Australia has taken a 1-0 lead in the three-Test series against South Africa after a dominant 214-run victory on day five at Kingsmead.
The Proteas lost their last four wickets for just five runs to be bowled out for 206, with Josh Hazlewood finishing with career-best figures of 6-49.
Matt Renshaw was named player-of-the-match for his knocks of 190 and 82, as well as his two second-innings wickets.
His spot in the team is now assured for the foreseeable future, but with Cameron Green still to return from injury, questions will be asked about where Renshaw is best suited in the line-up and he said after the match it was “pretty nice” to settle in the middle order.
“It’s a bit different to opening the batting, but happy to do whatever the team needs me to do,” he said during the post-match presentation.
Renshaw’s batting set up the victory but his part-time off-spin became key to winning the game in the fourth innings after a dogged 69-run partnership between Aiden Markram (75 off 237) and Wiaan Mulder (29 off 110).
It finally came to an end after 34 overs when Mulder got a feather on a Hazlewood delivery down the leg side, where wicketkeeper Alex Carey completed a phenomenal one-handed grab.
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Four balls later, Renshaw nicked off Kyle Verreynne for a duck to give Australia momentum heading into lunch.
Markram, the hero of South Africa’s run chase in last year’s World Test Championship final victory over Australia, continued his resistance alongside Marco Jansen (35) before Hazlewood clean bowled him with the second new ball.
Simon Harmer (0) gloved one through to Alex Carey later in the over and Markram’s vigil finally ended when Australia successfully reviewed an appeal for caught behind, with DRS showing a faint inside edge.
When Anrich Nortje (4) lobbed Hazlewood to the leg side, South Africa had lost 4-5 in three overs and the match was over.
Look back on all the day five action in our live blog below, and check out all the stats in our ScoreCentre.
Live: South Africa vs Australia — first Test in Durban
We’ll say goodbye
Thanks for sticking with us through these five days and please make sure to join us again in five days’ time when the series moves to Gqeberha (everyone get practicing that palatal click sound).
And in the meantime, stay glued to ABC Sport for everything else happening in the world of sport this October, because my word there is plenty on.
South Africa coach laments rust after eight months off
South Africa coach Shukri Conrad tells SuperSport the biggest issue with this match for him was his batters’ lack of application, saying their inability to go on with their starts comes down to the mental side rather than skills or tactics.
He says it doesn’t help that the team hasn’t played Test cricket since November.
“I don’t know if it’s alarming, it’s concerning, but I don’t think it’s easy coming off an eight-month break.
“I think [Australia] came off a few months’ break and got beat by Bangladesh on their return. It sounds like an excuse but we’ll be better for this run under the belt.”
Near enough to perfect by Australia (after day one)
After Australia was reduced to 6-124 on day one, the tourists pulled the right rein at just about every turn.
The catching was on point, led by Steve Smith and Alex Carey; the bowling was relentless, with nine bowlers getting a go and most of them chipping in with wickets.
Even the batting, while a bit disappointing and propped up by Matt Renshaw and the tail in the first innings, did an excellent job in the second innings of scoring quick runs to set up the declaration and the victory.
Temba Bavuma after his first loss as captain
The South Africa captain says his team can learn a lot from the victors.
“The way they dominated the majority of the game, the way they stuck into us even after they were 120-6; they showed their experience, they showed their skill.
“A lot of questions or conversations we need to have. We can learn from the way they went about it, but you’ve got to give it to them.”
Bavuma says the key is guys getting and going big after two innings featuring 11 guys passing 25 but only one reaching 50.
“We had a number of guys who got in but unfortunately weren’t able to get us into strong positions.”
On the bowling front, he says the South Africans can learn from the Aussies to be more proactive, but getting Kagiso Rabada back will be a massive game-changer.
Matt Renshaw is named player of the match
I think.
He’s won a sponsored award as the “hardest-working player”. Congrats brother.
Oh sorry, no. That was a different thing.
But yes, he has been named player of the match for his 190, 82 and 2-30.
“Pretty tired to be honest. It’s been a long five days and it’s been a long time since I played a five-day Test match. It was nice to be able to contribute.”
But of course he’s a company when asked about batting in the middle order.
“It’s pretty nice, it’s a bit different to opening the batting, but happy to do whatever the team needs me to do.”
Huge news, Pat Cummins has won the sponsored Super Six award for socking dingers.
We await Matt Renshaw’s coronation
So no prizes for picking man of the match?
– Vince
Vince, I’m so sorry, but picking Matt Renshaw on day five here is like calling a coin toss after it’s landed.
How good are five-dayers?
This is only the fifth time in Australia’s past 26 Tests (since the end of the 2023 Ashes) that the men’s team has gone to a fifth day and wasn’t it glorious to watch?
A genuine contest with some determined batting and really professional bowling by the Australians.
It’s all over as Josh Hazlewood finishes with six wickets!
Anrich Nortje holes out and South Africa is all out for 206. Australia wins by 214 runs.
It was an innings of grit and determination for for South Africa, with Aiden Markram (75 off 237), David Bedingham (46 off 68) and Wiaan Mulder (29 off 110) to be commended for their efforts, but in the end the bowling brilliance of Australia wins the day once again.
Despite the fight, it all came apart rather quickly at the end as the Proteas lost their last four wickets for just five runs, courtesy of Josh Hazlewood’s career-best Test figures of 6-49.
87th over – Hazlewood trying to finish it off
Keshav Maharaj defends to cover and wants a single but Anrich Nortje says no. Probably a good call. I don’t think there’ll be any strike protection here, but you don’t want to throw yourself on the barbecue.
EDGED! And it falls short of Marnus Labuschagne at gully.
WHACK! Nortje sees some width and throws everything at it, sending a thick edge racing through the slips for a boundary. Even Josh Hazlewood has to laugh at that.
OUT! Aiden Markram goes for 75 and Australia is one wicket away!!
The third umpire confirms the catch by Alex Carey and that ends Aiden Markram’s sensational fourth-innings knock, as Ian Smith would say, by the BAREST of margins.
86th over – Mitchell Starc’s turn
Poor Aiden Markram, but he’s a chance of red ink as he sits unbeaten on 75 off 232 balls.
He keeps watching them go by outside off. He just looks in total control, although this isn’t the most testing spell from Starc.
The Aussies are up and about! Starc swings one down the line of the stumps and folds Markram in half. There’s a noise on the way through to Alex Carey. There was definitely pad involved, but was there bat too?
The umpires don’t think so. Pat Cummins hopes so. And Australia reviews.
THERE’S A SPIKE!
Simon Harmer cops a brutal ball and he’s out for a duck!!
A sensational ball from Josh Hazlewood that kicks up off a good length courtesy of this day-five deck. It finds Simon Harmer’s glove and and shoulder and balloons to Alex Carey, who completes a sharp chance above his head.
Hazlewood has 5-44. Just a reminder this is why Scott Boland is never an automatic selection.
South Africa is 8-201 as Keshav Maharaj walks out to the middle.
85th over – Simon Harmer is out there now
Harmer was a major contributor to the wagging South African tail in the first innings, so the Aussies can’t let their foot off the accelerator.
BOWLED HIM! A Josh Hazlewood seed does for Marco Jansen
Josh Hazlewood finds a bit of movement back in off the seam and sneaks one through the gate of Marco Jansen, smashing into the off bail.
What a ball and just rewards for Hazlewood’s persistence.
85th over – Hazlewood continues the leftie-rightie combo
Jansen is playing at a lot and defends out to gully.
84th over – Mitchell Starc steams in
Crack! Wide and full and met by Marco Jansen. Four more through the covers. Starc won’t mind seeing him play some shots outside off, but that was pretty comprehensively played.
He is starting to aim a little more at the hip of Jansen.
Beautifully bowled by Starc as he angles across Markram and swings it in as Markram shoulders arms. The height was the only thing that saved Markram there and trusting the bounce on day five is always a risky prospect.
83rd over – Josh Hazlewood from the other end
He gets to bowl to Marco Jansen.
A little false shot outside off from Jansen. Looks like that might have snuck under the toe of his bat.
Four. Well played down the ground by Jansen. I think he wanted it to go by on the off side, but it hit the inside half of his bat and raced away regardless on the other side of the stumps.
82nd over – Here comes the fresh rock
Mitchell Starc is bowling from the Old Fort End to Aiden Markram with three slips and gully.
Very full from Starc. Markram keeps it out. Starc isn’t trying to swing it, choosing instead to lean on the wobble seam.
A wild one down the leg side and it must be said this hasn’t been Mitchell Starc’s most threatening first over.
Cummins moves a leg slip in place, so I wonder if this is a plan. But it’s a double bluff as he fires full and across the right-hander.
81st over – They’re not taking the new ball
There’s a bit of spin out there, but surely not enough to justify keeping the part-timers operating.
My only thought is they want Mitchell Starc to bowl the first over with it and maybe they want him running in from the other end?
Four! Another drag-down is helped along to the boundary. Marco Jansen is getting his eye in.
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