Australia power toward big victory as S Africa fall apart

March 05, 2018 00:00:00

Durban, South Africa : Australia bowler Josh Hazlewood (L) celebrates taking the wicket of South Africa batsman Hashim Amla (R) during the fourth day of the first Test cricket match between South Africa and Australia at The Kingsmead Stadium in Durban on Sunday. — AFP

DURBAN, Mar 4 (AP): Australia powered toward a big victory in the opening test as South Africa fell apart on the fourth day on Sunday in a collapse epitomized by the run out of AB de Villiers for a duck.

Australia's quick bowlers sliced through the South African top order with three other wickets in the 22 overs they delivered before lunch to leave the home team 63-4 in its second innings and still 354 runs from a highly unlikely victory.

Mitchell Starc removed Dean Elgar (9) caught behind with a fizzing short ball, Josh Hazelwood had Hashim Amla out lbw for 8, and Pat Cummins ripped out captain Faf du Plessis' off stump to put Australia well on course for a heavy win in the first match of a four-test series.

David Warner set up the run out of de Villiers, who was South Africa's best batsman in the first innings but who only faced one delivery before he was sent back on Sunday to wild celebrations by the Australian fielders.

De Villiers thought about a quick single with Aiden Markram on strike, but was sent back as Warner swooped from backward square leg to run de Villiers out at the non-striker's end with the help of bowler Nathan Lyon.

De Villiers was short of his crease, and left sprawled on the ground. The run out provoked a loud, taunting celebration from Warner and the Aussies, who are well on top at the start of a series billed as a battle between two closely matched teams. In reality, Australia has been miles ahead in the first four days of the contest, starting when the visiting team made 351 in its first innings and rolled South Africa out for 162 for a 189-run first-innings lead.

The three-pronged pace attack of Starc, Hazlewood and Cummins have all troubled the South African batsmen throughout the test and continued to dominate them in the first session on Day 4.

Markram was 38 not out at lunch but South Africa had only two other specialist batsmen left.

Australia arrived in South Africa off a 4-0 Ashes rout of England and is also boosted by a strong record in this country. Australia has not lost a series in South Africa since the end of apartheid, winning five and drawing.