1st over: Australia 5-0 (Renshaw 5, Head 0) Lovely bounce and carry from Rabada with the new ball. Two left-handers for him to aim at. The sun is shining again, the sky brilliantly blue, it looks a lovely day on the Cape. You’d best believe the mountain is hulking over the shoulder of the ground like a suspicious bouncer. Rabada doesn’t use the bouncer himself, comes around the wicket after a few balls but bowls a low full toss, and Renshaw with placement rather than effort deflects his square drive behind point for four, then takes one.
It’s Kagiso Rabada firing up the engines! Renshaw in his sights. This is good stuff.
We’re about to start play in Cape Town, so let’s have at it.
Meanwhile, Cricket Australia’s AGM has been the forum for them to announce a big annual profit, which they’re also using to further argue that they should privatise part of their operation because they need the money. Funny how their answer to every scenario is the same one.
While we’re on the subject of former England bowlers, always worth considering the one who probably still believes, in his heart of hearts, that he should still be a current England bowler – and perhaps he’s right. James Anderson, bless him, still kicking, via Emma John.
Our reader Rowan Sweeney suggested posting this article, purely as an exercise in underlining that Chris Woakes is a solid human being. I’ll do that because those of us working at this joint think the same of Ali Martin.
Here’s our match report from yesterday.
For those pondering why that batting sequence would be questionable, consider this.
Travis Head: lots of runs as opener in his second innings of matches, bugger all the first time he bats.
Matt Renshaw: was supposed to be the opener, then got bumped to five, made a ton first Test, had a poor second Test, and now has been moved back up top.
Marnus Labuschagne: playing for his spot, no hundreds in three years, keeps making 30s on this tour and then getting out.
Josh Inglis: is not Steve Smith, who is out with a stiff neck.
Cameron Green: coming back in after an injury layoff, still trying to prove himself as the genuine article with the bat at this level.
Alex Carey: mostly poor run since moving to six, averaging 20 in his last seven Tests.
Cooper Connolly: spare-change pick to have him batting at seven, in the squad as a future talent, never made a first-class ton.
Preamble
Hello, friends. You’re back. Why wouldn’t you be? Day one of this third Test in Cape Town was a barnstormer. How often do you see a team sent in, none for a hundred at lunch, and all out by stumps? It twisted, it turned, it rocked, it rolled, and it had Double Richard umpiring duties in the middle for Dick Kettleborough’s 100th Test. We can at least guarantee the continuation of the umpiring part, barring any more illness absences like the one that took out Chris Gaffaney in the previous match.
Australia ended the day happier, after Mitch Starc’s absurd ending burst of 6 for 10, and South Africa started it happier, after Aiden Markram and Marques Ackerman flayed everything in the first session. Now everyone will have had a night’s sleep to calm down, and then it will be time to see whether Australia’s heavily rejigged batting lineup can put anything reasonable together.
