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South Africa captain Dean Elgar looks broken.
It’s not easy at the moment. It’s a bit of a hammering, but we haven’t kept up with the kind of intensity of play that Test cricket deserves. We have to do a lot of thinking about the future. I thought we were good in periods. There are some positives but not many.
Call a spade a spade, inexperience is killing us, especially with the bat in hand. You also have to hit reality on the head. We’ve lost a lot of batsmen in recent years. I think it has a role to play. But in saying that, there are opportunities for guys to come in and play and make their spots. Unfortunately, this inexperience at this level is really hurting us at the moment.
David Warner Player of the match
The first-innings double centurion receives the Mullagh Medal after being named man of the match.
Obviously a phenomenal achievement by the lads to get the series win on Christmas Day and provide entertainment here for the crowd and we’re very grateful for the amount of people who turned out. We know how hot it is. It was a fantastic performance. You saw brave things from Cameron Green and Mitchell Starc and also a Test 100 from Alex Carey which was phenomenal.
For me, it’s about coming out here, putting in 100%, training my back in the nets all the time. It’s one of those things that you want to go out on the networks a little bit to get ahead. I always knew I had the ability to perform on the big stage and I was lucky enough to come here and do that in this Boxing Day series.
Is this Warner’s last Boxing Day Test?
Who knows. Obviously, I have committed to playing in the World Cup next year. If I still feel as fit as I can, I will continue as long as I can. If I get the tap on the shoulder, I’ll have to go.
So just for context, South Africa have been bowled out for *just* over 200 by a four-man attack, which includes a bowler with a dislocated finger. And there is the end of the dream of winning four successive Test series in Australia. Personally, I’m glad it’s over. #AUSvSA
— Firdose Moonda (@FirdoseM) December 29, 2022
What a humble performance from South Africa. He came here as a real spectacle of making the WTC final and they haven’t been run over in even six days of Test cricket.
— Daniel Cherny (@DanielCherny) December 29, 2022
Mitchell Starc is understandably delighted with the win, especially considering his battle with an injured finger.
There’s a bit going on. But you have to adapt. Our team has been doing us proud for the past 18 to 24 months. Another good week.
Not the prettiest but it was good enough. It was a test match. Especially with Greeny going down. His injury is a little worse than mine, but I think he will come back faster. I didn’t want to let the guys down, so it was nice to contribute and play a part that was nice.
Australia win by an innings and 182 runs
A one-sided Test match secures a one-sided Test series to extend a one-sided Test summer. Australia deserve a lot of credit for their all-round performance, but this was abject from South Africa.
WICKET! Ngidi b Smith 19 (South Africa 204 all out)
Cummins goes back to Steve Smith…that’s unexpected…but it works! Oh no! David Warner drops Nortje’s lead at first slip! It wasn’t an easy opportunity, but you hope they take advantage of it. But Smith gets his wicket! He pitched the ball high, dropped the pace to 70km/h, Ngidi missed an ugly cut, and the balls cannoned off the pad and onto the stumps.
200 for South Africa!
68th over: South Africa 202-9 (Nortje 7, Ngidi 18) Ngidi bowls Lyon for another boundary! Four this time, to reach his best Test score and take the Proteas past 200 for the first time in eight innings. Nortje executes a pair of reverse sweeps, but straight to the gully player as this final pair enjoys their moment in the middle.
67th over: South Africa 197-9 (Nortje 7, Ngidi 13) Starc continues to fall short against South Africa’s bunnies but the tail ends swing and weave effectively, Nortje even manages to edge a boundary over the goalkeeper’s head. Tea has been delayed, for non-controversial reasons.
66th over: South Africa 192-9 (Nortje 2, Ngidi 12) Nortje reverse sweeps straight to the fielder, then moves forward, gets caught but only gets one. Ngidi shows him how, throwing the kitchen sink at a fleece that lands in the cheap seats on the midwife! Maybe South Africa will make 200 after all?
65th over: South Africa 182-9 (Nortje 1, Ngidi 4) Starc has been given license to attack Nortje, but he fails to get a hit in his previous over, and again he is wide of the wicket before the South African pace does not enter a single. to get out of the strike. Then there is a delay in the game because Lungi Ngidi has forgotten his arm guard. It’s a good job that begs to be pulled off as Starc targets the big quick’s body again and again until he slips in a quick-swinging yorker that almost rips off Ngidi, who was bowled so hard. He tries again the next ball, but the South African No. 11 takes it to the maximum and turns it sweet for four lovely runs.
64th over: South Africa 177-9 (Nortje 0, Ngidi 0) Put the VBs on ice.
Has any sports team in history been as unbalanced as this Proteas? 9/10 bowling, 1/10 batting. PSG’s current squad? Japanese rugby in the 90s? Can’t think of one.#AUSvSA #BoxingDayTest
— Daniel Gallan (@danielgallan) December 29, 2022
WICKET! Rabada c Cummins b Lyon 3 (South Africa 177-9)
Another hit, another top spot, another tidy mid-range catch. Lyon is filling the boots. South Africa will not get 200, again.
63rd over: South Africa 177-8 (Rabada 3, Nortje 0) Australia have managed to drag the overs to parity as they hammered South Africa for the last hour or so. Captain Cummins can do it all. Just the single to Rabada from another Starc who promises a lot but delivers little.
62nd over: South Africa 176-8 (Rabada 2, Nortje 0) No matter the shutout, South Africa will be lucky to get to tea. Another shambolic self-inflicted collapse.
WICKET! Bavuma c sub (Harris) b Lyon 65 (South Africa 176-8)
Bavuma’s cursed tackle comes to an ugly end, a flurry sweeping Lyon through the air only to be caught safely by Marcus Harris at mid-on. The end is near.
61st over: South Africa 175-7 (Bavuma 65, Rabada 1) My God, the replays really highlight how embarrassing that outing was. It was a simple three but Bavuma cooked his partner midway through the third over, becoming the second South African today not to even dive for his ground. This compounded the lack of intent and ball-watching in the previous two runs. Horrible, horrible, horrible. Instead, Labuschagne’s desperation in the deep, and Starc’s awareness to throw the stumps at the striker’s end after throwing the pitch onto his stumps, were excellent.
WICKET! Maharaj run out (Labuschagne/Starc) 13 (South Africa 174-7)
Maharaj is growing in his innings, driving Starc up through the covers. oh no Oh no oh no oh no. Oh no no no no no no no no no no no. They’ve done it again. Temba Bavuma what are you doing!? It’s an easy two, a hard three, and in between there’s another way out. This is diabolical from South Africa.
Updated at 03.52 GMT
60th over: South Africa 172-6 (Bavuma 65, Maharaj 11) Lyon have switched sides, meaning no more Steve Smith, but Maharaj is happy to face the returning Australia to benefit from this long journey. Bavuma again only has one delivery to face, and again sends his shot skyward, but his edge sweep is never in danger of finding the fielder.
59th over: South Africa 165-6 (Bavuma 63, Maharaj 6) With Maharaj at the crease at the start of the over, Cummins throws the ball to Mitchell Starc, and the tail-buster almost takes his catch with the second ball with number 8. pushing just wide of short leg. Maharaj survives five deliveries, including a single that allows Bavuma a delivery at the crease, which he uses to aim a massive stroke at a length delivery that just clears the midwicket.
“I can’t bear to look at it any longer,” emails regular correspondent Trevor Tutu. “I go to the beach and watch the waves. You don’t have to worry, I won’t jump in, the water is too cold for that, as it comes straight from Antarctica carried by the Benguela Current. However that, I’d be very tempted to throw guys at the top of our batting order; and I’d be in no rush to get them out later.”
58th over: South Africa 162-6 (Bavuma 61, Maharaj 5) Smith continues to do his job quickly, as his job description demands. Very tidy too, with five points and only the errant drag that Bavuma takes out for two.
57th over: South Africa 160-6 (Bavuma 59, Maharaj 5) Bavuma favors Lyon by a single in another quick chase.
56th over: South Africa 159-6 (Bavuma 58, Maharaj 5) Captain Cummins proves he’s not above the funky by bringing Steve Smith into the attack. The leg turn of the old pattern was probably requested simply to increase the excess. At the drop of the Janesn port they were nine minutes (or two overs) behind the count, and we know how costly that can be in the World Trials Championship. Smith sends dirt for five deliveries, but in the last he teases a beautiful whisker drive past Maharaj’s outside edge.
55th over: South Africa 154-6 (Bavuma 54, Maharaj 4) Maharaj targets the same long-on in his first two deliveries from Nathan Lyon, the second of which pierces the ring for four runs. Australia’s spinner changes his length and makes his South African opponent defend awkwardly in his crease.
50 to Temba Bavuma (124 balls)
54th over: South Africa 149-6 (Bavuma 53, Maharaj 0) Now it would be a surprise if South Africa survive till the end,…