De Villiers ton gives SA edge over Australia

Australia lost three second innings wickets and were still behind an AB de Villiers-inspired South Africa at tea on the third day of the second Test at St George’s Park on Sunday. Australia were 86 for three in their second innings at tea, still 53 runs behind South Africa’s first innings total of 382.

De Villiers made a magnificent 126 not out and had good support from the tail as South Africa took a first innings lead of 139, scoring freely before they were all out for 382 shortly before the scheduled lunch break. Fast bowler Kagiso Rabada, under threat of a suspension which could rule him out of the rest of the four-Test series, made a key breakthrough for South Africa when he bowled David Warner for 13 during a hostile opening spell in which his fastest delivery was timed at 151 kmh.

Cameron Bancroft was bowled off an inside edge by Lungi Ngidi for 24 and Smith was caught behind off left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj shortly before tea for 11.

It was the third time in four innings that Smith, the number one Test batsman in the world, had fallen to left-arm spin - twice to Maharaj and once to part-timer Dean Elgar.

Vernon Philander (36) and Maharaj (30) helped De Villiers add 84 for the eighth wicket and 58 for the ninth wicket as South Africa dominated a sunny morning. Australia’s fast bowlers, who had a heavy workload on the previous day, wilted under an assault in which De Villiers played strokes that were sometimes breathtaking. He hit 20 fours and a six in a 146-ball innings. It was his 22nd Test century and his sixth against Australia.

Philander played a solid innings, while Maharaj slammed two sixes and three fours off 24 balls.

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