Proteas rip Australia to shreds to eye series-leveling Test victory in Gqeberha

By SABC Sport
21st October 2026

Marco Jansen took a five-wicket haul as the Proteas skittled Australia out for just 99, before the tourists found themselves in trouble following-on at 156-4, still trailing by 170 runs.

Resuming the morning on 3-1, in reply to the Proteas' total of 425-9 declared, Travis Head struck two fours in the first over of the day off Kagiso Rabada but that proved to be a false dawn.

Jansen started the procession of wickets with the first ball of the second over when the left-arm seamer got rid of nightwatchman Scott Boland for his overnight score of 2.

The lanky allrounder, who struck a quick-fire 85 with the bat, then trapped Head lbw for 14 and then Anrich Nortje had Marnus Labuschagne brilliantly caught at third slip by Simon Harmer.

Harmer was proving his worth in the slip cordon, holding onto another sharp catch to dismiss Matt Renshaw off the bowling of Jansen, who then also had Carey caught behind in the same over.

The first session yielded 66 runs in 29 overs but, importantly for the hosts, five wickets fell as the Australians went into the interval on 69-6 with the experienced Steve Smith still at the crease.

It was not long however before the collapse continued, with Jansen dismissing Beau Webster (13) and then Wiaan Mulder got the all-important scalp of Smith for 28.

Jansen eventually finished with figures of 5-33 in 11 overs and home skipper Temba Bavuma had no hesitation in enforcing the follow-on, with Kagiso Rabada once again snaring opener Nic Maddinson early on.

Head and Labuschagne shared a fighting partnership of 92 for the second wicket, but spinner Harmer came into the equation to make the breakthrough for the Proteas.

Rabada rattled the stumps of Renshaw after the left-handed batter decided to leave a relatively straight ball while Webster was the last to be dismissed for the day with the allrounder trapped plumb lbw by Harmer.

Head is still crease on 87, with the tourists' hopes seemingly all resting on the opening batter, and was joined by Boland who once again came into bat with the light fading as a nightwatchman.