Renshaw steers Australia close to first Test win in Durban
Matt Renshaw’s batting on the fourth day of the first Test in Durban left South Africa under pressure as Australia moved within sight of a first-Test victory on day four. Renshaw scored 190 and 82 as Australia set South Africa 421 to win and then reduced the hosts to 102 for four by stumps.
Renshaw’s return to the Test side had begun with a single innings in which he edged to slip for eight, before his role changed to batting at No.5 after he travelled to South Africa. Over the first two days he compiled an innings of 190 to rescue Australia, and on the fourth day he top-scored again with 82 as Australia declared. The declaration, made with Australia at 316 for six, left South Africa needing 421 and Australia had taken four wickets for 102 by the close.
The contrast between Renshaw’s two knocks was stark: his first innings was patient and conservative, with minimal risk, while his second was markedly more aggressive. In the fourth-day innings he regularly swept and reverse-swept, shaping those shots to confound the wicketkeeper and slip; Kyle Verreynne allowed four byes, and Aiden Markram’s movement across at slip created a gap Renshaw exploited. Renshaw’s second-innings strike rate of 82 compared to 47 in the first underlined the change in approach, and his match total of 272 runs left him three behind Phillip Hughes, eight behind David Warner and 27 short of Donald Bradman’s 299 not out.
While Renshaw began carting South Africa’s spinners for sixes and looked poised for twin centuries, his innings ended in an unusual fashion. Keshav Maharaj fumbled the ball “half a dozen times” and accidentally bounced it off his own head before holding a return catch while lying prone on the pitch.
Nic Maddinson also reversed his fortunes between innings, following a first-innings duck with 48 from 38 balls in the second. Having made 17 not out the previous evening, Maddinson continued in an attacking mode despite Travis Head being caught off a leading edge for 11; Maddinson produced three boundaries through the cordon, a middle to cover and a straight six off Simon Harmer, before he missed a yorker from Anrich Nortje as the low full toss arrived at pace.
Other contributions kept Australian momentum: David Warner’s teammate Steven Smith was struck on the helmet by Nortje before scoring 27, holing out down the ground after attempting to hit Harmer over Marco Jansen twice in one over. Marnus Labuschagne made 37 from 58 balls, driving a flighted Maharaj delivery to cover for Temba Bavuma’s second catch, and Nortje later had Alex Carey edge a drive into his stumps for 24. By the time Carey fell the Australian lead was 311; Renshaw pushed it to 376 before Beau Webster added five fours and Pat Cummins struck four sixes, the captain finishing with 32 from 12 balls.
Australia declared just before the tea break, and early South African resistance on day four came from David Bedingham and Aiden Markram after Josh Hazlewood dismissed Ryan Rickelton for two via an edged pull to the keeper. Bedingham added a stand with Markram but was trapped leg before by Hazlewood for 46. Late in the day Cummins handed Renshaw a bowl and Renshaw took the wicket of Temba Bavuma, and Cummins then had Tristan Stubbs nick a drive to Alex Carey.
At stumps South Africa required 319 more runs to win, with Aiden Markram on 45 the principal remaining obstacle to an Australian series lead on the final day; surviving as much of the fifth day as bad light will allow was presented as the more realistic aim for the hosts. The sight of Renshaw lifting Labuschagne in celebration after Labuschagne’s first Test wicket was noted, and Renshaw’s returns across the match left Australia in a position to press for victory on the final day.