South Africa defeated Australia by 176 runs in the third and final Test at Newlands in Cape Town on Saturday, securing a 2-1 series victory after bowling out the visitors for 111 on the fifth day.
Off-spinner Simon Harmer delivered a match-winning performance, taking six wickets for just 16 runs in 21.1 overs to record the best figures of his Test career. Kagiso Rabada also played a crucial role, claiming three early wickets to put Australia under immediate pressure.
Australia began their final innings chasing 288 runs for victory but suffered a disastrous start. Rabada struck twice in the opening over, dismissing Matt Renshaw for a duck and Marnus Labuschagne for four.
Travis Head became Rabada’s third victim when Marco Jansen caught him at gully, leaving Australia struggling at 22 for three.
Harmer Destroys Australia’s Batting Line-up
Australia’s collapse continued when Josh Inglis was run out for four following a poor call for a run.
Harmer then dismissed Alex Carey and Cooper Connolly in the space of three deliveries, reducing Australia to 42 for six.
The off-spinner maintained his control and removed Mitchell Starc before lunch as the visitors reached 60 for seven.
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After the break, Harmer bowled Cameron Green for 27, ending his resistance after 110 deliveries. He then dismissed Australian captain Pat Cummins for 11 before removing Josh Hazlewood for a duck to complete his six-wicket haul.
Nathan Lyon remained unbeaten on 33, the highest score in Australia’s second innings, but received little support as the visitors were dismissed for 111.
Harmer finished the match with 10 wickets for 120 runs, including four for 104 in Australia’s first innings. His outstanding contribution earned him the Player of the Match award.
Rickelton and Mulder Set Up South Africa’s Victory
South Africa had scored 329 in their first innings, with Marques Ackerman contributing 95 and Aiden Markram adding 78.
Australia responded with 429, taking a 100-run first-innings lead. Josh Inglis scored 102, Alex Carey made 80 and Cameron Green contributed 65.
The hosts recovered strongly in their second innings, scoring 387 to set Australia a target of 288.
Wiaan Mulder led the recovery with 115, while Ryan Rickelton scored 101. Their contributions helped South Africa establish a challenging target and put the pressure back on Australia.
Jansen Named Player of the Series
Marco Jansen received the Player of the Series award after scoring 198 runs and taking 13 wickets across the three Tests.
South Africa’s victory completed a significant comeback after Australia secured a first-innings advantage at Newlands. The result also strengthened the Proteas’ position at the top of the ICC Test rankings.
South Africa are second in the World Test Championship standings, narrowly behind New Zealand, while Australia have slipped to third.
Bavuma Praises Team’s Determination
South African captain Temba Bavuma praised his players for their determination and acknowledged the support of the Newlands crowd.
He said Rabada’s early wickets had set the tone on the final day and credited Rickelton and Mulder for putting the team in a strong position through their second-innings contributions.
Bavuma described the series as one of the best he had been involved in and said the team aimed to maintain high standards and improve the standing of the Proteas.
Australian captain Pat Cummins admitted that his side had failed to give themselves a chance on the final day, adding that South Africa had handled the decisive moments better.
Jansen said adapting to different conditions at each ground had been crucial to the series victory. Harmer, meanwhile, highlighted the importance of controlling his bowling and using different trajectories to take wickets.
South Africa will now prepare for their next assignment against Bangladesh, while Australia face questions over their batting performance ahead of their upcoming series against New Zealand.
