Renshaw stars as South Africa face 421 chase against Australia in Durban
South Africa need 319 runs with six wickets left to beat Australia in the first Test in Durban.
The hosts closed day four on 102-4, chasing 421 for victory. Australia declared on 314-6 at tea to set up the final-day push BBC Sport.
The match has moved quickly after a slow start. Bad light cut short each of the first three days at Kingsmead. Australia made 390 in the first innings and South Africa replied with 284, leaving the game tight before the visitors pulled clear.
Matt Renshaw has shaped the match. He scored 190 in the first innings and followed it with 89 in the second. He is playing his second Test back after a three-year absence, batting in an unfamiliar middle-order role and looking completely at home.
His first-innings hundred was his second in Tests and his first for almost 10 years, an interval of nine years and 280 days BBC Sport. Then he added an unlikely twist with the ball. His part-time off-spin removed South Africa captain Temba Bavuma for his first Test wicket.
South Africa's chase wobbled late. David Bedingham made 46 before falling, and Josh Hazlewood took 2-20 to keep the pressure on. Aiden Markram held firm on 45 not out from 115 balls at stumps. Pat Cummins then dismissed Tristan Stubbs late in the evening to leave the score at 102-4.
Australia had their own scare. Steve Smith made 27 before he was hit on the helmet by an Anrich Nortje bouncer. He spent time off the field after the blow. A helmet check in cricket means an immediate assessment, and a player can take no further part until cleared.
There is history behind this finish. South Africa beat Australia at Lord's in the 2025 World Test Championship final, with Markram scoring 136 in the fourth innings of that win. South Africa had also gone unbeaten in their previous 12 Tests under Bavuma, with 11 wins and one draw, before the end of day four in Durban BBC Sport.
What makes this stand out is the simple arithmetic. A declaration, when a batting side chooses to close its innings early, is a gamble on time. Australia have given themselves a full final day to take six wickets. South Africa must either chase down 319 more or bat out the day to save the game.
For fans, this means a proper fifth-day Test. Markram has shown he can bat long in a fourth innings. Australia have runs on the board and fresh bowlers. The series, played at Kingsmead in Durban Cricket Australia, gets its answer on the last day.
