to do something slightly more. Suggestion through the stump mic that the South Africans want him to have a crack as well. Good luck with that, don’t think he cares.
36th over: Australia 104-2 (Renshaw 24, Smith 28) Back to back maidens might encourage the umpires to actually take dinner at the scheduled time? That’s only an over or two away, and they need to be confident of a result within 15 minutes (or four overs). It was Rabada to Renshaw, by the way. You can probably guess how it played out, a couple of leaves, a couple of defensive strokes and a play and miss. Essentially Renshaw at a glance this afternoon.
Total attendance at the Adelaide Oval over four day: 125,993. Absolutely outstanding. It's been amazing to witness this match. #AUSvSA
— Firdose Moonda (@FirdoseM) November 27, 2016
35th over: Australia 104-2 (Renshaw 24, Smith 28) Shamsi to Smith. There’s a play and miss in the early in the over, which governs a more conservative approach for the remainder of it. A maiden. Still, not far away now. 23 runs to be precise.
34th over: Australia 104-2 (Renshaw 24, Smith 28) Lovely Smith cover drive nets him three. Haven’t seen much of that today. His signature when in full flight. He hasn’t dominated the series nor made a ton, but he looks ready for something like that in the second half of the summer when Pakistan arrive.
33rd over: Australia 101-2 (Renshaw 24, Smith 25) Shamsi and Smith has brought about a certain outcome in this match so far, but less here. I think Smith has put it away now, result assured. He’ll be happy to do this in singles just about. He gets one of those to end the over and retain the strike, around the corner with the full face of the bat.
Updated
32nd over: Australia 100-2 (Renshaw 24, Smith 24) Rabada and Renshaw resume their contest. He’s only given one chance to bust out his favoured leave this time around, Rabada straightening up his line. But the Renshaw defence is up to the challenge. A maiden. We’re nearing dinner, but there’ll be no dinner as this session will be extended.
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31st over: Australia 100-2 (Renshaw 24, Smith 24) It’s too easy for Smith when Shamsi has the ball. It’s been a mismatch from the get go. The former uses those fancy feet of his to meet the first ball of the over at the point of pitching, lifting it over midwicket for a boundary. And two more in that general direction to end the over raises Australia’s 100.
SHOTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT #AUSvSA https://t.co/5VwScUUjZF
— cricket.com.au (@CricketAus) November 27, 2016
30th over: Australia 94-2 (Renshaw 24, Smith 18) Smith straight off strike to Rabada, a single off the pads. Only takes two balls for Rabada to beat Renshaw’s bat. And again. It’s going to be a ~talking point~ you can be sure of that.
Renshaw has missed 22 balls in all this innings
— The Cricket Prof. (@CricProf) November 27, 2016
15 on outside edge
4 hit the pads
3 down the leg side#ausvsa
29th over: Australia 93-2 (Renshaw 24, Smith 17) Renshaw finding his groove against the spin now, twice taking Shamsi through midwicket for two. 34 left now for the Australians. Suspect we’ll be seeing an extra half hour (or as much of it as is required) rather than getting a long break when the time comes 29 minutes from now. Meanwhile, that’s a (Cowan) ton for Renshaw on debut!
Matt Renshaw, spoken of as a player who can bat time like Ed Cowan, raises a Cowan ton at Adelaide. 100 balls faced. Played.
— Geoff Lemon Sport (@GeoffLemonSport) November 27, 2016
28th over: Australia 89-2 (Renshaw 20, Smith 17) Rabada back on from the Cathedral or Northern End. Smith has seen first hand how threatening he can be late in the day, so he’s defending throughout the maiden. Nothing silly here from the Skip. Like all good captains, he’d love to be out there at the end.
27th over: Australia 89-2 (Renshaw 20, Smith 17) Shamsi has Renshaw down the business end and so continues the spell. He remains a real and present threat to the left-hander, who is again beaten outside the line. But I’d counter that by noting that, again, he’s well inside the line. It doesn’t look pretty, but he’s nowhere near these, suggesting that it’s at least in part something he has some control over once the ball takes off from the track, be it against spin or seam. 96 balls faced now.
26th over: Australia 89-2 (Renshaw 20, Smith 17) Just under 20,000 here at the Adelaide Oval. Makes it 125,993 for the match. Pretty healthy. Renshaw bounces back from that review with a couple taken past square leg then a single to fine leg. Between times he was beaten outside the off-stump for the umpteenth time. It’s another very good bit of bowling, straightening away from the left-hander from around the wicket. Big of a debate on radio about whether the pink ball concept will be retained for Adelaide next year for the Ashes Test. It’s very clear that Cricket Australia and the SACA are in support. These four days must have helped. It’s been an excellent Test Match with bat and ball pretty evenly matched. Can’t ask for much more than that. Strong views out there? Hit me with them.
NOT OUT! Contact outside the line is the DRS verdict, Richard Kettleborough again has it right. Indeed, in this series he’s never had it wrong. Pretty good an umpiring.
Review! Not out on the field, but Philander thinks he’s nabbed Renshaw lbw. Upstairs we go.
25th over: Australia 86-2 (Renshaw 17, Smith 17) Smith is feasting on Shamsi, and wish so few runs available to the Proteas from here I suspect he won’t get back on if it’s Smith he’s scheduled to bowl to next time up. He seems to lose his way whenever bowling to the Aussie skipper. This time around, a short ball is put away half way through an over, and then happens all over again to end the set. He’s caught up to Renshaw already.
24th over: Australia 78-2 (Renshaw 17, Smith 9) Philander taking on Renshaw from around the wicket. A couple of blocks, a few leaves. It’s a maiden. Renshaw has made his 17 from 84 balls, and that’ll inspire some. But I fancy it won’t take long before it’ll annoy a certain section of Australian fans who favour the crush, kill, destroy approach.
23rd over: Australia 78-2 (Renshaw 17, Smith 9) It’s Shamsi bouncing away from us at the Southern End to restart after the drink. Renshaw’s into his happy place, watching the first three deliveries sail past his off-stump. Not tempted for even a moment. He’s defence to negate the spin off the front foot once Shamsi brings his line straighter. But then he gets one to reeeeeally go, pitching middle and turning significantly, past the edge. He misses it by a long way suggesting that he was happy to play inside the line. A single tucked into the onside ends the set. Good cricket, this.
22nd over: Australia 77-2 (Renshaw 16, Smith 9) Philander has the last over before drinks. It’s not where he needs to be to Smith though, who relishes the chance to pull a genuine half-tracker. He grabs two more when Vern slips onto his pads. That puts a nice little dent in the runs required column, which reads 50 by the end of the over. They’ll have a cordial on that.
Ball that got Khawaja for a duck did turn, but only by 0.8°
— The Cricket Prof. (@CricProf) November 27, 2016
Batsman expected more turn (Shamsi's average turn is 3.1°)#ausvsa
21st over: Australia 71-2 (Renshaw 16, Smith 3) Smith enjoyed Shamsi on day two, and does again immediately here pulling hard behind square. Too short. Renshaw much better in response to the spin than he was the previous time they shaped up against each other before those couple of wickets.
20th over: Australia 68-2 (Renshaw 16, Smith 0) Philander not immediately on the mark, Renshaw taking advantage of an overpitched delivery to stroke a compact cover drive to the rope. Stylish, even. Back to where he started by the end of the set, leaving with a big stride and watchful eye.
That's a glorious drive from Renshaw for four more!
— cricket.com.au (@CricketAus) November 27, 2016
LIVE: https://t.co/R0wFabVv46 #AUSvSA https://t.co/iEKq6JmzSG
19th over: Australia 64-2 (Renshaw 12, Smith 0) That’s a wicket maiden, in case this wasn’t obvious. Big Vern Phillander is taking off his cap at the Cathedral End now as well. One more big push from the South Africans coming up here. Especially with Renshaw looking a tad vulnerable.
WICKET! Khawaja lbw Shamsi 0 (Australia 64-2)
That’s a wonderful bit of bowling from Shamsi, a wrong’un in the end beating Khawaja’s inside edge. Just enough of the ball was hitting the top end of off-stump to overturn the decision on review. Two wickets in the over. Well then. Here comes the captain. Still 63 to win.
Updated
Review! Faf gives Shamsi the DRS referral he demands after hitting Khawaja on the front pad. Straight one. Looks close. Stand by...
WICKET! Warner run out (Bavuma) 47 (Australia 64-1)
Oh Davey! What doing man? Pulls Shamsi square and just takes off. He has to turn back, in full knowledge that the alternative approach would be to saw off the debutant. Bavuma only has to lob it into de Kock for the run out to be completed, Warner a long way short. Australia require 63 to win with nine wickets in hand if you think Australia still have the epic collapse somewhere deep inside.
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18th over: Australia 64-0 (Renshaw 12, Warner 47) This is getting fun now, the regularity in which Renshaw is playing and missing. Abbott won’t be laughing, beating the newbie’s edge again. Shrugs of shoulders from the batsmen. It’s fine, unlucky bowling.
17th over: Australia 64-0 (Renshaw 12, Warner 47) Warner happy to take a look at Shamsi here as he chucks a couple up, giving them a rip. As I said yesterday on the OBO, his numbers won’t show it but he hasn’t had a bad debut for mine. Big appeal for lbw! But turned down by Umpire Llong. No review. That’s a pretty good maiden.
16th over: Australia 64-0 (Renshaw 12, Warner 47) Three more for Warner to start the Abbott over, this time driving through cover. Easy peasy. Thereafter Renshaw is forced to defend, duck and leave. But then he’s beaten again to finish the over. That’s happening a lot at the moment, but to be fair to him he misses them by some margin, playing down the line rather than following the ball with the bat. In other words, if you’re going to play and miss this isn’t a bad way to go about it. If he can be there at the end, it would be passing an early character test.
Australia have found their Hameed. #AUSvSA
— Isabelle Westbury (@izzywestbury) November 27, 2016
15th over: Australia 61-0 (Renshaw 12, Warner 44) Warner is sweeping and and driving the left arm spin, picking up three easy runs and popping Renshaw back on strike. But it’s a matchup that suits the spinner, beating him with spin outside the off-stump then winning a leading edge to finish the set. Nice bowling. All told, Renshaw a fraction less convincing in this innings than the one that came before it. Which in a sense makes it more impressive for the fact that he’s still there after 50 balls. Keep going, big boy.
Keep me company, why don’t you? Adam.Collins.Freelance@theguardian.com or @collinsadam. You know the deal.
14th over: Australia 58-0 (Renshaw 12, Warner 41) Renshaw cops an unplayable from Abbott, around the wicket shaping in then cutting away ala Flintoff v Gilchrist in the 2005 Ashes. Rogers on the radio commentary is offering handy technical insight to the new bloke. He’s not completely sold on how he crosses his front foot over the back before addressing the ball, believing it could become a handbrake on his strokeplay. But then again, Alastair Cook only has three shots, as they say. What he does do well: timing it off his pads. Abbott slips onto them and it is a boundary, his second. Abbott bounces back quickly though, beating him twice outside the off-stump. Good battle. I think we’re about to see spin from the Southern End.
Updated
13th over: Australia 54-0 (Renshaw 8, Warner 41) This is Warner at his best. Through cover his drive didn’t go the journey, but they scampered four anyway. That hurts a fielding side. Next ball the legs weren’t required though, flicking Rabada through midwicket with glorious timing. Australia’s 50 is up. The first half century stand between these two at the first time of asking at the top of the order as well. Very good early signs.
12th over: Australia 44-0 (Renshaw 7, Warner 33) As soon as I say that, Warner gets himself beaten with a lose looking flay through the offside. Keeping with that theme, he doesn’t get all of the pull shot he attempts next up, but it’s safe and two are scored. Then Abbott beats him with a beaut. Never dull, our Davey.
Back to the women at Coffs Harbour, Perry is unbeaten in the 60s now. That makes it 16 half centuries in her last 22 ODI hits. After only making one before this run (where she averages 98) started. Ethan Meldrum has graphed this nicely. What a gun.
Ellyse Perry's ODI career so far with the bat. 16 fifties in her last 22 knocks. Unreal. pic.twitter.com/vm3ewrsAdC
— Ethan (@ethan_meldrum) November 27, 2016
Updated
11th over: Australia 42-0 (Renshaw 7, Warner 31) Warner crunches Rabada through midwicket when dropping short to begin the over. Not good bowling, he doesn’t miss out there. And he does it again two balls later; slightly squarer, same result. Rabada has had an outstanding series, but he’s letting the skipper down there with so few runs to play with. Let’s do some maths. Now, I don’t want to get ahead of myself, but I like the early call: Australia need 85 and Warner 69 for a century. This isn’t completely ridiculous if Renshaw is riding shotgun for the duration.
10th over: Australia 33-0 (Renshaw 7, Warner 22) Warner pushes Abbott’s first ball after tea into the covers to give the strike straight back to Renshaw. Chris Rogers explaining on the radio that the Renshaw technique, getting well across to the off-stump, might limit his strokeplay. But it sure is effective for picking up the line and letting through to the ‘keeper as Abbott nags away at that fifth stump line from around the wicket.
179 not out for Nevill in the #SheffieldShield. It's not just how you deal with disappointment, it's how you respond. Very strong character.
— Adam White (@White_Adam) November 27, 2016
9th over: Australia 32-0 (Renshaw 7, Warner 21) Renshaw sees a full toss on his pads and whips it through midwicket for his first runs of the session. Inside 100 for the win now. It came at the end of a Rabada over that was good enough to beat the bat early, but beyond that was happy shouldering arms. A joy to watch.
Shall we go... around the grounds?
Remember when that was a thing? You’d be at the football on a Saturday afternoon with a few games running at the same time. On the radio it was down to Al Martello at Waverley. Swan Mackay from Princes Park. The Galloping Gasometer down at Moorabbin or Victoria Park or the Western Oval or Geelong.
Sure enough with chat like this, it is Adam Collins with you here for what may very well be the last session of this Australia v South Africa series here at Adelaide. It’s been smashing. And we’ll get to that in a minute, but for now let’s embrace what we have this Sunday afternoon: a buffet of cricket.
In Mohali the English were rock and rolled by 283 early on the second morning. Young Jonny Bairstow didn’t add to his overnight 89. Big Bad Ben Stokes - already in strife for some scallywag behaviour yesterday - has an early breakthrough in reply for the visitors, India 1-for-44.
Across the ditch at Hamilton it was a rain effected third day, but a result is still on the cards with New Zealand 271 versus Pakistan 216 at the end of their respective first innings. Babar Azam made an unbeaten 90 in just his second Test. We’ll see him in Brisbane in a couple of weeks. And Tim Southee picked up 6fer with the ball.
Up in Coffs Harbour the Australian women are into their fourth ODI rubber against South Africa, having already stitched up the series 3-nil. The hosts are 152-4 after 37, Nicole Bolton collecting a half century at the top of the list.
In the Sheffield Shield, Victoria are 195-5 in reply to South Australia’s 405. Travis Head made a ton for the SACAs. NSW declared on 495-5 and have Tassie 53-4. Peter Nevill responded emphatically to his removal from the Australian team with a big unbeaten century there. And in Townsville, Queensland are in a commanding position, posting 422 against WA who are 115-2 in their response.
With the players readying themselves to return here at the Adelaide Oval, that’ll do us. Let’s play.
Updated
Tea - Australia trail by exactly 100 with 10 wickets in hand
It should be straightforward, unless there’s another collapse, but Australia won’t be celebrating yet. This new-look side has to make sure it finishes off the job. A good bowling performance this mornign restricted the lead to 127, then a good opening partnership scored runs and got safely to the break. Matt Renshaw is happy to take the first ball and then let David Warner score all the runs, so he and Warner should get along just fine.
Geoff Lemon with you, but leaving your company with a tear in my eye, as I reluctantly hand the baton to my colleague Adam Collins. I know that he’ll take care of you. But I hope that you think of me, from time to time, and I hope that, just maybe, you smile.
8th over: Australia 27-0 (Warner 20, Renshaw 3)
Last over before tea, and Shamsi is brought on to see if an over of left-arm wristies can cause any consternation. Not for the batting side, as Shamsi offers too much width. Warner cuts a couple, then doubles down and cuts four more. Flicks a single to fine leg, Renshaw blocks out the last couple, and the bails are flicked off by the greatest umpire in the land.
7th over: Australia 20-0 (Warner 13, Renshaw 3)
Renshaw not being allowed to leave, the shot that made a nation fall in love with him, because Rabada’s first over is too accurate. All at the stumps, but Renshaw blocks it out.
True this. With a fair few blunders lately from other officials, Umpire Kettlebells has kept the biceps toned by raising and lowering the finger at exactly the right times.
Is it possible for Richard Kettleborough to be Man of the Series? #AUSvSA
— Brydon Coverdale (@brydoncoverdale) November 27, 2016
6th over: Australia 20-0 (Warner 13, Renshaw 3)
A leg bye, a single, then Warner cracks the last ball of Philander’s over through cover. Warner can make it look very easy. Meantime New South Wales has declared in Hobart with dropped wicketkeeper Peter Nevill on 179 not out.
Pete Nevill last 4 matches in Hobart:
— Josh Schönafinger (@joshschon) November 27, 2016
4 innings, 423 runs, 211.5 average.
(Includes last week's Test there too)#SheffieldShield #AusvSA
5th over: Australia 14-0 (Warner 9, Renshaw 2)
Abbott was so good in Hobart, good in the first innings here, and he’s busy being good again. Bowls an utter peach to young Renshaw, who is covering his stumps as Abbott comes around the wicket to the leftie, only to see the ball fizz off the seam past his outside edge. Moved away substantially.
Renshaw is beaten a second time a couple of balls later, and The Reverend comes down from the non-striker’s end for a pastoral-care consultation session. Renshaw remains serene and leaves the last couple of balls nicely.
“Losing the will to follow the game in India as hosts settle in for the duration, laments Brian Withington. “Any chance of some cheap Australian wickets to keep a jaundiced Englishman awake and motivated?”
I’ll see what I can do. Would always rather be with Brian Withington than without Brian Withoutington.
4th over: Australia 14-0 (Warner 9, Renshaw 2)
A maiden to Warner is not like a maiden to most players. He tries to score from half of theballs but can’t beat the field. Philander is bowling very nicely to him and beats the stroke on another couple of occasions.
Kandukuru Nagarjun is educating us on the emails: “The players should be wearing black armbands not just for Hughes but also for Trevor Goddard who died yesterday. Curiously under-celebrated South African all-rounder, whose figures make him among the best ever.”
“41 Tests. Batting: 18 50s, average 34. Bowling: 123 wickets, average 26. Not quite as good as Alan Davidson as a bowler, but a much better batsman. And not one of those matches was against a weak Test side either.”
Updated
3rd over: Australia 14-0 (Warner 9, Renshaw 2)
Cuh-lassic Warner. That shot. Gets a wide ball from Abbott, kneels down as though about to propose to it, then laced it through point with a nearly horizontal bat for four. What a connection. That’s what he was trying to do in Hobart but he didn’t get the set-up movements done. Flicks a single next ball. Sensible follow-up.
2nd over: Australia 9-0 (Warner 4, Renshaw 2)
Horrible moment for Renshaw fans as they think he’s been caught in the cordon again, but Philander’s first ball has taken the batsman’s hip rather than the edge of his bat. South Africa burn a DRS review confirming that - surely someone in their cordon or in front of the wicket should have known. I suppose they need to take any chance they can get, but it could still bite them later in a tight contest. Renshaw gets his first couple of runs flicking square.
1st over: Australia 7-0 (Warner 4, Renshaw 0)
Renshaw takes the first ball, as Warner prefers, and gets a leg bye. Warner clips Abbott nearly square for four. So often he’s so easily away. Then another leg bye to fine leg.
Harking back to the previous innings, Matt Harris writes “Is it just me or have a lot of edges gone through that third/fourth slip region in this innings? Surely with SA on the ropes, Smith can put in a couple of extra catchers. I say he’s being far too conservative with the field given the game situation - what do you reckon?”
The South Africans are all out attack, as you’d expect. Three slips, gully, point. And I couldn’t agree more about the edges that went through: here’s a thing I wrote not long ago about the joys of a stacked cordon.
Updated
South Africa all out 250 (85.2 overs), Australia will chase 126
Fine performance from Australia with the ball. This team has let other sides off the hook time and again in the field over the last couple of years, but not today. Accurate, fast, and they made the new ball count. South Africa have set a fairly modest target, and all they can do is bowl in the most disciplined fashion possible and hope to choke this inexperienced batting line-up into a mistake. One suspects that David Warner will go hard early, hope to put a quick 50-run dent in the total, and then let the others round it up at their leisure. It’s a good time to bat, with 40 minutes to the tea break and then a couple of hours of sunlight beyond. The Australians will start that chase shortly.
A prescient email from Ramapriya that I didn’t get time to post earlier: “My prognosis – this Test is headed towards a swift end. Oz will run through the remaining four wickets and get the small target in style. The win, though, would only paper over the obvious cracks that Oz has in terms of emerging young talent.” Let’s see whether they have another collapse before we even talk of papering. Papering would have been quite good at Hobart.
WICKET! Cook b Starc 104
He’ll get bowled, is what he’ll do. Another good swinging ball from Starc, Cook was in two minds about whether to defend or try to score across the line, and in the end his feet went nowhere and he just prodded at it. Starc can move the ball enough to beat that shot, and Cook doesn’t quite get to carry his bat after a prodigious effort. Shamsi still hasn’t been dismissed in Tests.
85th over: South Africa 250-9 (Cook 104, Shamsi 0)
Over ends with Shamsi defending the last ball. What will Cook do now?
Updated
WICKET! Rabada c Wade b Hazlewood 7
What was I just saying? Rabada gets a plonker of a ball really, a half-tracker down leg that sat up to be knocked away, but his pull shot was late and only gloved down the ordinary side of the wicket for Wade to take a good tumbling catch.
Don’t worry, Tabraiz Shamsi has never been dismissed in Test cricket.
84th over: South Africa 249-8 (Cook 103, Rabada 7)
Starc to Rabada. Too wide the first two balls, and Rabada safely leaves. The next two aren’t much close to the stumps, but the South African bowler who is currently batting starts fencing outside the stumps. It’s one of those puzzling things: a bowler would know that’s exactly what he wants a batsman to be doing, so why would the bowler then come out and do the same thing? I suppose it shows how much of batting is instinct, impulse, muscle memory, basically a complicated series of flinches. And why perhaps it’s silly that we’re so critical of batting ‘decisions’, when often batsmen aren’t consciously deciding to do anything at all.
Starc goes full at the pads to follow up, but it’s too leg-side, and Rabada gets a tickle on it to profit by four through fine leg. “You’re not the only one who think it feels like morning,” emails Ruth Purdue. “We will get used to it eventually. The nights are going to be exciting as the ball just does a lot more in the air. Hilarious chaos.”
Well, let’s hope we get to the night session. The lead is now 125, so South Africa still need to bat through to the first break and somewhat beyond. A big ask.
Updated
CENTURY!
83rd over: South Africa 245-8 (Cook 102, Rabada 3)
Nervous times for Cook, can he get to that hundred? He drives a couple from Hazlewood into the covers, then glances a single to get to the terrible 99. Imagine watching two wickets fall from the other end now. But Rabada does the best possible thing in the circumstances: he drives three runs out through cover to hand back the strike, and Cook then pulls a short ball for four!
There it is, his second Test hundred, and his live average is up to 44.42. He’s shown such tremendous fight and patience and discipline, faced 235 balls, and batted for nearly three sessions now.
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WICKET! Philander lbw Starc 17
82nd over: South Africa 235-8 (Cook 96)
Starc unsurprisingly gets the glossy pink projectile from the other end of the ground. He’s swinging it already, hitting Cook high on the leg, attacking the pads, then going too far that side and it flies away for four leg byes. Cook drives three runs with a shot that nearly hits his batting partner, and when Philander gets down the other end he receives the classic searing swinging full ball from Starc that thuds into his pad.
He reviews it because he basically has to, with two reviews restored and only two wickets to come, but DRS shows it hitting halfway up middle. It’s telling - the previous over he played across the line at Hazlewood and I did think it was a risky shot. A straight bat defensive might have been the go with the new ball. Same stroke here to a ball on his pads, but this time Starc was better, and evaded the bat.
The good news for South Africa? The lead is 111, which is what they bowled Australia out for at the SCG in 1994.
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81st over: South Africa 228-7 (Cook 93, Philander 17)
Oh my, have they ever taken the new ball. Hazlewood sends the first delivery soaring over the gloves of Philander as he lunges forward. The pace and bounce unnerves Philander, and he does that classic tailender panic move of starting to swing and everything. Three times in a row he swings outside off at a ball moving away, and is lottery-win lucky not to give up an edge. The last ball is at the pads, but Philander takes the risk across the line and is good enough to clip it through midwicket. The harder ball rolls easily for four.
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80th over: South Africa 224-7 (Cook 93, Philander 13)
Philander has adjusted his mindset to the batting-time version. He defends out the Bird over sturdily, with just a single from the last, and now the new ball is due.
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79th over: South Africa 223-7 (Cook 93, Philander 12)
Well, I was completely wrong. Lyon is off. Hazlewood gets his first over of the day. Starts rustily, first ball too full and punched through cover for two, second ball too straight and off the pads for one. Cook closing on what could be a second Test century. Philander gets a single via his defensive push to keep the strike.
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78th over: South Africa 219-7 (Cook 90, Philander 11)
Cook is super wary of Bird so far this morning. Watches, watches, watches. Leaves. Defends. Finally gets a shorter one outside off that he should have smashed, but instead he rides the bounce and bunts it into the gully for a run to move into the 90s.
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77th over: South Africa 218-7 (Cook 89, Philander 11)
Lyon will bowl most of the session, you get the feeling. I keep thinking of it as the morning, is anyone else having that problem? It isn’t, it’s half past two in the afternoon. Cook is looking to be more proactive, he gets across his stumps and whips Lyon away behind square for a couple of runs. He and Philander each work a single in the over.
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76th over: South Africa 214-7 (Cook 86, Philander 10)
Drop! Bird is bowling beautifully this morning, but he’ll be filthy with himself for that. Intersting that Starc only bowled two overs this morning, then Smith turned to Bird ahead of Hazlewood. He delivered with the de Kock wicket in his first over. The new boy’s stocks are rising and he’s definitely scored himself another Test.
His second over, he nips a ball way back into Philander’s pads that the batsman just manages to get a nick on, unlike de Kock. Then Philander pushes at a length ball, gets it high on the bat and pushes it in the air back to Bird’s right hand. It wasn’t travelling that quickly but Bird in the follow-through couldn’t get enough of it and it bounced off the outside of his palm for a single. Cook the edges the last ball away for two more. Some over.
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75th over: South Africa 211-7 (Cook 84, Philander 9)
Nathan Lyon looks a different bowler this morning than he has the last couple of Test matches. The batsmen harvest three singles, but the bowler is asking questions with most of those deliveries, including one that Philander gloves into a vacant spot on the on-side.
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74th over: South Africa 208-7 (Cook 83, Philander 7)
Stephen Cook could carry his bat across an 80-over innings and still not get to a hundred, the rate he’s going. I wonder if he’ll try to pick it up a bit - but as I said earlier, time is easily as important as runs. Vernon Philander doesn’t think so, driving Bird immediately and getting a thick edge through the empty part of the slips for four. Philander stabs a couple into the leg side after that, then belatedly employs the leave from one ball before a single driving into the off-side from the last. The lead is at 84.
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WICKET! de Kock lbw Bird 5
Another 5, South Africa’s favourite score this match, and it’s Bird who closes it out via the DRS system. Good ball, slanted across the leftie, then cut back in off the seam, beat his swish across the line. The umpire thought he’d nicked it, and I will say that on the DRS there is the faintest bobble of the line that could maybe possibly have involved a few microns of wood, but there’s no spike. The third umpire overturns the on-field decision because otherwise the ball is hitting halfway up middle stump. Australia huge favourites now.
73rd over: South Africa 201-6 (Cook 83, de Kock 5)
Lyon, meantime, is working over Quinton de Kock. This is a good over, de Kock tries to pull one but misses, another is edged into his pad. He’s wanting to attack but not quite landing his blows. Gets a single at the end.
72nd over: South Africa 200-6 (Cook 83, de Kock 4)
Starc is giving Cook a working over, beating him, attacking the pads to concede a couple. But Cook is also leaving beautifully, it’s been such an impressive innings from him.
Adelaide. I am completely sure without even checking that Russell Jackson must have posted this in a previous OBO, but it could be repeated in every blog we write and it would still be magnificent. Young Farnsy.
71st over: South Africa 198-6 (Cook 81, de Kock 4)
Nathan Lyon took three wickets yesterday to go past Clarrie Grimmett’s Test tally of 216, thus becoming the third-most prolific Australian spinner behind Richie Benaud and Shane Warne.
He starts with a long hop today, that the left-handed de Kock is onto and pulls to the midwicket boundary to get off the mark. But Lyon responds with a viciously bouncing delivery that takes the edge wide of slip. It would be immense for his career if he could close out a five-for here, improve his record in third innings, and win another match for Australia late in the game at Adelaide Oval, as he did in that 2014 thriller.
70th over: South Africa 194-6 (Cook 81, de Kock 0)
Starc to begin. Players wearing black armbands on both teams for the two-year anniversary of Phillip Hughes’ death. Fittingly at the Adelaide Oval, where he was commemorated in 2014 in that highly emotional (and brilliant) Test against India, when Warner and Kohli both made twin hundreds.
Starc is in the zone immediately, Cook is back into his defensive mode, and a mix of off-stump lines and short balls is negotiated safely. Maiden.
Interestingly set up, this match. South Africa lead by 70, with their last recognised pair at the crease in Cook and de Kock. But Philander to come has scored plenty of handy runs. Last year Australia struggled to chase 187 against New Zealand, got there seven wickets down from memory. May even have been eight. I’ll check in a minute. But basically the South African bowlers are much better than New Zealand’s, and the pitch is less difficult to bat on but last year, but still doing quite a bit with the new ball and under lights.
Thus: if South Africa can bat out a session and a half, set anything in excess of 150, then make Australia chase the bulk of it under lights, they’ll be a decent shout to go up 0-3 in the series. If Australia takes an early wicket here, the match swings their way abruptly. Batting time is as important as making runs for SA.
Good afternoon from sunny Adelaide. Definitely the warmest day we’ve had at this Test so far, probably about 25 degrees outside though it will still likely cool off late in the day. A decent smattering already in the members, though hopefully that builds up a lot more as the day rolls on. People are on the way, streaming over the Oval footbridge that spans the Karrawira Parri.
Adelaide Oval looking alright on Day 4. pic.twitter.com/hpwpOcXkyP
— Geoff Lemon Sport (@GeoffLemonSport) November 27, 2016
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Geoff will be here shortly. In the meantime, here’s what happened at the Adelaide Oval on day three:
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