Australia vs South Africa 2nd Test Full Commentary

Stumps · Oct 18 2026, Sun - 01:30 PM (IST)

2nd Test, - St George's Park

97/5 (43.0)

AUS

Australia elected to field

CRR:2.26

0.0

A make-or-break day for the hosts - With South Africa already 1-0 down in the series and under immense pressure early in the second game, a lot will depend on how they fight back on Day 3 of this Test match. Temba Bavuma will try and do everything possible to take his side anywhere close to the 200-run mark, but he can't do it all alone. Australia will have Josh Hazlewood back tomorrow, which will add another bowling threat to their arsenal, and overall, it is set up to be a fascinating day with conditions expected to be bright and sunny. Day 3 will begin at 7.45 am GMT, but you can tune in a lot sooner to our build-up. Cheers!
0.0

The relentless Scott Boland - A real feature of Scott Boland's rather late-blooming and fairly short Test career has been his ability to rise to the occasion whenever called upon. He took two wickets on Day 1 and got the ball rolling on Day 2 again by dismissing the debutant Ackerman. Mitchell Starc also got a wicket, but for a fair while, there wasn't any success for the Aussies, and it looked like the hosts would take something back at Stumps. However, Boland broke a budding stand really late on, handing all the momentum back to his side.
0.0

Bavuma - steady as a rock - The South African skipper came into bat in a precarious position on Day 1, and when play resumed late on Day 2, he knew that he needed to ensure that he stayed at the crease come Day 3, and that's what he's done. However, others around him haven't quite managed to rise to the challenge. Marques Ackerman fell early, and then Matthew Breetzke came in and got out soon after. Ryan Rickelton did show positive signs and got into the 30s but got out at a very delicate time, leaving the Proteas with plenty to do come Day 3 with just 97 runs on the board and 5 wickets down.
0.0

4.13 pm GMT - STUMPS, DAY 2 - Well, we had a stop-start first Day in Gqeberha, but Day 2 turned out to be even more frustrating. However, it wasn't stop-start, and we could get 30.4 overs of continuous play towards the latter half of the day. Those 30-odd overs were definitely dominated by Australia, Scott Boland in particular, and the visitors are now in a position of promise with hardly any rain forecast for the remaining three days.
42.6

Starc serves a bumper, but it is not close enough to trouble the batter. Mulder drops his wrists and sways away from the line of the ball. That will be Stumps on Day 2.
42.5

Switches to around the wicket with a leg slip in place. Very full, around off. Mulder plays a confident drive but picks out the man at mid off.
42.4

A tempter by Starc, full and wider on off. Wiaan is not interested in playing at it.
42.3

Beaten! At 143.3 kph, a full ball leaving the right-hander. Mulder has a slight feel for the delivery and is lucky not to nick it behind.
42.2

A bit into the deck, on off. Bavuma gets on top of the bounce and drops it in the vacant cover region to pick up a single.
42.1

Starc begins the final over of the day from over the wicket. This is pushed across the right-hander. Bavuma is happy to let it go.
41.6

Slightly fuller, outside off. Mulder leans across and goes hard on the drive. The ball seams back a bit to catch the inner half and Mulder mishits it back to the bowler. That's Boland done for the day. Another top spell by the Victorian.

41.5

A man goes back on the pull but Boland dishes it out on a length, attacking the front pad. Mulder brings his bat out in front and defends it out.
41.4

On a back of a length, around off. Mulder taps it in front of cover-point and looks for a single, but there is none as two fielders attack the ball.
41.3

Hits the good length, nipping back in a touch. Wiaan stabs it down off the back foot.
41.2

At 136.4 kph, fuller and on the off pole. Bavuma is a bit tentative to get forward. Squeezes out an inside edge onto the pads. A single is taken as the ball rolls to point.
41.1

Delivers it on a good length, in the channel. Bavuma covers the off stump to make the leave.
40.6

A tight second run but they make it. Starc strays on the pads, on a length. Wiaan clips it behind square leg and calls for two straight away. Scott Boland swoops in and is quick to get rid of the ball. Mulder puts the skates on and gets home safely before the throw arrives.
40.5

Goes past the bat! The length is pulled back, just outside off. Mulder presses up on his toes and ends up playing inside the line as the ball leaves him with the angle.
40.4

Going away with the angle, on a good length. Mulder is slightly squared up in his defense but manages to keep it out.
40.3

Goes full now, around off. Mulder blocks it out by leaning forward.
40.2

Keeps the stumps in play, a bit fuller. Mulder solidly defends it out.

40.1

Starc digs it in short, over middle. Bavuma fends it down from the crease in front of square on the leg side. Temba takes the first run hard to keep the possibility of a second alive but Travis Head gets to the ball quickly from mid on and keeps the batters down to one.
39.6

More than half an appeal for LBW, but it is turned down. Fuller now and straighter too, darted into the legs. Mulder is late on the flick and gets struck on the outside half of the front pad. That seemed to be missing leg stump.
39.5

Wow, Boland is just so meticulous in his approach. Just short of a good length, getting the ball to seam away with some extra bounce after angling it in. Wiaan Mulder looks to block but the ball zips past the outside edge.
0.0

Marnus Labuschagne will be a relieved man. Down to the all-rounders now. Here's Wiaan Mulder in at number 7.
39.4

Ryan Rickelton c Matt Renshaw b Scott Boland 31 (51)

OUT! EDGED AND TAKEN! How's he managed to do that? Matt Renshaw pulls off a miraculous catch, and Australia get a huge breakthrough with minutes left to play on Day 2. Scott Boland is the gift that just keeps giving and he now has a four-fer to his name. On a good length, in that corridor of uncertainty and Ryan Rickelton has another late poke at the ball after hanging back in the crease. Rickelton gets an outside edge that goes down to the right of first slip and Renshaw just sticks out a right hand, snaffling it a fair few inches behind him. An absolute speccy, and everyone is stunned by it.
39.3

Good length, in and around the top of off stump. Rickelton blocks it from his crease.
39.2

Slightly fuller and on off, blocked off by Rickelton.
39.1

Beats the outside edge right away. Nagging length, a bit wide of the off stump. Rickelton stays back and moves to the off side, deciding late to play a cut shot and gets beaten on the outside edge.
0.0

With 4 overs left in the day, Scott Boland is back with a change of ends. 12-4-30-3 so far for Boland.

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