DELICATELY BALANCED: Starc masterclass and Proteas mistakes give Australia an edge at Newlands

It was a day of what-ifs for the Proteas, who started so well on a placid pitch, only for batters to throw away their wickets on a regular basis.

From 158 without loss soon after lunch, the Proteas were 232 for six soon after tea and then 329 all out.

Batters made starts, but no one pushed through for a big hundred. Marques Ackerman scored 95 from 94 balls with 12 fours and two sixes. Aiden Markram made 78, David Bedingham 50, Ryan Rickleton 42 and Marco Jansen 52. All respectable – none exceptional.

It wasn’t as if the older ball started reverse swinging, a la Sandpapergate. It was the batters who started swinging and found increasingly silly ways to give away their wickets.

Aussie left-arm quick Mitchell Starc also had a say with some fine spells, especially late in the day as he ripped the lower order to pieces with the second new ball, taking three wickets in four deliveries. He finished with six for 72.

Spinner Nathan Lyon contributed two wickets while Pat Cummins went for a third full innings without taking a wicket – his worst sequence in Test cricket.

Yet, from a desperate position at lunch, Australia hold a slight edge going into day two of a fascinating series with wild momentum swings.

Going south

The day turned south for South Africa in the second session when Proteas batters threw their wickets away after a first-wicket stand of 158 between Ackerman and Markram.

From that position, the Proteas should have scored more than 400. Australia looked out of ideas at lunch, but by the close of play would’ve felt they won the day.

Ackerman was the first to lose his head as he charged down the wicket to the off-spin of Nathan Lyon. The wily old tweaker had taken his share of stick earlier on – particularly from Ackerman.

But he is nothing if not patient, and he pushed the ball wider and quicker and Ackerman, two metres outside his crease, slashed and missed. He was easily stumped by Alex Carey.

Lyon lost a few battles in the first session, but ultimately won the war against Ackerman.

Markram, who looked typically imperious even if he was dropped at extra cover by Travis Head when he had 39, couldn’t resist taking on the short ball.

Inevitably, he holed out to deep backward square leg off Josh Hazlewood when Starc took a fine running and diving catch to dismiss the South African opener. Another great start wasted. With two fielders out in the deep for a slightly mishit hook, it was cavalier way to throw a wicket away.

Collapse

Markram’s was the first of five wickets in 12 overs for the addition of just 29 runs that saw the Proteas slump from 203 for one to 232 for six.

Of all the wickets, only Temba Bavuma (0), who was bowled by Lyon, could say he was beaten by a good ball. The skipper played for turn and it continued straight on to clip the top of his off-stump.

Matthew Breetzke was next to go when he tucked his bat behind his pad to the left-arm spin of Cameron Connolly and was trapped LBW on appeal, scoring only two.

Elegant right-hander Bedingham was the next to be lured into a false stroke after compiling a confident half century.

Starc hit Bedingham in the stomach with a nasty lifting ball, leaving the batter doubled over in pain.

The great Aussie left-arm quick then dropped the next ball short and Bedingham, perhaps rattled and still smarting after the blow to the gut, pulled to square leg.

With three fielders now in the deep, the margin for error was as thin as a coat of linseed oil. Hazlewood took a fine catch on the boundary as Bedingham stood head in hands, knowing he’d thrown it away with his score on 50.

Two balls later, Wiaan Mulder inexplicably attempted to pull another short ball from Starc and edged it to Carey without scoring. It was appalling shot selection.

Day for batting

Earlier, South Africa could scarcely believe their luck when Aussie skipper Pat Cummins won his third toss of the series and asked South Africa to bat.

The sun was shining, a gentle southeaster wafting across the old ground and a pitch that had no demons.

Cummins’ decision was hard to fathom, save that star batter Steve Smith was declared unfit to play after an early morning net.

It suggested that Australia were not entirely confident in their batting lineup that included the recalled Josh Inglis, Cameron Green and Connolly. With a bowling unit that has more than 1,600 Test wickets between it, Cummins backed them to do a job.

His lunch must have tasted sour. The general consensus was that Cummins got it wrong as Ackerman and Markram plundered 140 runs in the first session, going to lunch with Australia in disarray.

Ackerman, whose innings was magnificent right up until the time it wasn’t, will rue missing out on a maiden Test century in only his second Test. “I live by the sword and die by it,” was his assessment after the day.

Ackerman was aggressive and controlled. Once he had a feel for the pace and bounce of the wicket, he started to play attractive shots all around the ground.

He attacked Lyon relentlessly and wasn’t afraid to take on Starc either, hitting him for four consecutive boundaries in one over.

But soon after lunch, Ackerman lost his head, and it started the fall of wickets as Australia resorted to aggressive short bowling.

Markram and Bedingham added 44 for the second wicket before Markram’s moment of madness and from then on it was a virtual procession, save the 95-run seventh-wicket stand between Rickleton and Jansen.

Late in the day though, Starc turned the tide the way of his team, removing Rickleton (42) and Jansen (52) with the first over of the second new ball.

Rickleton was trapped plumb LBW with a full swinging ball. Jansen was bowled with a similar delivery.

With the first ball of his next over, Starc castled tailender Gerald Coetzee without scoring. Kagiso Rabada survived the hat-trick ball, but was trapped LBW with the next. DM

Score:

South Africa 329 (Marques Ackerman 95, Aiden Markram 78, Marco Jansen 52, Mitchell Starc 6-72, Nathan Lyon 2-71).