30 Dec Bavuma Fails To Save Proteas As Australia Wins Series
MELBOURNE: A battling half-century by Temba Bavuma was not enough to save the Proteas as they lost the second Test against Australia by an innings and 182 runs on the fourth day at the MCG in Melbourne on Thursday.
The result helped the hosts take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series with the final game to come at Sydney early in the new year.
Barring 65 (144 balls, 6 fours) by South Africa’s limited-overs captain, there was little else to shout about for the tourists. They entered the penultimate day needing 371 runs to make Australia bat again and would have hoped to at least have come closer than they did after starting on 15 for the loss of skipper Dean Elgar (0) the previous evening.
But after reaching 47 for one, the Australians landed the first breakthrough when they removed Sarel Erwee (21), trapped leg before wicket on review by Mitchell Starc (1/62) after the opener recorded his highest score of the series. Ten runs later and batting partner for the early part of the day Theunis de Bruyn fell when he edged Scott Boland (2/49) to Steve Smith in the slip cordon for 28.
Poor communication between Bavuma and Khaya Zondo then led to the dismissal of the latter, run out for one after a direct hit by Travis Head. That put the Proteas in further strife on 65 for four, before first-innings top-scorer Kyle Verreynne brought some stability to proceedings. Together with Bavuma, the pair added 63 for the fifth wicket.During that period the visitors reached lunch on 120 for four, before the stand was broken by Boland removing Verreynne LBW eight runs later for 33.
Nathan Lyon (3/58) took three of the next four wickets in relatively quick time, with Keshav Maharaj (13) the third South African to be run out in the match in between. Bavuma too fell to the spinner, although by that time he was quickly running out of partners.
The final pair of Lungi Ngidi (19) and Anrich Nortje (8*) at least got their side past 200 for the first time in six Tests, but that will be little consolation for the away side, who suffered their first series defeat in Australia since 2005/06 – a period of three visits and 17 years.
Proteas Test squad against Australia
Dean Elgar (captain, Momentum Multiply Titans), Temba Bavuma (DP World Lions), Gerald Coetzee (ITEC Knights), Theunis de Bruyn (Momentum Multiply Titans), Sarel Erwee (Hollywoodbets Dolphins), Simon Harmer (Momentum Multiply Titans), Marco Jansen (Dafabet Warriors), Heinrich Klaasen (Momentum Multiply Titans), Keshav Maharaj (Hollywoodbets Dolphins), Lungi Ngidi (Momentum Multiply Titans), Anrich Nortje (Dafabet Warriors), Kagiso Rabada (DP World Lions), Rassie van der Dussen (DP World Lions), Kyle Verreynne (wicketkeeper, Six Gun Grill Western Province), Lizaad Williams (Momentum Multiply Titans), Khaya Zondo (Hollywoodbets Dolphins).
South Africa Test Tour to Australia Itinerary
Four-day Tour Match
09 – 12 December
Cricket Australia XI drew with South Africa – The Allan Border Field, Brisbane
Tests
17 – 21 December
Australia beat South Africa by six wickets – The Gabba, Brisbane
26 – 30 December
Australia beat South Africa by an innings and 182 runs – MCG, Melbourne
04 – 08 January
Australia vs South Africa – SCG, Sydney
ENDS
Issued by: Cricket South Africa – Corporate Communications
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