Australia ended day one of the first Test on top after moving to within seven runs of South Africa’s total thanks to Travis Head’s unbeaten 78
Test match cricket got a burst of life for the southern summer, as 29,306 people turned up to start the Brisbane Test with the biggest non-Ashes crowd ever hosted at the Gabba. They were treated to a sizzling first day: Australia dismissed South Africa for 152 just before the tea break, slipped to 27 for three in reply, produced an astonishing counterattack from Travis Head and Steve Smith, then lost Smith and nightwatchman Scott Boland to reach stumps at 145 for five, still seven runs behind.
In half a dozen overs together before the third-session drinks break, the two took stock, then ransacked 69 runs in eight overs after the break. Head raised his 50 at better than a run a ball thanks to a six off Lungi Ngidi over backward square leg. It was bewildering for a South African attack that had been right on top, and suddenly began bowling waywardly, offering width for him to punish.
The session had started with a bang, Kagiso Rabada resuming his 2018 duel with David Warner in 2018 by bowling short ball at his ribs, the opening bat fending above the head of short leg, where Khaya Zondo climbed air to take a one-handed catch. It was only Warner’s second golden duck of his 181-innings career, and the first that had begun an innings.
It was the only near miss in his innings, as he proceeded to carve the bowling apart. All up he and Smith added 113 in 23 overs, threatening to take over the game completely. But Nortje rallied for one more burst, jagging the ball extravagantly off the seam to cut past Smith’s bat and take out middle stump, gone for 36. Boland did his job of batting into the last over before nicking Rabada, bringing on the end of the day’s play and sparing Cameron Green a trip to the middle.
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