Matt Renshaw’s 190 propels Australia to 390, leaves South Africa 27-1 in Durban

Matt Renshaw scored 190 for Australia against South Africa in the first Test in Durban on 10 October 2026, helping his side reach 390 and leaving South Africa 27 for one at stumps during the second day.

Nic Maddinson was chosen to open, which pushed Matthew Renshaw down to number five; the Queenslander, after 10 years on the periphery, produced his first Test century for nine years — his second Test century overall — batting through two extended sessions before becoming last man out just after tea.

Renshaw combined patient defence with keeping the scoreboard ticking, taking singles and punishing the occasional poor delivery, a strategy aided by an often passive approach to fielding despite tough spells from Marco Jansen and Anrich Nortje.

Australia resumed after 65 overs and South Africa produced a morning burst with the old ball, then a short rest before the new one; Pat Cummins extended the previous day’s partnership to 86 before being out for 43 when he poked the old ball to slip eight overs into the morning, and with the slightest bit of inswing from the new ball Wiaan Mulder bowled Mitchell Starc, the ball pitching on leg stump then seaming away to take middle and off.

At 230 for eight, South Africa appeared poised for a quick finish, but Temba Bavuma spread the field for Renshaw, who defended or added a few runs early in each over while Nathan Lyon kept what strike remained; Lyon did not score for 16 overs either side of lunch, facing 24 balls, and when Renshaw momentarily failed to farm the strike Anrich Nortje returned to target Lyon, who flicked him for four.

Lyon had never been part of a century stand before and no cricketer had played more Tests than his 144 before achieving that feat; when Jansen ended the partnership with a fierce yorker that struck Lyon in the foot the stand measured 134, Australia’s second-highest for the ninth wicket, with Lyon 27 from 92 balls and Renshaw up to 169.

Renshaw then went up a gear, uppercutting Nortje for six and pulling for four, with Josh Hazlewood helping him through a monster session and ending up at two hours and 45 minutes after one extension to make up lost overs and a second one for being nine wickets down; Renshaw fell two balls after the resumption, driving the off-spinner Simon Harmer to slip. It set records for Durban: the highest score by an Australian, past the Phil Hughes 160 that is part of folklore; and the highest score by any batter at five or below, past the 2019 Kusal Perera epic that was Ben Stokes at Headingley before Ben Stokes went to Headingley. Australia bowled fewer than nine overs in the last session before bad light once again stopped play, although that was enough time for Hazlewood to have Ryan Rickelton edge a drive to slip from a ball that was not full enough, and South Africa will start the third day 363 runs behind.

Treated as a prodigy at 20 and discarded at 21, Renshaw has loitered on the sidelines with occasional nibbles at a Test return; now he will get a proper second chance and his century celebration was chiefly a smile of vast relief. At nine years and 280 days, the only Australians to have waited longer between hundreds are Bob Simpson and Warren Bardsley. The batting shuffle between number five and opening continues — Usman Khawaja went from five to the top, then Travis Head replaced him — and Renshaw, who was shunted from opening to five, may have to move again to accommodate Cam Green, who was the most convincing batter in Australia’s previous series but is injured. That will be next week’s problem. Renshaw is this week’s solution.