SOUTH Africa 425/9 dec beat Australia 99 & 295 (following on) by an innings and 31 runs
St George’s Park, Gqeberha, 18–22 October
Toss: Australia, chose to field
Player of the Match: Temba Bavuma (South Africa)
Series: 1-1
SOUTH Africa beat Australia by an innings and 31 runs on the final day of the second Test at St George’s Park, Gqeberha, on Thursday, levelling the series at 1-1 with one match to play in Cape Town.
Australia, following on, were bowled out for 295 in their second innings. Kagiso Rabada took four wickets for 77 runs and Wiaan Mulder picked three for 64.
The final day’s start was delayed by a wet ground, and the first session was lost. Australia resumed after lunch on 156/4, with Travis Head on 87 and Scott Boland on two.
Head reached his century off 151 balls. He and Boland put on 59 for the fifth wicket before Mulder bowled Head for 121 off 190 balls, with 15 fours, at 209/5 in the 75th over.
South Africa took the new ball at 80.1 overs. Rabada had Steven Smith caught by Matthew Breetzke for three at 225/6. Australia reached tea on 253/6.
Boland batted 166 balls for 40, with six fours, before Mulder bowled him at 256/7. Mulder then bowled captain Pat Cummins for four. Rabada bowled Mitchell Starc for 11 at 290/9, and Marco Jansen ended the match when Josh Hazlewood was caught by Aiden Markram, leaving Alex Carey unbeaten on 37.
Australia lost six wickets for 139 runs on the final day.
Simon Harmer bowled 39 overs in the second innings, including eight maidens, and took two for 93. Jansen took one for 34 from 17.1 overs.
Across the match, Jansen took six for 67, Rabada six for 110 and Mulder five for 78.
Bavuma was named Player of the Match for his first-innings 179, a Test career best. His innings came after rain shortened the first two days, with South Africa on 97/5 at the close of Day 2.
“They made us work hard for those wickets, those six wickets,” Bavuma said at the post-match presentation sourced from Cricinfo.
On his innings, he said: “Definitely there at the top is one of my best. I think we saw throughout the days that batting was quite difficult, especially against the new ball.”
Bavuma singled out Rabada and Jansen.
“A guy like KG, just his value that he brings in, his ability to assume the responsibility and pressure from the bowling attack and kind of allow the other guys to do what they naturally can do,” he said.
“You saw a guy like Marco Jansen, first innings, coming through with his class. I mean, even in the second innings as well. He’s of massive value.”
He added: “We play good old Test cricket, you know, try and wear the opposition down and then take them down when the opportunity presents itself.”
Cummins said his side had fallen short.
“Boland and Trav played their roles. But it was a fair way to come back from there and it wasn’t enough,” he said.
“A long way away from our best.”
Of the result, he added: “It’s a reverse of last week, isn’t it. They played well.”
Australia won the first Test at Kingsmead, Durban, by 214 runs on October 13, with Josh Hazlewood taking six wickets on the final day as South Africa, chasing 421, were dismissed for 206. Matt Renshaw was Player of the Match in Durban, top-scoring in both Australian innings with 190 and 82.
The third and final Test will be played at Newlands, Cape Town, from October 27-31. The series is the first Test meeting between the two sides since South Africa beat Australia in the World Test Championship final at Lord’s in June 2025.
