Proteas squander strong start against Australia on Day 1 at Newlands

The Proteas ended their first innings in the third Test against Australia at Newlands on 329, a total that IOL columnist John Goliath describes as a solid base on paper but one that should have been much bigger.

Goliath wrote that South Africa had the visitors on the back foot on Day 1, only to hand the initiative back through a series of loose shots. He called it part of a frustrating pattern in the series, where established batters throw away their wickets just as they are on top.

A flying start, then the wickets fell

Australia captain Pat Cummins chose to bowl first, a decision Goliath said looked like a major mistake as the Proteas raced along at more than five runs an over before lunch. Openers Marques Ackerman and Aiden Markram led the charge, although the columnist noted some streaky shots and a bit of luck.

Both openers fell with big hundreds available, according to the column:

• Ackerman stepped down the pitch to Nathan Lyon and was stumped five runs short of a maiden Test century. It was only his second Test.
• Markram was dropped by Travis Head after trying to hit Mitchell Starc over cover, then was caught by Starc on the boundary while attempting a hook. Goliath noted that Markram’s Test average is 35.65.
• David Bedingham made a well-crafted 50 but gave his wicket away to a short ball from Starc.
• Temba Bavuma misjudged Lyon’s flight and was out for a duck.

Goliath also questioned the form of Wiaan Mulder, whose shot selection he described as poor since his triple century in Zimbabwe.

Jansen and Rickelton steady the innings

After Bavuma’s dismissal the middle order crumbled quickly, until Marco Jansen and Ryan Rickelton mounted a counter-attacking recovery. Goliath said this fits a theme from the Proteas’ run to the World Test Championship final, where one batter chipped in after early trouble and the bowlers then did the rest.

The columnist argued it is unfair to expect Bavuma to carry the run-scoring burden every time, saying a top six cannot function when senior batters keep wasting good starts. In his view, reaching 40, 50 or 70 is only the entry fee.

What it means for the rest of the Test

Goliath estimated that the Proteas left between 100 and 200 runs on the table, which he said lets Australia off the hook and puts extra pressure on the bowling attack. The piece is an opinion column, so these are the writer’s views rather than match statistics. The Proteas’ bowlers now have the task of defending a total that, by that assessment, could have been far more commanding.

This story is based on reporting by IOL.