SA vs AUS, 1st Test, Day 4: South African speedster Anrich Nortje castled Australian opener Nic Maddinson comprehensively on Day 4 of the first Test at the Kingsmead in Durban.
The left-handed batter was unable to keep the thunderbolt from the tearaway pacer as the stumps were all over the place. A video of the same surfaced on social media on October 12, Monday.
SA vs AUS, 1st Test, Day 4: Anrich Nortje halts Nic Maddinson’s charge
The dismissal came in the 11th over of the innings as Proteas captain Temba Bavuma introduced Nortje to bowl for the first time in the second dig. The 32-year-old went around the wicket and targeted the base of the stumps. Maddinson’s feet was stoic and went nowhere due to which the ball breached through the defences comfortably and dismantled the stumps.
Maddinson, who made a 33-ball duck in the first innings, looked a lot more proactive in the second, playing his shots at will and getting boundaries. An extended stay from the southpaw could have cost South Africa more runs.
SA vs AUS, 1st Test, Day 4: Australia’s lead passes 250 as South Africa set for a stiff run-chase
Meanwhile, Australia’s current lead has passed 250, meaning the home side have a reasonably stiff fourth-innings chase on their hands. Travis Head was the first to depart, dismissed by Marco Jansen for 11, while Steve Smith was the latest to perish for 27. Smith, batting on 27, went for the big shot against Simon Harmer but holed out to Jansen at long-on as the lanky left-arm seamer took the catch at the second attempt. Marnus Labuschagne was the latest to perish as Keshav Maharaj got the better of him for 37, the same score he made in the first innings.
South Africa’s top-scorer was David Bedingham, who made 49 as Australia’s pace trio bowled well collectively. While Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood took two each, Pat Cummins was the pick of the bowlers with three scalps. Off-spinner Nathan Lyon was equally effective with a couple of important scalps. The hosts fought valiantly but still conceded a sizeable lead of 106. Notably, the highest run-chase at the Kingsmead is of 340.