Third Test, Cape Town (day five of five)
South Africa 329 & 387: Mulder 115, Rickelton 101
Australia 429 & 111: Lyon 33*; Rabada 3-39; Harmer 6-16
South Africa won by 176 runs; won series 2-1
Scorecard
David Warner labelled Australia “terrible”, “utterly disgraceful” and “un-Australian” as his former side crumbled under the pressure of a final-day chase and allowed South Africa to charge to a famous Test and series victory in Cape Town.
Chasing 288 to win an enthralling contest themselves, Australia lost two wickets in the first over bowled by Kagiso Rabada and never recovered.
Rabada was irresistible, also adding the key wicket of Travis Head caught at slip in a superb first spell to become the fastest bowler to 350 Test wickets.
But Australia played a part in their own downfall, with Josh Inglis run out for four after inexplicably being called through by Cameron Green.
That opened the door to spinner Simon Harmer, who had Alex Carey caught reverse sweeping with just two to his name and Cooper Connolly caught behind for a two-ball duck.
At 60-7 at lunch, former opener Warner, who retired from Test cricket in January 2024, tore into his former team-mates.
“It is terrible,” he said on Fox Sports. “It is un-Australian. There is no fight whatsoever. It is disgraceful.
“The batters have let the bowlers down all series. [Matt] Renshaw showed fight in that first Test but I think the batters have been utterly disgraceful.”
Australia then dropped anchor in a bizarre period – one scoring shot came in 50 minutes – but Harmer was not to be denied, taking the final wicket for career-best figures of 6-16 as Australia were dismissed for 111.
Defeat comes at the start of an intense run of Test cricket for Pat Cummins’ side, with attention now turning to four Tests at home against New Zealand starting in December before a five-Test tour of India, the 150th anniversary Test against England in March and next summer’s Ashes. The consequences could be significant.
South Africa’s fine victory, earned across three fascinatingly fluctuating Tests, means the Proteas regain their position at the top of the world rankings and reaffirms their status as one of the world’s very best sides.