Australia's first-Test decline against South Africa at the WACA - day by day
Updated
South Africa has thrown a spanner in Australia's cricketing summer with a whopping win in the first Test at the WACA.
And it all started so well...
Day 1 - Starc and Warner have Australia sitting pretty
There were some questions over Mitchell Starc's fitness coming into the summer, but he appeared to put them all to rest with a four-wicket first day.
It helped the Aussie attack skittle South Africa for a measly 242 runs, but could the oft-maligned batting back it up?
The early answer seemed to be a resounding 'yes'.
David Warner went about plundering runs at a rate of knots, ending the day with 73 off just 62 balls.
Even Shaun Marsh looked comfortable on 29 at the other end.
Day 2 - Things start going reverse
Warner looked destined to reach three figures before edging Dale Steyn into the slips while on 97, but Australia was still in good shape when Steyn left the field with a busted shoulder.
Before we knew he was set to miss the rest of the season, the famed Aussie middle-order collapse was already in full swing and 10 wickets fell for 86 runs, leading to an inexcusably slim two-run first-innings lead.
Australia finished the day by taking two wickets in the final session, bringing JP Duminy out to the middle to join Dean Elgar.
Then day three happened.
Day 3 - Duminy and Dean dominate
Elgar and Duminy started moving day on 46 and 34 respectively and an early breakthrough was the order of the day.
None was forthcoming.
Duminy and Elgar batted and batted and batted, notched their respective centuries, then batted some more.
It was not until tea that Duminy fell for 141 with Elgar following for 127 after the break, but the game was basically gone.
Day 4 - Delaying the inevitable
Already leading by 388 runs, South Africa probably could have safely declared overnight, but that was never on the cards.
Quinton de Kock and Vernon Philander helped themselves to half-centuries as they demoralised an already beaten-down Australian side.
The declaration eventually came in the afternoon session with South Africa on 8-540, a lead of 538.
By tea Australia had lost both openers. By stumps the skipper and Adam Voges were gone along with any realistic hope of hanging on for a draw.
Day 5 - Cleaning house
South Africa's victory was effectively guaranteed at the start of the day, but a century to Usman Khawaja would have given Australia something, anything to smile about.
But no. As Kagiso Rabada cleaned up the rest of the batting order — including a fortunate review of luckless Mitchell Marsh — Khawaja fell victim to spin once again, trapped LBW by Duminy while on 97.
The remaining batsmen then fell as eyes turned to Hobart and some possible redemption in the second Test at Bellerive Oval.
Topics: cricket, sport, perth-6000, wa, australia
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