Key occasions
112th over: Australia 374-3 (Khawaja 164, Head 6) Khawaja batters some Maharaj rubbish by means of midwicket for 4 then lotions an extended half-volley to the duvet rope with a disdainful flick of the wrists.
111th over: Australia 363-3 (Khawaja 154, Head 5) Head picks up his first boundary by squirting a Nortje full toss behind level.
one hundred and tenth over: Australia 358-3 (Khawaja 153, Head 1) Maharaj lastly has one thing to have a good time in the direction of the tip of a ugly tour. Australia gained’t thoughts Travis Head on the crease as they speed up in the direction of a declaration. Matt Renshaw is sat on his tod on the boundary edge, padded up, prepared to return in subsequent. It’s all a bit village. Very village, actually, because the umbrella the No 6 is utilizing to shade himself from the solar blows inside out.
WICKET! Smith c&b Maharaj 104 (Australia 356-3)
That should rank among the many most sudden dismissals in Test historical past. Shortly after finishing his ton, deep right into a 200+ partnership, going through a bowler with out a wicket all collection, Smith virtually yorks himself and chips an innocuous supply straight again to Maharaj.
100 to Steve Smith!
109th over: Australia 356-2 (Khawaja 152, Smith 104) Steve Smith now has 30 Test centuries (another than Don Bradman). He additionally has 8646 Test runs (three greater than Michael Clarke). His common stands at 61.33 after 92 matches. He is an outstanding cricketer who has earned his place among the many all-time greats.
150 to Usman Khawaja!
108th over: Australia 351-2 (Khawaja 152, Smith 99) Maharaj’s light throwdowns enable Smith to creep to 99, the partnership to cross 200, and Khawaja to lift his bat for the third time this innings. Super knock from Australia’s opener, extending his good 2022 kind, and persevering with his dominance on the SCG.
107th over: Australia 342-2 (Khawaja 147, Smith 95) Nortje bends his again, Australia nudge three runs.
106th over: Australia 339-2 (Khawaja 145, Smith 94) Maharaj milked for 3.
one hundred and fifth over: Australia 336-2 (Khawaja 144, Smith 92) Nortje replaces Harmer, Khawaja cuts for a pair.
104th over: Australia 334-2 (Khawaja 142, Smith 92) Smith dabs again a Maharaj maiden.
103rd over: Australia 334-2 (Khawaja 142, Smith 92) Jonty Rhodes describes what he sees as Australia having fun with an elongated internet session and South Africa going by means of the motions. Hard to see that altering any time quickly. Hopefully Australia go the tonk after tea with a view to declaring round an hour from the shut. The forecast for tomorrow is moist, so they may not have a heap of time to bowl the Proteas out twice.
102nd over: Australia 332-2 (Khawaja 141, Smith 91) More Maharaj meh.
Jonathan Howcroft
Thanks Geoff. Looking ahead to the useless parrot shift whereas Australia pile on runs.
This collection has handed on. This contest isn’t any extra. It has ceased to be. It has expired and gone to satisfy its maker. This match is a stiff. Bereft of life. It rests in peace. It’s kicked the bucket. It’s shuffled off its mortal coil, run down the curtain and joined the bleedin’ choir invisible. This is an ex-Test… and so on and so on
Geoff Lemon
one hundred and first over: Australia 329-2 (Khawaja 139, Smith 90) Still some bounce for Harmer, and a few flip. Just can’t get Smith to do something that Smith doesn’t wish to do anymore.
One run from it, that’s drinks, and JP Howcroft is in subsequent.
a hundredth over: Australia 328-2 (Khawaja 138, Smith 90) And 100 overs up. Keshav Maharaj again together with his left-arm tweak to have a good time the milestone. A few singles, the partnership pushes in the direction of 200.
99th over: Australia 326-2 (Khawaja 137, Smith 89) Harmer retains the cap on, only a single for Smith down the bottom.
98th over: Australia 325-2 (Khawaja 137, Smith 88) A a lot safer minimize shot from Khawaja this time, putting it down into the turf for 4. Followed up instantly with an out of doors edge for 4 extra. Rabada hates this tour a lot. He loathes it. He detests it. Fair sufficient. How about one other boundary, off one other edge? Because that’s what occurs: down into the bottom, 4.
97th over: Australia 311-2 (Khawaja 124, Smith 87) Harmer continues this lengthy spell with the brand new ball. I can see the logic of giving a spinner a few overs to see if one thing occurs, however can’t work out why Harmer wasn’t bowling a lot earlier and Nortje now. Harmer bowling tightly a minimum of.
96th over: Australia 309-2 (Khawaja 123, Smith 86) Oh no! Dropped! Or not even, missed totally! Rabada bowls width, Khawaja laces a minimize shot within the air, and Nortje at level doesn’t see it. Can’t decide it up amongst the pink mottled crowd background, maybe. It passes by his left shin as he tries to get a hand down however he solely has a imprecise sense of the place it could be. You can’t fault Nortje’s effort on this collection however he’s the one to let an opportunity go. Perhaps he was busy questioning why he hasn’t had the brand new ball.
ninety fifth over: Australia 304-2 (Khawaja 119, Smith 85) The lull continues, Harmer freely giving only one from the over. No troubles for Khawaja in defence although. Tries a few minimize photographs, doesn’t beat the sphere.
94th over: Australia 303-2 (Khawaja 119, Smith 84) Rabada not conceding many, however you get the sensation they’re simply ready him out. Bowls an honest bumper to Khawaja, who geese it.
93rd over: Australia 302-2 (Khawaja 119, Smith 83) That profession common is again over 61 and climbing for Smith. The 300 up. Harmer 0 for 55 off 17.
92nd over: Australia 298-2 (Khawaja 117, Smith 82) Rabada again for an additional trot. Trouble with the entrance line once more, one other no ball.
91st over: Australia 297-2 (Khawaja 117, Smith 81) Ben Jones of CricViz mentions in passing that this complete innings has the bottom false shot share on document. That’s solely since 2006, however nonetheless. The highest proportion of photographs middled. Quite the stat. Harmer a minimum of manages an over to Khawaja with out a run.
ninetieth over: Australia 297-2 (Khawaja 117, Smith 81) Jansen making an attempt a line over the wicket to the right-hander, seeing if he can get the ball swinging in to Smith, or angling throughout to slide. He makes Smith play on the first 4, defending, however overpitches the fifth and will get pushed for 4. Smith can’t be stopped.
89th over: Australia 293-2 (Khawaja 117, Smith 77) Harmer nonetheless getting some flip with the newer ball. Keeps Khawaja at residence in that over except for a sq. push for two.
88th over: Australia 291-2 (Khawaja 115, Smith 77) Just sometimes, there’s a bit of little bit of motion off the floor. Jansen will get some to go previous Khawaja’s bat. But these deliveries aren’t producing wickets.
87th over: Australia 290-2 (Khawaja 114, Smith 77) Every Australian within the prime seven bar Green has made a century this summer season, and as a crew they’ve been bowled out as soon as, in Brisbane. Three extra runs for Khawaja reducing Harmer, singles as nicely. The new ball hasn’t helped South Africa but.
No marvel it seems like we’ve spent the summer season watching Australians bat. This stat is as of the lunch break:
If we miss the very bowler-friendly Gabba Test apart, Australia at this level have scored 2331 runs for the lack of 29 wickets this summer season, averaging 80.37 per wicket #AusvSA
— Bharat Sundaresan (@beastieboy07) January 5, 2023
86th over: Australia 284-2 (Khawaja 110, Smith 75) Jansen from the Randwick finish, a slip and a gully the one cordon members for the brand new ball. Two within the deep on the hook. Point, cowl, mid off, mid on, midwicket. They’re discovering singles within the gaps on the leg aspect simply sufficient.
eighty fifth over: Australia 281-2 (Khawaja 109, Smith 73) Sandwiches down, and Smith is in a rush! Harmer darts by means of a quick off-break however Smith is charging anyway, to the pitch, and sends it hovering over further cowl! Whoosh. Advances once more, hits the midwicket hole for two, then drives a single. This has been an uncharacteristically aggressive innings for Smith. Harmer retains his cool and finds his size towards Khawaja.
84th over: Australia 272-2 (Khawaja 109, Smith 64) Jansen to take up the cudgels after lunch. Goes up for an enchantment after beating the sting, then will get smashed by means of the covers. The lifetime of a bowler. Smith proceeds.
Believe it or not, we’ve had some sunshine over the lunch break. It’s fairly heat wandering round exterior. Humid and sweaty.
Lunch – Australia 266 for two
Nortje will get to relaxation up after which have one other burst with a brand new ball after lunch. But that was Australia’s session by a mile. An extended session, two and a half hours, and so they haven’t misplaced a wicket. The partnership is 119. Khawaja is beaming with one other Sydney hundred, Smith bought previous a twitchy begin to put up nearly his Test common, and so they have an extended whereas left forward of them. South Africa want some magic after the break.
83rd over: Australia 266-2 (Khawaja 108, Smith 59) Two false photographs with the minimize within the earlier over, however third time’s the attraction for Smith. Smokes Nortje to the backward level fence. So Nortje bowls straighter and hits Smith! In the abdomen or the decrease ribs, as he misses a pull. “Oh, there it is again!” yells Smith to himself. That harm. An overstep from Nortje as nicely, by a fraction. No ball. Goes again to his off-stump line and attracts a back-foot defence, then a go away.
82nd over: Australia 261-2 (Khawaja 108, Smith 55) Marco Jansen has the brand new ball! This may very well be enjoyable. The swing and bounce that he can get. And it’s a great first over, that bounce making it very powerful for Khawaja. No runs from it, and a pair that hop nastily on the gloves.
81st over: Australia 261-2 (Khawaja 108, Smith 55) The quickest man on the sphere has the brand new ball, and he does get bounce. Beats Smith on the minimize shot, bounce and a few lateral motion, which we’ve seen little or no of. Movement once more when Nortje finds the off-stump channel. No run from the over.
eightieth over: Australia 261-2 (Khawaja 108, Smith 55) And the eightieth ticks by, two singles from Maharaj. A deep breath, the brand new ball and Nortje are subsequent.
79th over: Australia 259-2 (Khawaja 107, Smith 54) Harmer working by means of his twelfth over, a few runs from it, each groups in a holding sample.
78th over: Australia 257-2 (Khawaja 106, Smith 53) Maharaj comes again for Rabada, and the runs maintain coming. Two and one for Smith, a pair on a tough sweep for Khawaja, then 4 with a minimize shot. Nine from the over, Maharaj is being rinsed. Lunch is developing in quarter-hour. Two overs till the brand new ball. The partnership is 110!
Half century! Steve Smith 50 from 95 balls
77th over: Australia 248-2 (Khawaja 100, Smith 50) Smith again to his work towards Harmer, who’s now coming across the wicket to the right-hander, making an attempt to straighten the ball down the road. Another milestone, and good spherical numbers for Australia, as Smith will get two to midwicket, then a run behind sq..
Century! Usman Khawaja 100 from 207 balls
76th over: Australia 245-2 (Khawaja 100, Smith 47) Shot from Khawaja! Leans again and steers Rabada by means of gully, off the total face whereas utilizing the angle, to get inside touching distance. Then pulls the subsequent ball and shouts “Yes!” for the second right away. Turns and rushes again, a decent second run to deep backward however he has it. Three tons in his final three innings on this floor, after two within the Ashes Test final yr. He has a bit of dance after which pumps each fists on the crowd. Well performed.
seventy fifth over: Australia 239-2 (Khawaja 94, Smith 47) Harmer has Smith tentative for a few deliveries, hovering on the entrance foot, after which Smith has had sufficient. Wants to place stress again on. Gets down low to comb a great ball off his stumps behind backward sq. for 4, then will get a poor ball in response, too quick and straightforward to drag away. Again a few boundaries in an over for Smith, who’s charging alongside.
73rd over: Australia 229-2 (Khawaja 93, Smith 38) Harmer to Khawaja, who retains his cool for 4 balls after which knocks one into the covers. He’s been in no rush all day, performed the odd large shot when he has felt prefer it, sailed on serenely in any other case.
74th over: Australia 231-2 (Khawaja 94, Smith 39) Two singles from the Rabada over.
72nd over: Australia 228-2 (Khawaja 92, Smith 38) Maharaj has now been dragged, unsurprisingly. Rabada returns. New ball due in 9 overs, so this isn’t what South Africa would have deliberate. He begins with an overstep, no-ball referred to as. Then quick, pulled by Khawaja for one. Ditto for Smith, boundary rider again at sq. leg. That’s one other no-ball. Khawaja defends, then glanced one. Smith forces off the again foot for two. Runs flowing, seven from that over.
71st over: Australia 221-2 (Khawaja 90, Smith 35) Khawaja into the 90s with a single. Trying various things is Harmer, firing one by means of at 94 kph to attempt to shock Smith and hit him on the pads. Smith is the same as it.
seventieth over: Australia 220-2 (Khawaja 89, Smith 35) Whack goes Smith! Off the spinner this time, Maharaj going for his second six of the innings as Smith leans again and heaves over midwicket. Then fees the subsequent ball and flicks it for 4! Airborne once more, extra elegant in execution, bouncing contained in the rope. Another couple of runs glanced to effective leg. A dozen off the over.
69th over: Australia 208-2 (Khawaja 89, Smith 23) Harmer to Khawaja, provides it flight, shifts his tempo from 85 kph to 89, retaining him guessing. Strays in line permitting Khawaja a single to backward sq. leg. Lots of loop to Smith, who drives one.
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