And then there was a bit of cricket ...

All South Africa need in Joburg is a draw. But telling them so will go down about as well as insulting their wives.

TMG Digital

TELFORD VICE at Newlands

SO it was about the cricket after all — the white-hot cricket played by South Africa, who beat Australia with a day to spare at Newlands on Sunday to take with them to the Wanderers the prospect of achieving something not done in their lifetimes.

Morné Morkel stepped into the spotlight that has been reserved for someone else for most of his career to take 5/23 in discombobulated Australia’s shambolic second innings of 107 that was all over in 39.4 overs and just more than three hours, and with all 10 wickets falling for 57 runs inside a single session.

That earned South Africa victory by 322 runs and gave Morkel match figures of 9/110, the best of his career. There is thus poignance in the fact that the Wanderers test that starts on Friday will be Morkel’s last — if he cracks the nod in a dressingroom crowded with quality quicks.

And the Wanderers is where South Africa will go to try and do what they haven’t since March 1970: win a home series against Australia.

Given the South Africans’ 2-1 lead, all they will need in Joburg is a draw. But you get the feeling that telling them so will go down about as well as insulting their wives.

Until tea, which Australia reached on 47 without loss in search of their victory mountain of 430, the action on the field was overshadowed by Australia captain Steve Smith’s admission that his team had tampered with the ball during Saturday’s play.

Cameron Bancroft confessed to using a piece of sticking tape loaded with sand to try and roughen the ball.

The International Cricket Council banned Smith for the Wanderers test and gave Bancroft three demerit points.

Smith and his vice-captain, David Warner, relinquished their roles for the rest of the Newlands match before play started on Sunday and wicketkeeper Tim Paine was installed as captain.

Cricket Australia are mounting an urgent investigation, and Smith and Australia coach Darren Lehmann — who Smith claimed was not involved — are facing a hail of calls for their heads to roll.

The Australians were booed onto the field when South Africa resumed on 238/5, and the visitors’ celebrations were muted when AB de Villiers edged Josh Hazlewood to first slip in the 11th over of the morning.

De Villiers’ 63 was part of a stand of 68 he shared with Quinton de Kock, who scored 65 before he was caught behind off Pat Cummins.

That put paid to a partnership of 55 between De Kock and Philander — who finished not out on 52, his eighth half-century.

Nathan Lyon became the sixth bowler and the second spinner after Shane Warne to take 300 test wickets for Australia when he had Kagiso Rabada stumped for 20.

Hazlewood, Pat Cummins and Lyon claimed three wickets each.

Bancroft and Warner were given a hostile reception by the crowd when they emerged to open Australia’s second innings and again when they were dismissed three overs apart.

Faf du Plessis ran out Bancroft for 26 with a direct hit from the covers, and Warner was taken low at third slip by De Villiers off Kagiso Rabada 32.

Special vitriol was reserved for Smith’s coming and going — for seven, caught in the gully off Morkel.

By then Keshav Maharaj had been on a hattrick for removing Usman Khawaja and Shaun Marsh with consecutive deliveries.

Then Morkel got rid of Cummins and Mitchell Starc in two balls, after he had clanged Starc a fearsome blow on the helmet.

Mitchell Marsh’s 16 was Australia’s only other score in double figures in an innings that featured three ducks.

All of Australia’s wickets fell in 99 minutes, a fact that in other matches and other series would stand out.

But not in this one.