‘We have done well with the bat, two unlucky dismissals, but that happens in cricket and the boys have shown some good fight, digging in even though the ball is nipping around a fair bit. A really good partnership in the morning, a good first hour and that will go a long way’

Luck deserted Australia in their desperate bid to salvage the second Test with South Africa snaring the vital wicket of David Warner in unfortunate circumstances in Hobart yesterday.
 Warner, who was seeking redemption after his reckless dismissal in the opening over of the first innings, lost his wicket while at the forefront of Australia’s fightback.
 At stumps on the third day the home side were 121 for two, still 120 runs behind the Proteas, who have been in control of the Test since routing Australia for 85 on Saturday.
 Usman Khawaja was unbeaten on 56, his ninth Test half-century, with skipper Steve Smith not out on 18.
 Warner flung his head back in despair when a ball from Kyle Abbott hit his hip and ricocheted off an elbow onto his stumps when he was on 45.
 It gave the Proteas a huge fillip after Warner and Khawaja had recovered the innings with a 79-run stand after the loss of Joe Burns in the first over. Burns lasted just four balls before he was caught behind, tickling at one wide down the leg-side from Abbott.
 “We’ve done well with the bat, two unlucky dismissals, but that happens in cricket and the boys have shown some good fight, digging in even though the ball is nipping around a fair bit,” Australian paceman Josh Hazlewood said. “A really good partnership in the morning, a good first hour and that will go a long way to having a good day tomorrow.”
 Khawaja played some lovely shots in his vigil, providing great support for his captain Smith, who top-scored with an unbeaten 48 in the first innings shambles.
 Australia face a mighty struggle to prevent South Africa, already 1-0 up, from claiming their third successive series in Australia with only next week’s day-night third Test in Adelaide still to play.
 South Africa earlier extended their first innings lead to 241 before they were all out for 326 with Quinton de Kock plundering a century and Hazlewood finishing with six for 89.
 After Sunday’s second day was washed out, the Australians chased early wickets but de Kock and Bavuma batted South Africa into a position of strength with a century stand.
 The swashbuckling wicketkeeper, likened to Australian Test great Adam Gilchrist, was bowled by Hazlewood just before lunch for 104 off 143 balls with 17 boundaries. His stand of 144 with Bavuma was the highest by a visiting team in Hobart for the sixth wicket.
 “Obviously, I’m happy with what we’ve done and what we’ve achieved, but the game has only gone past halfway and we still have a lot to do,” de Kock said. “The Aussies looked very determined in their second innings so we have a lot to play for.”
 De Kock has scored 540 runs in 2016 in just nine Test innings and leads the year’s international averages with 80 having been unbeaten twice. He became only the fourth South African to register 50 or more in five consecutive Tests after he swept spinner Nathan Lyon for four over wide mid-on.
 Shortly after lunch, Tembo Bavuma was surprised by a rearing delivery to spoon an easy catch to Nathan Lyon at point and give Joe Mennie his first Test wicket for 74. Vernon Philander was the last man out for 32 off 28 balls, caught behind off Hazlewood.
 The home side still remain in a perilous position with two days’ play left. The Proteas’ pacemen bowled superbly, beating the bat repeatedly off the seam but reaped little reward, barring Warner’s wicket.
 After Warner’s unlucky dismissal, an enthralling battle ensued between Philander and Khawaja, with the Australian number three surviving a string of play-and-misses before raising his half-century with a flick through mid-wicket. Khawaja’s defiance cheered the small crowd which had watched Australia collapse for 85 on the opening day and were denied action on day two due to rain.
 The batsman earlier survived an lbw appeal off the bowling of Philander, but umpire Richard Kettleborough was unmoved and South Africa lost their second review. Burns, trapped lbw by Abbott for one run in the first innings, lasted four balls before nicking behind off the same bowler.
 South Africa won the series-opener in Perth by 177 runs.

Scoreboard
Australia (1st innings)     85
South Africa (1st innings; overnight 171-5)
S Cook c Nevill b Starc     23
D Elgar lbw Starc     17
H Amla c Nevill b Hazlewood     47
JP Duminy c Smith b Starc     1
F Du Plessis lbw Hazlewood     7
T Bavuma c Lyon b Mennie     74
Q de Kock b Hazlewood     104
V Philander c Nevill b Hazlewood     32
K Maharaj b Hazlewood     1
K Abbott lbw Hazlewood     3
K Rabada (not out)     5
Extras (b3, lb8, nb1)     12
Total (all out, 100.5 overs)     326
Fall of wickets: 1-43 (Elgar), 2-44 (Cook), 3-46 (Duminy), 4-76 (Du Plessis), 5-132 (Amla), 6-276 (De Kock), 7-292 (Bavuma), 8-293 (Maharaj), 9-297 (Abbott), 10-326 (Philander)
Bowling: Starc 24-1-79-3 (1nb), Hazlewood 30.5-10-89-6, Mennie 28-5-85-1, Lyon 17-2-57-0, Smith 1-0-5-0
Australia (2nd innings)
J Burns c de Kock b Abbott     0
D Warner b Abbott     45
U Khawaja (batting)     56
S Smith (batting)     18
Extras (lb1 nb1)     2
Total (2 wickets, 36 overs)     121
Fall of wickets; 1-0 (Burns), 2-79 (Warner)
Bowling: Abbott 14-1-55-2, Philander 9-1-28-0 (1nb), Duminy 1-0-8-0, Rabada 9-2-19-0, Maharaj 3-0-10-0