LONDON, June 12: In a see sawing World Test Championship final of low exchanges with the bat, Australia held control on an overall 218 lead with 2 second innings wickets intact on 144-8 on yet another dramatic second day where the bowlers held sway having made light of South Africa’s first innings reduced to 138 with Aussie skipper Pat Cummins advancing to two landmarks, the first visiting captain to reaping the best bowling figures 6 wicket haul at the hallowed Lords and reaching 300 test wickets in the process.
After South Africa had caved in for a below par 138 against the venom of Cummins 6 for strike, Australia wilted in the second innings as well – Usman Khawaja dismissed for six and Cameron Green gone second ball following his cheap dismissal in the first innings. Labuschagne nicked one and was caught behind for 22 and then Steve Smith became the first of three wickets for Lungi Ngidi. Smith (13) and Beau Webster (9) were both trapped leg before wicket.
Wiaan Mulder then clean bowled Travis Head for nine and when Ngidi took out Cummins’ stumps, Australia were teetering at 73-7.
But Will Carey rose for Australia with a defiant 43 before Rabada trapped him lbw minutes before stumps. Mitchell Starc (16) and Nathan Lyon (1) were the batsmen on to whom Australia would look to extend their lead to have a go at the Proteas in the decisive cup final.on Friday.
South Africa’s innings from an overnight 43 for4 was revived by a 121-5 at lunch with Temba Bavuma and David Bedingham 64 fifth wicket bonding before Bavuma became the only player to fall in the morning as he drove the Aussie skipper into the covers to be snapped up by a diving Marnus Labuschagne for 36.
From then on, it was Cummins’ show after lunch to return the best bowling figures by a test captain at Lord’s as his 6-28 to giving Australia a 74-run first-innings lead.
He induced a South African slump by taking two wickets in four balls to remove Kyle Verreynne leg before wicket for 13 and Marco Jansen without scoring.
Cummins’ fifth wicket was Bedingham, caught prodding at the ball to offer an edge that went through to wicketkeeper Carey, ending an innings of 45 off 111 balls. He was South Africa’s top scorer in the innings.
After Keshav Maharaj was run out for seven, Kagiso Rabada was the last South African wicket to fall, well caught in the deep by a forward-diving Beau Webster for Cummins’ 300th test wicket.