South Africa Claim No 1 Ranking And 2-1 Series Win Over Australia After 176-Run Victory In Cape Town

South Africa beat Australia by 176 runs in the third Test to win the series 2-1 and took the No.1 Test ranking with it. They had levelled the series by winning the second Test at Gqeberha by an innings and 31 runs

The decider began with upheaval. Gerald Coetzee replaced the injured Anrich Nortje, while Steve Smith failed a morning fitness test. Australia chose to field, and South Africa made 329. Josh Inglis made a century and added 185 with Alex Carey, taking Australia to 429 and a 100-run lead. Simon Harmer took 4/104 and Marco Jansen three. Late on day three, Nathan Lyon removed Temba Bavuma, leaving South Africa 140/4, just 40 ahead.

Day four belonged to the schoolmates Ryan Rickelton and Wiaan Mulder, who both made gritty centuries. Rickelton’s run-out sparked a slide from 335/5 to 351/9, but Mulder’s 115 and a Kagiso Rabada rearguard lifted South Africa to 387. That set Australia 288, and Lyon had toiled through 44 overs for 2-101.

On the final morning, Rabada struck twice in his first over, removing Matt Renshaw and Marnus Labuschagne. He then had Travis Head caught at gully for his 350th Test wicket. Inglis was run out after a mix-up with Cameron Green, and Harmer took over, accounting for Carey, Cooper Connolly and Mitchell Starc as Australia limped to lunch at 60/7. David Warner branded the batting disgraceful.

After the break, South Africa choked the scoring, with 11 successive overs passing without a run. Green was bowled for 27 after dancing down the pitch, and Cummins fell lbw for 11 after a 90-ball vigil. That gave Harmer his fifth wicket, the first spinner’s five-for at Newlands since Saeed Ajmal in 2013. Lyon’s unbeaten 33 spared Australia a second sub-100 total in consecutive Tests. Harmer then bowled Josh Hazlewood, finishing with six wickets as Australia were dismissed for 111.