10/29/2026 12:07:00
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10/29 12:06 CDT Lyon bowls Bavuma late and Australia tightens grip against
South Africa in cricket series decider
Lyon bowls Bavuma late and Australia tightens grip against South Africa in
cricket series decider
CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) --- Nathan Lyon spun out Temba Bavuma five minutes
before stumps to underline a big day for Australia against South Africa in
their series-deciding third cricket test on Thursday.
Bavuma's dismissal left South Africa 140-4 in its second innings at stumps on
day three at Newlands, but effectively 40-4.
Australia built a 100-run first-innings lead by the time it collapsed all out
for 429 about midway through the afternoon.
South Africa lost three wickets before it overturned the deficit and that
appeared to be all the damage it allowed to Australia seamers Mitchell Starc
and Josh Hazlewood as stumps approached.
Captain Bavuma and Matthew Breetzke effectively blunted Lyon, who was finding
sharp turn, and survived close chances against Pat Cummins to be on the brink
of holding out to the day's end.
But like teammates Aiden Markram and David Bedingham, Bavuma was out softly. He
tried to swat Lyon to the leg side, missed, and was bowled between bat and pad,
ending a previously careful 115-ball stay on 35. Lyon has dismissed Bavuma
seven times and both times in this match.
At stumps, Breetze was on 19 with Ryan Rickelton on 8.
Starc had 2-29 and eight wickets in the match. He struck in the third over of
South Africa's reply when Markram pushed a delivery straight to mid-off. Travis
Head didn't make a mistake this time --- he dropped Markram early in the first
innings.
Bedingham was next to go just before tea, top-edging a pull at Hazlewood and
giving Lyon a catch in the deep.
Marques Ackerman and Bavuma steadied the innings around the interval. Ackerman,
who scored 95 in the first innings, reached a second fifty in the game off 64
balls. Overall, he hit eight fours.
He led a rousing fightback with 62 runs from 80 balls but perished at 95-3 when
a Starc bouncer flew flush off his helmet grill to slip.
The test hung in the balance with the pitch expected to be harder to bat on
when Australia gets its second chance.
Inglis ton before Australia collapse
Australia began the day on 330-4 but was all out for 429, losing the last six
wickets for 99 runs.
Both set overnight batters were removed by spinner Simon Harmer in the first
hour of the third morning.
Josh Inglis completed his second test hundred off 132 balls, starting from 85
not out overnight. Both of his test hundreds have come overseas --- he also
scored 102 in Sri Lanka on debut last year.
Overall, Inglis hit 11 fours and two sixes, before he fell shortly after,
caught off Harmer to end the 185-run stand with Alex Carey for the fifth wicket.
The duo helped Australia past 350 and Carey scored 80 off 168 balls including
seven fours. He was out caught at slip off Harmer.
Cummins was out lbw to Kagiso Rabada for a six-ball duck, while Starc was
caught behind off Gerald Coetzee and Australia was 411-8 at lunch.
Australia collapsed from 370-4 to 380-7 in five overs, but managed to cross 400
before Starc's dismissal.
Post lunch, they added only another 29 runs with Cooper Connolly scoring 29 off
83 balls with three fours.
Harmer finished with 4-104. Marco Jansen took 3-60.
The three-test series is pegged at 1-1. Australia won the first test in Durban
by 214 runs. South African won the second test in Gqeberha by an innings and 31
runs.
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