Marco Jansen and Kagiso Rabada bowled South Africa to within sight of a series-levelling victory on the fourth day of the second Test at St George’s Park on Wednesday.
Australia is 156 for four in its follow-on innings after being shot out for 99 earlier in the day. It is still 170 runs short of making South Africa bat again.
Travis Head survived an early chance and was unbeaten on 87. Steve Smith did not come out to bat in the second innings after appearing to be struggling with a neck injury while making top score of 28 in Australia’s first innings.
Jansen took five for 33 as Australia crashed to its fourth-lowest total against South Africa and Rabada made two crucial breakthroughs in the second innings.
Rabada dismissed Australian opening batsman Nic Maddinson cheaply for the second time in the match and later bowled Matt Renshaw, who was man of the match in Australia’s 214-run win in the first Test.
With a first innings lead of 326 runs, South Africa enforced the follow-on despite fast bowler Anrich Nortje being out of action with a groin injury. Nortje dismissed Marnus Labuschagne in the first innings but bowled only 3.3 overs before pulling up injured.
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In Nortje’s absence, South African captain Temba Bavuma used Rabada, Jansen and fellow seamer Wiaan Mulder in short spells and made extensive use of off-spinner Simon Harmer, who bowled 18 overs and took two wickets.
Harmer broke a 92-run second wicket stand between Head and Labuschagne when the latter went for a big hit and was caught by Jansen running back from mid-on as the ball was held up in a stiff breeze.
Tall left-armer Jansen was superb in the first innings. He struck with his first ball of the match when he had nightwatchman Scott Boland caught behind in the second over of the day.
He followed up with the wickets of Head, Renshaw, Alex Carey and Beau Webster as Australia collapsed.
Published on Oct 21, 2026
