Renshaw 190 Leaves Australia 363 Ahead At Durban Stumps

Matt Renshaw made a career-best 190 at Kingsmead on Saturday, carrying Australia to 390 all out. Bad light then closed the second day of the Durban Test with South Africa 27 for 1. Australia lead by 363. They had resumed the morning on 187 for 6, with Renshaw still there, and he was caught at slip two deliveries after tea.

South Africa had the better of the morning. Australia were 277 for 8 at lunch, according to ABC News, two down in the session. Wiaan Mulder finished with 4 for 68. Anrich Nortje, back in a red-ball match for South Africa after three years out of the format, struck Renshaw on the helmet. Kagiso Rabada sat the game out. A hamstring problem kept him from the XI, and the hosts picked two spinners in the reshuffled attack.

Renshaw and Lyon add 134

Nathan Lyon came in with eight wickets down and made 27. The two of them put on 134. Reuters reported the stand as a record for the ninth wicket in Tests between Australia and South Africa, and the highest ninth-wicket partnership in any Test at Durban. Lyon went lbw to Marco Jansen. Mitchell Starc had been bowled by Mulder for 6, and Josh Hazlewood was 5 not out when Renshaw's dismissal closed the innings.

• Australia first innings: 390 all out, across 137 overs and five sessions
• Matt Renshaw 190, caught at slip two deliveries after tea
• Pat Cummins 43, in an 86-run seventh-wicket stand with Renshaw
• Nathan Lyon 27, lbw Marco Jansen, after 134 with Renshaw
• Mitchell Starc 6, bowled Wiaan Mulder
• Wiaan Mulder 4 for 68
• South Africa second innings: 27 for 1 in 8.4 overs at stumps

A nine-year gap between centuries

Renshaw's previous Test century came against Pakistan in January 2017. Nine years separate the two. According to Reuters he had made single-figure scores in 11 of his previous 13 Test innings before this one. The same count puts the 190 as the highest score by a number five batter in a Test at Kingsmead. He made his name as an opener. In Durban he batted at five.

South Africa's reply cut short

South Africa got 8.4 overs. Ryan Rickelton went for nought, caught at third slip by Beau Webster off Hazlewood. Aiden Markram and David Bedingham saw out the rest without further damage, on 15 and 12. Then the umpires took the players off with the light going and the board reading 27 for 1.

Light losses on both days at Kingsmead

Day one had finished early too, bad light and drizzle shutting it down on 187 for 6. Durban has surrendered overs twice in two days. In June the ICC Board approved a trial of the pink ball in Test cricket, subject to both participating teams agreeing. Anticipated poor light was the stated reason.

South Africa and Australia last met in the 2025 World Test Championship final, which South Africa won. This Test is the first of the current series and is scheduled to run to 13 October. Markram and Bedingham resume on Sunday, 363 adrift with nine wickets standing.