Lyon bowls Bavuma late and Australia tightens grip against South Africa in cricket series decider

CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) — Nathan Lyon spun out Temba Bavuma five minutes before stumps to underline a big day for Australia against South Africa in their series-deciding third cricket test on Thursday.

Bavuma’s dismissal left South Africa 140-4 in its second innings at stumps on day three at Newlands, but effectively 40-4.

Australia built a 100-run first-innings lead by the time it collapsed all out for 429 about midway through the afternoon.

South Africa lost three wickets before it overturned the deficit and that appeared to be all the damage it allowed to Australia seamers Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood as stumps approached.

Captain Bavuma and Matthew Breetzke effectively blunted Lyon, who was finding sharp turn, and survived close chances against Pat Cummins to be on the brink of holding out to the day’s end.

But like teammates Aiden Markram and David Bedingham, Bavuma was out softly. He tried to swat Lyon to the leg side, missed, and was bowled between bat and pad, ending a previously careful 115-ball stay on 35. Lyon has dismissed Bavuma seven times and both times in this match.

At stumps, Breetze was on 19 with Ryan Rickelton on 8.

Starc had 2-29 and eight wickets in the match. He struck in the third over of South Africa’s reply when Markram pushed a delivery straight to mid-off. Travis Head didn’t make a mistake this time — he dropped Markram early in the first innings.

Bedingham was next to go just before tea, top-edging a pull at Hazlewood and giving Lyon a catch in the deep.

Marques Ackerman and Bavuma steadied the innings around the interval. Ackerman, who scored 95 in the first innings, reached a second fifty in the game off 64 balls. Overall, he hit eight fours.

He led a rousing fightback with 62 runs from 80 balls but perished at 95-3 when a Starc bouncer flew flush off his helmet grill to slip.

The test hung in the balance with the pitch expected to be harder to bat on when Australia gets its second chance.

Inglis ton before Australia collapse

Australia began the day on 330-4 but was all out for 429, losing the last six wickets for 99 runs.

Both set overnight batters were removed by spinner Simon Harmer in the first hour of the third morning.

Josh Inglis completed his second test hundred off 132 balls, starting from 85 not out overnight. Both of his test hundreds have come overseas — he also scored 102 in Sri Lanka on debut last year.

Overall, Inglis hit 11 fours and two sixes, before he fell shortly after, caught off Harmer to end the 185-run stand with Alex Carey for the fifth wicket.

The duo helped Australia past 350 and Carey scored 80 off 168 balls including seven fours. He was out caught at slip off Harmer.

Cummins was out lbw to Kagiso Rabada for a six-ball duck, while Starc was caught behind off Gerald Coetzee and Australia was 411-8 at lunch.

Australia collapsed from 370-4 to 380-7 in five overs, but managed to cross 400 before Starc’s dismissal.

Post lunch, they added only another 29 runs with Cooper Connolly scoring 29 off 83 balls with three fours.

Harmer finished with 4-104. Marco Jansen took 3-60.

The three-test series is pegged at 1-1. Australia won the first test in Durban by 214 runs. South African won the second test in Gqeberha by an innings and 31 runs.

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