Cricket - 2025 ICC World Test Championship Final - Australia Practice - Lord's Cricket Ground, London, Britain - Jun 10, 2025 Australia head coach Andrew McDonald with Pat Cummins during practice Action Images via Reuters/Andrew Boyers
Published : 21 Oct 2026, 08:38 PM
Updated : 21 Oct 2026, 08:38 PM
South Africa shredded the Australia batting on the fourth day of the second Test on Wednesday, bowling the tourists out for 99 and forcing them to follow on at St George’s Park.
At tea, Australia were 50-1 in their second innings, trailing by 276 runs with Travis Head (26) and Marnus Labuschagne (16) unbeaten.
Lanky bowler Marco Jansen took 5-33 in 11 overs as he ripped through the tourists, who posted their fourth-lowest total against South Africa for a 326-run deficit after the home side scored 425-9 declared in their first innings.
Wiaan Mulder (2-14), Kagiso Rabada (2-33) and Anrich Nortje (1-5) took the other wickets, but Nortje only bowled 3.3 overs before a groin injury forced him from the field and out of the day’s play, leaving South Africa one bowler short as they put Australia in to bat again.
Sharp catching from South Africa contributed to Australia’s first innings collapse, with Simon Harmer taking three in the innings – the best a diving one-handed effort in the slips to dismiss Labuschagne.
Steve Smith top-scored for Australia with 28, reaching the milestone of 11,000 Test runs but struggling with a neck injury for which he required on-field treatment.
Nic Maddinson was out in the third over of Australia’s second innings, edging Rabada to wicketkeeper Ryan Rickelton for eight runs.