INTERNATIONAL NEWS - Australia’s pace attack tore through South Africa’s top-order to leave the visitors on 78-4 at lunch on the first day of the first test at the Waca in Perth on Thursday.
Josh Hazlewood (2-26), Peter Siddle (1-13) and left-armer Mitchell Starc (1-27) all played their part as they reduced South Africa to 32-4 inside 13 overs.
Faf du Plessis (37 not out) and Temba Bavuma (17 not out) then shared in an unbroken fifth-wicket stand of 45 to stop the rot.
But the morning belonged to Australia’s quicks after South Africa won the toss and elect to bat with Keshav Maharaj named to play his debut test.
Stephen Cook (0) was out in the first over when he was squared up by a Starc delivery to send a thick outside edge flying towards gully with Mitchell Marsh taking a fine catch, diving to his left.
Hazlewood then struck as Hashim Amla (0) was forced to play at a delivery outside his off stump to a delivery that left him off the pitch to send an outside edge to Steve Smith at second slip.
Dean Elgar (12) was the next man to depart when he tried to pull out of playing at a Hazlewood delivery only to feather an inside edge through to keeper Peter Nevill.
Siddle then took centre stage and he had JP Duminy (11) also caught behind off an inside edge although Duminy reviewed the decision but replays showed the inside edge before the ball clipped off Duminy’s back leg.
Faf du Plessis (37 not out) and Temba Bavuma (17 not out) then shared in an unbroken fifth-wicket stand of 45 to stop the rot.
But the morning belonged to Australia’s quicks after South Africa won the toss and elect to bat with Keshav Maharaj named to play his debut test.
Stephen Cook (0) was out in the first over when he was squared up by a Starc delivery to send a thick outside edge flying towards gully with Mitchell Marsh taking a fine catch, diving to his left.
Hazlewood then struck as Hashim Amla (0) was forced to play at a delivery outside his off stump to a delivery that left him off the pitch to send an outside edge to Steve Smith at second slip.
Dean Elgar (12) was the next man to depart when he tried to pull out of playing at a Hazlewood delivery only to feather an inside edge through to keeper Peter Nevill.
Siddle then took centre stage and he had JP Duminy (11) also caught behind off an inside edge although Duminy reviewed the decision but replays showed the inside edge before the ball clipped off Duminy’s back leg.
