South Africa 329 & 387: Mulder 115, Rickelton 101
Australia 429: Inglis 102; Harmer 4-104
Australia need 288 to win
A gripping series has the finale it deserves.
asserted
it → need → finale
Having effectively began day four on 40-4, South Africa batted on and on against Australia in Cape Town to move from a position where defeat looked likely to one where a series victory is a real possibility.
asserted
victory → begin → one
In being bowled out for 387 in the final over - with Ryan Rickelton making 101 and Wiaan Mulder last man out for a brilliant 115 - South Africa set the tourists a target of 288 for victory.
asserted
Africa → bowl → victory
WinViz - the tool analysts CricViz use to predict such results - gives the hosts a 54% chance of victory.
asserted
CricViz → use → victory
History a good omen for Australia
Australia's target is such that should they chase it on day five, it would be the second-highest fourth-innings chase in the 62 previous Tests on this famous ground.
asserted
it → chase → ground
They chased 331 for a four-wicket win in an epic Test against the Proteas in 2002, when Ricky Ponting hit a brilliant 100 not out.
asserted
Ponting → chase → 100
There have been five other scores above 288 in the fourth innings at Newlands - all of which were made in defeats or when salvaging a draw.
asserted
all → make → draw
For much of the afternoon and evening sessions, as Australia's bowlers tired, this surface appeared flat enough to score.
asserted
surface → tire → sessions
When Rickelton and Mulder applied themselves, few opportunities were created.
asserted
opportunities → apply → themselves
They were able to progress to their third and fourth Test centuries respectively.
asserted
They → progress → centuries
It took a run out to end Rickelton's knock, after which Marco Jansen pulled to deep square leg and Gerald Coetzee was also run out - three dismissals down to batter error in a collapse of 4-61, which left South Africa nine down and 251 runs ahead.
asserted
which → take → Africa
That Mulder and number 11 Kagiso Rabada flogged 36 before the close, suggested run-scoring is not impossible.
uncertain
scoring → flog → close
None of those late runs were made under the pressure of a chase, however.
asserted
None → make → chase
The wicket of Simon Harmer in the final session, bowled shouldering arms by a ball from Nathan Lyon which turned back sharply showed the difficulty ahead.
asserted
which → bowl → difficulty
Harmer dismissed Travis Head, Marnus Labuschagne, Josh Inglis and Alex Carey in Australia's first innings - all recognised batters.
asserted
Harmer → dismiss → innings
The 37-year-old Essex legend, who once considered playing for England, will be crucial.
asserted
who → consider → England
As ever in such scenarios, the pitch will play its part.
asserted
pitch → play → part
The PitchViz rating - CricViz's way of assessing the difficulty of a surface - jumped to 6.6 in the final session, comfortably the highest (thus most difficult) rating of the Test.
asserted
rating → assess → Test
After settling down in the morning, the ball, as would be expected as a Test progresses, was turning significantly more in the final session than at any point across the previous four days.
asserted
Test → settle → days
Uneven bounce has not yet been a factor but one ball to Rickelton shortly after tea also shot low.
asserted
ball → shoot → tea
Intrigue is added by the fact that whoever wins this Test will end the series top of the International Cricket Council's Test rankings.
asserted
wins → add → rankings
One man appears to likely to play a huge part in the outcome.
asserted
man → appear → outcome
Faced with a target of 205 in the first Ashes Test almost a year ago, Australia opener Head thrashed a sensational 123 from 83 balls to turn a tricky chase into a riotous charge to victory over England.
asserted
Head → face → England
There was a time, between 2008 and 2019, when Australia had a poor record in situations such as these.
asserted
Australia → be → these
In that period they failed in 14 of their 17 fourth-innings chases when set targets between 200 and 350.
asserted
they → fail → 200
That has changed in recent years, however, with Cummins' men having pulled off pursuits of 282 and 279 since 2023, in addition to the Perth victory last year.
asserted
men → change → victory
Saturday will provide another chance for Australia to deliver under pressure.
asserted
Australia → provide → pressure
The Aporia
