8th over: South Africa 25-1 (Markram 15, Bedingham 10) Floodlights beaming through the late afternoon gloom, Durban suddenly doing its best to resemble a Brontë landscape in January. In wuthers Hazlewood, Markram glides past point to pick a couple off the over. Captain Pat is coming on for a burst.

7th over: South Africa 23-1 (Markram 13, Bedingham 10) Markram loves playing against Australia in Test cricket. He has three tons and an average in the mid sixties against them. His knock in the WTC final at Lord’s last year was one for the ages.

He’s at the non striker’s end as Starc works over Bedingham for five balls but the batter is up to the task and then some, the sixth ball is pinged through midwicket like a skimmed pebble for four.

6th over: South Africa 19-1 (Markram 13, Bedingham 6) Aidan Markram plays a quite beautiful cover drive off Hazlewood. Poetry in motion made all the better by the fact it is getting very gloomy in Durban now, optimum conditions for the Aussie pace attack.

5th over: South Africa 15-1 (Markram 9, Bedingham 6) It’s all happening. Bedingham edges Starc just short of third slip but shrugs it off to drive down the ground for four next ball. Starc then hits back with the next ball by ripping one past the outside edge. I make that 2-1 to the bowler but Bedingham is still there and battling.

4th over: South Africa 11-1 (Markram 9, Bedingham 2) Hazlewood is bang on the money under darkening Durban clouds. Just a single to Bedingham off an inside edge.

3rd over: South Africa 10-1 (Markram 9, Bedingham 1) A huge appeal as Starc thinks he has pinned Markram in front but a meaty inside edge saves the batter. Australia didn’t spot the tickle but Umpire Gaffaney did, the Aussies burn a review sending it upstairs. Shot! Markram gets on the front foot and drives Starc for a pristine cover drive for four. Starc stays full and Markram punches down the ground for four more. Enthralling Test cricket.

2nd over: South Africa 2-1 (Markram 1, Bedingham 1) It was a scrambled brain shot from Rickelton and South Africa are on the ropes early, those punishing overs in the field may well show their full toll in this passage of play. David Bedingham is the new man, he’s off the mark with a clip to leg and Markram does the same to get himself going too. Eeesht! Bedingham is beaten by the final ball of the over. Do not adjust your set.

1st over: South Africa 0-0 (Markram 0, Rickelton 0) Starc starts with a probing maiden, full and some shape away. There are three slips and a gully waiting for the edge.

Here comes Mitchell Starc to Aiden Markram. Buckle up kids.

Australia will be dead chuffed/stoked to have made 390 after being 124-6. They will now unleash the dogs of war – namely Starc, Hazlewood and Cummins with cloud cover building over Kingsmead. Gulp.

The players head out to the field after the tea break. The sun is just about burning through the cloud so we should get a decent amount of play. Simon Harmer is going to start to Matt Renshaw…

Tea time reading:

That’s Tea. Matt Renshaw heads to the sheds for the tea interval unbeaten on 190 in Durban. It’s been a punishing extended session for South Africa, Australia have added 113 runs for just the loss of Nathan Lyon. When he finally went thanks to a stone dead lbw courtesy of Jansen the visitors score was 364-9. Josh Hazlewood has since joined Renshaw and looked completely untroubled. You wonder what the toll will be on the Proteas batting line up when they eventually get their turn.

137th over: Australia 390-9 (Renshaw 190, Hazlewood 5)

136th over: Australia 389-9 (Renshaw 189, Hazlewood 5) The light is fading a little in Durban as the afternoon cloud begins to roll in, hopefully we aren’t curtailed as early as yesterday. Renshaw collects a single off Harmer, one more over before tea.

135th over: Australia 388-9 (Renshaw 188, Hazlewood 5) Renshaw is closing in on a Test double ton, a flick to leg for a single takes him to twelve away. Hazlewood is looking more than able to hang around, the final partnership is already at 24 runs. South Africa looking very weary now.

134th over: Australia 387-9 (Renshaw 187, Hazlewood 5) Harmer replaces Nortje and is driven for four by Renshaw, that takes him to 186 and his highest Test score. The tv camera zooms in on some people having a mid afternoon doze in the crowd. Not me, now way. I’ve just had my fourth coffee of the day, am going to hit peak caffeine buzz… during the tea interval. Oh.

133rd over: Australia 382-9 (Renshaw 182, Hazlewood 5) Jansen is pulled away into the deep three times by Renshaw but the batter opts not to take a single off any of them. He does off the fourth ball to leave Hazlewood needing to survive two balls…he does more than survive! The big fella moves to leg and gives himself room to bunt through the off side for four. The final ball is blocked into the off side too. What were you worried about?

132nd over: Australia 377-9 (Renshaw 181, Hazlewood 1) Shot! Renshaw hits Nortje flat and hard on the pull for four! He was on that like the proverbial pigeon on a potato based snack. An outside edge then flies wide of the second slip to let Renshaw take the single he needs off the final ball to keep strike.

131st over: Australia 372-9 (Renshaw 176, Hazlewood 1) Hazlewood gets off the mark with a poke to backward point. Renshaw then leaves the number 11 two balls from Jansen to negotiate. A bouncer is ducked and a yorker dug out. On we go.

130th over: Australia 370-9 (Renshaw 175, Hazlewood 0) Renshaw negotiates five brutish Nortje balls and then uppercuts the final delivery of the over for SIX. Nailed the stroke but it does mean Hazlewood is on strike to Jansen at the start of the next.

129th over: Australia 364-9 (Renshaw 169, Hazlewood 0) Jansen clips Hazlewood’s lid with a short one and there’s a brief delay for a concussion test but he’s all good to continue. Renshaw will be on strike to Nortje.

128th over: Australia 362-8 (Renshaw 168, Lyon 26) Nortje is blunted by Renshaw who unfurls an over of textbook back foot defence. He ain’t giving this away easily (he was born in Yorkshire, has anyone mentioned that?) A maiden.

127th over: Australia 362-8 (Renshaw 168, Lyon 26) Lyon rocks back and swivels a pull for four off Jansen. Yeh, the pitch is flat.

126th over: Australia 358-8 (Renshaw 168, Lyon 22) Nortje pushes the speed needle to 90mph but it is gun barrel straight. Lyon collects a single with a clip off the hip to fine leg. Marco Jansen is coming on from the other end, I don’t want to labour the point… but South Africa could really do with breaking this partnership.

125th over: Australia 357-8 (Renshaw 168, Lyon 21) Renshaw drives Maharaj for four, over pitched and languidly pushed down the ground. Now then, Nortje is being thrown the ball for the next over with a breakthrough more than desperately needed.

124th over: Australia 353-8 (Renshaw 164, Lyon 21) Another over, another Resnhaw single. C’mon South Africa, someone needs to do sammink!

123rd over: Australia 352-8 (Renshaw 163, Lyon 21) Another single to Renshaw, the Aussies happy to tick along and put more miles and more thoughts into weary legs and minds.

122nd over: Australia 351-8 (Renshaw 162, Lyon 21) Renshaw collects a single off Markram, it’s all too easy out there for the Aussies. I know he hasn’t played a Test for three years but I’d be whispering some insults in Anrich Nortje’s lugholes and getting him riled up in an attempt to break this partnership and polish off this Aussie batting effort.

121st over: Australia 350-8 (Renshaw 161, Lyon 21) Maharaj is rasped to the cover boundary by Renshaw but then responds with an absolute peach that pitches and turns past the outside edge. Nathan Lyon plays and misses but he’ll have noted where that one pitched.

120th over: Australia 345-8 (Renshaw 156, Lyon 21) Aidan Markram into the attack, the crowd think he has the breakthrough but Renshaw’s drive to Bavuma at cover was drilled into the turf first. Mark Nicholas arrives for his latest commentary stint, his honey-soaked vowels never fail to take this Englishman back to the halcyon days of cricket on Ch4. Listen closely and you can almost hear that wobble board at the start of Mambo No.5.

119th over: Australia 344-8 (Renshaw 155, Lyon 21) Maharaj replaces Harmer and his first delivery is reverse-swept by Renshaw fine for four, that takes him to 150! He removes his helmet and soaks up the adulation from the Aussies in the crowd and from Lyon in the middle. This knock is taking on more significance with each over. Another reverse, another four. South Africa are hurting and Matt Renshaw is the man inflicting the pain.

118th over: Australia 335-8 (Renshaw 146, Lyon 21) Bavuma hauls in a sweetly timed flick off the pads by Renshaw and saves a couple of runs, in fact it is a reaaaally long single. Lyon then plays a doozy of an on drive down the ground for four. That was on the up too. Hold the pose Garry!

117th over: Australia 330-8 (Renshaw 145, Lyon 17) Renshaw punches Harmer to long on to bring up the 100 partnership from 218 balls. For the ninth wicket. Ouch.

116th over: Australia 329-8 (Renshaw 144, Lyon 17) Kagiso Rabada is shown smiling in the South Africa dugout, the indications are that he’ll be back for the second Test. The camera pans from him to a slightly forlorn looking Anrich Nortje on the boundary edge, he definitely thought he’d be in an ice bath by now.

Close! Lyon gloves Mulder down the leg side but it flies just past the keeper and away for four more. Damaging, damaging, lemon damaging.

To add insult to injury, the PA in the stadium gives a burst of the Backstreet Boys – Tell me why!!

115th over: Australia 324-8 (Renshaw 143, Lyon 13) Harmer is pinged through cover by Renshaw, weary stuff from South Africa now under the beating Durban sun.

114th over: Australia 319-8 (Renshaw 138, Lyon 13) Mulder replaces Nortje and his first ball is sliced past gully for four by Renshaw, that boundary makes this partnership the highest in Test history at Kingsmead. Remember Australia were 124-6 and reeling, South Africa have now been out there for 114 overs and they definitely would have thought that they would be batting by now, that’s always a psychological wounder.

113th over: Australia 314-8 (Renshaw 133, Lyon 13) Renshaw drives Harmer to long on for a single. Every run and further over bowled is a wound to South Africa. The camera pans to some forlorn looking Minions in the crowd, this is Australia’s highest ninth wicket partnership against South Africa – pipping the previous best of 88 between Don Bradman and Bill O’Reilly in 1932. Some going, and Nathan Lyon has just 13 of them. This is a real statement knock from Renshaw.

112th over: Australia 313-8 (Renshaw 132, Lyon 13) Nortje ramps it up from around the wicket. Renshaw is hopping around a little, trying to make room for a cut or a hook. The Aussies move a slip to deep third for just such a thing but there’s just a single off the over to Renshaw as he chalks up 288 balls faced.

111th over: Australia 312-8 (Renshaw 131, Lyon 13) Thanks Geoff and hello all. This is gripping stuff eh, after being hit a few balls ago Renshaw is looking to be a bit more aggressive, we might see him open the shoulders. Lyon picks up two runs off the hubcap handed Harmer with a spawny outside edge that squirts wide of the slip. Here comes Nortje for some more chin music…

110th over: Australia 310-8 (Renshaw 131, Lyon 11) Yowch. Renshaw gets tenderised. Nortje is the mallet, predictably. A rising ball that surprises Renshaw, because it doesn’t get up as much as he expects. It’s straight at the body. He shapes to duck, then realises I think that it’s not bouncing, so his only recourse is to flinch away from it, turning his head and raising his shoulder like he’s about to take a hit in rugby league. The ball bashes that front shoulder and deflects onto his grille, having had some pace taken off it. He’ll have a bruised arm but his head is ok. Nortje immediately checks on him, and Renshaw gives him a nod and a thumbs up. Gets some physio attention for the head knock, but Renshaw’s more preoccupied with that shoulder, wincing while moving it.

Finally he’s back at the crease, and almost plays on! Back of a length ball, angled across, just outside off, and Renshaw’s shot is tentative, inside edge of an angled bat, past leg stump, no run. No run from the over, either!

This has been an entertaining morning. That’s it for me, Jim Wallace to take you through the afternoon.

109th over: Australia 310-8 (Renshaw 131, Lyon 11) You’d be steaming if you were a South African flicking on the game right now, having seen the overnight scores but not caught up. You’d be hoping to see your team on about 80 for 1, perhaps. Instead these other guys are still batting! Jansen, Renshaw, single, fifth ball.

108th over: Australia 309-8 (Renshaw 130, Lyon 11) Finally, after 15 overs, Lyon adds to his score! He can find runs against quick bowling sometimes – remember him repeatedly hooking Mark Wood out of Bellerive Oval during the fifth Ashes Test, after it got moved to Hobart from Perth. This time, Lyon misses his hook shot at the first bouncer, a high one, but the less short ball in at his hip he’s able to deflect with a straight bat, out behind square to the fence. Could have added a single from the last ball, similar shot, but that’s not what Renshaw wants. That’ll do, pig. That’ll do.

107th over: Australia 305-8 (Renshaw 130, Lyon 7) Finally, South Africa have found a way to stop Renshaw from scoring one near the end of the over. Let him score four instead. Final ball of the over, he takes Jansen off his hip through square leg, and it rolls slowly into the rope.

South Africa have an opening. Bavuma immediately signals to Nortje to bowl the next over, with Lyon on strike.

106th over: Australia 301-8 (Renshaw 126, Lyon 7) This is like clockwork. Renshaw, single, fifth ball. Harmer the bowler.

105th over: Australia 300-8 (Renshaw 125, Lyon 7) Bavuma, at a dead end, asks for one more burst from Jansen. Bouncer to start, but well over Renshaw’s front shoulder, not worrying the batter. He’ll step across and defend the next. He’s happy to take the single fourth ball, giving Lyon two to face, and that raises the 300! Lyon repays the faith with some solid defence.

104th over: Australia 299-8 (Renshaw 124, Lyon 7) Renshaw keeps bossing it. Two runs through cover, a single fifth ball. Nathan Lyon hasn’t scored since the 92nd over, and this was the 104th. He’s had to face only 20 balls in that time. What’s that, 20 out of about 84.

103rd over: Australia 296-8 (Renshaw 121, Lyon 7) Now the single fourth ball, against Maharaj. Renshaw is driving South Africa mad.

102nd over: Australia 295-8 (Renshaw 120, Lyon 7) A big slog sweep to start Harmer’s over, but Renshaw doesn’t get all of it, so it plugs near the midwicket rope for two. Then a single fifth ball.

101st over: Australia 292-8 (Renshaw 117, Lyon 7) It’s that thing so many of us hate: the fielders spread around the arena in an attempt to give Renshaw a single and get Lyon on strike. Yuck cricket. “Only one!” someone shouts as Renshaw finds a gap at wide long on, but, to our interlocutor’s chagrin, the batters in fact score two. The single comes fourth ball, and Lyon survives his ration of two.

100th over: Australia 289-8 (Renshaw 114, Lyon 7) Harmer is bowling pretty well, turning the ball away from Renshaw, varying his pace. But they have too many fielders in the deep too late in the over, and Renshaw’s able to find a single fifth ball.

99th over: Australia 288-8 (Renshaw 113, Lyon 7) What a reverse from Renshaw! Nails that one from Maharaj, gets low and hits it very square of the wicket, and flat. Fielder at deep backward point, but he has no chance. Then a single fifth ball. Renshaw is pacing this beautifully.

98th over: Australia 283-8 (Renshaw 108, Lyon 7) South Africa with the field up to tempt Renshaw to go over, and he does against Harmer, reaching out well in front of his body to lift the ball long and high, one bounce to long off. Then a single to keep strike.

97th over: Australia 278-8 (Renshaw 103, Lyon 7) Just the single down the ground for Renshaw in that over.

Getting ready to start again after lunch, and it’ll be Maharaj to Renshaw.

96th over: Australia 277-8 (Renshaw 102, Lyon 7) And now Simon Harmer. South Africa’s spinners have been reduced to peripheral contributors in this first innings, filling in a couple of overs before the new ball and the lunch break. No joy for the home team here, as Renshaw takes one more run to midwicket, and will walk to the break with an unbeaten century to his name, and the chance to return and even further frustrate the home side and the home supporters.

95th over: Australia 276-8 (Renshaw 101, Lyon 7) Back to spin, while has played absolutely no part in the game so far, and Maharaj gives up a run.

94th over: Australia 275-8 (Renshaw 100, Lyon 7) Australia’s No10 survives the over! Not without qualm: Jansen hits him in the body, and beats him while driving lavishly, but at other times Lyon is in control, ducking the short ball, blocking the length ball. No score.

93rd over: Australia 275-8 (Renshaw 100, Lyon 7) Another four runs follow the century immediately, though this time the ball comes off the thigh guard. Nortje’s pace makes that happen.

92nd over: Australia 267-8 (Renshaw 96, Lyon 7) Shot! An on-drive, on the walk! Renshaw saunters down at Jansen, takes the ball from outside the line of off stump, and whips his drive through a wide long on, almost midwicket. Slices through the gaps between a couple of fielders on the way, all along the carpet. That’s a stunner. Takes a single next to keep the strike! One boundary away…

91st over: Australia 261-8 (Renshaw 91, Lyon 6) Another leading edge! Renshaw has had a few of those today, but this one from Nortje has enough pace on it to reach the boundary fine of gully. That takes Renshaw into the 90s. This is already his second-best Test score, by a long way, behind only that big hundred that he made in Australia a million years ago.

90th over: Australia 257-8 (Renshaw 87, Lyon 6) Lovely bowling from Mulder, seam upright and moving away past Lyon’s edge, but Mulder has overstepped. Lyon gets a couple of runs through midwicket to follow.

89th over: Australia 254-8 (Renshaw 87, Lyon 4) Such good temperament that we’re seeing from Renshaw. He took those boundaries from Nortje’s previous over, but this time with accuracy he just makes sure that he sees it off. Looks to manufacture a single with a little pull shot from the sixth ball, or shapes as if to pull but ends up playing a short ball with a straighter bat, trying to ride the bounce and knock it to leg for a single, but it doesn’t work, the ball ends up going to the off side. Lyon with four slips behind him will have to negotiate Mulder on his own.

88th over: Australia 254-8 (Renshaw 87, Lyon 4) First runs for Lyon, glancing Mulder fine to the fence. He could have another run to end the over, maybe off the thigh pad actually, but Renshaw says no thanks. Australia past that 250 mark that we spoke about yesterday.

87th over: Australia 250-8 (Renshaw 87, Lyon 0) Oh, shot! Nortje comes back for another burst, but Renshaw is feeling good. Not the worst ball, it’s slightly too full to be a good length though, and it allows Renshaw to stride into a confidence cover drive. Not exactly on the up, just in between that zone and the half-volley spot. Nailed. Then to end the over, width, and Renshaw pushes his bat out towards gully to lift that ball over the cordon for four more.

86th over: Australia 242-8 (Renshaw 79, Lyon 0) Renshaw lifts a gear. Mulder bowls on his pads, and instead of just glancing to fine leg for one, as he’d normally do, Renshaw uses much more whip of the wrist, sending the ball squarer to the boundary. Then with angle across, a cut shot, and Renshaw urges for two runs immediately, hustling back. Fourth ball of the over, tip and run to mid on, again Renshaw’s voice encouraging Lyon to race. Really testing out the old man with the history of calf and hamstring problems. Lyon negates the last two balls, but won’t be pleased to see an overstep: that gives him another to face. Luckily for him it’s wide and easily left.

Renshaw on 79, that’s now thinking-about-a-ton territory, even with the tail.

85th over: Australia 234-8 (Renshaw 72, Lyon 0) Jansen is going around the wicket, left arm mind you, to the left-hander. Curious ploy, trying to manufacture a hugely steep angle. That means being very accurate with line, however, and he’s not. Renshaw is able to leave most of those efforts, then take the fifth ball off his hip for one. Again, the introduction of the right-hander sees the bowler go well down leg.

84th over: Australia 233-8 (Renshaw 71, Lyon 0) Happy enough to take a single second ball of Mulder’s over, however. A shadow of inswing from Mulder to the left-hander. No, wait! That’s what Renshaw says. He bails out of the run. Comes a long way down, then heads back. He does take the run from the fourth ball of the over, though, leg glanced. Changing left-hander for right messes up Mulder’s line, as he twice bowls down the leg side to Lyon.

83rd over: Australia 232-8 (Renshaw 70, Lyon 0) Jansen continues, twice more draws an edge! Renshaw getting one that falls short of second slip, one that goes squarer through the cordon for runs. Could easily have had two runs, but given it’s the last ball of the over, Renshaw chooses to keep strike.

82nd over: Australia 231-8 (Renshaw 69, Lyon 0) Drinks break halfway through the over, with the fall of the wicket. Renshaw might want to get a move on, now. Lyon is not the worst with the bat, but it’s probably fair to say that his appetite for defence has waned as he has aged. Mulder is on track for a five-for here, under the radar, having also picked up Labuschagne and Cummins.

81st over: Australia 229-7 (Renshaw 69, Starc 6) Jansen is back, after that short break. Big ask, for the two big quicks to open up the day, then return so soon for the new ball. They’ve been a threat, certainly, but it was Mulder who took the wicket and Harmer who nearly had another.

80th over: Australia 225-7 (Renshaw 66, Starc 6) Oh, Starc is dropped! Harmer the unlucky bowler, uses the arm ball, some width so Starc cuts fiercely, and the edge of the angled bat flies at Markram at slip, who is falling backwards at the time, perhaps anticipating being clobbered by that ball. In the end it goes just wide of him, and the throws out the right hand but fingertips it away instead of holding on. The ball has enough force to reach the boundary rope, so it was travelling. Still, a top-line slip catcher staying still at the point of impact might have held that.

79th over: Australia 221-7 (Renshaw 66, Starc 2) Renshaw ticking over nicely now. Starc drives with power but straight back at Maharaj. Even his defensive shots are often powerful. Eventually he drives a ball wide enough of straight to beat the field for a run.

78th over: Australia 219-7 (Renshaw 65, Starc 1) Finally, dual spin, though you imagine it will just be for new-ball relief. One run from Harmer’s over.

Email in from Guy Hornsby. “Excellent fightback from Australia here, who looked like they could have been skittled for under 200 yesterday. They could well get closer to 300 if these two can hang around in the face of some hostile bowling. Assume Nortje and Jansen will get a rest before the new ball [Ed: they have], which may decide how high Australia can get. Cummins does have these once-every-few-years innings and, like Edgbaston in 2023, he sure picked a good time for another.”

77th over: Australia 218-7 (Renshaw 64, Starc 1) Working the singles like in an ODI against Maharaj. Starc opens his score with a drive down the ground.

76th over: Australia 215-7 (Renshaw 62, Starc 0) Renshaw off strike early against Mulder, glancing a run. Starc concentrates on getting bat on ball, looking to find a groove. Just needs to emulate Cummins and stay with Renshaw.

“Superb battling performance from Renshaw and Cummins,” emails Michael Hall, which, indeed, it was. Test match stuff.

75th over: Australia 214-7 (Renshaw 61, Starc 0) Spin has woken a more dynamic version of Renshaw. Sweep, reverse sweep, picking up ones and twos from Maharaj, who also oversteps in that over. (Three, two, one, all together now: unforgivable for a spinner!)

74th over: Australia 210-7 (Renshaw 58, Starc 0) So now Renshaw has Mitch Starc for company.

73rd over: Australia 209-6 (Renshaw 57, Cummins 43) Maharaj on to bowl some spin and propel them towards the new ball.

72nd over: Australia 206-6 (Renshaw 54, Cummins 43) Almost gets the breaktbrough! Nortje’s hostility deserves something going his way, but it doesn’t. Nasty ball again, short and lifting at Cummins, fending rather than defending, and the edge skews away into the cordon… but there’s nobody there. Only a first slip in place, with the field set for different errors. The ball goes wide of the first slip and bounces safe. Renshaw keeps playing the bouncer well, swaying and leaving, then nudging. Three singles from the over.

71st over: Australia 203-6 (Renshaw 52, Cummins 42) Jansen gets the ball past the edge of the bat a couple of times in this over, switching his line well from left hander to right. Skilful work, no reward as yet. Slightly shorter to end the over and Cummins thinks about an uppercut, has the bat ready to play it, but bails out – not quite short or wide enough, so he lets the ball pass over his bat.

70th over: Australia 202-6 (Renshaw 51, Cummins 42) The ideal result for Cummins, placing Nortje through midwicket for three! Maximum conventional reward while getting off strike. But Renshaw puts him straight back in the firing line with a leg bye. Rude. That said, Cummins is catching up to Renshaw’s score.

69th over: Australia 198-6 (Renshaw 51, Cummins 39) Jansen sees how Nortje is operating and he wants a piece too. The ball is old, why not? Unsociable bouncer at Cummins, who tries to get over it like he did previously but instead wears it inside the curve of his shoulder. Then good fielding behind point denies him a run from the yorker, which is how he escaped Nortje. All of that makes Cummins uncomfortable enough to play and miss outside off stump, but the edge doesn’t come. He’s not daunted though: fifth ball of the over, dropping back past the bowler, you could forgive a lower order player for not belting through for a single. But Cummins does.

68th over: Australia 197-6 (Renshaw 51, Cummins 38) Nortje is firing up, and Renshaw is staying cool. Cummins starts the over, getting a nasty short one that he just about rides the bounce of, then a full straight one that he squeezes out behind square well enough to get off strike. Renshaw though looks absolutely perfect as he defends a mid-level short ball, then goes under a bouncer, then swishes his bat over a wider line to leave.

67th over: Australia 196-6 (Renshaw 51, Cummins 37) Jansen from the other end, and his over is far more frugal. When Renshaw first hit the Test team as a very young man in 2016, all of the focus was on his leaving. After a profligate batting era of thoughtless shot-players, an Australian audience loved seeing a player who was prepared to show patience. From memory he was applauded at Adelaide Oval when he'd faced his 100th ball. Well, he does the same trick here, blocking the first and then leaving everything else.

Alright friends, it’s time to play the game.

Former England Test batter and Afghanistan coach Jonathan Trott has spoken with Ali Martin about his recent his Lions appointment and much more.

When I made my T20 debut in 2007 it was like I had come in from the cold. It was very weird suddenly playing for a team where, apart from Belly, I didn’t know anyone. For some cricketers that’s fine, they walk into a side and do their thing. But for me the sense of the team has always been a big aspect of playing.

Playing for the Lions in the two years after that, I actually got to know a lot of the players who became my teammates in the Test side. We played in the Duleep Trophy in India the first winter, against touring sides in the summers, and had a full tour of New Zealand. So some very competitive cricket. So, making my Test debut in 2009 felt like more of a natural transition, really.

Mostly sunny in Durban for day two of the first Test between South Africa and Australia. The forecast is for a high of 25 with a bit of cloud early before the sun is expected to dominate the afternoon.

Australia are arriving for day two at Kingsmead Cricket Ground. Not sure if Marnus Labuschagne is being optimistic or pessimistic with bring his bat. Matt Renshaw looks focused and ready to play.

Here is the full report from day one of the first Test at Durban … with a little teaser to whet the appetite.

If we accept that sporting tenures are results-based, then the Australian selectors George Bailey and Tony Dodemaide should be conferring with the coach Andrew McDonald to submit a mass resignation.