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Proteas beat Australia by an innings and 31 runs

Published

South Africa won the second Test against Australia at St George's Park in Gqeberha on Thursday, levelling the three-match series 1-1. Rabada and Mulder cleaned up the Australian lower order on day five of a rain-hit match.

Temba Bavuma scored a career-best 179 in South Africa's only innings, and the Proteas declared on 425-9. Simon Harmer made 82 and Marco Jansen made 85. Bavuma and Harmer added 183 for the eighth wicket, which the match report called a South African record for that wicket.

Australia then fell for 99 in their first innings, and Jansen took 5-33. South Africa enforced the follow-on. Australia made 295 in their second innings.

Travis Head top-scored in that innings with 121 off 190 balls, his 13th Test century. Kagiso Rabada took 4-77 and Wiaan Mulder took 3-64 in the second innings. Scott Boland faced 166 balls for his 40 runs.

Rain cut play badly: only 43 overs were possible over the first two days, from an expected 180. Bavuma said: "They made us work hard for those six wickets, and obviously everyone is happy."

Key facts

Who
Marco Jansen (South Africa batter, unbeaten 72 off 71 balls); Temba Bavuma (South Africa captain and batter, unbeaten 76 off 189 balls); Wiaan Mulder (South Africa batter, dismissed for 13); Mitchell Starc (Australia bowler who took the breakthrough)
What
Marco Jansen scored an unbeaten 72 and Temba Bavuma an unbeaten 76 to rescue the Proteas from 110/6 in the morning session of day three of the second test against Australia in Gqeberha; the pair added an unbeaten 106-run stand.
When
20 October 2026
Where
St George's Park, Gqeberha, Cape Town
Status
Under way

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