SOUTH AFRICA BEAT AUSTRALIA TO WIN TEST SERIES

South Africa beat Australia by 176 runs in Cape Town on Saturday to win their three-Test series 2-1. Australia began the final day needing 288 to win but lost two wickets in the first over and were dismissed for 111 before tea. Simon Harmer took six wickets for 16 runs in the innings and 10 for 120 across the match, his first 10-wicket haul in a Test. Kagiso Rabada took three for 39 in Australia’s second innings and reached 350 Test wickets. Australia had lost seven wickets by lunch.

South Africa scored 329 in their first innings before Australia made 429 to take a 100-run lead. South Africa then scored 387 to set Australia its fourth-innings target. Australia had won the opening Test in Durban by 214 runs, before South Africa levelled the series with an innings-and-31-run victory in Gqeberha. Australia were dismissed for 99 in their second innings in Gqeberha. In Cape Town, Nathan Lyon top-scored for Australia with 33 not out, while captain Pat Cummins batted for nearly 30 overs.

The series win returned South Africa to the top of the Test rankings, with Australia losing the number one position. It was the first Test series between the sides in South Africa since 2018. Harmer said: “The biggest thing was to get the win today.” Cummins said Australia would examine their performances after consecutive defeats: “We lost two games in a row. I think it's fair to be asking questions and we'll be asking them internally as well.”