PERTH – South Africa shrugged off a disappointing first-innings total of 225 by striking early to reduce Australia to 33 for two at stumps on Friday on day one of the third cricket Test at the Waca in Perth.
Report by Supersport
The visitors won the toss and elected to bat, but suffered a horrible middle-order collapse as they slumped from 61 for one to 75 for six in eight overs while adding only fourteen runs.
They were dismissed for 225. The destroyer-in-chief was the off-spinner Nathan Lyon, who captured 3-41 in twelve overs.
Faf du Plessis scored a mature undefeated 78 off 142 balls with twelve fours and rallied the lower order, notably Robin Peterson and Vernon Philander, to steer South Africa to 225.
In the Australian first innings, Dale Steyn struck in the first over with the new ball when he had Ed Cowan caught at second slip by Jacques Kallis for a duck.
Philander added to his wicket tally when he defeated Shane Watson with an in-swinger and referred the decision. He trapped Watson in front for 10, leaving the hosts on 18 for two.
The night-watchman, Lyon, survived until stumps and will resume on 7 with the senior partner, David Warner, who has 12.
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Steyn, with 1-22 in six overs, and Philander, with 1-8, both bowled expertly in pitch conditions conducive to seam.
In the SA innings, the left-arm swing bowler Mitchell Starc did the early damage when he bowled Alviro Petersen for 30 in his second spell. He removed Kallis in similar fashion in the next over to reduce South Africa to 63 for three. In both instances, Petersen and Kallis contributed to their demise with indifferent foot movement.
After lunch, poor judgement between the wickets by AB de Villiers resulted in Hashim Amla being run out for 11, leaving South Africa on 67 for four. Amla was run out by a direct hit from Warner in the cover-region.
