Josh Hazlewood’s career-best 6-49 has handed Australia a 214-run win over South Africa in the first Test at Kingsmead in Durban, giving Pat Cummins’ side a 1-0 lead in the three-Test series.
Chasing an improbable 421, South Africa resumed the final day at 4-102 and were bowled out for 206 in the second session, losing their last four wickets for five runs once Hazlewood had the second new ball, cricket.com.au reported. Australia wrapped up the win at 1:30pm local time (10:30pm AEDT on Tuesday).
Hazlewood’s 6-49 eclipsed his previous Test best of 6-67, set in Bengaluru in 2017, according to the ABC. It was his second six-wicket haul in his past three matches, after taking 6-89 against Bangladesh in Darwin.
Renshaw’s record match
Matt Renshaw was named player of the match after scores of 190 and 82, adding two second-innings wickets with his part-time bowling. Cricket.com.au reported he became the first Australian to score more than 270 runs and take at least two wickets in the same Test.
Read more: Matt Renshaw’s Career-Best 190 Puts Australia in Control in Durban
Renshaw’s 190 lifted Australia from 6-124 on day one to 390. South Africa replied with 284, and Australia declared their second innings at 6-314 on day four, setting the hosts 421 to win.
Markram’s lone stand
Aiden Markram held Australia up for most of the final morning with 75 from 237 balls, sharing a 205-ball stand with Wiaan Mulder (29 from 110) that ended when Alex Carey took a diving one-handed catch down the leg side off Hazlewood. Three balls later, Renshaw had Kyle Verreynne caught by Steve Smith at slip for one.
Read more: Steve Smith Head Knock Clouds Australia’s Push for Durban Win
Smith, who was hit in the helmet by an Anrich Nortje bouncer while batting, took the field on the final day after being cleared of concussion concerns, Fox Sports reported. Hazlewood then bowled Marco Jansen for 35 and had Simon Harmer caught behind for a duck, Mitchell Starc removed Markram caught behind on review, and Hazlewood finished the match when Nortje top-edged a short ball to Nathan Lyon.
What Cummins said
“It was just a great way to kick off. A series overseas is always tough. You never quite know what you’re going to get in the first Test,” Cummins said, as reported by Fox Sports.
“Even sometimes where we have got that far in front, I feel like we haven’t been as ruthless as we could be, but I think our standards were very high for the last three or four days.”
South Africa captain Temba Bavuma, beaten for the first time in 13 Tests as captain, said there was “just not enough fight and mental aptitude from us to get us into that last session.”
What’s next
The second Test starts on Sunday at St George’s Park in Gqeberha (7pm AEDT), with the third Test at Newlands in Cape Town from 27 October. Bavuma said Kagiso Rabada, who missed Durban with a hamstring strain, “looks good” ahead of the second Test. The win also strengthens Australia’s position at the top of the World Test Championship standings, the ICC said.
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