Hazlewood's career-best 6-49 seals 214-run win for Australia in Durban
Australia beat South Africa by 214 runs in the first Test at Kingsmead in Durban to take a 1-0 lead in the series. The match, played from 9 to 13 October 2026, was settled on the fifth morning by fast bowler Josh Hazlewood The Guardian.
Hazlewood took 6 for 49 in South Africa's second innings. That is his best bowling return in Test cricket. Australia needed six wickets on the final day, and he took most of them himself Channel News Asia.
South Africa were bowled out for 206 in their fourth innings — their final chase of the match. They had been set a very large target after Australia built a big lead across both innings.
At lunch on the final day, the game still had some life. South Africa were 166 for 6, needing a further 255 runs to win, with Aiden Markram 69 not out and Hazlewood already holding figures of 3 for 39 ESPNcricinfo.
Markram was the danger. He had scored two hundreds against Australia in three previous fourth-innings attempts. He tried to hold the chase together again, sharing a stubborn 69-run stand with Wiaan Mulder that lasted 32 overs. Mulder made 29 in more than two hours.
Australia had opened the door late on the fourth evening. South Africa slipped from 73 for 1 to 86 for 4 after Hazlewood trapped David Bedingham leg-before-wicket. Leg-before-wicket, often shortened to lbw, means the batter is given out for blocking with the pads a ball that would have hit the stumps.
The last morning belonged entirely to Hazlewood. He bowled Marco Jansen for 35 with the new ball — the harder, newer ball that swings and seams more — and then removed Simon Harmer three balls later for his fifth wicket. His sixth was Anrich Nortje, who spooned a short ball to midwicket.
Nathan Lyon went wicketless in that second innings. It underlined how much of the closing work fell to the quick bowlers.
Australia had laid the platform much earlier. They were bowled out for 390 on day two after recovering from trouble, with Matt Renshaw making a career-best 190 Reuters. Renshaw added 134 runs off 283 balls for the ninth wicket with Lyon, who made a dogged 27 off 92 balls.
South Africa replied with 284 in their first innings. Australia then scored 314 for 6 in their second innings to stretch the lead beyond reach.
What makes this stand out is the control. Hazlewood did not blast teams away with sheer pace. He hit the same spot, moved the ball a fraction and waited for mistakes. For fans, this means the series now tilts sharply towards Australia, with South Africa needing a quick response in the second Test to stay alive.
