South Africa were 97 for 5 in Gqeberha, then bowled Australia out for 99 and won by an innings
Temba Bavuma’s career-best 179 and Marco Jansen’s 5 for 33 levelled the series 1-1, and Travis Head’s 121 in the follow-on only delayed it.
Oct 22, 2026
South Africa beat Australia by an innings and 31 runs at St George’s Park on Thursday, and the three-Test series goes to Newlands level at 1-1. On Monday evening that looked a long way off. Australia had chosen to bowl, rain had allowed only 12.2 overs on the first day, and South Africa closed the second on 97 for 5.
Bavuma and the lower order
Temba Bavuma batted 334 balls for 179, the highest score of his Test career, and most of those runs came with the bowlers. South Africa were 110 for 6 when Wiaan Mulder went. Marco Jansen hit 85 off 100 balls in a seventh-wicket stand of 132, and then Simon Harmer dug in for 157 balls and 82. He and Bavuma put on 183 for the eighth wicket, both fell with the score on 425, and South Africa declared on 425 for 9.
Scott Boland’s 5 for 81 had done the early damage. It counted for little once Australia batted.
All out for 99
Nic Maddinson was caught off the fourth ball of the reply, and Australia were 69 for 6 at lunch on the fourth day. Steve Smith’s 28 off 88 balls was the top score. Jansen took 5 for 33, Alex Carey went for a duck, and the innings was over in 42.3 overs. Bavuma enforced the follow-on.
Australia did better the second time. Travis Head was 87 not out at the close on day four, with Boland in as nightwatcher, and rain washed out the first session on Thursday. Head reached his hundred off 151 balls and was out for 121, playing a Mulder delivery onto his stumps with the second new ball five overs away. Boland lasted 166 balls for his 40 before Mulder bowled him too.
Mulder, with the keeper up
South Africa were a bowler short. Anrich Nortje had limped off with a groin injury on the fourth day. Mulder covered for him, with Ryan Rickelton standing up to the stumps to his seamers so the batters couldn’t use their crease. Mulder bowled Head, Boland and Pat Cummins on the last day and finished with 3 for 64.
Kagiso Rabada did the rest. He got Smith, batting at No. 7 because of a neck problem, to top-edge a pull for 3, and Matthew Breetzke juggled the catch at midwicket in the wind. Later he bowled Mitchell Starc and finished with 4 for 77. Jansen ended it when Josh Hazlewood edged to Aiden Markram for a duck, with Australia all out for 295 and Carey left on 37 not out.
Newlands decides it
Australia won the first Test in Durban by 214 runs on 13 October. The decider starts at Newlands in Cape Town on 27 October. I would not want to be picking Australia’s top order for it. Their 99 came on the pitch where Bavuma and Harmer had just added 183 together, and it was that first innings, not the surface, that lost them this Test.
South Africa took all 12 World Test Championship points from the match, and Bavuma was player of the match.