Australia need 288 runs on the final day to win the Cape Town Test and the series after centuries to Ryan Rickelton and Wiaan Mulder dragged South Africa back into the decider.
South Africa were bowled out for 387 in the last over of day four on Friday (local time), turning a 100-run first-innings deficit into a lead of 287, ESPNcricinfo reported.
The series is level at 1-1, so the fifth day at Newlands will decide it. A win would be Australia’s biggest fourth-innings chase since Pat Cummins’ debut Test at the Wanderers in 2011, and the second-highest successful chase ever in Cape Town, cricket.com.au reported.
Rickelton and Mulder turn the Test
South Africa were 5-181 when Rickelton and Mulder came together for a 154-run sixth-wicket stand.
Rickelton made 101 from 219 balls and Mulder 115 from 221, batting through long periods in which Australia’s attack struggled to find a way through on a slow, dusty surface.
The partnership finally ended when Rickelton was run out. Josh Inglis made a diving stop at backward point from a Mulder reverse sweep and threw to Marnus Labuschagne, who broke the stumps with Rickelton well short.
Read more: Josh Inglis Century Puts Australia in Control in Cape Town
Late wickets, then a late fightback
South Africa then lost 4-16 in a late collapse. Mitchell Starc removed Marco Jansen for a duck with a short ball, and Labuschagne ran out Gerald Coetzee with a direct hit.
Mulder then reached his century in the final hour and added 36 for the last wicket with Kagiso Rabada, hitting three sixes with Australia’s fielders on the boundary, before he holed out off Cummins with the third-last ball of the day.
Starc finished with 3-65 and was Australia’s best bowler, while Nathan Lyon took 2-101 from 44 overs. Australia used eight bowlers, including part-timers Labuschagne, Travis Head and Matt Renshaw.
Earlier, Matthew Breetzke (43) was the only wicket to fall in the first two sessions, top-edging a pull off Cummins to fine leg. ESPNcricinfo reported it was Cummins’ first wicket since the opening Test.
Read more: Steve Smith Neck Injury Confirmed, Out Until New Zealand Tests
How the match stands
Australia made 429 in their first innings, led by Inglis (102), Alex Carey (80) and Renshaw (74), after bowling South Africa out for 329.
Australia won the first Test by 214 runs before South Africa levelled the series with an innings-and-31-run win in the second.
Day five starts at 7.30pm AEDT on Saturday, 31 October (10.30am local time).
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