Australia will rue numerous missed chances should they fall short of taking 14 wickets on the final day of the third Test against South Africa at the SCG.
Australia missed eight chances on day 5 — some their fault, some not — during South Africa’s first innings, despite eventually bowling them out for 255, 20 runs short of avoiding the follow-on, which Pat Cummins enforced.
In the 78th over, Australia missed two chances off Travis Head’s bowling after he already took one wicket earlier in his spell, with Manrus Labuschagne dropping a tough chance at bat pad off Simon Harmer.
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Harmer then edged the next ball to Alex Carey who dropped another tough chance, with Australia twice missing missing out on claiming his wicket while on 28.
Harmer went on to make 47 chewing up the most balls in an innings for the series for South Africa in the process and robbing Australia of precious time.
Then in Head’s next over, he dropped a tough chance for a caught and bowled that would of dismissed Keshav Maharaj for 2 and he made Australia pay, top scoring with 53 from 81 balls.
In the 103rd over, Ashton Agar dropped a fairly regulation catch at square leg which would have seen Josh Hazlewood dismiss Kagiso Rabada for a duck.
“He will be disappointed with that, you’ve got to catch that,” Mark Waugh said on Fox Cricket.
In the 104th over Nathan Lyon thought he trapped Harmer lbw for 47 and Australia reviewed the decision of not out by umpire Paul Reiffel.
The ball pitched outside the line, but was shown to be clipping the outside of leg stump, so the umpire’s on-field decision was upheld in a close call.
In Lyon’s next over he produced a near carbon copy of his near dismissal of Harmer and again Australia chose to review.
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Australia once again retained their review due to umpire’s call, but the decision was ultimately not out after the ball was seen to be just clipping the outside of leg stump yet again.
Australia eventually bowled South Africa out for 255 and enforced the follow-on, giving them 47 overs to try and bowl South Africa out again.
Unfortunately their six missed chances in the first innings on day 5 could have robbed them of the time needed to push for an against the odds victory, with a draw now the most likely outcome.
Things didn’t get much better in the second innings.
Nathan Lyon was again cruelly denied an LBW on umpire’s call that would have sent Heinrich Klaasen packing.
Just three ball later, he found his outside edge which appeared to carry to Steve Smith at first slip, but the third umpire deemed that the ball hadn’t carried.
The Fox Cricket commentary team felt the wrong decision was made.
“I thought it was out again,” Mark Waugh said.
Kerry O’Keeffe agreed when asked if it was the right call.
“I’d have to say no, which is sad, isn’t it? With all the forensive technology to stop this thing from happening, the wrong decisions are still being made.”
