South Africa 97-5 vs Australia: Boland Takes 4-31 on Day Two

Updated 17:42 UTC, Oct 22, 2026: South Africa win by an innings and 31 runs, series level at 1-1

South Africa completed a commanding win over Australia in the second Test at St George's Park in Gqeberha on Thursday, winning by an innings and 31 runs to level the three-match series at 1-1.

Captain Temba Bavuma turned the match with a career-best 179. South Africa had slumped to 110 for 6 after the rain-ruined opening days, but Bavuma faced 334 balls, and with Marco Jansen, who made 85, and Simon Harmer, who made 82, he carried the hosts to 425 for 9 declared. Bavuma was named player of the match.

Australia were then bowled out for 99 in their first innings, Jansen taking 5 for 33, with Kagiso Rabada and Wiaan Mulder taking two wickets each. Forced to follow on, Australia resisted longer second time around: Travis Head made 121 and nightwatchman Scott Boland faced 166 balls for 40. But Mulder, Rabada and Jansen shared the last wickets on the final day, and Australia were all out for 295.

The series decider will be played at Newlands in Cape Town.

South Africa closed day two of the second Test against Australia on 97 for 5 at St George's Park in Gqeberha, after rain washed out the first two sessions and only about 30 overs were possible in the final session of the day. Play finally got under way at 3.45 p.m. local time, six hours after the scheduled start, once a bright spell and a series of pitch inspections convinced the umpires the ground was fit.

Scott Boland was the bowler who did the damage. He finished the day with 4 for 31 from 14 overs, adding two wickets to the two he took in two balls on the rain-hit first day. Mitchell Starc took the other wicket, with 1 for 27, and Pat Cummins kept the pressure on from the other end. Beau Webster filled the fourth pace role with Josh Hazlewood absent.

South Africa resumed at 20 for 2. Boland struck first on day two, with debutant Marques Ackerman caught behind for 6 after a loose push at a ball outside off stump. Starc then removed Matthew Breetzke, also caught behind, for 4, and the hosts were 40 for 4. Breetzke was batting at number five for the first time in his short Test career, and he fell chasing a wide ball from Starc.

Captain Temba Bavuma held the innings together. He survived a close lbw shout on 18 when Boland nipped one back into his front pad, and he hooked a Cummins bouncer for six, the ball having to be fetched back from the road next to the ground. He batted through to the close unbeaten on 41 from 108 balls, and shared a fifty partnership for the fifth wicket with Ryan Rickelton, who made 31. Rickelton had a life on 26, when Marnus Labuschagne could not hold a glance at leg slip, but he fell late in the day, caught by Matt Renshaw at slip off Boland with a one-handed catch low to his right, after Alex Carey did not go for the edge. Wiaan Mulder was with Bavuma at the close on 2 not out, with South Africa 97 for 5 after 43 overs of their first innings.

Australia played without Josh Hazlewood on day two. He missed the day through illness and is expected to be available for the rest of the Test, the Associated Press reported.

South Africa are the reigning world Test champions, having beaten Australia in the 2025 World Test Championship final, but they trail 1-0 in the three-match series after a 214-run defeat in the first Test in Durban. Play is scheduled to resume on day three on Tuesday, with South Africa still 92 runs short of a hundred and five wickets down in their first innings.