DAY 3: Jansen counter-attack, Bavuma patience help Proteas fight back at lunch

A sparkling counter-attacking half century from Marco Jansen, and some typically gritty batting from captain Temba Bavuma helped the Proteas fight back from a dangerous position and dominate the morning session of day three of the second test against Australia at St George’s Park in Gqeberha on Tuesday.

Jansen arrived at the crease just over 30 minutes into the session, with the Proteas in deep trouble on 110/6 and proceeded to flay the ball around the ground on his way to an unbeaten 72 off 71 balls (8x4;3x6), to boost the Proteas to 216/6 at the lunch break.

Bavuma was again all class as he played the perfect foil to Jansen’s attack, as he eased to his own half century after resuming on 41, and they combined for an unbeaten 106-run stand, with the captain still standing tall on 76 off 189 balls (8x4; 1x6) at the break.

Both batters will be eager to continue their impressive partnership in the afternoon session, and both will be targeting centuries, as they look to drag the Proteas to a good first innings total.

The day started with the Proteas on 97/5, after a heavily rain disrupted first two days, dominated by Aussie quick Scott Boland.

They were desperate not to lose an early wicket, and for the first half hour they managed to do that with some chanceless batting from Bavuma and Wiaan Mulder (13), but they only added 13 runs to the score in that time.

Mitchell Starc then claimed the breakthrough after a snorter of a ball reared up off a length at Mulder, who half ducked and tried to defend himself, with the ball pinging off the glove to first slip where Matt Renshaw took the catch.

That brought Jansen to the crease and he immediately signalled his intent by thumping five boundaries in his first 10 balls, while Bavuma soon brought up his half century with a flick to the deep fine leg boundary off Starc.

Jansen then went big with three maximums as he beautiful drove Boland back over his head, dismissively pulled Pat Cummins over deep square leg, and tried to take out the commentary box with a thumping shot over Renshaw’s head, as he raced to his half century off 43 balls.

With the Proteas arguably needing a score in excess of 300 to put some pressure on the Australians and go for a win, Jansen has plenty more time to bat and he will be looking to score his first ever century in any format, having hit 19 half centuries across all formats, including 10 in first class cricket and four in tests, with a highest test score of 93 against India in Guwahati last year.

PROTEAS: Aiden Markram, Marques Ackerman, David Bedingham, Temba Bavuma (capt), Matthew Breetzke, Ryan Rickelton (wk), Wiaan Mulder, Marco Jansen, Simon Harmer, Anrich Nortje, Kagiso Rabada

AUSTRALIA: Travis Head, Nic Maddinson, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Matthew Renshaw, Beau Webster, Alex Carey (wk), Pat Cummins (capt), Mitchell Starc, Scott Boland, Josh Hazlewood

--------------------------------------------------------

SPORTS PACKAGE

Watch every single ball of every Proteas match this summer with DStv’s new Sports package. Also includes the world’s best football and a Vodacom URC Match of the Week. All this for just R399 a month – click on the banner below