logo
Australia v South Africa World Test Championship: live day four scores

Australia v South Africa World Test Championship: live day four scores

Daily Telegraph12 hours ago

Don't miss out on the headlines from Cricket. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Australia is eyeing early wickets to pull off a World Test Championship final boilover as play resumes on day four at Lord's.
South Africa is in command at 213-2 in their second innings, needing just 69 runs to win, with eight wickets still standing.
'The hope for us is we need to get a wicket or two in the morning and see what that looks like,' Australian assistant coach Daniel Vettori said.
'But (needing) 8-69 is a real challenge for the group.
'There was some optimism (after Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood half century stand set up the 282 target) but it's obviously going to be a real challenge tomorrow.'
Aiden Markram's superb century has left South Africa on the brink of a dramatic victory after decades of heartbreak in major tournaments.
Opener Markram, dismissed for a duck in the first innings, was 102 not out and South Africa captain Temba Bavuma unbeaten on 65 despite spending most of his innings limping with a hamstring injury.
The pair have shared an unbroken stand of 143 as South Africa pursue what will be, if they achieve it, the second-highest successful run chase in a Test at Lord's.
Originally published as Australia v South Africa World Test Championship Final Day 4 Live Scores

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

AFL Round 14 Port Adelaide v Melbourne: Live scores, updates and SuperCoach scores
AFL Round 14 Port Adelaide v Melbourne: Live scores, updates and SuperCoach scores

News.com.au

time34 minutes ago

  • News.com.au

AFL Round 14 Port Adelaide v Melbourne: Live scores, updates and SuperCoach scores

Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley is expecting debutant Mani Liddy to play a 'significant role' despite only landing at the club in the mid-season draft. Liddy was playing SANFL football just a few weeks ago before being selected by the Power with the No.16 pick. The 23-year-old averaged 22.6 touches, five clearances and 3.4 tackles per game for Central District as a midfielder. He then starred on debut for Power's SANFL side, recording 25 touches, eight clearances, seven tackles, three inside 50s and a goal to earn a senior debut. Hinkley said Liddy's form throughout 2025 warranted senior selection, had he been on an AFL list already. 'It's a great story, we've been really good at picking them and playing them pretty quickly over the last few years,' Hinkley said. 'Mani's another great story. 'Anyone who has been playing at his level at SANFL football (that) would've been available to play in an AFL team, would've probably been picked before this week. 'His form, his first game in our team in the SANFL was outstanding and it's almost too hard to ignore. 'He deserves his chance, I love the stories of persistence, of the boys that have to do it a little bit differently and fight their way back in. 'He's certainly a hard worker and he's an outnumber player so we think he'll come in and play a significant role for us.' Liddy will join a star-studded Port Adelaide midfield mix, with Jason Horne-Francis returning to join Zak Butters and Miles Bergman in the centre square. Captain Connor Rozee has spent time in the middle and off half back this season and did the same in last week's win over the Giants. Jordon Sweet has been recalled for his first game in more than a month, set to pair with Dante Visentini in the battle against Max Gawn. They get a chance to change the script against Port Adelaide today, a team Gawn has feasted on in recent times when it comes to SuperCoach – scoring 177 points in both games against the Power last year. In the second Sunday game, West Coast hosts Carlton at Optus Oval to finish round 14.

Australia eye 'reset' after shock World Test final loss
Australia eye 'reset' after shock World Test final loss

Perth Now

time40 minutes ago

  • Perth Now

Australia eye 'reset' after shock World Test final loss

Captain Pat Cummins acknowledges Australia will undergo a "reset" after another top-order capitulation opened the door for a South African upset for the ages. Not having lost a ICC final since 2010, Australia were upstaged by Temba Bavuma's fighting Proteas at Lord's, a five-wicket defeat crushing their hopes of defending the World Test Championship title they won in 2023. Australia's batting woes were laid bare, particularly in the second innings when only plucky knocks from star quick Mitchell Starc and wicketkeeper Alex Carey saved the No.1-ranked team from utter embarrassment. Batting conditions became ideal at the start of day three when the sun came out, the pitch was suddenly flat, and pace bowlers struggled for the movement they got in the first innings. But it was too late for the Australians, who were already 8-144 to start Friday, a lead of only 212. "There's probably quite a few people in the line-up that wish they could have done a little bit more," Cummins said. "Obviously, the top three was an obvious one in this game." Promoted from No.3 to open in a Test for the first time, struggling Marnus Labuschagne got starts, but ultimately only made 17 and 22 to extend his century drought to almost 24 months. Labuschagne's opening partner, 38-year-old Usman Khawaja, was again exposed against express pace after falling to Proteas spearhead Kagiso Rabada for scores of 0 and 7. Khawaja made a career-best 232 on slow pitches in Sri Lanka earlier this year, but his recent history against quality fast bowlers is a concern. Cameron Green, who batted at No.3 in his first Test since March 2024 after recovering from back surgery, was also troubled by Rabada and was out for 4 and 0. Green, aged 26, was the only member of the Australian XI in his 20s in this Test. But after suffering a compound dislocation of his right little finger at Lord's, star No.4 Steve Smith is almost no chance to play in at least the first Test against the West Indies. Teenage tyro Sam Konstas, who announced himself last Boxing Day, is set to be given an opportunity as opener for Australia's first tour of the Caribbean in 10 years. If Smith can't play, Konstas could slot back in to open with Usman Khawaja, while Labuschagne would likely drop down to No.3. But Josh Inglis, who scored a century on debut against Sri Lanka earlier this year, is also in the squad and could be given a chance. "In white-ball series a lot of the time, you build on four-year cycles around World Cups for ODIs," Cummins said. "Maybe it's an opportunity in the Test matches to do something similar. But it's a little bit early to tell. "Coming into this match, you've got guys like Sam Konstas and Scotty Boland, Josh Inglis, all those guys who are right on the fringes. "After this Test match, everyone gets thrown back into the conversation, and it's a little bit of a reset for the first Test against the West Indies. "Give it a 48 hours, everyone kind of digests and works out if we keep the same squad." This AAP article was made possible by support from Amazon Prime Video, which broadcast the World Test Championship final.

Mitchell Johnson: Marnus Labuschagne's form the real issue as Australia faces top-three mess ahead of Ashes
Mitchell Johnson: Marnus Labuschagne's form the real issue as Australia faces top-three mess ahead of Ashes

West Australian

time2 hours ago

  • West Australian

Mitchell Johnson: Marnus Labuschagne's form the real issue as Australia faces top-three mess ahead of Ashes

Cam Green will face criticism after his double failure at No.3 in the World Test Championship final, but the Australian selectors are the ones who should be answering the tough questions. While I supported Green's inclusion in the team as a batsman only due to his good form in county cricket, the critical No.3 spot really needs to be filled by your best batsman. It's obvious Green didn't perform well – out for 4 and 0 and facing just five balls for the match. And the way he got out to Kagiso Rabada in both innings highlights that he might not be suited for that position. But the real issue stems from Marnus Labuschagne's poor form, similar to what we saw with Steve Smith moving up to open when he was struggling a bit. I'm just not a fan of these batting reshuffles to cover for lack of form. With the West Indies tour and then the Ashes coming up this summer, Australia will need to settle on not only two openers but also find a reliable No.3. You need the right mentality at first drop and a balance between technique and aggression. Green did get two quality balls and that happens batting at No.3. The best players generally bat at three and I think Green, normally an all-rounder, would be better suited down the order. Our successful 'big four' bowling attack of Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon can't be taken for granted as a lock going forward either. We've seen concerns about Hazlewood's fitness in recent years, and his decision to prioritise returning to the delayed Indian Premier League over his national team preparations raised eyebrows. Lyon didn't look his best on day three either. If veteran players are sticking around just for the Ashes as a send-off, it does beg the question of whether that's the right mindset. It's crucial that we embrace the future and build confidence in selecting our next Test players. Players on the fringe such as Sam Konstas, Josh Inglis and Scott Boland, despite being 36, have a different mentality. They're eager to prove themselves every time they get a chance. I'm not being overly critical of an ageing team which has achieved plenty together. Our established players including the senior bowling quartet, Usman Khawaja, Smith and Labuschagne have achieved some great things. But it's essential to consider when the right time is to make some tough calls. The upcoming three-Test Windies tour seems like an excellent opportunity to give deserving players a chance to shine, and the finger injury to Smith might have the silver lining of prompting some regeneration. Finding a specialist No.3 is crucial, and with the form Labuschagne has shown over the past 18 months, it's hard to justify moving him back into that position. Trying to make changes in all top-three batting slots at once would indeed be risky, and I don't think the selectors will go that route. Konstas looms as a solid option for the pitches in the West Indies, especially with an experienced player in Khawaja alongside him. Nathan McSweeney, discarded after three Tests of carnage from Jasprit Bumrah last summer, also looks to have the right technique and determination to bat in the top three. However, I'm not too optimistic that any significant change will happen soon. I really want to see Inglis back in the Test team. While I'm not a fan of him opening, he's shown good form and could potentially make an impact in the top six when not keeping. The bigger picture for Australia is that there are capable players on the domestic circuit who could step up, but they need to be extended belief, time and patience to adjust. Once we start to see the end of this experienced team, or if we see a bunch of senior players dropped at once, it could leave the team vulnerable. It's vital we plan for that transition carefully to prevent being exposed. Having been impressive in the first innings, the Aussie bowlers appeared to be underdone and went searching for wickets as the brilliant partnership between Aiden Markram and Temba Bavuma began to take the match away from Australia. There were stats that not many teams had ever chased more than 200 runs to win a Test match at Lord's but Test cricket is a funny game an anything can happen. Conditions began to look better for batting as the sun came out on Friday, as long as batsmen applied patience and intent when required. Without taking away from South Africa's performance, particularly their batting in the fourth innings, you do wonder if Australia was truly Test match-ready. The Proteas might have had the best of the conditions to bat in, but they were brave enough to send Australia in after winning the toss and backed that up by bowling well. Not many would have picked South Africa at the start of their fourth-innings chase, but ultimately the final came down to the fight within on day three and a battle of that characteristic Test match grit and determination. Hobbling on one leg, captain Bavuma batted with tremendous heart to play through a hamstring injury and his spirit would have undoubtedly lifted his team.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store