Key events
Word from the ground is that Steve Smith did the warm-ups, so that’s good. He got a head knock from Anrich Nortje while batting yesterday, so they kept him from fielding as a concussion precaution.
(The revolution will be delayed for bad light.)
“10 quality dot points!” comes the praise from Nick Jones. “A communication guide would have it at four, or even three for the 1-2-3 A-B-C crowd. But a shining ten, a ten of great quality and weight. And none requiring a sub bullet. C’mon Aussie c’mon.”
Thank you, Nick. I consider mine to be in the vein of freeform jazz improvisational dot points. We are telling a story in dots, riding a river of dots. What are newspaper photographs if not images conveyed in a torrent of tiny dots, their force made evident only when they join together as one? Join together, people! Rise up!
The predicted sun is not really in evidence yet, I should add.
The weather! Tell us about the weather. The projected high is 25 in the good money, Doctor Fahrenheit’s monster is not welcome here. The forecast says sunny and pleasant… until 3pm. Then thick clouds are predicted to roll in, and we’ll probably be off again for the light.
You want the match report with a side dash of analysis? Well, do I have the cricket writer for you. Enjoy the word of some guy.
Preamble
Geoff Lemon
It’s the final countdown. Australia have bossed Renshaw’s Match so far, but it still has the slender chance to become Markram’s Match. He’s still there, that’s why. Here is the equation, in dot point form:
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South Africa need 319 further runs on the last day to win.
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That’s unlikely.
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One of the reasons it’s unlikely is that they are already four wickets down.
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Aiden Markram and Wiaan Mulder are good, but they don’t have enough backup to take on a chase that size.
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Therefore Australia need six wickets to win.
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But cricket has another option. Sometimes neither team wins.
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If South Africa can bat 90 overs, they’ll draw.
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But it probably doesn’t have to be 90 overs.
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Bad light has stopped play early throughout this Test.
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So, it could be drawn in 60 overs, or 70, or 80.
What does all this mean? Still plenty to play for. Australia should win it, that’s what probability says, but the South Africans have pulled out some amazing defensive efforts in various fourth innings over the years. Either option is still plausible.
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