Rabada fifer gives South Africa edge
PORT ELIZABETH: Kagiso Rabada produced a sublime spell of bowling to take five wickets as Australia were dismissed for 243 in their first innings on the opening day of the second Test on Friday.
The pacer however stoked controversy when he appeared to intentionally bump into Steve Smith after dismissing the Australia captain.
Rabada began expensively before lunch, conceding 47 runs, but then returned to claim five wickets in 18 deliveries for the loss of just 13 runs on either side of tea to turn the game around.
South Africa were 39 for one wicket in reply at the close, losing Aiden Markram for 11 runs. Rabada completed a fine day’s performance coming in as the nightwatchman and scoring an unbeaten 17 runs off 14 balls.
He will resume with Dean Elgar, who is 11 not out, on Saturday.
Rabada finished with bowling figures of 5-96 while the 21-yearold Lungi Ngidi, who was a surprise pick ahead of Morne Morkel, took 3-51 including bowling David Warner for 63.
Warner, who was also slow to get going, found some flow late in the morning and reached 50 at lunch.
The Australian opener had been the focus of much of the build-up to the second Test after an ugly spat last Sunday with South Africa wicketkeeper Quinton de Kock in Durban.
Warner was eventually bowled for 63 on Friday as Australia reached 117-3 but it was only when Rabada trapped captain Steve Smith lbw for 25 that the wickets began to tumble.
Five went down for just for 21 runs after that as Rabada also dismissed the Marsh brothers, Shaun and Mitchell, and then Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc to complete his eighth fifer. Brief scores (Day 1): Australia 1st innings 243 in 71.3 overs (D Warner 63, C Bancroft 38, K Rabada 5/96). South Africa 1st innings 39/1 in 12 overs.