South Africa lost their last four wickets for five runs, and Hazlewood’s 6 for 49 gave Australia a 214-run win in Durban

For most of the final morning at Kingsmead, Aiden Markram looked like he might drag South Africa to a draw. He had batted through the first hour with Wiaan Mulder, the pair added 69 for the fifth wicket, and at lunch the hosts were 166 for 6 with Markram still there on 69.

Then the second new ball arrived. South Africa went from 201 for 6 to 206 all out, losing their last four wickets for five runs, and Australia had won the first Test by 214 runs about an hour after lunch.

Four wickets for five runs

Josh Hazlewood finished with 6 for 49 from 16.5 overs, career-best figures. He removed Ryan Rickelton early in the chase on day four and David Bedingham lbw for 46, then came back on the last day to get rid of Mulder for 29 and clean up the tail. Marco Jansen was bowled for 35 and Simon Harmer was caught behind for a three-ball duck.

Markram was the ninth man out, caught behind off Mitchell Starc for 75 from 237 balls. Hazlewood ended it when Anrich Nortje picked out Nathan Lyon. Alex Carey held five catches in the innings, all of them off the seamers.

South Africa had needed 421 to win, which would have been the highest successful chase in Test history. In truth they were batting for a draw from the moment Pat Cummins declared at tea on day four, and for a while it looked possible. They were 102 for 4 overnight and lost only two wickets in the morning session.

Renshaw’s match

Matt Renshaw was named player of the match. Batting at No. 5, he walked in at 84 for 4 just after lunch on the first day and made 190, then followed it with 82 from 99 balls as the tourists pushed for a declaration. He also bowled 13 overs of part-time off-spin in the second innings and took his first two Test wickets, Temba Bavuma and Kyle Verreynne.

Australia had been 124 for 6 on the first day after Cummins won the toss and batted. Renshaw’s stand of 134 with Lyon for the ninth wicket got them to 390, and South Africa’s 284 in reply left them 106 behind.

Bavuma’s first defeat

It was Bavuma’s first defeat as South Africa’s Test captain. Before Durban he had won every Test he led except one rain-affected draw. South Africa had not played a Test since November 2025 and looked short of match practice with both bat and ball.

It was also Australia’s first Test in South Africa since 2018, when the ball-tampering scandal broke during the Cape Town Test. Australia lead the three-match series 1-0 and take 12 World Test Championship points. The second Test starts at St George’s Park in Gqeberha on 18 October.

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