(Getty Images)

Sam Konstas has scored an unbeaten 151 as New South Wales sets WA an imposing total at the close on day three at the WACA.

As questions continue to swirl over Australia's Test batting line up, Kontas and teammate Kurtis Pattinson have underlined their abilities to score big with timely tons.

Pattinson scored 122 in the first innings, but he was overshadowed by his 21-year-old teammate, who bludgeoned four sixes and 15 fours in his 167-ball innings as NSW set up a declaration on 5-262.

That left WA a little over a day to attempt to score 364 for victory.

The hosts' chase got off to the worst possible start though, as Ben Dwarshuis (2-5) and Jack Edwards (1-0) tore into the top order; Cameron Bancroft (11), Sam Whiteman (17) and Corey Rocchiccioli (0) all departing cheaply to leave WA 3-30 at the close.

(Getty Images)

Three wickets from Gabe Bell has put Tasmania in a strong position to claim victory against Victoria after three days in Hobart.

Bell's 3-22 included the scalps of opener Campbell Kellaway and number three Oliver Peake for ducks, while he also had Matthew Short caught behind for 17.

Riley Meredith (2-17) was also in the wickets, removing Peter Handscomb for 37 and night watchman Todd Murphy for a duck.

Marcus Harris (39), who top scored for Victoria with 54 in the first innings, is Victoria's last real hope of getting the 173 runs remaining for victory, with the Victorians floundering at 5-98 at the close.

The Tigers have Nikhil Chaudhary to thank for their strong position, his 81-run score helping push the hosts up to a score of 236, setting the Victorians 271 to win.

(Getty Images)

Wild match at Adelaide Oval over the past couple of days, where Queensland have beaten South Australia by six wickets.

Set 111 runs to win, the Bulls slumped dramatically to 4-29, before Jimmy Peirson (48no) and Jack Clayton (37no) combined to steer the Bulls to 4-114 before tea on day three.

Xavier Bartlett took seven wickets for the game for Queensland, helping reduce the Redbacks to 7-90 late yesterday.

"I didn't think that was the way the arvo was going to go yesterday, to come out and string together some really good overs and see the back of some quality players early," Bartlett told AAP.

"The key throughout the whole game was try to take wickets in the first 20-25 overs when that ball was new and hard, and we made the most of that.

"We came out like a bull out of a gate there and were lucky enough to get ahead of the contest.

"It's always nice to get the first win on the board."

SA posted 203 in the first innings and Queensland replied with 238.

(Getty Images)

Another session convincingly won by South Africa. Five wickets were taken for just 66 runs in this morning's action, and as a result Australia is left fighting to even come close to avoiding the follow on.

Realistically South Africa is just 14 wickets away from winning this Test match, and they've got more than a day and a half to do it. Steve Smith has looked scratchy at times but he now looms as his side's last hope in this innings at least, but there is a lot of batting ahead if Australia is to get out of this jam.

Marco Jansen (4-16) was particularly good this morning, Kagiso Rabada also excellent for less reward. The only problem for South Africa was the injury to Anrich Nortje, who might not bowl again in this Test match.

Stage really is set here. Rabada vs Smith in the last over before lunch.

First ball is wide outside off stump and Smith leaves it alone.

Likewise the second. Rabada trying to lure Smith in.

Geez, that was close as well. Smith steps across and plays a full ball from the back foot. He gets a thick inside edge through his legs and down to fine leg for two.

Smith leaves the next one. Two balls to come.

Solid and still defence from Smith. One ball to come.

Smith defends the final ball of the over, and that will be lunch.

He's coming around the wicket to Smith here, and immediately jams one into his back thigh.

Now the short one forces Smith inside the line and nearly catches a glove. Get a leg slip in, Temba.

BEATEN! Smith stays still and tries to glide Jansen through gully. No luck. Smith has been all over the shop in these last 30 minutes or so.

SHOUT! Smith is struck on the back pad and immediately gestures to the world that it's too high. The appeal is turned down and there won't be a review. Don't like it when Smith does that, not his business to be telling the umpire what to think.

It was too high though.

Smith finally gets some bat to on and takes a single to the off side.

Webster ducks under a bouncer and there's your over. We'll have one more before lunch.

You guys hear enough from me, so the floor is now yours.

Not getting any easier. Smith on strike, until he prods to the off side for a single. Beau Webster is the new man in with 10 minutes to survive before the lunch break.

BEATEN! Just an outstanding delivery from Rabada to beat Webster's outside edge. Rabada thinks he might have heard something there and is trying to talk Bavuma into a review, but it's not forthcoming. I don't think Webster hit it.

Webster survives the over. One from it.

Well well well! Marco Jansen is on fire just before lunch and the Australians are in absolute all sorts now!

A bit more pace from Jansen, but again it was the extra bounce that brought the wicket. Carey was forced to fend at a ball that was close to his body and sent a little tickle through to Rickelton behind the stumps.

Two in three balls for Jansen and the Aussies are on the brink.

Alex Carey is the new man in.

BEATEN! Another cracker. Jansen steps up the pace and sends it past the outside edge of Carey's bat. Jansen on fire.

The extra bounce of Jansen does for Renshaw! Pressed to the back foot, the ball takes the shoulder of the bat towards Harmer in the cordon. It's a smart catch down low to Harmer's right.

There are some words from Jansen towards Renshaw as he passes by, and the Aussie is forced to trudge off. Big blow on the cusp of lunch.

Rabada offers Smith some width for first time and he helps himself. Not perfectly timed off the back foot so he'll settle for two.

PLAYED AND MISSED! That is such smart bowling. Rabada offers width again, but slightly fuller this time and swinging away. Smith has a really swipe at it and is lucky not to nick it. Rabada has played him like a fiddle there.

Now Smith moves across his stumps and tries to drive from the back foot. He gets a thick inside edge instead to mid on.

Smith is going really hard at Rabada here. Another firmly struck drive straight to mid off, but that was a little uppish too. Smith is not settled.

Great over, good cricket. Rabada looks to be in Smith's head, but Smith survives.

The Australian physios are out in the middle paying some attention to Steve Smith's neck. They are running some tests and performing some stretches, and Smith doesn't look entirely comfortable.

Looks like Smith is going to continue. Renshaw is on strike to Jansen.

BEATEN! First ball, Jansen nips one away from Renshaw and passes his outside edge.

Renshaw works off his pad for one more.

More sharp running from Smith for one more to cover. Another over down, we've got about 20 minutes to play until lunch.

Smith vs Rabada, always worth tuning in for.

Stump to stump, every ball. Making Smith play and testing his defence. Rabada's pace still building through this first over.

EDGED! And juuuuust short of second slip! A healthy nick from Smith which Markram takes cleanly on the half-volley. A stroke of luck for Smith.

Rabada worked him over brilliantly in that set and nearly cashed in. A maiden.

Smith on strike, defending with the turn to begin the over.

A single for each batter now out to those sweeping fielders in the deep. Seems just a little easy for the Aussies to take those runs at the moment, relieving a little bit of pressure every time.

Was that a dropped caught and bowled chance or a bump ball? Bump ball, never mind.

CLOSE! Now Renshaw chops one down into his pads from the inside edge. That easily could have been stump instead.

Over bowled.

Can I toss a curveball in there and suggest that Travis Head isn't really an opener either? So you could make an argument that Head could shore up the middle order and the search should be on for two new openers.

Of course that isn't likely to actually play out, not before India anyway.

There are promising bats throughout Shield cricket currently, and though they may not have the records of the incumbents of yesteryear, they are talented and desperate for a crack. Some of them are even under 30 years old!

Renshaw presses back and drives through the covers from the back foot for two more runs.

Mulder moves over the wicket to the left-handed Renshaw. Just trying some things with the angles.

Not for long though, back around he goes. Mulder is throwing his head back just about every time Renshaw leaves a ball. Perhaps if it is frustrating him so much he should deliver a few on the stumps.

Like that. He fires one in at leg stump and draws Renshaw's leading edge. Renshaw is lucky that didn't turn into a chance.

Over bowled, two from it.

Renshaw drives confidently but there's a sweeper out at wide mid-off. Just one run for that stroke.

A quick and uneventful over, punctuated only briefly when Smith missed another one down the leg side. One from the over.

Rickelton has come up to the stumps now that Renshaw has started walking at the bowler.

More good running from Renshaw, a quick single to cover. That was a feature of the Bavuma innings yesterday, and in fact the South Africans initially managed to turn the tide on Australia with some assertive running between wickets.

Circumspect from Smith and another over is successfully negotiated.

Thrust into the attack early, they're going to stick with Harmer now. That Nortje injury could be so crucial, because they will be wary of overbowling Kagiso Rabada on his return.

One more for Renshaw, hurried through by Smith for the single.

Just the one run off the over as these two go about steadying the ship.

Mulder tries to tempt Renshaw with what looked to me to be a wide half volley, but the batter isn't interested at all. He leaves it alone.

BEATEN! There it is for Mulder. Finally draws a false stroke from Renshaw, beating his outside edge as he presses forward to defend.

Renshaw walks down the pitch to the final ball of the over and clips it fine for one more. Some frustration for Mulder who is bowling pretty well here. Around they go.

So Harmer will bowl the final three deliveries of this over with Nortje on his way for some treatment.

Renshaw gets forward and takes a single out to deep point.

Oooh, Harmer deceives Smith down the leg side and beats the bat. Lucky there was no tickle on that one through to the keeper.

The over ends, potentially a highly consequential one for South Africa.

Pace is up and he's hitting the bat hard here. Nortje strays down the legside that time though and the batters get through for a bye. A leg-bye, actually. Must have just barely flicked something or other.

Nortje is just massaging his groin a little now, doing a couple of little stretches at the top of his mark. That's something to watch.

Not slowing him down though, he sends his next ball sharply past Renshaw outside the off stump.

Nup, that's it for Nortje. That groin issue is clearly bothering him and he is now limping from the field. A huge blow for South Africa.

(AP Photo)

Renshaw is on strike and shoulders arms to one just a fraction outside the off stump. Mulder holds his hands to his head.

Runs for Renshaw, squeezed away through the gully via the outside edge of the bat. We saw plenty of that in Durban.

He's picked up where he left off, Matt Renshaw. Solid defence, tight leaves, generally unflappable demeanour.

Mulder has some words to him as the over ends.

Kurtis Patterson got 122 at the WACA in New South Wales' first innings.

(Getty Images)

He only got 20 in the second though, while a young opener called Sam Konstas has just passed a hundred in the second innings for the Blues...

(Getty Images)

Just something to think about.

Renshaw is on strike and he fends the ball down into the point region. There is a helmeted bat pad in place at short square leg, as well as three slips and a gully.

Renshaw clips past that square leg, who sets off after the ball to limit it to a single.

Only two slips for Smith, square leg still in place, and he pushes confidently into the off side for no run.

Solid defence from Smith.

Bouncer ends the over for Nortje.

And indeed, the first hour or so of play.

It's time for a drink and, after that, Dean Bilton will take us through to lunch.

Not as quick, Mulder, but he's plenty accurate enough, as Smith defends the first ball he faces from the fourth seamer back down the pitch to him.

Up comes Rickelton behind the stumps to keep Smith in his crease.

Smith pushes the next away, or tries to, Rickelton taking the ball well.

Smith is squared up here, the ball squirting off the outside edge to point. No run.

Smith defends this one a lot more competently.

Another good, solid defensive stroke. Smith is wearing black paint under his eyes, on his cheek bones akin to an NFL linebacker. Spending time in New York must be rubbing off on him.

Smith leaves outside off, a wide one to end Mulder's first over, a maiden.

He's always been a bit of a conundrum, to be fair.

He will go back and dominate the Shield if he's dropped.

And then does he come straight back in? It's hard, it really is.

His moustache is a thing of beauty, Anrich Nortje. Real 80s vibes.

Smith defends the first.

HIT HIM! Good ball, a rearing delivery from Nortje that raps Smith on the bottom hand, as the band strikes up a jaunty tune to match the South African's mood.

Smith was hit on the head by Nortje at Durban, he spoke about the feeling and concerns he had following that blow right here.

Smith defends solidly.

It's been a great start with the ball for Nortje. Quick and accurate.

Solid defence from Smith.

And now he takes a single into the cover region, to end the over.

Long spell for the strike bowler.

Smith clips away for a single, squared up a touch there, good bowling from Rabada but well played.

Hero of Durban, Matt Renshaw takes strike.

He leaves the first.

EDGED! Soft hands, along the ground and taken on the bounce by Harmer at third slip - really well played by the Yorkshireman-cum-Queenslander.

Left outside off.

Appeal, half stifled, as the ball clips the pad of Renshaw as he shoulders arms, but it was going past the outside of off stump.

Renshaw defends the last.

(Getty Images)

Brilliant one-handed catch at third slip by Simon Harmer!

I don't know if it would have carried to second slip, so Simon Harmer had to dive to his left to attempt to get the catch.

He dived, stuck out a big left mitt and snaffled the ball.

A decent ball at a decent pace outside off from Nortje, but Marnus made a mess of playing it, never there to drive.

Marnus goes for 14,  Australia 4-46.

(AP Photo)

Change of bowling, the first of the day, and it's Anrich Nortje who comes in.

Outside off, left alone by Smith.

Smith clips off his pads and gets a couple of runs down to fine leg, where Rabada slides and fields the ball well to save the boundary. There were groans of anguish after that delivery - not sure why.

Bouncer, Smith pulls really well, keeping the ball down enough so that it bounces to fine leg for a single only.

Marnus leaves the first.

He leaves the next, too.

Nortje is bowling in the mid-140s at the moment.

BEATEN! Smith counts his lucky stars and breathes a sigh of relief that his bat didn't catch the side of that ball as it flew past him.

Solid defence from Smith.

FOUR! Wonderful, oh boy that's a lovely shot, driving back past Rabada for another boundary with the straightest of bats. Text book. Brilliant. A joy to behold.

Smith clips away off his pads for a single, 147km/h that one was sent down at. His fastest so far today has been over 150km/h.

Marnus leaves outside off.

BEATEN! That's another ripper, Rabada finding pace and just a little bit of movement away to beat the outside edge of Marnus Labuschagne.

I am a staunch advocate of playing the long game here.

Tests are not played in isolation - every day and every Test weaves itself into the tapestry of a series of stories and story lines, so playing long to wear out the bowlers for Cape Town next week? Great plan.

Marnus leaves with a little flourish of his bat, a wannabe matador almost 9,000km south of the nearest bull ring.

FOUR! Why dream of bullfighting when you can drive a ball like that?! A glorious push through mid off to the boundary. Great shot from Marnus.

Marnus defends the next.

BEATEN! That's a beauty from Jansen. Marnus turns away in disgust, and the perpetually scowling Jansen delivers an Afrikaans word or two in the Queenslander's direction.

(Getty Images)

FOUR! That's one way to respond, another lovely shot from Labuschagne to wide long off.

Last one of his spell? I wouldn't want to over-work him too early.

Smith leaves outside off.

And leaves the next one too.

Rabada has 29 wickets at 21.82 at St George's Park, the fourth-most of any player in Tests at the venue.

His 11-150 here against Australia in 2018, when he famously brushed past Steve Smith with his shoulder, is the third best of any player at this ground in Tests.

FOUR! Lovely shot by Steve Smith, driving on the up outside off, all hands, lovely stuff.

Closer from Rabada, Smith clipping off his pads for no run.

Now he defends solidly.

Another straighter delivery from Rabada, a bit too straight, and Smith clips it off his pads for a couple more.

Steve Smith is the new man in the middle.

It's left alone first up.

Jansen beats him! Good ball, hitting Smith on the thigh and no doubt leaving a bruise.

Outside off, left alone by Smith. What a job he has on his hands here, Australia are wobbling.

Smith gets off the mark, fending the ball away into the leg side off the inside half of the bat. Just a single to end a good over from Marco Jansen.

(Getty Images)

There was a lot of chat out there!

But it's a brilliant review from Bavuma!

A lovely ball from Jansen, who has had the ball singing in this morning session, the ball nipping back from off and beating the edge of the bat.

It's cannoned into the knee roll and would have gone on to hit middle stump!

Travis Head has to go.

He's out for 14, and Australia are 3-22.

Down the leg side, Head wants to tickle it as the ball passes by, but he misses, thankfully.

Jansen is appealing, I am not sure what for... was it LBW? I thought there must have been two noises...

It wasn't a very convincing appeal to be honest...

South Africa are reviewing this! A big moment!

It's hard to read Jansen sometimes, he looks perpetually grumpy.

We're getting a look at it and that ball has nipped back and hit Head's pad! Could be dangerous, this!

 HIT HIM! Another good ball from Rabada, hits Head on the thigh, which will be bruising up nicely by now. Head has to be so careful of fending a ball to short square leg, waiting patiently behind him.

HIT HIM AGAIN! Another ball finds that gap between thigh pad and shin flap. Painful.

Head escapes off strike with a quick single.

Marnus on strike now, he's fending to gully, no run.

Rabada fizzes the next ball past the outside of off stump and Marnus leaves it well alone, walking away to avoid Rabada's death stare.

Rabada throws his hands up as Marnus gets a thick inside edge away down to square leg - a bit of swing that came in and Marnus was just about good enough to get his bat in the way of that one and earn himself two streaky runs.

APPEAL! Jansen comes around the wicket and raps Marnus on the thigh pad - it's too high but not by much. They won't review.

HIT HIM! This time it's going much higher but another blow lands on the body of Marnus Labuschagne. That's hit just a bit higher than the thighs and a bit lower than the belly.

Outside off, left alone by Marnus.

CHANCE! Jansen hits Marnus on the thigh, narrowly missing the inside edge and Marques Ackerman dives forward to snaffle the ball at bat pad. He's definitely in play here.

FOUR! Wide, Marnus flicks up over gully for a boundary. Pressure relieving shot off a poor ball.

Marnus is hit again, the hands jumping off the bat handle as if it's a pan that's been on the heat too long, the ball popping up off the surface and causing the under-fire Australian to be alarmed.

Solid defence from Head, great line from Rabada to the left hander. No swing for the returning veteran.

Brilliant take from Ryan Rickelton, one handed down the leg side. Head came close to flicking that with his bat - I wonder if South Africa may consider a leg slip?

Appeal but half-hearted at best from Rabada as Head earns himself a bruise right on the thigh, just under the padding. Head is bent over. That ball was 147km/h. Stingy.

FOUR! A bruise to the thigh is returned with a bruise to the ego! Too full from Rabada, a bit wide too and Head punches it though the covers for four. Great battle, this.

BEATEN! Tit for tat batting of the highest quality! Travis Head just got his bat out the way in time, the ball fizzing past the off stump and missing it by a fraction.

Head leaves the last too.

No pressure Marnus, but you're Test career is hanging by a thread.

CLOSE! Good ball first up by Jansen, outside off, Marnus leaves it but that was a mighty tight one to leave. There may have been a hint of swing there too.

He leaves the next too, a bit wider this time.

Bat on ball for the first time now, Jansen going shorter and Marnus has to get the bottom hand off the bat. This is akin to an examination that Marnus knows is coming but perhaps he hasn't revised as much as he might have done.

Outside off, left by Marnus comfortably.

There are three slips, a gully, a bat pad too.

BOUNCER! Marnus leans back and probably felt the breeze on his cheek as the ball fizzed past at 130km/h. Good delivery, well directed bouncer and it is making Marnus think already.

(Getty Images)

Simon, I am blaming you for this.

Good first ball from Jansen, in that corridor of uncertainty, albeit brushing the outside wall of it at best.

Boland pushes at it, gets a feather of an edge and it's taken by the keeper.

No heroics in the sunshine for Boland, he departs for 2, the 13 balls he faced yesterday far more important, of course.

Australia 2-11.

By much, we mean, anything.

Can Boland, who has two first-class fifties and top score in Tests of 21, stay a long time?

Lovely sunny day, a bit of wind and some light cloud. Travis Head is on strike. There are three slips in place.

BEATEN! Head has missed that by a long way, pushing tentatively outside his off stump. Leave those alone, Trav.

FOUR! Pushed wide outside off, all hands, small step only, and it squirts past backward point to the boundary.

Bit shorter, Head steps to the off side and clips to short square leg, who gathers on the bounce.

FOUR! Streaky though, Head is squared up and the ball disappears past gully to third man for four more. Head did not know a lot about that one, holding the bat out and getting the thick outside edge.

Down the leg side, Head wafts at the ball but doesn't make contact. Rabada scowls at him. Last delivery was 144.4km/h.

Down leg side again, wider this time and Head is nowhere near it as he dangles his bat in the ball's general direction.

Loading

Before we get underway today, just a quick word from David Warner, South Africa's favourite Australian, who has laid into the poor attendances at the cricket so far in the Republic.

In a social media post, Warner asked where the fans are, critiquing the empty stands and lack of atmosphere.

"We keep hearing how important Test cricket is, but where are the fans in South Africa?" he wrote.

"Empty stands, no atmosphere, and we’re supposed to believe the format is thriving?"

I don't know if anyone in the T20 age believes the format is "thriving" David, but by all means continue...

"You can’t keep calling Test cricket the pinnacle of the game if no one turns up to watch it.

"Harsh reality, but someone has to say it. Pathetic."

Harsh from Warner? Probably.

Fair? Probably.

As previously mentioned, it's no secret that outside of England and Australia, Test cricket is woefully supported.

The reasons are legion and far too many to talk about here with the cricket about to start, but there is a sense of a vicious circle of neglect when it comes to the format outside of the big three.

The first Test in Durban was the first home Test for South Africa in 641 days, the best part of TWO YEARS without a home Test?

Why? Because India, Australia and England take the bulk of the profits from cricket and the smaller nations simply cannot afford to host them any more.

South Africa doesn't get the high profile series during the height of their summer any more and, without a pattern of Tests at that time, how does one create a culture of going to the Tests?

This, as it happens, could be something Cricket Australia might want to think about given the lack of internationals the women are playing over the summer this year...

Additionally, it's not even summer in South Africa at the moment! October is the earliest South Africa have played a Test match at home in their history.

So before Mr Warner gets all high and mighty, maybe he might want to think about WHY nobody outside of Australia or England is turning up to Test cricket anymore and offer solutions, instead of just criticism.

Lots of questions, and very few answers to be honest.

In case you missed it, Gqeberha is a Xhosa word for the river that runs through the city which was formerly known as Port Elizabeth.

isiXhosa is one of the 12 official languages of South Africa.

It is a tricky one for non-native speakers because it uses a click sound in its lexicon, which is the sound that the "Gqe" represents.

So, the pronunciation of Gqeberha is <click> bear-gha.

Thanks to SuperSport, they have provided some commentary from Makhaya Ntini and Mluleki Ntsabo on the close fielders that circled the Aussie batters in the imposing gloom of yesterday evening.

So have a listen below to how Xhosa sounds.

(Getty Images)

Oh what price for some hindsight?

Nobody doubted that going with four quicks and omitting a specialist spinner when the green monster was revealed at the toss on day one at St George's Park.

The decision especially seemed vindicated early yesterday when South Africa slipped to 6-110, with new man in Scott Boland taking four of those wickets.

But after a torrid day in the field yesterday, what would Australia have given to have been able to call on Nathan Lyon?

(Getty Images)

Of course, nobody would have expected hero of the first Test in Durban, Josh Hazlewood, to go down with a dodgy belly.

And look, Beau Webster bowled really well in his 19 overs, returning figures of 0-43 but at the most economical of all Australia's bowlers used.

But the three part time spinners, Marnus Labuschagne, Matt Renshaw and Nic Maddinson bowled 15 overs 1-65, leaking runs at over four per over.

"If you know you're going to be a man down from the start, you’re probably going with a different make-up, aren’t you?” Mitch Starc said.

"But unfortunately Josh had a dodgy prawn or something. He'll have fresh legs for the second innings."

Lyon was left to play a supporting role from the sidelines.

"He's been around long enough to put his shoes back on and be the team man that he is. He was that man for most of the day today, whether it's down at fine leg running us drinks or tapping us on the back.

"I’ve been left out plenty of times and naturally you're disappointed that you don't get to play. He'll get another opportunity," added Starc.

with Reuters

Need more on Temba Bavuma's brilliant innings yesterday?

His was the fourth-highest innings score from a South African captain in a home Test match, behind Hashim Amla (twice) and Graham Smith.

His wagon wheel, as shown in the post below, is pretty much all around the ground, remarkable areas from Bavuma.

Heading into this Test match, Temba Bavuma has scored just four centuries in his 67 appearances.

But didn't he do outstandingly well yesterday to score his fifth, his highest ever Test innings score and arguably his most crucial.

“I walked into a tricky situation,” he told reporters yesterday.

“I think everything was in the bowlers’ favour, the conditions overhead, the wicket itself, we’d just lost two early wickets, but ordinarily I’ve found myself in those situations quite a number of times and I guess it seems to bring out the best in me.

“I was always just trying to be as tight as I could and try to hit the ball as straight as I could.

“The one thing was being able to get the team out of a tough situation.

"But then from a personal point of view, to go on to getting a big 100, that's obviously something that's been a thorn in my side throughout my career. So it was nice to get over that mental hurdle."

It was a remarkable innings from the diminutive skipper.

Russell Jackson has written all about the importance of the innings, right here.

Bavuma's brilliance.

Australia's bowling impotence.

And a fortuitous light ruling that gave Australia some respite from further damage before the close.

Here's the wrap of a fascinating day three.

(Getty Images)

Test cricket is a remarkable thing, isn't it?

At the toss on day one, there were genuine fears for South Africa, as Pat Cummins guessed right and put the hosts in on a pitch that looked a minefield.

Day two simply served to heighten those fears, as Scott Boland ripped through the top order and Australia was left five down for less than 100.

Fast forward 24 hours to the start of day four and it is Australia who are suddenly under the pump, a brilliant Temba Bavuma innings anchoring the Proteas to a massive score of 425, with Australia already a man down in pursuit of that target.

There is every chance that this game ends in a draw. It's almost expected after two almost complete washout days.

But do not take your eyes off this for a second, because everything is still on the table, as we approach a fascinating fourth day in Gqeberha.

Hello everyone and welcome to the ABC Sport coverage of the fourth day of the second Test. My name is Simon Smale, with Dean Bilton and Henry Hanson also on deck as we get ready for what promises to be the deciding day of this match.

So strap yourselves in and get ready for action.