Australia pull clear in Durban as Smith sets catching record

Australia pulled firmly clear of South Africa in the first Test in Durban, reaching 33 without loss in their second innings for an overall lead of 139 runs on 11 October 2026.

The scoreboard tells the story. Australia made 390 in their first turn with the bat. South Africa replied with 284. Australia then pushed on to 33-0, with Maddinson 17 not out, to take control on day three at Kingsmead BBC Sport.

South Africa started the day in trouble. Australia took three wickets in the opening session on Sunday to finish the innings Reuters. David Bedingham top-scored for the hosts with 49. Captain Aiden Markram made 37.

The damage was shared around. Pat Cummins took 3-54. Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Nathan Lyon took two wickets each. Played together as a four, that quartet now has 607 Test wickets in matches where they have all appeared.

Steve Smith shaped the innings in the field. He caught Temba Bavuma and Kyle Verreynne off Lyon’s spin, then held Bedingham at second slip off Cummins. Second slip is one of the close catching positions behind the batter.

Those three grabs took Smith to 223 catches as an outfielder in Tests. That moved him past England’s Joe Root as the most prolific catcher in Test history BBC Sport.

Smith knows both sides of a Durban contest. He made 25 from 53 balls in Australia’s first innings before Marco Jansen hit him on the finger with one ball and had him caught at gully, another close-in catching spot, with the next.

With the bat, Matt Renshaw was the difference in the first innings. His 190 drove Australia to 390 and gave the bowlers runs to work with.

For fans, this means a familiar Test squeeze. In Test cricket, played over five days with two batting turns per side, a first-innings lead of 106 lets the team ahead bat without pressure and force the other side to chase the game late.

The context adds weight. This is a three-Test series, which started on Friday 9 October in Durban. It is Australia’s first Test in South Africa since the 2018 ball-tampering scandal. The tour is also central to Australia’s push for a third straight World Test Championship Final ICC.

South Africa need early wickets. Australia want to bat South Africa out of it. The next session will decide which way this opener swings.