South African captain Temba Bavuma survives controversial DRS decision in World Test Championship final
South Africa have made the most of perfect batting conditions at Lord's to reduce Australia's lead to 91 in the World Test Championship final.
Starting day two in serious trouble at 4-43, the Proteas were able to frustrate Australia's star-studded bowling attack and move to 5-121 at lunch on day two.
Australia, boosted by Beau Webster's 72 and a 66 from Steve Smith, posted 212 on Wednesday after being sent in to bat.
With the sun shining from ball one on Thursday, unlike day one when it was overcast until the afternoon, South Africa batted sensibly and attempted to keep the scoreboard moving.
South Africa captain Temba Bavuma survived a controversial DRS decision, allowing him to make important inroads into Australia's lead.
Adjudged lbw on 16 off Josh Hazlewood, Bavuma left it late to review, but eventually took the decision upstairs with four seconds remaining.
The ball would have been smashing into the stumps, but a spike on snicko incredibly meant Bavuma had survived.
Former England captain Alastair Cook said during radio commentary he didn't believe Bavuma had hit it.
But after looking promising, highlighted by smashing opposing captain Pat Cummins for six, Bavuma (36) scooped a drive to cover where Marnus Labuschagne pulled off a terrific diving catch.
Cummins (2-24) got the crucial breakthrough, gaining revenge for being the first bowler in the match to be hit over the rope.
Australia have managed to produce several edges, but none have carried completely to the slips cordon.
No.6 David Bedingham (39*) has looked steady at the crease, and will resume with dangerous wicketkeeper Kyle Verreynne (11*) after lunch.
South Africa, who won seven straight Tests to qualify for the final, are attempting to break a title drought in ICC tournaments dating back to 1998.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
News.com.au
an hour ago
- News.com.au
Steady Adam Scott in US Open contention thanks to ‘old-man-par golf'
'Old-man-par golf' is serving Adam Scott well at the US Open. The 44-year-old Queensland has shot successive par rounds of 70 at the brutal Oakmont Country Club to be in a tie for fourth, just three shots behind leader Sam Burns heading into the third-round. Scott is the best-placed of the surviving Australian contingent ahead of Jason Day (three-over), Marc Leishman (six-over) and Cam Davis (seven-over), while Cameron Smith (eight-over) and Min Woo Lee (nine-over) missed the cut. 'I'm playing old-man-par golf at the moment,' Scott joked. 'I guess I would have expected to be in this position if you said even par through two rounds. 'It's just hard out there. It's hard to keep it going when guys have got on a run. It seems like they've come back a bit.' Scott is chasing as a second major to add to his 2013 Masters title. 'I'd be pretty proud of winning this thing on the weekend. Right now, that's really what I'm here to do,' he said. 'I feel like there's probably not been many signs to anyone else but me the last month or six weeks that my game is looking better. I definitely feel more confident than I have been this year. 'I feel like this is what I've been working towards. I was kind of in the mix late at the PGA (last month), and now putting myself in this one for the weekend. 'It's a long way to go, but I feel like my game is in good enough shape to do this.' Day, who had a six-over 76 in the opening round, bounced back with a three-under 67 in the second round to also be in contention for a second major after winning the 2015 US PGA crown. 'It was a big day to come back and shoot three-under to make the cut,' Day said. 'I feel like you're going to make bogeys out here and try and get the birdies when you can. 'Three-over right now, if I can just keep climbing the leaderboard (and) get into contention (in the fourth round), that would be great.' Day's second-round cause was helped by a better performance on the greens after adjusting his putter between rounds. 'I bent my putter. I just manually bent it myself,' he said. 'I stood on it. That's kind of how I used to do it back in the day. 'It just hadn't been looking very good to me personally I bent it enough to make it look more open, which is good.'
News.com.au
an hour ago
- News.com.au
Man, 20, charged over alleged death threats to Newcastle Knights player James Schiller
NSW Police have charged a 20-year-old man for allegedly making death threats and sending vile messages to Knights winger James Schiller last week. Schiller copped a barrage of abuse on his social media following Newcastle's 26-22 golden point victory over the Sea Eagles last week. Schiller had a mixed performance, committing five errors, missing four tackles, and giving away three penalties but also scored and produced several moments of brilliance in the Knights' comeback win. FOX LEAGUE, available on Kayo Sports, is the only place to watch every game of every round in the 2025 NRL Telstra Premiership, LIVE with no ad-breaks during play. New to Kayo? Get your first month for just $1. Limited-time offer. But after the Knights' incredible victory, Schiller returned to the dressing room over the moon, only to open his phone to see several vile threats aimed in his direction. 'Count your days c--- I will end your f---ing life,' the private message to Schiller read. 'Doesn't make up for it even though you won … 'Five errors, two penalties, 1 six again and partridge in a pear tree. I hope Dane (Gagai) jams his c--- down your throat and you choke and die.' The threats directed at Schiller were addressed by Knights coach Adam by O'Brien following the game, who labelled it 'worrying'. 'That is worrying,' O'Brien said. 'I want to protect them … and for him to go through that over a couple of errors … it's a game of footy. 'He's got a family. That's partly the reason why you do want to protect them. 'I think it's a societal problem, isn't it? It's not just football players who are getting that sort of stuff. 'I understand there is some legislation, and I think at the moment it's in the hands of authorities to try and help in this situation with James. 'We need to be able to stop people doing it, change their thought process before doing it.' Lake Macquarie Detectives launched an investigation into the incident after Schiller was reportedly shaken up by the ordeal. It led to them arresting and charging a 20-year-old man on Friday. The man was charged with use of carriage service to menace/harass/offend. He was granted conditional bail to appear at Belmont Local Court on Wednesday, July 30. Police have the authority to charge individuals for threats made through social media and this incident isn't the first of its kind. In 2021, two men were charged after sending abusive or threatening messages to NRL star Latrell Mitchell on social media.
ABC News
2 hours ago
- ABC News
Adam Scott three shots back at the US Open, Jason Day fights back with second round 67
True to his word, Adam Scott has hung tough to storm right into contention as a raft of golfing heavyweights floundered during the US Open second round at the beastly Oakmont Country Club. While defending champion Bryson DeChambeau led the exodus of big names to miss the halfway cut, Scott carved out a second straight even-par round of 70 to be tied fourth in the clubhouse. 36 holes Halfway cut at 7-over Contesting his 96th consecutive major, the 44-year-old showed the younger stars how to play major championship golf, repeatedly rebounding from bogeys with birdies to sit just three shots off the pace at the halfway mark of the tournament. With the final pairs left on the course, play was suspended due to dangerous weather in the area. However most of those remaining are either safely inside the cut of 7-over or well outside. Four Australians will be there for the weekend — Scott, Jason Day, Marc Leishman and Cam Davis. Cameron Smith made a late comeback on his second nine, but left himself too much to do and finished a shot outside the cut on 8-over. Min Woo Lee shot a 2-over 72 to finish on 9-over. Sam Burns fired the low round of the championship, a brilliant 5-under 65 to snare the clubhouse lead at 3-under. Fellow American and first-round leader JJ Spaun is second, one stroke behind Burns, after following up his starting 66 with a 72 on Friday (Saturday AEST). Seeking his maiden major, Norwegian super talent Viktor Hovland is the only other player above Scott on the leaderboard, and one of only three players in red numbers at one under after posting a second-round 70. Scott's fellow former world number one Day battled back into the picture with the second-lowest round of the day to also raise hopes of a famous Australian triumph at the US Open's most gruelling venue. The former PGA champ was way off the pace after his opening round of 76 but demonstrated his enduring class with a 3-under 67 to get back to 3-over for the tournament, just six shots back entering the weekend in a tie for 13th. Day's round, which began at the 10th hole, was ignited by a terrific eagle at his third hole — the gigantic par-five 12th that measures 647 yards. He struck his approach from 323 yards to 20 feet from the hole and sank the eagle putt. Two birdies quickly followed in the next five holes. His biggest disappointment as he looked set to finish with a 66 after two more birdies on the homeward nine, was his wayward drive at the ninth that led to an anti-climactic final bogey. Burns, who shot a final-round 62 on Sunday at the Canadian Open before losing in a play-off, also started his second round on the back nine and birdied 11, 13, 17 and 18. He responded to his lone bogey at the first hole by putting his approach at the next hole to about six feet. American world number one Scottie Scheffler had five bogeys and four birdies in his 71 to be left at 4-over, alongside countryman Collin Morikawa (71) and fellow dual major winner Jon Rahm, who exploded after shooting a 75. The second-round spoiler left the superstar Spaniard seven shots adrift of Burns. "Honestly, I'm too annoyed and too mad right now to think about any perspective," Rahm said. "Very few rounds of golf I played in my life where I think I hit good putts and they didn't sniff the hole, so it's frustrating." Masters champion Rory McIlroy birdied the last hole in a round of 72 to be 6-over and just inside the cut line. Australian Marc Leishman, who had begun promisingly with a 71, suffered in his second round with a 75 that included a double-bogey six at the ninth hole to also hover at 6-over. A day after Patrick Reed recorded the fourth albatross in US Open annals, Frenchman Victor Perez made a hole-in-one at the par-three sixth, the second ever ace during a US Open at Oakmont. Five-time major winner Brooks Koepka, one of 14 LIV Golf players in the field, started his day two shots off the pace but dropped back after a 74 that featured eight bogeys. After out-duelling McIlroy down the stretch to reign last year at Pinehurst, DeChambeau won't feature on the weekend after slumping to 10-over with a second-round 77. At nine over following rounds of 77 and 72, Australian Min Woo Lee was also sent packing, along with dual major winner Justin Thomas, 2016 Oakmont champion Dustin Johnson, fellow former world number one Justin Rose, LIV Golf dominator Joaquin Niemann and Swedish sensation Ludvig Aberg. Incredibly, Johnson and Niemann were among some 60 players to finish at 10-over or worse, with American George Duangmanee racking up a +35 total with horror rounds of 86 and 89. AAP with agencies
