Test match cricket burst into life during the southern summer as 29,306 turned up in the biggest non-Ashes crowd ever hosted at the Gabba. They were treated to a harrowing first day: Australia dismissed South Africa for 152 just before the tea break, slumped to 27 for three in reply, produced a stunning counter-attack from Travis Head and Steve Smith, then lost Smith and night watchman Scott Boland to reach the stumps. at 145 for five, still seven runs behind.
It was another Brisbane special from Head, who followed up his Ashes century a year ago with a carefree 78 not out from 77 balls in the final session. Smith had already started positively, hitting his first ball through cover for four and producing some impeccable direct runs.
In half a dozen overs together before the third session cup break, the two struck and then plundered 69 runs in eight overs after the break. Head brought up his 50 to better than one run a ball thanks to a six from Lungi Ngidi over backward square leg. It was disconcerting for a South African attack that had been right at the top, and suddenly began to play capriciously, offering width to punish him.
The session had started with a bang, Kagiso Rabada resumed his 2018 duel with David Warner by delivering a short ball on the ribs, the opener was defended over the head of short leg, where Khaya Zondo stepped up in the air for a one-handed catch. It was only Warner’s second golden duck of his 181-innings career, and the first he had started an innings.
Marnus Labuschagne bowled Rabada and Ngidi, but fell to the first ball of left-arm swing bowler Marco Jansen, who edged it to Dean Elgar at slip. Anrich Nortje’s pure pace was evident in a delivery that bounced off Usman Khawaja’s bat shoulder to gully. Soon after, Head entered the crease but not long before Elgar.
It was the only blip in his innings as he proceeded to cut the bowling. All of him and Smith added 113 in 23 overs, threatening to take over the game completely. But Nortje came back for one more burst, flamboyantly pulling the ball off the seam to cut past Smith’s bat and clear the middle stump, he was through for 36. Boland did his job of batting in the last over before hitting Rabada, leading to the end of the game. on matchday and saving Cameron Green a trip to the middle.
Australia’s David Warner is dismissed for a first-ball duck off a delivery from South Africa’s Kagiso Rabada. Photo: Darren England/AAP
For now it leaves South Africa still in the game, although another hour of Head in the morning would be too much support. This is more than they could have expected after that score of 152 in the first innings. The Gabba pitches may be a lot better for batting than they look, but as fast bowling captain Patrick Cummins was happy to send the visitors through. A green surface, some cloud cover and a chance to test his fragile batting while slowing down his bowling – everything pointed to this decision.
Elgar fell early by handing a leg side ball from Mitchell Starc to wicketkeeper Alex Carey. Cummins had radar problems but removed Rassie van der Dussen as soon as he corrected them, getting the perfect line and length to draw a nick. Then it was Boland taking multiple wickets in one over, as has become his signature, lowering his bowling average to 9.65 after he caught Sarel Erwee at gully before hitting Zondo’s pad in front of the middle strain.
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At 27-4, the rescue came from a 98-year partnership between Temba Bavuma and wicketkeeper Kyle Verreynne. Having reached 40 just once in an 11-match run, Verreynne fought back freely, pulling Green for four and slicing him for six in one over to start, and repeatedly finding the fence with cuts and slips through the cord. He made 64, Bavuma hit singles to play the supporting hand with 38.
Starc broke the tie after lunch, slotting into Bavuma’s leg through his defensive inside edge. Then it was the turn of Nathan Lyon, who took three wickets in 15 balls without a run to his name. There was a prodigious spin and bounce, producing a set of four byes, and helping Lyon get Nortje to stick the glove. Smith’s catch to dismiss Verreynne at slip was his 52nd against Lyon, overtaking Shane Warne and Mark Taylor as Australia’s most prolific bowler and fielder combination.
Smith also caught Keshav Maharaj for Starc’s 299th Test wicket, but when Starc got Rabada to squeeze an inside edge at short leg, Head juggled and missed the catch. Cummins straightened out Ngidi, the last six wickets falling for 27 runs. South Africa knew they needed something special to bounce back from this. So far they have produced exactly half of them. The way Head is playing, the second morning should be just as lively as the first.