The Aussies are batting again with David Warner and Chris Rogers unbeaten at stumps as they bid to quickly build their lead ahead of putting Graeme Smith’s side to the sword again on day four.
Despite being the number one Test team in the world, South Africa have never beaten the Aussies on their home turf, and it now looks as if that’s not going to change in this series.
A draw is the worst case scenario for Michael Clarke’s men, even though a large portion of day two was lost to rain, largely thanks to the captain’s awesome and bruising 161 not out before he decided to declare this morning.
Faf du Plessis was again the Aussies tormentor though, with his rugged 67 helping his side survive the first two sessions.
After the top order failed to fire, although Alviro Petersen appeared to find some form until falling on 53, it looked grim for South Africa.
But up to tea South Africa were 6-200 with du Plessis was 42 not out with bowler Vernon Philander providing impressive support on 18.
Frustratingly Australia blew three good chances to get the middle order dynamo, one of them a straight-forward stumping blunder from keeper Brad Haddin, undoing the good work of an impressive catch to dismiss Dean Elgar.
The Aussie bowlers shared the glory, but it was again Mitchell Johnson troubling the scoreboard most with 4-42, followed by Ryan Harris’s 3-63 and James Pattinson’s 2-77. Shane Watson took one wicket leaving Nathan Lyon joyless off his 12 overs with the flat pitch offering little.
Once the 10th wicket was wound up, with South Africa short of the follow-on total, Clarke instead decided to bat again rather than enforce it.
Chris Rogers was happy as always to play support crew to David Warner, who picked up where he left off in the first innings to race to 25 not out at stumps with Australia leading by 234.
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