Australia vs South Africa LIVE: Australian needs tail to wag to set decent World Test Championship target at Lord's

The Age

18 hours ago

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7.00pm
All eyes on the tail
How much is enough? It is the question on every Australian cricket fans' lips tonight as we resume on 8-144 against South Africa in the World Test Championship Final at Lord's.
Heading into day three, starting at 7.30pm AEST, the Australians lead by 218 runs with two wickets in hand - Mitch Starc is 16 not out, Nathan Lyon is on one not out, and Josh Hazelwood will have the pads on ready to bat. Fair chance he's a nervous wreck, knowing he's next man in.
So far, 28 wickets have fallen across two days - at an average of 17.6 runs per scalp - so the Lord's strip could hardly be considered a batting paradise. More like a minefield.
But all it takes is for one of the South Africans to get a hold of the Australian attack and any total fewer than 250 will look like chicken feed.
Let's hope, for the Aussie fans sake, that Starc gets busy early, slogs a few over cow corner - because we know he ain't Don Bradman - and give us at least a 250-run advantage.
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For those who have been stuck under a rock for the past two days, here's a quick recap of the action so far:
Day one: Crumble city. Australia is all out for 212. Beau Webster starts like a C-grader but finds form to top score with 72, while the ever reliable Steve Smith grinds out 66. Kagiso Rabada is potent, snaring 5-51, including the top order scalps of Usman Khwaja (duck), Cameron Green (four) and Webster. Marco Jansen claims three wicket.
South Africa top order is bamboozled by the Australian quicks late in the day to slump to 4-43 at stumps.
Day two: The Australians wrap up the South African innings for a meagre 138 runs. David Bedingham provides the main resistance with 45, but not before a mini panic attack when he grabs a ball that has become wedged in the top of his pad. Skipper Pat Cummins is the chief destroyer - who else? - with 6-28. For trivia buffs, it's the first time a fast bowling captain has taken five wickets in an innings at Lord's since Bob Willis in 1982. For those young bucks born after 1990, you might have to Google Bob. Cummins sits equal-second on the list of Test captains with the most five-wicket hauls, alongside Richie Benaud on nine, and behind Imran Khan's 12. Legends.
Batting for a second time, the Australians make their first innings look like a run fest, staggering to 8-144 by the close of play. Glovesman Alex Carey is top scorer with 43, while Mitch Starc (16) and Nathan Lyon (one) are still at the crease. Rabada has taken 3-44, while Lungi Ngidi has 3-35.
6.55pm
Labuschagne on borrowed time
By Daniel Brettig
London: If this game has been the ultimate Test, as billed by its promoters, then Australia's increasingly fragile batting line-up has largely failed its questions.
Hoping to settle their top six ahead of the Ashes at home this summer, the national selectors – all of them in attendance at Lord's this week – have a long list of fresh queries about how to produce the runs required to keep winning games.
The game is in fast-forward, but Alex Carey (43) and Mitchell Starc (16 not out) fought through the final hour on day two to be 8-144 at stumps.
Usman Khawaja (zero and six) and Cameron Green (four and zero) were taken apart by the formidable Kagiso Rabada in both innings.
Marnus Labuschagne (17 and 22) entered this game with the most pressing doubts around his place, having been shunted up to open so that room could be made for Green.
With a start in each innings, he looked momentarily secure. But his problems are less to do with early trouble than some troubling patterns once he's spent time at the crease.
Labuschagne is vulnerable around off stump, so often caught behind. He has developed a tendency to feel for the bat on the ball, when his earlier Test innings were marked by sharp judgment of what to leave alone.
Soon to turn 31, Labuschagne is young enough to rise again should the selectors wield the axe in the Caribbean, but the issues around him are mounting.