South Africa beat Australia by 176 runs at Newlands to win Test series 2-1 as Simon Harmer takes 6-16
Australia, chasing 288, were all out for 111 on day five in Cape Town. Harmer took 6-16 and Rabada reached 350 Test wickets as South Africa won 2-1.
At a glance
- South Africa won the third Test by 176 runs at Newlands in Cape Town on Saturday, October 31, 2026, and took the series 2-1.
- Australia needed 288 and were bowled out for 111. Nathan Lyon top-scored with 33 not out.
- Simon Harmer took 6-16 in the second innings and 10 wickets in the match, and was named player of the match.
- Kagiso Rabada took three early wickets, including his 350th in Tests, the wicket of Travis Head.
- Marco Jansen was named player of the series for 198 runs and 13 wickets.
South Africa beat Australia by 176 runs at Newlands on Saturday, taking the three-Test series 2-1 after bowling the tourists out for 111 in a chase of 288. Off-spinner Simon Harmer did most of the damage with 6-16, and Kagiso Rabada had already ripped out the top order before lunch.
Australia had come into the final day with a real target and a series on the line. The game was effectively gone inside the first hour. "Within the first hour really, the game was away for us, so we didn't give ourselves a chance," captain Pat Cummins said.
Two wickets in Rabada's first over
The collapse began immediately. Matt Renshaw edged his first ball through to wicketkeeper Ryan Rickelton for a duck, and Marnus Labuschagne was soon trapped lbw for 4. Australia were 5-2 after one over.
Travis Head made 14 before he became Rabada's third victim and his 350th Test wicket, leaving Australia 22-3. Josh Inglis, a first-innings centurion, then lost his wicket to a run-out for 4, with Rickelton breaking the stumps from Ackerman's throw.
Once the shine had gone, Harmer took over. Alex Carey and Cooper Connolly both fell cheaply, and at 42-6 the match was as good as settled. Mitchell Starc was caught by substitute fielder Corbin Bosch off the last ball before lunch, which came at 60-7.
Harmer's 21 overs for 16 runs
Harmer's return was remarkable for how little he gave away: 21.1 overs, 14 maidens, 16 runs, six wickets. Added to his 4-104 in the first innings, it gave him 10 wickets in the match and the player of the match award.
Cameron Green had looked the one batter capable of a long stay, reaching 25 at lunch. He was bowled by the first ball after the break, for 27. Cummins (11) and Lyon then added 45 for the ninth wicket from 105 balls, which delayed the finish without changing it. Cummins went lbw after a review on the edge of tea, and Harmer bowled Josh Hazlewood to end it. Lyon's unbeaten 33 was the highest score of the innings.
The match in four innings
| Innings | Score | Top batters | Best bowling |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Africa 1st | 329 | Ackerman 95, Markram 78, Jansen 52 | Starc 6-72 |
| Australia 1st | 429 | Inglis 102, Carey 80, Renshaw 74, Green 65 | Harmer 4-104, Jansen 3-60 |
| South Africa 2nd | 387 | Mulder 115, Rickelton 102, Ackerman 62 | Starc 3-65 |
| Australia 2nd | 111 | Lyon 33*, Green 27 | Harmer 6-16 |
The decisive batting came a day earlier. South Africa trailed by 100 on first innings and were 140-4 late on day three. Rickelton and Wiaan Mulder then put on 154 for the fifth wicket, both reached hundreds, and the target grew to 288. Starc finished with nine wickets in the match and still ended up on the losing side.
How the series turned
Australia took the lead by winning the first Test in Durban. South Africa hit back in Gqeberha with an innings win built from a losing position, and then came from 100 behind again in Cape Town.
Marco Jansen was named player of the series for 198 runs and 13 wickets. Captain Temba Bavuma said playing Australia is something to savour whenever the chance comes. South Africa's team also said on social media that the win lifts them to first in the world Test rankings, a claim that will be tested when the official table is next updated.
England next for Australia
The defeat is a poor build-up for Australia, whose next fixtures are against England from November 13, followed by New Zealand in December. Cummins acknowledged that big series lie ahead. His top order made 0, 4, 14 and 4 here, and the selectors have less than two weeks before the first of those matches.
