LONDON:
Mitchell Starc starred with bat and ball to leave Australia well-placed in their World Test Championship final against South Africa at Lord’s on Friday.
The tailender made 58 not out in Australia’s second-innings total of 207 all out on the third day, to leave South Africa chasing 282 for victory in the London sunshine.
Starc then struck an early blow in his primary role when the left-arm fast bowler had Ryan Rickelton caught behind edging a wide yorker to leave South Africa 9-1.
He also removed Wiaan Mulder when the number three fell for 27 after his checked drive was caught low down at cover by Marnus Labuschagne to end a second-wicket partnership of 61.
Starc almost had a third wicket when South Africa captain Temba Bavuma, on two, got a thick edge only for Steve Smith, in a helmet at an advanced slip position, to drop a fast-travelling catch and leave the field with a finger injury.
South Africa, 76-2 when the chance went down, were 94-2 at tea, still 188 runs shy of their target. Aiden Markram was 49 not out and Bavuma, hobbling after on-field treatment for a longstanding hamstring problem, unbeaten on 11.
Starc had previously made South Africa pay for a dropped catch with a vital fifty.
When Australia resumed their second innings on Friday on 144-8, already 218 runs ahead, it looked as if the match might finish inside three days.
South Africa enjoyed an early breakthrough when Kagiso Rabada had Nathan Lyon plumb lbw to leave Pat Cummins’ men 148-9.
But tailender Starc, dropped in the gully on 14 by Marco Jansen late on the second day, kept the Proteas at bay, ably assisted by Josh Hazlewood on an increasingly flat pitch.
With any early moisture in the surface long gone, conditions for batting were now as good as at any time in the match.
Starc completed the 11th fifty of his 97-Test career when he slashed towering left-arm quick Jansen over the cordon for his fourth four in 131 balls faced.
Part-time spinner Markram eventually succeeded where the frontline bowlers had failed when Hazlewood tried to slap a dragged-down delivery over cover, only for his mistimed shot to be caught at cover to end a 59-run partnership for the last wicket.
Paceman Rabada took 4-59 to finish with nine wickets in the match.
The scale of the task confronting South Africa is stark.
If they win they will have achieved the second-highest victorious run-chase in a Test at Lord’s, just above the 281 England needed to beat New Zealand in 2004.
While Australia are serial winners of major cricket titles, the only piece of International Cricket Council silverware South Africa have to their credit is the 1998 ICC Knockout, a forerunner of the Champions Trophy.
Bowler-dominated WTC final a ‘good Test’: Cummins
Australia captain Pat Cummins said the World Test Championship final against South Africa was a good advertisement for Test cricket despite hurtling towards a likely finish within three days.
An astounding 28 wickets fell across the first two days at Lord’s.
“It’s set up pretty well,” Cummins told reporters. “The mood in the changing room is pretty positive. It was a great partnership and a good way to end the day.”
Asked whether the bowlers’ dominance detracted from the occasion of a championship final, Cummins replied: “After two days it’s pretty close to 50-50.
“It’s a pretty good Test match. Some blokes have got themselves in and looked comfortable out there, but a lot of other guys haven’t.”
Cummins said the rapid progress of the match was down to a combination of a tricky pitch and good bowling. “Both teams have bowled really well, really disciplined,” he said. “There haven’t been many half-volleys.”
The 32-year-old, appearing in his 68th Test, added: “The trend of the game is that the runs are coming down. It’s still pretty difficult out there, but we will have to bowl well tomorrow (Friday).”
