South Africa’s Pacers Share Six Wickets As Australia End Day One At 187/6

South Africa’s fast bowlers shared six wickets to restrict Australia to 187/6 on the opening day of the first Test at Kingsmead in Durban on Friday. Bad light and rain forced an early end to play.

Despite the absence of pace spearhead Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje, Wiaan Mulder and Marco Jansen exploited the early movement and bounce on a pitch with a hint of grass.

Australia elected to bat but lost Travis Head for nine before Jansen dismissed Nic Maddinson for a duck, leaving the visitors at 24/2.

Marnus Labuschagne scored 37, while Steve Smith made 25 as the pair added 60 runs for the third wicket from 94 balls. Smith struck two sixes off spinner Keshav Maharaj before Jansen dismissed him after lunch.

Labuschagne’s run of 11 consecutive innings without a half-century continued when Mulder trapped him leg-before-wicket with a sharp delivery.

Nortje, returning to Test cricket after three years, then removed Alex Carey for 14 and Beau Webster for four in the same over. Australia slipped to 124/6.

Matt Renshaw remained unbeaten on 46, while captain Pat Cummins contributed an unbeaten 33. Their patient seventh-wicket partnership yielded 63 runs from 140 balls, helping Australia recover under overcast skies and floodlights.

Rain and poor light cut the final session short by an hour, with 65.2 overs completed. Jansen, Mulder and Nortje claimed two wickets each, while off-spinner Simon Harmer returned economical figures of 0/34 from 14 overs.

Play will resume early on Saturday, with Australia looking to build on their late recovery.

Brief Scores

Australia 187/6 in 65.2 overs (Matt Renshaw 46 not out, Marnus Labuschagne 37; Wiaan Mulder 2/31, Marco Jansen 2/35) against South Africa.

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