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Poll: Can Australia claim victory in 47 overs?
One more session to go
Play resumes once more. Nathan Lyon operating again from his favoured Paddington end, starts with a maiden. 31 overs left to play on a gloriously sunny Sydney afternoon.
Travis Head into the attack, he’s got a slip, short leg, and a couple of men closer than usual at midwicket and cover.
South Africa: 1-45: Erwee 18* Klaasen 17*
Ask the experts: Compulsory breaks and Khawaja dudded?
Question from David: Is the lunch break compulsory? Its omission in yesterday’s shortened day’s play would have gained extra overs.
Tom Decent: Yes it is. They can change the timing of it slightly if required but on a fresh day where overs haven’t been lost, the mandatory 40-minute break has to stay in place. While it might make sense to abolish lunch to make up overs, the reality is that Test cricket is a pretty taxing sport. Not in this Test necessarily, but by lunch on a hot day five most players are keen to enjoy every minute of their break.
Ground staff go to work during lunch on day five.Credit:Getty
Question from Jimbo: Considering the lost day and prospect of further delays meaning a draw is a hugely likely outcome, how aggrieved should Khawaja be right now?
Tom Decent: Good question. You’d love to get his thoughts about now. Josh Hazlewood said last night he was totally on board with the call to declare with him on 195. But given how tough it’s been for wickets now … he might be wondering if that was his last chance to make 200. Maybe they should let Khawaja resume on 195 if Australia bat again, which is looking likely.
For the record, here’s what Khawaja said at the start of the day.
Tea: Nine wickets left for Australia
There’s the tea break, South Africa looking alright now as Erwee and Klaasen hang on for 41 deliveries following Elgar’s dismissal.
Thirty-two overs left after the break. Expect Josh Hazlewood to come steaming back in after the break, Australia’s spinners just not able to create enough on this day five deck, particularly Ashton Agar.
South Africa: 1-46: Erwee 18* Klaasen 18*
South Africa hanging on as spinners take charge
Heinrich Klaasen in at three and looking reasonably comfortably as he hits four through the offside from Lyon off the back foot.
Heinrich Klaasen hits out as the Aussies chase quick wickets.Credit:Getty
After four overs from Pat Cummins, the skipper turns to Ashton Agar once more. Travis Head had been lining up to bowl then and to be frank, I think Head’s more likely to do damage here. 35 overs left in the day.
Lyon at the other end draws a thick edge from Klaasen and it flies at a catchable height, tantalisingly close for Steve Smith but he can’t get the right hand to it. Thirty-three overs left in the day.
South Africa: 1-45: Erwee 18* Klaasen 17*
Wicket: Cummins has Elgar strangled down the legside
Captain on captain, and Dean Elgar’s miserable tour comes to a close. Edges a rising delivery down leg for a diving Alex Carey to claim him.
Dean Elgar trudges off.Credit:AP
Gone for 10 and that’s the third time in six innings Cummins has got his opposite man, fourth time he’s been caught down the leg side this tour. Meanwhile, Nathan Lyon wheeling away at the opposite end. Thirty-eight overs left in the day.
South Africa: 1-27 Erwee 17*, Elgar 10
DRS review: Cummins creates havoc with first ball
Hazlewood doing the business again, draws an edge out of Dean Elgar – as is tradition – but there’s no one there. Catchers are in front of the wicket instead and it flies through for a boundary.
Ashton Agar not so much, his length is all over the place as he’s taken for four fours from his first two overs. Doubt he gets another.
Pat Cummins into the attack in any case from Hazlewood’s end and he’s whacked Erwee on the pads first ball, and promptly sent the not out call upstairs.
Poor review to be honest, hit outside the line and high on the pad. Ball tracking shows it flying through two inches above leg-stump. Cummins responds with a lifter right at Elgar’s chest, he only just keeps it out of Matt Renshaw’s waiting hands at short leg. Forty-two overs left now at a minimum.
South Africa: 0-25 Erwee 17*, Elgar 8*
Song poll: Cricket tunes
Because sometimes the cricket is so good, it’s worth singing about. Our last song poll of the Test, and rather apt given the play we’ve got in store this afternoon.
And the definitive verdict from yesterday regarding songs about the weekend – Cold Chisel’s ‘Saturday Night’ with just less than a quarter of the vote from 1000-plus readers.
Play resumes: Hazlewood and Agar open the bowling
And just like that, we’re back under way and Hazlewood has barely taken a breath. Ducking the ball back into the left-hander Elgar straight away, chips uppishly through mid-wicket.
Australia will fancy their chances against the skipper, currently averaging in single figures for this tour.
Ashton Agar from the Randwick end. There’s something out of the box. Two left-handers with a slip either side of the batter and a catcher in front of the wicket on the off-side too.
An edge from Erwee just falls short of Steve Smith at slip. He then reverse sweeps for four. Oh mama.
South Africa: 0-9: Elgar 4*, Erwee 5*
