Ken Borland

Australia won the first Test against the Proteas by six wickets on Sunday on a Gabba pitch that was as much of a minefield for batsmen as South Africa’s potholed roads are for cars.

Australia were left with a target of just 34 after yet another Proteas batting collapse saw them shot out for just 99 in 37.4 overs in their second innings on Sunday.

But the vicious nature of the green, seaming Gabba pitch meant even the powerful home batting line-up had a tough time and Australia lost four wickets in getting to their meagre target.

Kagiso Rabada took all four wickets to fall as he reduced Australia to 24 for four. Key batsman David Warner (3) failed to fix his batting woes as he was caught by a diving Sarel Erwee in the slips, and Rabada then had Steven Smith (6) and Travis Head (0) caught behind in the same over.

A spiteful pitch that offered considerable movement as well as inconsistent bounce, often steep, ruined the Test match, which was completed in 144.3 overs and less than two days. It is the second-shortest Test match since 1932, only India’s 10-wicket win over England in Ahmedabad in 2021 being shorter.

Nineteen of Australia’s 35 second-innings runs came from bouncers that cleared the wicketkeeper, as Rabada finished with four for 13 in four overs.

As difficult as the conditions were though, South Africa’s batting is clearly lacking in steel.

Having done well with the ball to bowl Australia out for 218 in their first innings in the early hours of Sunday morning and restrict their lead to 66, the Proteas folded again with the bat. Their second innings started five overs before lunch and South Africa were already in trouble by the break as they crashed to 3 for two, Dean Elgar being trapped lbw for 2 by Pat Cummins and Rassie van der Dussen being bowled for a duck by a snorter from Mitchell Starc, angling across the right-hander and then seaming back through the gate.

Sarel Erwee (3) was heading back to the changeroom three overs after lunch as Cameron Green took another superb catch in the gully, the left-handed Erwee not being able to withdraw his bat in time from a Cummins lifter.

From a parlous 5 for three, Temba Bavuma and Khaya Zondo did their best to rescue the South African innings as they added 42 for the fourth wicket. Despite the desperate situation, the pair tried to be positive and took whatever scoring chances they could.

The introduction of Nathan Lyon brought the breakthrough though as the off-spinner trapped Bavuma lbw, a big-turning delivery also keeping low to catch the batsman on the back foot. Bavuma had again batted stoutly, scoring 29.

Scott Boland’s accurate seam bowling, targeting the top of off-stump, then removed Kyle Verreynne and Marco Jansen for ducks in the next over as South Africa crashed to 49 for six.

Zondo stuck around to the end of the innings, scoring a defiant 36 not out, while Cummins ended with five for 42 in 12.4 overs.

South Africa had appeared to have bowled themselves back into the match when they reduced Australia from 181 for five to 218 all out.

The Proteas had actually started the day poorly with the ball, Australia resuming on 145 for five and adding 36 runs in the first six overs.

But left-armer Jansen then entered the attack and had Green (18) caught in the slips, Erwee snaffling a rebound, and, two balls later, had Travis Head caught behind.

Head had moved smoothly to 92 off 96 balls and his brilliant innings was as much of a hammer blow to the Proteas as the Australian bowling.

Rabada (17.3-1-76-4) then wrapped up the tail with the help of Lungi Ngidi, who took a superb return catch to dismiss Starc for 14.

South Africa would have been optimistic about fighting their way back into the match with the bat, but sports’ wonderful ability to provide drama once again came to the fore, helped by some soft moments by the Proteas batsmen.

South Africa were heading for a painful defeat on the second day of the first Test against Australia at the Gabba in Brisbane on Sunday as they were bundled out for just 99 in their second innings, leaving the home team with just 34 runs to get to go 1-0 up in the three-match series.

Having done well with the ball to bowl Australia out for 218 and restrict their lead to 66, the Proteas folded again with the bat as they staggered to 66 for seven at tea, all square but with just three wickets left in a second innings that started five overs before lunch.

And South Africa were already in trouble by lunch as they crashed to 3 for two, Dean Elgar being trapped lbw for 2 by Pat Cummins and Rassie van der Dussen being bowled for a duck by a snorter from Mitchell Starc, angling across the right-hander and then seaming back through the gate.

Sarel Erwee (3) was heading back to the changeroom three overs after lunch as Cameron Green took another superb catch in the gully, the left-handed Erwee not being able to withdraw his bat in time from a Cummins lifter.

From a parlous 5 for three, Temba Bavuma and Khaya Zondo did their best to rescue the South African innings as they added 42 for the fourth wicket. Despite the desperate situation, the pair tried to be positive and took whatever scoring chances they could.

The introduction of Nathan Lyon brought the breakthrough though as the off-spinner trapped Bavuma lbw, a big-turning delivery also keeping low to catch the batsman on the back foot. Bavuma had again batted stoutly, scoring 29.

Scott Boland’s accurate seam bowling, targeting the top of off-stump, then removed Kyle Verreynne and Marco Jansen for ducks in the next over as South Africa crashed to 49 for six.

Keshav Maharaj scored 16 before he was caught behind off another superb delivery from Starc in the penultimate over before tea.

Zondo stuck around to the end of the innings, scoring a defiant 36 not out, while Cummins ended with five for 42 in 12.4 overs.

South Africa had appeared to have bowled themselves back into the match when they reduced Australia from 181 for five to 218 all out.

The Proteas had actually started the day poorly with the ball, Australia resuming on 145 for five and adding 36 runs in the first six overs.

But left-armer Marco Jansen then entered the attack and had Green (18) caught in the slips, Erwee snaffling a rebound, and, two balls later, had Travis Head caught behind.

Head had moved smoothly to 92 off 96 balls and his brilliant innings was as much of a hammer blow to the Proteas as the Australian bowling.

Kagiso Rabada (17.3-1-76-4) then wrapped up the tail with the help of Lungi Ngidi, who took a superb return catch to dismiss Starc for 14.

South Africa would have been optimistic about fighting their way back into the match with the bat, but sports’ wonderful ability to provide drama once again came to the fore, helped by some soft moments by the Proteas batsmen.

by Mike Green

Casey Jarvis came so close to a maiden professional golf title last weekend as a final round of five-under-par 67 saw him fall one stroke short of forcing a playoff in the Challenge Tour’s Copenhagen Challenge presented by Ejner Hessel at Royal Golf Club in Copenhagen, Denmark.

Six birdies and a single, irritating bogey on the 13^th saw the 19-year-old South African sensation move to 11-under-par for the tournament. In the end, a birdie on the 18^th by Matteo Manassero took the experienced Italian to 12-under and a narrow victory which signalled his return to the youthful form which gave him his last victory 10 years ago.

But Jarvis has certainly served notice that he is going to make big waves in the professional ranks.

Together with the second-place cheque of over R580 000, Jarvis, already up inside the top 20 of the Challenge Tour’s Road to Mallorca rankings, climbed two places to 13^th as he edges closer to securing his DP World Tour playing privileges for next season through the route that promotes the top 20 players on the Challenge Tour. Of course, his form suggests he may also be able to win three times on the Challenge Tour to short-circuit that process and step directly on to the bigger stage.

Also of note for the ambitious Jarvis, there is now a route directly to the hugely-lucrative PGA Tour from the DP World Tour on which Jarvis can set his sights – perhaps from next season. The top 10 players on the DP World Tour not already exempt on to the U.S.-based circuit are able to take up their playing rights there too from the end of this season.

That may all prove to be moot, as Jarvis seems to have the ability and temperament to excel given the slightest opportunity, and, like Garrick Higgo before him, he may just be able to grasp the opening provided by a sponsor’s invitation into a tournament on one of the big tours – or a fortuitous place in a major championship – and find himself catapulted into the big-time with a strong performance.

Jarvis’ week in Denmark was characterised by eight bogeys and a double-bogey, counterbalanced by the 21 birdies he made. Those figures speak to the attacking nature of his play and to his never-say-die approach to tournament play.

Some of those bogeys will fall by the wayside as he gains more experience, and that will come at the same time as more birdies as he keeps attacking.

South African golf fans can sit back and look forward to the Jarvis ride that lies ahead.

A greener Gabba pitch than anyone could remember seeing before at Test level had the bowlers lining up like delivery vans outside an online store on Saturday, but Proteas top-scorer Kyle Verreynne said it was actually a good batting wicket in Brisbane on the first day of the first Test against Australia.

Sadly his colleagues did not enjoy the conditions as much as Verreynne, who scored a counter-attacking 64 off 96 balls, as only Temba Bavuma (38) made more than 10 as South Africa were bundled out for just 152.

Australia’s batsmen had problems too as they slipped to 27 for three, but Travis Head, with a tremendous run-a-ball 78 not out, and Steven Smith (36) took them to 145 for five at stumps.

While the pitch has provided seam movement, it has not been excessive and not even particularly consistent. But batsmen were also troubled by some inconsistent bounce and the sharp turn and bounce obtained by Australian spinner Nathan Lyon, who took three for 14 in eight overs.

“I think it’s a really good batting pitch to be honest,” Verreynne said, “and your normal game-plans are good on it. When you see it being so green, you expect the pitch to do so much.

“But it did a lot less than we thought it would. It’s not so soft even with such a thick grass layer, it’s quite firm and there is good pace and bounce.

“The aggressive approach worked for Travis Head and myself, but Steven Smith took his time and batted very nicely too,” Verreynne said.

It was the sort of pitch where being able to land the ball on the proverbial handkerchief on a good length would bring reward. The Proteas pacemen were initially able to do that, inspired by David Warner being dismissed on the first ball of the innings as Kagiso Rabada fired in a pinpoint short ball and Khaya Zondo took a phenomenal catch at short-leg. But as soon as the left-handed Head began shifting the momentum and putting the bowlers under pressure, the visitors’ attack turned ragged for a vital hour late in the day.

“After you’re bowled out for just 152, it’s difficult to get the energies up. So getting a wicket first ball was a massive moment, especially a big player like Warner,” wicketkeeper Verreynne said.

“That got the adrenaline going and our energy was really up for the next 10 overs or so. But unfortunately we fell away a bit after that.

“We’re probably still a bit behind in the game, but two late wickets did bring us back in a bit, they’ve given us a bit of a window. But it would have been nice to get a couple more wickets when we had them 27/3.

“After lunch, the pitch picked up a bit more pace and Anrich Nortje was getting it through nicely. Our fast bowlers definitely have a bit left in the tank and hopefully they can make an impact in the morning,” Verreynne said.