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Bat has been the predominant power at Bellerive Oval today as Tasmania reached stumps on 5-335 against New South Wales.

Opener Mitchell Owen was dismissed for a golden duck in the second over by Ben Dwarshuis (1-67), but that bright start faded for the Blues as the Tasmanian bats dug in.

Coming in at number four, 22-year-old batter Teague Wyllie registered his first half century of the season with 64.

Jake Doran (69) and Bradley Hope (83) are the not out batters, having put together a brilliant 153-run partnership for the sixth wicket to put the Tigers firmly in control.

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Mackenzie Harvey (90 not out) and Nathan McSweeney (57)'s 140-run partnership has put South Australia in the mix for a  Sheffield Shield victory that looked desperately unlikely just 24 hours earlier.

A sensational bowling display from the Redbacks, anchored by 4-51 from Brendan Doggett, limited WA to just 169 runs in their second innings.

Ashton Agar fell just short of a half century when he was bowled by McSweeney for 48.

That still left South Australia the unlikely target of 422 runs to win, but a disciplined batting display has put the Redbacks in with a great chance of pulling off a miracle.

Former Test batter Jake Weatherald (24) was the only wicket to fall for South Australia, who reached the close 1-182 and a genuine chance of victory on day four.

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Good session. That's proper Test cricket, isn't it.

Grinding run scoring, a bit of chat, only one wicket.

That's been a great performance from the South African batters. There was a real risk Australia could have got a roll on there but the Proteas simply didn't let them.

Australia's bowlers have started to get a bit tetchy. Mitch Starc at the end there. There was also some chat from Nathan Lyon, Marnus Labuschagne and Travis Head as well.

The pitch is starting to get a bit tricky too. There were some real explosions from the spinners, both Lyon and Matthew Renshaw got big turn.

South Africa's lead is 102 runs. Australia won't want it to get a whole lot bigger...

Solid defence from Mulder.

Mulder fends to point but there is no run there, Mulder playing that as late as he possibly could.

Starc comes around the wicket, Mulder defends.

Mulder has backed away pretty late there and just taken his helmet off too... Did something come into his eye there or something? Starc stopped a couple of steps shy of delivering the ball so no damage done.

OH HE'S BACKED AWAY AGAIN! That one was really late! Starc's towel fell out of his pocket in the last couple of strides or two, which distracted Mulder. Another accident, but I wonder if Mulder has heard of poking the bear?

Consider it, poked. A bouncer. It was a no ball. Perhaps this delivery will never be bowled?

Finally, the ball comes down, Mulder fends to point and is there a run there? Rickelton says no, because Mulder came and was then turned down.

Solid defence from Mulder. Mitch Starc has been poked! He stands at the end of his follow through and jabs his finger at Mulder, telling him to stay out of the bowlers follow through perhaps? Not sure what it's got to do with Mitch Starc, there are umpires out there for that sort of thing.

Tempers rising out there.

The final ball of the over is a damp squib outside off.

Silly point and a slip in place, as Nathan Lyon has a little break before lunch time.

Rickelton comes forward and defends.

BIG APPEAL! HUGE APPEAL! Rickelton has a wild swing and the ball flies up to Labuschagne at slip! It's given not out but the Aussies are convinced. They send it upstairs.

Let's have a look at this.

BIG TURN! But it didn't hit the bat! Marnus was so convinced that he was celebrating! But he missed it! There was no touch! Not the first time Marnus has been made to look pretty silly this Test, but that was another big moment in the game, highlighting that there are threats all over the place with this pitch deteriorating as it is.

Rickelton defends the next.

He hits out past silly point but there's no run there.

Rickelton pads up and the ball squirts away - of course there's no shot attempted so there's no run taken.

Good over from Renshaw, who was getting a bit of flight and drift there at the end of the over as his confidence grew.

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There won't be a second new ball before lunch, so why not give the strike bowler another chance?

Rickelton defends the first.

He cuts the second away for a single.

BEATEN! Mulder chases a ball that's angled across him from over the wicket and almost edges it through to Carey.

Bouncer. Mulder ducks under it.

Mulder defends solidly, a ball that once again comes across him a bit, he defends the line nicely.

And a shorter ball to finish.

There is still every chance this can go either way.

South Africa are battling for every scrap they are offered here.

Australia needs to be patient and back themselves.

The second new ball is coming up soon.

He might get a bit of a break when the new ball is taken, but it won't be for long, I'd hazard.

Rickelton defends, Lyon coming around the wicket to stop him from padding up.

Rickelton leaves outside off to the next ball.

Just a slip and a short leg in place.

Rickelton leaves alone outside off, getting his pad there.

Rickelton drives, having had enough of Lyon dangling the carrot for a moment or two, and gets a single down to long off.

South Africa leads by 100

Mulder gets forward and defends, just the three men around the bat plus keeper, no leg slip but a silly point, short leg and slip.

BIG APPEAL! But that was outside the line at best, probably doing too much too, and the appeal is stifled.

Good, solid defence there from Rickelton.

FOUR! Lovely shot, a brilliant on drive to the boundary. No point chasing that, it's a brilliant shot.

Rickelton plays the ball away for a single to third man.

Bouncer, Mulder is alert to it and get well out of the way.

It's safe to say that Cummins won't be bowling with the new ball if he's getting through some overs now - but would you let Lyon have the new pill when it's available?

HIT HIM! Cummins bounces Mulder and that's reared up and hit him on the bottom hand. Just caught in a couple of minds of how to play that, there.

He defends the last.

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BEATEN! What a ball! That beats bat, stumps and then Carey too, a ripper of a delivery that has turned a mile from outside off.

Mulder defends the next on, chastised by the size of the task that's in front of him.

CLOSE! He dabs the ball past short leg but almost straight into the hands of midwicket. It's tough going out there if you're fresh to the fray.

Solid defence that time from Mulder.

Outside off, left alone from Mulder and there's not much in the way of turn.

Mulder defends solidly.

Bouncer, the field is set for the short ball and, given his lack of cut through so far in this Test with the ball and Cameron Green unable to bowl in this Test, Cummins has taken it upon himself to bowl the trash overs.

Another bouncer that Mulder gets under.

And then a fuller ball that Mulder pushes to point for a single.

Bouncer, Rickelton ducks under it.

FOUR! Just a push from Rickelton, square through cover point. Cameron Green gave chase and should have stopped it, but he managed to mistime his slide and stopped short of the ball. The crowd enjoyed that.

Rickelton bounced once more, and he ducks under it to end the over.

Four men around the bat for Riaan Mulder.

Deep breaths for the incoming batter, who takes his time off to the side of the wicket before padding up. He defends the first.

Nicely played, clipping the ball off his pads between short leg and leg slip for a couple.

Solid defence from Mulder.

The silly point is staring him in the face, slip is quite fine. Leg slip is wider and bat pad is a tad deeper.

Mulder takes a single.

Rickelton is going to pad up, defending solidly with his pad outside leg.

FOUR! Lyon changes it up, coming wide of the crease, Rickelton just drives down the ground, a touch too full from Lyon and it's a lovely shot.

That's his 1,000th Test run, 30-year-old Ryan Rickelton, in his 18th Test.

It's Wiaan Mulder who comes in to face the music.

And he gets a single off the first ball he faces. Easy does it.

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BIG MOMENT FOR AUSTRALIA!

Matthew Breetzke has been found out, out-thought by Pat Cummins. The field was set. Cummins bowled it short, Breetzke pulls it to backward square leg, where Mitch Starc doesn't have to move.

Incredible.

He looks disgusted with himself - and he may well be. It's a dumb dismissal.

Travis Head is overjoyed - he did speak to Cummins in the lead up to that over, and I wonder if he had helped formulate that plan?

Breetzke 43 (121) c Starc b Cummins. FOW 5-181

Breetzke looks to pull, bottom edges it to the man at leg gully.

Cam Green is that leg gully, but now he's moved to leg slip. There's a normal slip and a short leg in place. Breetzke pushes to cover for no run, a nicely timed defensive stroke.

Cummins bowls a slower-ball bouncer and Breetzke has to wait for it, the ball following him and rapping him on the glove before falling safe. It was a cutter from Cummins, it's clever bowling but it's wild that nobody has thought to do it before now - we've been going an hour and 25 minutes on a pitch as slow as it's been all game.

That ball pops up in the air off the pad but falls safe down the pitch from Breetzke.

FOUR! Breetzke picks up the length, gets down on one knee and whacks the ball over mid on for a boundary. Good shot.

Lyon responds with a testing delivery outside off, just on the edge of that rough.

There are four men around the bat, plus Carey. All four points of the compass covered.

Breetzke ticks off his pads for a single.

50 partnership for Rickelton and Breetzke

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Rickelton is back on strike and he's back padding up outside leg. There's only three men around the bat for him.

CLOSE! Rickelton pads up again, the ball pops off his pad, hits the bat, and falls safe! His bat was way up in the air, but the pad did make it pop up. That would have been a bad way to get out. A huge puff of dust when that ball pitched.

They have plenty of time, and they're making use of it.

Makes you wonder if they should be making more of the ball being soft though...

A bouncer from Cummins, Breetzke ducks out the way.

FOUR! SHOT! That's a gorgeous stroke from Matthew Breetzke! He has caressed that ball through the covers, on the up, just leaning into it, not hitting it hard. One of the most pleasing strokes in the game.

He drives again, this time a little straighter and the ball goes straight to mid off.

Cummins is changing things up, coming around the wicket.

Bouncer, Breetzke leans back and lets it fly through over his chest.

Breetzke takes a single to just mix up the plan a little bit, the left right combination coming into affect.

Left-handed Rickelton clips to midwicket, there's a shy at the stumps but not much doing, really.

The clouds are starting to come in a little bit here... It's still clear at the moment, but if those clouds are around this evening, with the lights required... Could get interesting.

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Lovely shape to Rickelton, who defends.

There's a silly point, bat pad, and an orthodox slip in place for Rickelton.

He defends solidly, flat-batting the ball dead in front of him.

Lyon changes the angle and Rickelton pads up to a ball that pitched outside leg and didn't turn all that much.

That one did, but Rickelton defends it well into the leg side.

He shoulders arms and lets another leg-side pitched ball hit him on the pads, arms well out of the way.

Thanks Chris. From one wicketless individual (sorry, Chris) to another, as the skipper runs in to bowl.

There's not been much for the quick bowlers out there this morning as Breetzke defends the first.

He pushes the next outside off, but there's no run.

A couple of clouds just brewing atop the Mountain, cotton wool streaks rather than anything threatening, but that's more than we saw yesterday.

Another good defensive stroke from Breetzke into the off side. No run.

Breetzke thinks about a single, but thinks better of it immediately and sends Rickelton back. Not sure why he felt there was a run there, he's played it straight to point, where Inglis does pretty well to make the stop in fairness.

Solid defence again. The ball might not be doing much at this stage of its life, but Cummins is a threat that cannot be discounted.

Solid defence from Breetzke to end the over.

Josh Inglis shows his footballing skills, juggling the ball.

Fun stat, he's one of two Yorkshiremen in this Australian Test team. England only had two Yorkies in their latest Test XI for the third Test against Pakistan at the tail end of the English summer.

Strong Yorkshire, strong Australia? Doesn't quite have the same ring to it.

South Africa have been very good that first hour.

They understand the fact that they have time on their side, and are going to use it as best they can.

Lyon was getting plenty of spin, so that's something they're going to need to keep across.

It will be very, very hard for new batters to come in and deal with that degree of turn.

Of course, South Africa has a spinner too, which will make any target defendable.

Lyon immediately hits the good area outside off and Breetzke has to defend on the front foot.

Lyon gets a little straighter and Breetzke works him onto the leg side.

DANGER! Lyon gets one to spit up out of the rough and it beats everyone! It's called a run so Breetzke's hit it and he's lucky to not be caught. Picks up a single after all that.

Fuller from Lyon and Rickelton plays a more aggressive drive, but can't beat the infield.

A little quicker and flatter from Lyon and Rickelton defends him almost on the move.

Lyon drags his length back and Rickelton watchfully leaves it alone and we've got drinks and Simon Smale on the other side of it.

South Africa has successfully negotiated the first hour of the day.

Cooper Connolly is into the attack, replacing Josh Hazlewood.

FOUR! A poor delivery, short and wide and Breetzke capitalises with a brutal cut shot.

The next one is short again and Breetzke again cuts it through the covers, but this time he's got to settle for a single.

Connolly comes over the wicket to Rickelton. Can he get some spin?

He does, but the line is wrong, and Rickelton picks up a single on the leg side.

Connolly gets one up nice and full and Breetzke drives him down the ground for a single.

Another short one and Rickelton rocks back and punches it through mid-on for a single.

Another single to end the over as Breetzke punches one through the off side. Nine runs off the over, that'll feel good for the batters.

Australia has bowled very well this morning. Hardly any freebies out there.

Lyon is around the wicket and Rickelton defends on the front foot.

CLOSE! Lyon gets one to go on with the arm and Rickelton looks to play him from the crease and is very nearly trapped in front, but is saved by an inside edge.

Another one fired in towards leg stump, but this time Rickelton misses his attempted leg glance. He's missed out there.

Lyon floats the next one up on middle stump and Rickelton defends on the front foot.

A little quicker through the air that time and Rickelton defends again.

A good delivery to end the over from Lyon, it's a maiden, as Rickelton defends on the front foot.

Breetzke will feel good facing the paceman here after that examination of the previous over.

Hazlewood's first delivery is slightly outside off stump and Breetzke defends it into the off side.

Hazlewood drops one in short and Breetzke thinks about a pull shot, but pulls out in the last moment.

Another short ball and this time Breetzke decisively sways away from the ball.

A little bit of width offered up that time and Breetzke pushes him through the off side on the back foot for a single.

Rickelton works the next one through backward point and picks up another single. A nice little dab there.

A good delivery to end the over and Breetzke defends it down the pitch.

Lyon resumes his battle with Breetzke. It feels like something has to give here.

HUGE spin from Lyon from outside off! This one is short and Breetzke rocks back and then is struck on the gloves as it spits back into him.

APPEAL! Lyon gets another one to bite out of the rough and it strikes Breetzke on the thigh pad and is caught by the close man on the leg side, but it's not out.

The next one is fuller and Breetzke leans forward and pads it away, dangerous stuff.

BIG LBW APPEAL! Breetzke leans forward and pads another one away and the Aussies ask the question about an LBW, but decide against sending it upstairs.

Australia has just one review remaining after blowing two yesterday.

Lyon floats another one outside off and Breetzke takes a little step towards the off side and drives him through point for a single.

Lyon stays over the wicket to Rickelton, who pads the ball away after it pitches outside leg stump.

Hazlewood stays around the wicket to Rickelton, who defends the first one on the back foot.

Hazlewood bowls the next one a little fuller and Rickelton drives on the front foot, but can't beat the infield.

Another good length delivery outside off stump and Rickelton defends on the front foot again.

Straighter from Hazlewood and Rickelton drives it down the pitch where Hazlewood fields it in his follow-through. He's starting to hit the middle of the bat with increasing regularity now.

A first short delivery from Hazlewood, but Rickelton ducks under it with relative ease.

Hazlewood drops the last ball fuller, but Rickelton again defends, showing good patience. He's 21 off 41 deliveries.

Another good delivery from Lyon on off stump and Rickelton defends on the front foot. Marnus lets out an obnoxious yell from first slip for no reason.

Lyon floats the next one wider outside off but Rickelton's able to leave that alone. A bit of turn that time.

Lyon drops the next one short and Rickelton cuts him out to the man in the deep and picks up a single.

Another full delivery outside off and Breetzke leans forward and defends well.

A little shorter next up and Breetzke defends on the back foot.

Lyon gets the next one to spit up a bit from outside off but Breetzke plays it well with soft hands, dropping it at his toes. 

Hazlewood's into the attack. He's going to start around the wicket to Rickelton.

The first one is full on off stump and Rickelton defends on the front foot.

Hazlewood with another well-directed delivery and Rickelton again defends well.

Rickelton uses the pace well with the next one, guiding it down to the vacant third man region to pick up two more.

Fuller and a little wider from Hazlewood and Rickelton pushes it into the covers to the fielder. That's a dangerous shot, you're asking to nick it with a bit of movement either way.

A straighter delivery and Rickelton works it well off his hips for a single into the leg side.

Hazlewood comes back over the wicket for Breetzke, who defends the last ball of the over on the back foot.

Rickelton leaves the first one alone outside off stump, that's a brave leave.

Lyon drops his length back and Rickelton knocks it into the off side. Some groans from the fielders behind the bat, but that looked pretty safe.

Good running! Breetzke knocks a full one to mid-on and immediately sets off for a quick single.

Lyon with another shorter one aimed at middle and leg and Rickelton defends on the back foot.

A little too straight from Lyon that time and Rickelton picks up a single on the leg side.

Lyon stays around the wicket to Breetzke, who defends on the back foot to end the over.

Starc is back tempting Breetzke with another wide one, but the batter again shoulders arms. He's 23 off 73 balls so far.

Starc drops one in short and Breetzke again ducks under it pretty easily.

Josh Hazlewood warming up on the boundary, looks like we'll see him pretty shortly.

Starc comes around the wicket now.

Starts with another one wide outside off at 143.4 kph, but Breetzke again leaves it alone.

He's looking to tempt him into a big booming cover drive. Breetzke waiting for him to get a little closer. it's a great cat and mouse game right now.

This time the length is a little shorter and Breetzke defends on the back foot.

Another short delivery and Breetzke ducks underneath it again and pokes his tongue out at Starc in the follow through.

More words between the pair after the end of the over as Breetzke defends the final ball into the off side.

Lyon starts around the wicket and Rickelton defends one on middle stump on the back foot.

FOUR! Lyon drops it a bit shorter and Rickelton rocks back and thrashes it through cover, beating the diving Connolly on the rope.

Conditions look a lot easier for batting this morning compared to last night.

The next one is a bit fuller and Rickelton awkwardly digs it out.

A good length delivery on off stump and Rickelton defends solidly.

Fuller again from Lyon on middle stump and Rickelton defends on the front foot.

A good delivery to end the over, a bit of spin, but it's slow spin, and Rickelton is able to defend pretty easily.

Five runs added this morning without loss. Here's Starc to Rickelton.

Starc pitches one on a back of a length on off stump and Rickelton defends.

Starc bangs it in and Rickelton ducks underneath it comfortably.

Fuller from Starc and slightly squares Rickelton up and they pick up a single past backward point.

A great shot for no run! Starc drops one fuller and Breetzke nails a cover drive, but it's straight to the fielder.

He drags his length back and Breetzke defends on the back foot. The ball bobbles around a bit and Breetzke kicks it away.

Starc angles one away outside off and Breetzke shoulders arms. A bit of lip from Starc on the follow-through alongside a wry smile.

Lyon stays around the wicket to Rickelton.

Pitches the first one outside off and Rickelton watches it closely and shoulders arms.

CLOSE! Rickelton knocks one into the leg side and calls Breetzke through, and Breetzke gets stuck behind Lyon and has to dive to make his ground!

Lyon pitches the next one outside off and Breetzke again defends on the front foot.

Shorter and quicker from Lyon and Breetzke deals with it, albeit unconvincingly again. Good turn from Lyon.

That's better from the right-hander. Gets right in behind another shorter one.

Draws the big shot out of Breetzke with one flighted outside off and the ball squirts away on the leg side and they pick up two to end the over.

Mitchell Starc to partner Lyon. Will he get any movement with the old ball?

Starts with a wide teaser outside off to Breetzke, who leaves it alone.

A similar delivery again and Breetzke again shoulders arms. No real movement so far for Starc.

Starc digs it in and Breetzke mistimes a pull but gets away with it and picks up a single. Not convincing stuff there.

A good length delivery on off stump and Rickelton defends down the pitch.

Back of a length from Starc and Rickelton punches it off the back foot for a single. A good assured shot from the leftie.

A rising delivery outside off stump and Breetzke leaves it alone again.

Here we go then!

Nathan Lyon will get the first look at the batters this morning.

Will he get the same amount of purchase that we saw him get late last night? Breetzke on strike to start.

The first one is pitched outside off stump and Breetzke leans forward and defends.

Another one outside off and this time Breetzke picks up a single into the off side.

Lyon's got men stationed all around the bat. He's coming around the wicket to Rickelton.

Lyon angles one at leg stump and Rickelton defends down the pitch.

This one is a little closer to off stump and Rickelton defends again.

Lyon drags his length back a tad but Rickelton again defends on the front foot.

A good end to the over as Rickelton again defends one aimed at middle down the wicket.

So, another beautiful day in Cape Town it looks like.

Cobalt blue skies, and the sun beating down on this ever-drying pitch to help get even more turn.

We said it yesterday but the same applies today: The first hour will be crucial as to how this day plays out.

To talk you thought that first hour, it's the indomitable Chris de Silva.

(AP Photo)

There is no doubt in the mind of Simon Harmer that spin is going to play the crucial role in this Test match from here on out.

"Spin is probably going to come into it a lot more than it has in the first two-and-a-half days," Harmer said at the post-day press conference.

"It was quite evident to see tonight how the ball was turning out of the footmarks.

"I don't know if the middle of the strip is going to start going up and down for the seamers, but the way that I see it, spin has a massive role to play in the rest of the Test."

He said the pitch had undergone a "dramatic change" in the last day.

"There's going to be a lot more on offer from the wicket's perspective," he said.

"And there's a lot more on the line in terms of the result.

"The series is at 1-1. It's going to boil down to getting the ball in the right area the most amount of times and trying to keep it as simple as possible.

"We have to understand the occasion, enjoy it, enjoy the pressure and hopefully do something spectacular."

If he has any designs on playing for Australia against New Zealand in the first Test of the summer, you'd think he has to make a score.

(Getty Images)

Stumps were just five minutes from being called.

Temba Bavuma had battled for 114 balls to stay in the middle.

If he was there in the morning, could South Africa build a good lead, anchored by their talismanic little skipper?

But on the 115th delivery he faced, for the first time in the match, he saw red and swung his bat wildly at Nathan Lyon.

The ball beat him, middle stump went back, and the Proteas' skipper had to depart with his side's hopes in tatters.

"Look, everybody wanted us to get to the end of play three wickets down," Simon Harmer said in the post-day press conference.

"I don't think anybody is going to be as shattered as Temba for getting out.

"But again, it's the situation. You don't want to go back into your shell right at the end of the day. You've played a certain way. And that's cricket. It happens.

"We've got two very capable batters at the crease and still a lot of batting to come. So there are going to be casualties along the way."

When all is said and done, will South Africa look back on that decision from their own little maestro as the turning point?

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At the other end of the scale, here are the highest successful chases at Newlands in Tests.

• 6-334 Australia vs South Africa 2002
• 2-236 South Africa vs Australia 2011
• 3-212 South Africa vs India 2022
• 5-211 South Africa vs India 2007
• 3-186 South Africa vs West Indies 2008
• 6-182 South Africa vs Pakistan 2013

Former Proteas batter Herschelle Gibbs reckons at least 200 to have any chance of a win.

That's what Josh Inglis said, too.

"I'm not sure of a total [to chase] - you don't want them getting too many more than maybe 200 or so (ahead)," he said.

Simon Harmer didn't necessarily agree when it was put to him that 200 would be defendable.

"The most important part of this game for us is the first hour tomorrow morning," he said.

"We can't get too caught up in what we want and what would be nice and what is defendable, because whatever that looks like is not achievable if that first hour doesn't go well."

As an aside, the lowest defended total in Test matches in Cape Town was 208 in 2018 against India.

What do we reckon folks?

(AP Photo)

Australia came into the second innings having earned a 100-run lead.

But Josh Inglis, who scored his second Test century in the innings, thought they should have got more.

"When I got out there, I realised it was a really good wicket, so the most important thing was making sure we got a lead," he said.

"I'm still a bit disappointed we didn't get more runs this morning. If Kez [Carey] and I could have added another 50, that would have been really nice.

"We knew how good the wicket was and felt we needed a big total."

South Africa finished the day on 140 for four in their second innings, only 40 runs ahead with six wickets remaining. Australia grabbed the key wickets of Marques Ackerman (62) and Temba Bavuma (35) late in the final session.

"It was really satisfying. I thought we controlled the tempo well in that last session," Inglis said.

"They put together a good partnership and were batting well, but they weren't really getting away from us.

"Gaz [Nathan Lyon] bowled brilliantly and looked threatening the whole time. When you work hard for a couple of hours and finally get the rewards right at the end, it's really satisfying."

with Reuters

Written off. Chastised. Criticised by everyone, this Australian team has been under pressure to perform in Cape Town.

There's little doubt that this has been reflected in the desperation the team has shown, as Russell Jackson wrote yesterday.

Check out his full analysis of day three's play here.

As is befitting a tight contest and the familiarity that has come from playing each other three times in the space of four weeks, emotions were pretty high during yesterday's play.

I am sure that's why the normally affable if excitable Marnus Labuschagne blotted his copy book by criticising Travis Head for checking on the stricken Marques Ackerman.

All that and more in our quick hits from day three.

Looks dry.

And dusty.

And spinny.

Nathan Lyon? Simon Harmer? You will get a lot of work today.

Moving day at the Cape Town Test was a cracker, with Australia pushing its advantage out to 100 runs exactly thanks to some gutsy batting from the middle order - and then the bowlers went to work to put the tourists in an ideal position to win the match.

Here's how it all went down.

(AP Photos)

Hello everyone and welcome to the fourth (and final?) day's play from Cape Town, as this topsy turvy series seems set to reach its conclusion, one way or another.

Another brilliant day for Australia has the tourists in a great position heading to this fourth day, with South Africa four down and just 40 runs ahead on the scoreboard.

Does that mean Australia is home and hosed?

Not on your life.

South Africa will need more runs, of course they will, and they will be desperate for a partnership that might give them a lead of 150 or more.

But given how much turn was being extracted by Nathan Lyon yesterday, and the stirrings of variable bounce for the quicks, I don't know how comfortable I would be chasing much more than that.

So much time left in this Test match though, so you wonder if South Africa can apply themselves a bit, whether they might be able to hold on to make things very interesting into the evening.

Regardless, it should be a lot of fun, and the team of me, Simon Smale and Chris de Silva are looking forward to bringing you all the action as it happens.