Quick hits: Cummins blasts and Maharaj juggles as Smith pulls up lame
Pat Cummins's explosive knock pushes Australia clear, Keshav Maharaj produces some magic in his follow-through and Steve Smith doesn't join his teammates in the field. Here are the quick hits from day four of the first Test between Australia and South Africa.
Day four of the first Test between Australia and South Africa saw explosive batting from Pat Cummins, a miraculous diving catch by Keshav Maharaj, and Steve Smith missing out on the field due to an injury. Nic Maddinson, the team's hooker, started the innings strongly with four off the first ball, though his performance tapered off after hitting two boundaries.
He eventually fell for 48 off 38 balls, one shot away from a half-century. Anrich Nortje played a crucial role with a sharp yorker that dismissed Maddinson. Despite South Africa needing extraordinary action, Keshav Maharaj's diving catch in his follow-through turned heads. After Matt Renshaw and Beau Webster contributed minimally, Cummins declared Australia's innings at 6-314, leading them to a 420-run lead.
Steve Smith, sidelined by a head injury suffered earlier, did not partake in the follow-up chase, leaving Australia needing just six wickets to win. Renshaw, Australia's promising batsman, took a maiden Test wicket, adding to his impressive first-innings score of 82.
Written by urgent.news from ABC News AU's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
