Australia eye series clean sweep as South Africa's batting woes continue in final Test
- Nasri Alexander
- 7 January 2023
Australia continued their dominance over South Africa in the third Test as they restricted the visitors to 149-6 at stumps on day four in Sydney.
The total is in reply to Australia's first innings score of 475-4 after home captain Pat Cummins decided to declare overnight with opener Usman Khawaja unbeaten on 195.
After the third day was abandoned without a ball being bowled, rain again played a big role on the fourth day with play only starting after lunch.
The Proteas then got off to the worst possible start as they slipped to 37-3 in the 19th over with skipper Dean Elgar (15), Sarel Erwee (18) and Heinrich Klaasen (2) all back in the dressing room.
Elgar was the first to go when he couldn't fend off a bouncer from Josh Hazlewood and was caught behind while Erwee inexplicably just left a straight ball from spinner Nathan Lyon and was bowled.
Klaasen, who replaced Theunis de Bruyn in the starting line-up, lasted 22 balls before fast bowler Cummins got one to bounce sharply and the batter could only glove it to be caught down the leg-side.
Temba Bavuma and Khaya Zondo then took the tourists to 71-3 at the tea interval and put on a partnership of 48 for the fourth wicket.
Bavuma could only make it to 35 before edging Hazlewood behind and with the Aussies now smelling blood Cummins trapped Zondo lbw for 39.
The final wicket for the day was Kyle Verreynne who edged Cummins into the slips to walk for just 19 with the Australia captain finishing the day with figures of 3-19.
Marco Jansen will resume on the final day 10 not out and with him will be Simon Harmer on six as the Proteas face another difficult task to save the Test and fall to a series clean-sweep.
