Starc gives Aussies hope after innings collapse

Hobart, November 12

Mitchell Starc offered Australia a lifeline with an inspired spell after a record low home total against South Africa on an opening day of carnage in the second Test today.

The left-arm pace spearhead put the brakes on the Proteas with three wickets in 10 balls post-tea after the Australians were skittled for 85 off 32.5 overs. The tourists reached stumps at 171/5 and pushed out their lead to 86. Temba Bavuma was unbeaten on 38 with Quinton de Kock on 28.

Up until Starc’s intervention South Africa had seized control of the first day with a total of 15 wickets tumbling for a combined 256 runs under cloudy skies. Vernon Philander powered the Proteas with 5/21 as Australia folded to their lowest total at home against South Africa to revive memories of recent catastrophic batting collapses. The capitulation revisited the nightmares of their miserable 47 in Cape Town in 2011 and England’s demolition of them for 60 at Trent Bridge last year. — AFP   

Scoreboard

Australia first innings
J Burns lbw b Abbott 1
D Warner c de Kock b Philander 1
U Khawaja c Amla b Philander 4
S Smith not out 48
A Voges c de Kock b Philander 0
C Ferguson run out 3
P Nevill lbw b Rabada 3
J Mennie b Philander 10
M Starc c Duminy b Abbott 4
J Hazlewood c Amla b Abbott 8
N Lyon c de Kock b Philander 2
Extras (lb-1) 1
Total (all out, 32.5 overs) 85
Fall of wickets: 1-2, 2-2, 3-8, 4-8, 5-17, 6-31, 7-59, 8-66, 9-76, 10-85
Bowling 
S Philander 10.1-5-21-5
Abbott 12.4-3-41-3
Rabada 6-0-20-1
Maharaj 4-2-2-0

South Africa first innings
S Cook c Nevill b Starc 23
D Elgar lbw b Starc 17
H Amla c Nevill b Hazlewood 47
J Duminy c Smith b Starc 1
F Du Plessis lbw b Hazlewood 7
T Bavuma batting 38
Q de Kock batting 28
Extras (b3, lb6, nb1) 10
Total (5 wickets; 55 overs) 171
Fall of wickets: 1-43, 2-44, 3-46, 4-76, 5-132
Bowling 
M Starc 15-0-49-3
Hazlewood 16-7-36-2
Mennie 14-1-47-0
Lyon 10-1-30-0

Alviro Petersen charged with match fixing 

Johannesburg: Cricket South Africa (CSA) said they have charged former batsman Alviro Petersen with match fixing following a lengthy and ongoing investigation. Petersen, 35, captain of Highveld Lions, has been charged with multiple breaches of CSA’s anti-corruption code. The charges include “contriving to fix or otherwise improperly influence matches during the 2015 Ram Slam”. The South African batsman has been provisionally suspended and has 14 days to respond to the charges. Gulam Bodi, Jean Symes, Pumelela Matshikwe, Ethy Mbhalati and Thami Tsolekile were all handed lengthy bans by CSA earlier this year for their part in attempting to fix matches in the Ram Slam. — AFP