Australia vs South Africa: Renshaw's 272-run show nears record Durban win
Key takeaways
- Matt Renshaw made 190 in the first innings and 82 in the second. He also took his first Test wicket. Australia now need six wickets to win the Durban Test.
- Australia declared at 314-6 and set South Africa 421 to win. No team has ever chased that many runs to win a Test match.
- Bad light cost more than 60 overs on the first three days. A new ICC rule allows pink balls. Both teams must agree to it before the match.
Australia are six wickets away from winning the first Test in Durban. Matt Renshaw was the star with 190 and 82. South Africa need 319 runs on day five with only six wickets left. Here is how day four unfolded.
What happened
First, a quick cricket primer. Test cricket is played over five days. Each team's turn to bat is called an innings.
A wicket means a batter is out.
Australia won the toss and batted first. They scored 390 in their first innings. Renshaw made 190 of those runs.
South Africa replied with 284.
Day four began with Australia at 33-0 in their second innings. The visitors chose attack over safety. They wanted quick runs so they could declare.
A declaration is when a captain ends the innings early. This allows more time for bowling.
The plan worked. Australia raced to 174-4 by lunch, already 280 runs ahead. Renshaw led the charge again.
He hit 82 from 99 balls with seven fours and two sixes. It was a much faster knock than his first-innings 190. That one came at a strike rate of 47. The 82 came at 82.
His dismissal was bizarre. Keshav Maharaj bowled, and the ball passed through his hands more than once. It even bounced off his own head.
The bowler fell flat on the pitch as he grabbed the catch. The television review confirmed it. Renshaw fell short of twin centuries.
He made 272 runs in the match. That is close to the most by any Australian against South Africa.
Captain Pat Cummins then finished the job. He smashed an unbeaten 32 from just 12 balls. Simon Harmer conceded three sixes to him in one over.
Cummins declared shortly before tea. Australia ended on 314-6. South Africa needed 421 to win.
There were useful knocks from others. Nic Maddinson hit 48 from 38 balls on his Test return. Marnus Labuschagne made 37 from 58 balls.
That matched his first-innings score and balls faced exactly. It is only the 12th known time that has happened in men's Tests. Steve Smith scored 27. Alex Carey made 24. Beau Webster finished 39 not out.
Smith had a scare. Anrich Nortje hit him on the helmet with a bouncer. It was only the fourth ball he faced.
Smith batted on but did not field later. Cricket Australia said he is under concussion assessment. He will be watched for 24 hours.
He could be a doubt for the second Test.
South Africa's chase started badly. Ryan Rickelton fell for 2. He pulled at a short ball from Josh Hazlewood. Alex Carey took the catch behind the stumps.
Aiden Markram and David Bedingham steadied the ship. They added 66 runs in nearly 20 overs. Hazlewood broke the stand.
He trapped Bedingham lbw for 46. An lbw happens when the ball strikes the batter's leg first. The umpire judges it would have hit the stumps.
Then came the Renshaw moment. The part-time off-spinner got the ball late in the day. He dismissed captain Temba Bavuma for 1. It was his first Test wicket.
Bavuma edged it off bat and pad. Maddinson caught it at short leg.
Cummins struck next. He set up Tristan Stubbs cleverly. He pushed him back with short balls.
Then a full ball found the edge. Stubbs went for 1. South Africa slipped to 86-4.
Markram stood firm. He reached stumps on 45 not out. Not out means the batter was still at the crease when play ended.
He faced 115 balls. Carey dropped him on 15. Wiaan Mulder joined him at the end. He was 5 not out.
South Africa closed on 102-4. They need 319 more runs. Australia need six wickets.
Why it matters
Renshaw's comeback is the story of the match. This is only his second Test back after a three-year gap. He now has 272 runs in one game.
Only a handful of Australians have made more against South Africa. Phillip Hughes made twin hundreds at this ground in 2009. David Warner did the same in Cape Town in 2014. Renshaw fell just short of joining them. Sport loves a surprise return to form.
It recalled another big upset. Zizou Bergs stunned Carlos Alcaraz in Shanghai this week.
The target is historic. No team has ever chased down 421 to win a Test. The record stands at 418. The West Indies set it against Australia in 2003. The best chase at Kingsmead is 336. That was also by Australia, back in 1950. South Africa's only realistic hope is to bat out the day for a draw.
Only two teams in 13 years have lasted 140 overs to save a Test.
There is also the bad-light drama. More than 60 overs were lost to poor light on the first three days. That hurts the paying fans.
It also hurts the team trying to force a win. The ICC has launched a trial this month. Teams may use a pink ball in daytime Tests.
The brighter ball is easier to see in fading light. But both teams must agree before the match starts. Once the red ball is chosen, teams cannot switch.
South Africa and Australia did not choose the pink ball. So the red ball stayed. The trial could not save the lost overs.
Series openers carry weight. A 1-0 lead gives Australia control of the three-match series. The Dodgers' narrow 2-1 NLCS win came first.
It showed how an early win builds pressure for the rest of a series.
What happens next
Day five is a survival mission for South Africa. They need 319 runs with six wickets left. That is the only target that matters.
Markram is their main hope. He has fought here before. In 2018 he made 143 at this ground chasing 417 against Australia.
It took 340 minutes. South Africa still lost. He knows how hard this will be.
Australia's bowlers will attack from the first ball. Hazlewood has two wickets for 20 runs. Renshaw's off-spin took one wicket for 16 runs.
Nathan Lyon has bowled 10 overs for 20 runs. Cummins is fresh and aggressive.
Weather and light will matter again. Bad light has already cost more than 60 overs in this Test. If clouds build in the afternoon, umpires may stop play early again.
That would help South Africa's draw bid. Play starts at 9:30 am local time in Durban.
Then the teams move on. The second Test starts on Sunday in Gqeberha. Smith's fitness will be watched closely.
Concussion checks take 24 hours. Australia will want him fit. South Africa will want answers to their batting problems.
Rickelton's place looks under threat after two low scores.
For now, Australia hold every card. Six wickets stand between them and a statement win. Renshaw has turned his comeback into a match-defining show.
Beau Webster said the team had given itself a great chance. One more strong day and Australia take the series lead. South Africa must find a way to survive it.
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