The Proteas finished the first session on 22-1 and require only 79 runs to win the second Test against Australia at St George’s Park in Port Elizabeth.
Kagiso Rabada took three wickets in the morning, and finished with 11 in the match, as South Africa bowled Australia out for 239, giving the home side a target of 101.
Rabada, who has made the headlines for all the wrong reasons over the last couple of days, let the ball do the talking as he produced a brilliant spell of swing bowling that bamboozled the Australian batsmen.
The Proteas seamer picked up the wickets of Mitchell Marsh (45), Pat Cummins (5) and Mitchell Starc (1) to put the Proteas firmly in the driving seat. However, Rabada finds himself in further trouble after the ICC revealed they had charged him for the way he celebrated his wicket of David Warner on Sunday.
Australia began day four on 180-5, but Rabada made an impact early on when he bowled Marsh for 45. It was Rabada’s fourth wicket and ninth of the match.
Rabada picked up his fifth for the innings and tenth for the match when Theunis de Bruyn produced a phenomenal catch at gully to dismiss Cummins.
The South African speedster was at it again and put his team on the brink of victory when he got the wicket of Starc, caught behind by Quinton de Kock for one.
Lungi Ngidi was then introduced into the attack, and he too was in the wickets when he had Nathan Lyon (5) caught behind by De Kock for his first wicket of the morning and second of the innings.
Tim Paine and Josh Hazlewood scored a useful 28 for the final wicket as their lead was slowly getting closer to the 100-mark.
Hazlewood then decided to have a go and scored a four off Keshav Maharaj through square leg. He followed that up with a six to get Australia’s lead over 100, but was eventually caught by Rabada as they were bowled out for 239.
Australian spinner Lyon caught and bowled Dean Elgar for five as Australia picked up a wicket at the stroke of lunch, leaving South Africa on 22-1.
Australia 243 (1st innings): David Warner 63, Cameron Bancroft 38, Kagiso Rabada 5-96, Lungi Ngidi 3-51
South Africa 382 (1st innings): AB de Villiers 126*, Dean Elgar 57, Pat Cummins 3-79, Mitchell Marsh 2-26
Australia 239 (2nd innings): Usman Khawaja 75, Mitchell Marsh 45, Kagiso Rabada 6-54, Lungi Ngidi 2-24
South Africa 22-1 (2nd innings): Aiden Markram 17*, Dean Elgar 5, Nathan Lyon 1-0
South Africa need 79 runs to win
Photo: Ashley Vlotman/Gallo Images
