Summary
Thanks for joining us again today. Australia remain firmly on top, but rain may yet scupper their chances of a series sweep. Geoff will be back here for a 10am start – weather permitting. The forecast doesn’t look great so we could be in for a third frustrating day in a row. See you then!
Another 10am start tomorrow; theoretically at least.
Close of day two: Australia 475-4
The umpires have put us out of our misery and called the day off. Poor Usman Khawaja will have to wait for his maiden double-century, but with more rain forecast tomorrow, who knows if he will get the chance?
No news from the SCG. Here’s my day two report.
There are 14 overs left to be bowled in the day but as the big covers are pulled over to protect the square, I’d suggest we’re unlikely to see any more play. It’s wet and dark at the SCG and more showers are heading its way on the radar.
Cricket’s gonna cricket.
Rain stops play
Lol.
Some more cricket-being-cricket at the SCG. With the light fading, drizzle building, and players set for the new over, the umpires call for drinks!
Hmmm, it turns out this might be a smart decision after all because they’re going to change the ball. Not sure what’s wrong with it. Anyhow, drinks were due in an over anyway, so combining the delays makes sense.
Enjoy this while we wait for more action.
Matt Renshaw once had to retire hurt in a Test match against India so he could do a poo.
— The Final Word (@Final_Word_Pod) January 5, 2023
His only regret? That he didn't shit himself on the pitch.
@collinsadam | @GeoffLemonSport pic.twitter.com/FENo5sRGMM
131st over: Australia 475-4 (Khawaja 195, Renshaw 5) The drizzle increases in density and the umpires fiddle with their light meters as Rabada sends down his 28th over of the match. Khawaja moves one run nearer his milestone. Renshaw leaves confidently and defends from the crease.
130th over: Australia 473-4 (Khawaja 194, Renshaw 4) Just the one from Harmer’s over as Renshaw gets his eye in and Khawaja nurses his way to a maiden double-hundred.
129th over: Australia 472-4 (Khawaja 193, Renshaw 4) Out into the gloom and away from his isolation walks Matt Renshaw and he immediately nudges Rabada off his hip for four down to fine-leg to continue this oddest of recalls.
WICKET! Head c sub (van der Dussen) b Rabada 70 (Australia 468-4)
Head perishes taking on a Rabada short ball. He connected forcefully with his pull shot but the sub fielder, van der Dussen, takes a superb low catch on the square-leg boundary.
128th over: Australia 467-3 (Khawaja 192, Head 70) Head slaps Harmer to extra-cover to bring up the century partnership from just 110 deliveries. Khawaja nudges three down the leg-side inviting Head back on strike, from where he deposits a six back over the bowler’s head. Brutal.
Australia batters with 500+ runs in a year at the fastest rate
— Andrew McGlashan (@andymcg_cricket) January 5, 2023
Travis Head into David Warner/Adam Gilchrist areashttps://t.co/bcL3K9vUGb#AUSvSA pic.twitter.com/oGtHw5XG10
127th over: Australia 454-3 (Khawaja 188, Head 61) Head reads Rabada’s over like Andre Agassi returning Boris Becker’s serves. In consecutive balls he uppercuts for two, pulls for a boundary, then slashes through the covers for four more. His attacking strokes are so violent and muscular they’re great to watch.
50 to Travis Head
126th over: Australia 443-3 (Khawaja 187, Head 51) Travis Head back cuts Harmer for four to reach his fifth half-century in seven innings. This one arrived in just 47 deliveries with a sense of inevitability.
125th over: Australia 437-3 (Khawaja 186, Head 46) Rabada replaces Jansen in the attack and he almost accounts for Head off an inside-edge first ball. Thereafter it’s business as usual with runs flowing. Rain continues to stalk the SCG.
124th over: Australia 430-3 (Khawaja 185, Head 40) Khawaja throttles down and plays Harmer for a maiden. Perhaps his mind was on the drizzle that is falling.
123rd over: Australia 430-3 (Khawaja 185, Head 40) Australia have taken the game on since tea, showing plenty of intent. Head takes his strike-rate up to a run-a-ball by flaying Jansen through the covers then mistiming a straight slog that loops safely wide of mid-on.
122nd over: Australia 424-3 (Khawaja 184, Head 35) Another perfect sweep for four by Khawaja, his second of my stint on commentary. Harmer then beats the same shot but opts not to send his LBW appeal to the third umpire.
121st over: Australia 418-3 (Khawaja 179, Head 34) Khawaja sets a new PB, but it arrives a little streakily, gloving an attempted pull down the legside and just over Verreynne’s acrobatic dive. He becomes the fifth member of Australia’s top five to score 175+ this summer. There have already been a record number of double-centurions (three). Head continues on his merry way, pulling Jansen for four, eschewing the more obvious cut shot to avoid the trap South Africa have set.
120th over: Australia 409-3 (Khawaja 174, Head 30) Head continues to make hay outside off stump, flaying Harmer for four just in front of point. Just for good measure he takes a couple of steps and lofts a one-bounce four into the sightscreen. At the other end Khawaja has equaled his highest Test score.
119th over: Australia 399-3 (Khawaja 173, Head 21) Jansen comes out after tea with a plan to bowl straight to Head with a field set accordingly. It doesn’t work because Elgar misfields at mid-off and Australia run three.
26 more overs to go today. The close of play will be no later than 6.25pm.
The players are already out ready for the final session of play. Hopefully the showers on the radar skirt past.
Rain stops play
The umpires are wandering out to inspect the square after that shower during the tea break. Can’t imagine we’ll be off for long.
The covers are coming off at the SCG. The resumption of play might be delayed a fraction, but not by much.
The rain radar is showing a scattering of showers drifting along the coastline from the south. We might be in for a frustrating couple of hours.
Bleurgh! It’s raining at the SCG. Fortunately it’s the tea interval, so we’re no losing any play at the moment, but it might be a delayed resumption, and a later finish than hoped. There are still 27 overs to be bowled.
Updated
Tea on day two: Australia 394-3
Australia are cruising. Usman Khawaja is filling his boots. South Africa are cooked.
118th over: Australia 394-3 (Khawaja 172, Head 17) Khawaja smashes Harmer for four with the sweetest sweep imaginable.
117th over: Australia 390-3 (Khawaja 168, Head 17) South Africa have bowled short and wide to Head all summer, and he collects two with another back-foot drive before cursing to the skies after swinging and missing at a Jansen buffet ball.
116th over: Australia 386-3 (Khawaja 167, Head 14) Australia milk Harmer for three. South Africa’s over-rate has been very good today so we should finish on time. That’s something.
115th over: Australia 382-3 (Khawaja 164, Head 13) Left-armer Jansen replaces Nortje and his first delivery hints at tailing into the left-handed Head from over the wicket. The batter is unruffled, waiting for the final delivery to slash a violent boundary behind point.
Steve Smith overtook both Matthew Hayden and Michael Clarke today! #AUSvSA pic.twitter.com/mZHTktO0Z8
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) January 5, 2023
114th over: Australia 378-3 (Khawaja 164, Head 9) With two left-hand batters at the crease Elgar belatedly realises it might be worth having a look at his off-spinner. It all pays immediate dividends with a shout for caught behind down the leg-side, then a healthy edge off Head’s bat that dies just in front of slip.
113th over: Australia 375-3 (Khawaja 164, Head 6) Nortje exacts a modicum of revenge for his toil by digging the ball in short to Khawaja and catching him on the point of his left elbow. That’ll sting. On comes the physio. Out come the in-jokes on the telly. We had a decent run after Channel 9 relinquished the rights but it’s all become very stale, samey and chummy again.
An updated Steve Smith Conversion Index, which doesn't mean much but I find it interesting.
— Geoff Lemon Sport (@GeoffLemonSport) January 5, 2023
From 2013-2017, he went past 71 as a score in 24 innings, went on to a century in 22.
Since Boxing Day 2017, has passed 71 on 19 occasions, converted 8 of them. Including 3 of last 4.
Updated
112th over: Australia 374-3 (Khawaja 164, Head 6) Khawaja batters some Maharaj garbage through midwicket for four then creams a long half-volley to the cover rope with a disdainful flick of the wrists.
111th over: Australia 363-3 (Khawaja 154, Head 5) Head picks up his first boundary by squirting a Nortje full toss behind point.
110th over: Australia 358-3 (Khawaja 153, Head 1) Maharaj finally has something to celebrate towards the end of a gruesome tour. Australia won’t mind Travis Head at the crease as they accelerate towards a declaration. Matt Renshaw is sat on his tod on the boundary edge, padded up, ready to come in next. It’s all a bit village. Very village, in fact, as the umbrella the No 6 is using to shade himself from the sun blows inside out.
WICKET! Smith c&b Maharaj 104 (Australia 356-3)
That must rank among the most unexpected dismissals in Test history. Shortly after completing his ton, deep into a 200+ partnership, facing a bowler without a wicket all series, Smith almost yorks himself and chips an innocuous delivery straight back to Maharaj.
Updated
100 to Steve Smith!
109th over: Australia 356-2 (Khawaja 152, Smith 104) Steve Smith now has 30 Test centuries (one more than Don Bradman). He also has 8646 Test runs (three more than Michael Clarke). His average stands at 61.33 after 92 matches. He is a phenomenal cricketer who has earned his place among the all-time greats.
Updated
150 to Usman Khawaja!
108th over: Australia 351-2 (Khawaja 152, Smith 99) Maharaj’s gentle throwdowns allow Smith to creep to 99, the partnership to pass 200, and Khawaja to raise his bat for the third time this innings. Super knock from Australia’s opener, extending his brilliant 2022 form, and continuing his dominance at the SCG.
Updated
107th over: Australia 342-2 (Khawaja 147, Smith 95) Nortje bends his back, Australia nudge three runs.
106th over: Australia 339-2 (Khawaja 145, Smith 94) Maharaj milked for three.
105th over: Australia 336-2 (Khawaja 144, Smith 92) Nortje replaces Harmer, Khawaja cuts for a couple.
104th over: Australia 334-2 (Khawaja 142, Smith 92) Smith dabs back a Maharaj maiden.
103rd over: Australia 334-2 (Khawaja 142, Smith 92) Jonty Rhodes describes what he sees as Australia enjoying an elongated net session and South Africa going through the motions. Hard to see that changing any time soon. Hopefully Australia go the tonk after tea with a view to declaring around an hour from the close. The forecast for tomorrow is wet, so they might not have a heap of time to bowl the Proteas out twice.
Updated
102nd over: Australia 332-2 (Khawaja 141, Smith 91) More Maharaj meh.
Thanks Geoff. Looking forward to the dead parrot shift while Australia pile on runs.
This series has passed on. This contest is no more. It has ceased to be. It has expired and gone to meet its maker. This match is a stiff. Bereft of life. It rests in peace. It’s kicked the bucket. It’s shuffled off its mortal coil, run down the curtain and joined the bleedin’ choir invisible. This is an ex-Test… etc etc
101st over: Australia 329-2 (Khawaja 139, Smith 90) Still some bounce for Harmer, and some turn. Just can’t get Smith to do anything that Smith doesn’t want to do anymore.
One run from it, that’s drinks, and JP Howcroft is in next.
100th over: Australia 328-2 (Khawaja 138, Smith 90) And 100 overs up. Keshav Maharaj back with his left-arm tweak to celebrate the milestone. A couple of singles, the partnership pushes towards 200.
99th over: Australia 326-2 (Khawaja 137, Smith 89) Harmer keeps the cap on, just a single for Smith down the ground.
98th over: Australia 325-2 (Khawaja 137, Smith 88) A much safer cut shot from Khawaja this time, placing it down into the turf for four. Followed up immediately with an outside edge for four more. Rabada hates this tour so much. He loathes it. He detests it. Fair enough. How about another boundary, off another edge? Because that’s what happens: down into the ground, four.
97th over: Australia 311-2 (Khawaja 124, Smith 87) Harmer continues this long spell with the new ball. I can see the logic of giving a spinner a couple of overs to see if something happens, but can’t work out why Harmer wasn’t bowling much earlier and Nortje now. Harmer bowling tightly at least.
96th over: Australia 309-2 (Khawaja 123, Smith 86) Oh no! Dropped! Or not even, missed entirely! Rabada bowls width, Khawaja laces a cut shot in the air, and Nortje at point doesn’t see it. Can’t pick it up amongst the pink mottled crowd background, perhaps. It passes by his left shin as he tries to get a hand down but he only has a vague sense of where it might be. You can’t fault Nortje’s effort in this series but he’s the one to let a chance go. Perhaps he was busy wondering why he hasn’t had the new ball.
Updated
95th over: Australia 304-2 (Khawaja 119, Smith 85) The lull continues, Harmer giving away just one from the over. No troubles for Khawaja in defence though. Tries a couple of cut shots, doesn’t beat the field.
94th over: Australia 303-2 (Khawaja 119, Smith 84) Rabada not conceding many, but you get the feeling they’re just waiting him out. Bowls a decent bumper to Khawaja, who ducks it.
93rd over: Australia 302-2 (Khawaja 119, Smith 83) That career average is back over 61 and climbing for Smith. The 300 up. Harmer 0 for 55 off 17.
92nd over: Australia 298-2 (Khawaja 117, Smith 82) Rabada back for another trot. Trouble with the front line again, another no ball.
91st over: Australia 297-2 (Khawaja 117, Smith 81) Ben Jones of CricViz mentions in passing that this entire innings has the lowest false shot percentage on record. That’s only since 2006, but still. The highest proportion of shots middled. Quite the stat. Harmer at least manages an over to Khawaja without a run.
90th over: Australia 297-2 (Khawaja 117, Smith 81) Jansen trying a line over the wicket to the right-hander, seeing if he can get the ball swinging in to Smith, or angling across to slip. He makes Smith play at the first four, defending, but overpitches the fifth and gets driven for four. Smith can’t be stopped.
89th over: Australia 293-2 (Khawaja 117, Smith 77) Harmer still getting some turn with the newer ball. Keeps Khawaja at home in that over aside from a square push for two.
88th over: Australia 291-2 (Khawaja 115, Smith 77) Just occasionally, there’s a little bit of movement off the surface. Jansen gets some to go past Khawaja’s bat. But those deliveries aren’t producing wickets.
Updated
87th over: Australia 290-2 (Khawaja 114, Smith 77) Every Australian in the top seven bar Green has made a century this summer, and as a team they have been bowled out once, in Brisbane. Three more runs for Khawaja cutting Harmer, singles as well. The new ball hasn’t helped South Africa yet.
No wonder it feels like we’ve spent the summer watching Australians bat. This stat is as of the lunch break:
If we leave out the very bowler-friendly Gabba Test aside, Australia at this point have scored 2331 runs for the loss of 29 wickets this summer, averaging 80.37 per wicket #AusvSA
— Bharat Sundaresan (@beastieboy07) January 5, 2023
Updated
86th over: Australia 284-2 (Khawaja 110, Smith 75) Jansen from the Randwick end, a slip and a gully the only cordon members for the new ball. Two in the deep on the hook. Point, cover, mid off, mid on, midwicket. They’re finding singles in the gaps on the leg side easily enough.
85th over: Australia 281-2 (Khawaja 109, Smith 73) Sandwiches down, and Smith is in a hurry! Harmer darts through a fast off-break but Smith is charging anyway, to the pitch, and sends it soaring over extra cover! Whoosh. Advances again, hits the midwicket gap for two, then drives a single. This has been an uncharacteristically aggressive innings for Smith. Harmer keeps his cool and finds his length against Khawaja.
84th over: Australia 272-2 (Khawaja 109, Smith 64) Jansen to take up the cudgels after lunch. Goes up for an appeal after beating the edge, then gets smashed through the covers. The life of a bowler. Smith proceeds.
Believe it or not, we’ve had some sunshine over the lunch break. It’s quite warm wandering around outside. Humid and sweaty.
Lunch - Australia 266 for 2
Nortje will get to rest up and then have another burst with a new ball after lunch. But that was Australia’s session by a mile. A long session, two and a half hours, and they haven’t lost a wicket. The partnership is 119. Khawaja is beaming with another Sydney hundred, Smith got past a twitchy start to post just about his Test average, and they have a long while left ahead of them. South Africa need some magic after the break.
83rd over: Australia 266-2 (Khawaja 108, Smith 59) Two false shots with the cut in the previous over, but third time’s the charm for Smith. Smokes Nortje to the backward point fence. So Nortje bowls straighter and hits Smith! In the stomach or the lower ribs, as he misses a pull. “Oh, there it is again!” yells Smith to himself. That hurt. An overstep from Nortje as well, by a fraction. No ball. Goes back to his off-stump line and draws a back-foot defence, then a leave.
Updated
82nd over: Australia 261-2 (Khawaja 108, Smith 55) Marco Jansen has the new ball! This could be fun. The swing and bounce that he can get. And it’s a good first over, that bounce making it very tough for Khawaja. No runs from it, and a couple that hop nastily at the gloves.
81st over: Australia 261-2 (Khawaja 108, Smith 55) The fastest man on the field has the new ball, and he does get bounce. Beats Smith on the cut shot, bounce and some lateral movement, which we’ve seen very little of. Movement again when Nortje finds the off-stump channel. No run from the over.
80th over: Australia 261-2 (Khawaja 108, Smith 55) And the 80th ticks by, two singles from Maharaj. A deep breath, the new ball and Nortje are next.
79th over: Australia 259-2 (Khawaja 107, Smith 54) Harmer working through his 12th over, a couple of runs from it, both teams in a holding pattern.
78th over: Australia 257-2 (Khawaja 106, Smith 53) Maharaj comes back for Rabada, and the runs keep coming. Two and one for Smith, a couple on a hard sweep for Khawaja, then four with a cut shot. Nine from the over, Maharaj is being rinsed. Lunch is coming up in 15 minutes. Two overs until the new ball. The partnership is 110!
Updated
Half century! Steve Smith 50 from 95 balls
77th over: Australia 248-2 (Khawaja 100, Smith 50) Smith back to his work against Harmer, who is now coming around the wicket to the right-hander, trying to straighten the ball down the line. Another milestone, and nice round numbers for Australia, as Smith gets two to midwicket, then a run behind square.
Updated
Century! Usman Khawaja 100 from 207 balls
76th over: Australia 245-2 (Khawaja 100, Smith 47) Shot from Khawaja! Leans back and steers Rabada through gully, off the full face while using the angle, to get within touching distance. Then pulls the next ball and shouts “Yes!” for the second straight away. Turns and rushes back, a tight second run to deep backward but he has it. Three tons in his last three innings on this ground, after two in the Ashes Test last year. He has a little dance and then pumps both fists at the crowd. Well played.
Updated
75th over: Australia 239-2 (Khawaja 94, Smith 47) Harmer has Smith tentative for a couple of deliveries, hovering on the front foot, and then Smith has had enough. Wants to put pressure back on. Gets down low to sweep a good ball off his stumps behind backward square for four, then gets a poor ball in response, too short and easy to pull away. Again a couple of boundaries in an over for Smith, who is charging along.
Updated
73rd over: Australia 229-2 (Khawaja 93, Smith 38) Harmer to Khawaja, who keeps his cool for four balls and then knocks one into the covers. He’s been in no rush all day, played the odd big shot when he has felt like it, sailed on serenely otherwise.
74th over: Australia 231-2 (Khawaja 94, Smith 39) Two singles from the Rabada over.
Updated
72nd over: Australia 228-2 (Khawaja 92, Smith 38) Maharaj has now been dragged, unsurprisingly. Rabada returns. New ball due in nine overs, so this is not what South Africa would have planned. He starts with an overstep, no-ball called. Then short, pulled by Khawaja for one. Ditto for Smith, boundary rider back at square leg. That’s another no-ball. Khawaja defends, then glanced one. Smith forces off the back foot for two. Runs flowing, seven from that over.
71st over: Australia 221-2 (Khawaja 90, Smith 35) Khawaja into the 90s with a single. Trying different things is Harmer, firing one through at 94 kph to try to surprise Smith and hit him on the pads. Smith is equal to it.
70th over: Australia 220-2 (Khawaja 89, Smith 35) Whack goes Smith! Off the spinner this time, Maharaj going for his second six of the innings as Smith leans back and heaves over midwicket. Then charges the next ball and flicks it for four! Airborne again, more elegant in execution, bouncing inside the rope. Another couple of runs glanced to fine leg. A dozen off the over.
69th over: Australia 208-2 (Khawaja 89, Smith 23) Harmer to Khawaja, gives it flight, shifts his pace from 85 kph to 89, keeping him guessing. Strays in line allowing Khawaja a single to backward square leg. Lots of loop to Smith, who drives one.
68th over: Australia 206-2 (Khawaja 88, Smith 22) Khawaja playing Maharaj comfortably now, happy to advance and whip him over midwicket for a couple. Then pulls out the reverse for another run.
67th over: Australia 203-2 (Khawaja 85, Smith 22) At last, here is Harmer. Five overs in the innings so far, while Maharaj has played the whole series without taking a wicket and was still preferred today. And first ball there’s nearly a wicket: Smith plays on the bounce to short leg, steps out with momentum, and Zondo throws down the stumps. Smith has to whip his bat back to save himself. Escapes strike with a nudge to midwicket. Then Harmer gets a ball to spit and turn at Khawaja, who rears back as he drops it down. He resorts to a strange standing paddle sweep to get a run. Things happening already.
66th over: Australia 201-2 (Khawaja 84, Smith 21) A couple more singles from Maharaj, bringing up Australia’s 200 as the drinks break arrives. Khawaja creeping up on this hundred like a lion stalking an antelope.
65th over: Australia 199-2 (Khawaja 83, Smith 20) That will feel better for Smith. Gets a half-volley admittedly from Jansen, but opens his grip and cover-drives it for four. As if in celebration, he leans back to a shorter ball and smushes it over midwicket for another boundary! Fifty partnership up. I’m sure that Smith anticipated that short ball. He had his stance open and still before the ball had even been bowled, ready to climb in.
64th over: Australia 191-2 (Khawaja 83, Smith 12) Maharaj carrying on, three singles as they settle into a rhythm against him.
63rd over: Australia 188-2 (Khawaja 82, Smith 10) Jansen seems hard to read, even for Khawaja. Getting some movement through the air, and coming from that incredible height when his arm is right up above his head, literally ten feet tall. Gets the ball moving down the leg side, into the pads, all sorts. Khawaja gets a couple of streaky runs via a thick grounded edge.
62nd over: Australia 186-2 (Khawaja 80, Smith 10) Same deal with Maharaj, who is left on after the six. First ball single, five Smith dots.
61st over: Australia 185-2 (Khawaja 79, Smith 10) Indicative that Khawaja, batting freely, can take a single first ball from Jansen, glancing. Smith gets stuck for the rest of the over. A marooned five.
Updated
60th over: Australia 184-2 (Khawaja 78, Smith 10) Taking down the spinners! Labuschagne did it yesterday with the sweep, Khawaja does it today with a booming lofted drive over cover! What a shot. Six runs from Maharaj, first ball of the over. Then takes the single, like a boss.
59th over: Australia 177-2 (Khawaja 71, Smith 10) Jansen to Smith, the left-armer around the wicket getting the ball angling in. Cramping Smith for room, and he responds by getting up on his toes and defending with a straight bat. Squeezes out a yorker last ball, no run from the over.
58th over: Australia 177-2 (Khawaja 71, Smith 10) One of the great Elgar mysteries resumes: Maharaj gets a bowl ahead of Harmer, even though Khawaja is on strike. And his first ball is a full toss for Khawaja to drive through the covers. Protection out there, so what was a boundary yesterday is two runs today. Then a skimming drive stopped by Elgar at short cover. Khawaja responds with a move down the wicket, driving to the leg side. Smith drives under the bowler for one run.
As ever, Hypocaust has the stats on women’s cricket.
Belinda Clark
— hypocaust (@_hypocaust) January 4, 2023
- first player to score an ODI double century
- captained Australia to 1997 & 2005 World Cup wins
- fastest woman to 2000, 3000 and 4000 ODI runs
- most women's ODI runs in a calendar year (970 in 1997) & the 2nd most
- captained two unbeaten Ashes tours of England https://t.co/rxy7yKX0qe
57th over: Australia 173-2 (Khawaja 68, Smith 9) Marco Jansen with his first over of the morning. Gets Khawaja playing, first of all. Bavuma makes a great stop at cover, off the rough area of the wicket square that is all dark brown chunky dirt, no grass on it at all. A couple on the pads though, and Khawaja can flick two and then one to deep backward square.
56th over: Australia 170-2 (Khawaja 65, Smith 9) Stepping waaay across, Smith, and playing a late dab to backward point from a ball on about an eighth stump line. Same shot closer to the stumps next ball, into the ground, again no score. He hasn’t looked fluent yet. Probably still hard to time shots on this surface. Last ball of the over, he swings Rabada across the line to deep midwicket for four. Not a short ball, not a pull shot. A kind of slapped drive, on the up. Outrageous shot. It’s also perversely the kind of shot that means that Smith is struggling. When he lashes out like that, it’s when he’s not sure what to do. Think Lord’s or the Gabba in 2019.
55th over: Australia 166-2 (Khawaja 65, Smith 5) A big attempted drive from Smith, and a thick edge back into his pads. Does nail the pull shot, but straight into the stomach of square leg on the bounce. At the hip, there’s that leg-slip ball again, flicked into the gap for one. Nortje still operating in the lower 140 kph range, plenty of speed.
54th over: Australia 164-2 (Khawaja 64, Smith 4) Rabada to Khawaja, finds some bounce from somewhere on this sleepy track, going over the top of the cut shot. Then gets tangled trying to turn one to leg, edging into the pad. Again off the pad, this time down to fine leg for three extras, a great bit of effort from Nortje running across saves one. A sharp backhanded flick as his body headed towards the rope. Leg byes the only score from the over, so technically it’s a maiden for the bowler’s figures.
53rd over: Australia 161-2 (Khawaja 64, Smith 4) A midwicket run for Khawaja, which sees Nortje bowl to Smith for the first time this morning. Got him out a couple of times this series. Outside off stump to the right-hander. Leaves a couple, under-edges an attempted cut shot into the ground near his stumps, then Nortje tries the big yorker at the ankles but it goes wide past the heels instead.
52nd over: Australia 160-2 (Khawaja 63, Smith 4) The single means that Rabada gets a look at Khawaja for the first time this morning. Not for long. A touch short and Khawaja pulls from about waist height, picking up three. To Smith, it’s a great line, tempting him to play just outside off, moving away. Wider the next ball but Smith is moving across. The TV is just now picking up on this. And the movement across works for Smith this time, getting a ball that would have been awkwardly on his hip, but instead is outside the line of his body and he’s able to glance his first four runs. Where’s your leg slip at, Elgar?
51st over: Australia 153-2 (Khawaja 60, Smith 0) Nortje keeps working on that line outside off to Khawaja, most of the time, but when he goes straighter he gets clipped through midwicket for four and for one.
We’re going to get back underway.
The telly just ran a nicely timed package about Usman Khawaja’s twin tons at this ground a year ago. “I think people could relate to what I’ve been through,” he said, paraphrased, about being dropped and coming back so many times. “Getting a hundred and then walking off the ground with the whole crowd chanting my name, that’s something that I never thought would ever happen to me. It’s the most special moment of my cricket career.”
And we're off for rain.
A light sprinkling at the ground, but who knows what will come after this.
50th over: Australia 148-2 (Khawaja 55, Smith 0) Good line and length from Rabada, testing out Smith at the top of off stump. And this is curious, Smith is moving across his stumps every ball. He had taken this out of his game as of earlier in the year, from Sri Lanka to the West Indies series, and done well, but now he’s at it again, and even tries a pull shot to a ball that isn’t short enough, and is lucky to miss it. No run from the over.
There was an unveiling at the SCG this morning. One of Australia’s greats, captured in her follow-through.
The Sydney Cricket Ground is home to the world’s first sculpture of a female cricketer, with Belinda Clark immortalised in bronze at the venue’s entry.
— Sydney Cricket Ground (@scg) January 4, 2023
📃 https://t.co/2kVtNT74nV pic.twitter.com/Z1ZBylnK9s
49th over: Australia 148-2 (Khawaja 55, Smith 0) Anrich Nortje from the other end, right-arm around the wicket to Khawaja. Two slips and a gully, as he angles in twice at the off and middle stumps, getting Khawaja playing forward. A shorter one down the leg side, clips the thigh pad and Verreyne’s appeal for a catch behind the wicket is not supported by anyone else. Nortje gets one to swing away a touch, Khawaja partly slicing the defensive shot. I suspect that’s the gameplan with this line around the wicket – move it away and find an edge. No run from the over.
48th over: Australia 148-2 (Khawaja 55, Smith 0) We’re away. Khawaja nudges a single quickly. Steve Smith finally gets to face his first ball, after being denied by conditions last night. Kagiso Rabada with the Kookaburra, and he starts pretty well, pitching up and having Smith step across the stumps to defend.
Updated
Simon Harmer was on screen and was asked about his catch yesterday – he was diplomatic, said he’s sure he took it cleanly but the third umpire only has limited tools to work with.
And an email in from Aditya on that subject, specifically the fact that the soft signal on field isn’t actually binding on the third umpire’s decision anymore. So there is no decision to overturn, the third umpire makes their own new decision. The soft signal is really a ceremonial hangover, something vestigial, like the appendix.
“I learnt about the new changes yesterday. Given that, now it’s dependent on having decent camera angles and replays, and I’m no expert but it didn’t look like there was any zoomed-in camera angle on that catch that was conclusive. The only one that was conclusive was the zoomed-out front-on one. I strongly believe there’s no point zooming in for these catches, the whole thing looks so pixelated and blurred when they do that.”
There’s certainly no perfect way to make those decisions. There just has to be consistency. Either everything that looks a bit iffy or touches a blade of grass is not out, or we apply a general cricketing intelligence that says if a catcher has their fingers under the ball, then they’re catching it regardless of whether there’s an incidental brush with the ground in the same motion. I think you could argue the case for either interpretation, but it can’t be a pick n’ mix of both.
You can email geoff.lemon@theguardian.com about anything that takes your fancy through the day. Twitter was patchy yesterday but @GeoffLemonSport might work today.
Matthew Renshaw was running about during the warm-ups, so he seems to be feeling ok. A couple of quick wickets and he’ll be in the middle. Have to say that he’s had an interesting Test career so far. In as a kid after the team purge in 2016, having his own purges while batting in India 2017, out of the side after Bangladesh, flown in to Johannesburg straight after a Shield final when the sandpaper suspensions landed, due to stay in the team in Dubai 2018 but getting concussion during a fielding warm-up, having to wait until now while making lots of domestic runs, then getting recalled on the day he gets covid. Born under a strange sign.
Australia went like a cautious steak order yesterday – medium well. Marnus Labuschagne and Usman Khawaja made half-centuries. Khawaja is still there. 147 for 2 is a healthy start. South Africa could still get right back in it if they can get a couple early and apply pressure, especially with spin given the pitch turned yesterday. Lots of left-handers in the Australian order, and we’re yet to see how the Renshaw covid situation has developed.
For more detail on yesterday, here’s our report.
Preamble
In Sydney, it is morning once again. An early start for the rest of the match thanks to the time lost yesterday. The weather right now looks similar: blotches of sunlight, lots of cloud, the prediction of rain later, should be ok to start. It’s also much windier today than it was, so at least that might help dry off the surface. On the streets heading toward the ground it looks like there was more rain overnight. Let’s play… weather roulette!
