South Africa v Pakistan, 3rd Test, Johannesburg, 11-15 January, 2019

Seems the sweep is inevitable.

Or maybe the Wackies have got their odds up enough to have a crack this time.

The home team wins the toss and elects to bat. Zubayr Hamza comes in for Faf du Plessis who is obviously suspended. The Paks have made three changes.

Good start for the home team bringing up the ton and a few more at lunch for the loss of Elgar. Markram is unbeaten on a briskly made seventy-eight.

2 quick wickets or quickish anyway but even at this early stage on jour un you wonder how the Slackies can win this.

Hamza has enlivened proceedings after Amla's cautious batting.

Well that was odd. Flat track and then 9 wickets in the evening session.

Day swinging first towards one team, then the other. One of the beauties of Test cricket. Space for the development of a game in flux.

Good fightback by the home team, after a bit of a collapse from a promising position. Who knows what Pakistan will turn up - even when *cough* no money is in the background *cough*, they are a mercurial lot.

All things considered, with the inroads made at the end of the day (maybe the visitors should have let the last pair block it out for another 9-10 overs....), South Africa are shading it, I suppose.

Pak avoid the follow on.

Apparently Steyn has gone off with a shoulder injury again.   Hope this isn't the end for him.

SA has dropped many catches.

And that escalated quickly. From Paks having a chance to grab a lead, they now concede a seventy-seven run deficit.

Olivier another five-fer.

SA fluffed so many chances too.

Gosh cricket in SA moves fast. Twenty wickets gone halfway through day two. No MSCG here.

Decent comeback by Pakistan, but that lead conceded....

The game always moves rapidly between these two teams on these pitches.

250 lead should be enough. Prefer 300

Red wrote:The game always moves rapidly between these two teams on these pitches.

Always a favourite match-up for the Bookies.

taipan wrote:250 lead should be enough. Prefer 300

The relatively big lead was a bonus for SA after the Paks looked to be tracking well. Then the SA top order stuttered, but Amla steadied and de Kock provided momentum towards the end. Always good to have someone who can provided the impetus he can.

The last score I saw in this game yesty was the Wackies at 5-160-odd. Geez, they capitulated (losing 5-16) to hand the SAffers a handy 1st innings lead, thereby all but guaranteeing the sweep to SAf.

Steyn is really not taking many wickets these days? Pace gone or carries wear and tear a bit too much? Fantastic old fashioned bowler for a long time though. One of the very best.

skully wrote:The last score I saw in this game yesty was the Wackies at 5-160-odd. Geez, they capitulated (losing 5-16) to hand the SAffers a handy 1st innings lead, thereby all but guaranteeing the sweep to SAf.

Saffs lost 7 wickets for about 30 i think too.

whitburn wrote:Steyn is really not taking many wickets these days? Pace gone or carries wear and tear a bit too much? Fantastic old fashioned bowler for a long time though. One of the very best.

Had two dropped yesterday and beat the bat often. Was up to 150 yesterday.

Also thought that Steyn was unlucky yesterday. He regularly bowls 140s which isn't bad for someone his age.

QDK has made an excellent ton here and the lead seems way beyond Pakistan.

Dr Kock back to his best

Pakistan chasing 381. Made a breezy start but hard to see this lasting.

Nothing in the pitch so far and no swing.

2 to Steyn. Now equal 8 with Herath and Broad.

Many fewer matches than Broad too.