Starc gets Cook in the 3rd over but it's a no ball. Beyond unacceptable in this day and age. I hope the team has a hefty fine system in place for it.

pretty impressive bowling from every aussie bowler today

lyon unlucky - although he looks about 5 k's too fast for mine

that 6th hazelwood wicket was the first time I have seen an aussie bowler outthink an opposition batsmen for a while

identical balls back to back but one came in the other went out. The first was an uncomfortable shot so he bowled the same delivery but made it a more risky shot

very glen mcgrath/warne. When they got attacked with a risky shot they would do a subtle change

For example mcgrath if he got hooked to a ball, he would bowl what looked like the same ball but ended up slightly higher

when warne got hit he would often bowl the same delivery but with a slightly different point of delivery

bit of luck in our favour with that delivery

its a nice change

still I say get rid of the DRS, spoils the drama

Australia have looked a lot more enthusiastic in the field today

I think attitude was a problem. Whether they needed motivation or they stopped enjoying their cricket who knows but lets hope they keep a good attitude when the going gets tough

Amateur hour from Warner and the Aussies. Heaps the pressure on Renshaw and Khawaja. Sums up our series so far.

Someone remind me why Warner is vice captain again? 

first time in a long time australia have looked like they are enjoying their cricket when runs are tough

if you don't enjoy your cricket you will crack psychologically

Only managed to watch the last 15 minutes of play.

Kawaja and Renshaw looked vulnerable.

gee that run out sucked

3 runouts in 3 games unacceptable

still a lot of our play has so far looked better

Smith looked furious.

 In the past that run out could've triggered a collapse.

Handscomb looks like a good player of spin. Very confident footwork on display already.

He was lucky to survive his first 10 balls or so. Missed the innings after that.

Renshaw dd some good work to survive  very accurate, probing new ball bowling form SA. Even though he scored only 10 from a lot deliveries, his defence looks okay.

I'm not sure about Maddinson's duck, but his selection seems to be a lucky one.

Great inning from Kawaja!

My overall impressions of the debutants - 

Renshaw: Seemed to have a good temperament. He was being beaten regularly by the good bowling but it didn't bother him too much. He also had to open with someone he wasn't expecting in the tough twilight conditions, and was watchful in letting the ball go. Would love to see more of this guy. 

Handscomb: One the positive side, mentally he already looks like a test cricketer. He's got the Steve Waugh steely eyes and didn't panic when his first two balls nearly got him out. I was very impressed with this. His play against the spinners is already test standard - he isn't afraid to use his feet and looks to rotate the strike all the time. I think he plays spin better than anyone other than Smith. He also plays late off the back foot, which is good. He wasn't reaching out in front of himself. On the negative side - he bats with a very open blade, which helps him smack those cuts and cover drives, but it will make it hard for him to hit the straight drive. He's also batting way back in his crease to the fast bowlers, which in my opinion is ridiculous given he's such a short guy. He seems a bit tentative on the forward defensive shot too. I think he will get out a lot LBW, or bowled off the ball swinging in. If he continues to bat like that, bowlers like James Anderson in English conditions will eat him for breakfast. Overall a great selection I think he's got a big future. 

Maddinson: It's hard to judge off a short innings, and he was bowled by a really good delivery. But for me he seems to play forward with a big bat, and he'll nick the swinging ball a lot. He looked extremely nervous. Hopefully he can spend some more time at the crease in the second innings. 

I agree about renshaw and handscombs temperament

particularly renshaw. He looks like he enjoys his cricket when conditiions are tough.
Mental toughness comes in different flavours. A player who can guts it out and does hard work in tough conditions is good. A player who actually enjoys the tough conditions and the challenge is better

He didn't get many runs but he made sure the middle order didn't have to face a new ball and that counts for a lot

Amla is not in form but he is a key wicket, if he gets going Australia are not winning

EDIT: And as I was posting that Renshaw drops Amla.

just dropped him

keepers fault in my opinion

Renshaw stretched a long way to his left and he is tall and Wade did not move at all, I agree it was Wades.

Meanwhile Nevill got a 50 today (not out last update I got)

73 not out, Patterson made 71.

In other games Weatherald is continuing his consistent start to the season with 88 and Head made 130 for South Australia. Burns made 68 for Queensland which is good to see.

Amla is looking excellent since the dropped catch, taking to Lyon now, I expect a century from him now.

weatherald now has an average around 50ish!

just took a wicket and SA reviewed a clear nick

I know the decision went the right way but the DRS spoils the spectacle and drama of the moment. But I'm probably sounding like a broken record.....

Alex Carey has also been good with the bat this season, not sure how good he is with the gloves, but he might be another keeper that comes in contention if Wade's position is questioned.

I just don't understand why you would drop neville whose keeping has been excellent and he has started to put in some gutsy batting performances

Nor do I, I am not sure Wade is that great a batsman anyway, certainly no Gilchrist.

good thinking from hazelwood bowling a sucker ball straight after an appeal

nearly got hit for four but still

commentators complaining that lyon bowls too fast

its frustrating to watch. He needs to drop his speed in 2nd innings where conditions are more favourable

fraction slower from lyon but still a few ks fast

starc you beauty

I can't wait till starc matures and starts taking wickets in clumps

his quality can drop after a wicket

Seems Lyon is back in form. Been watching Adelaide United but 3 for 48 is a good return. 

de Kock seems to be the key now, if he gets going for a an hour then SA might be able to put up enough runs to make things tricky but otherwise Australia should win the test.

yeah he is getting some fizz

just wish he would slow it down a tad particularly if batsmen are getting defensive (or too aggressive)

Tim May had a similar issue although he got it right during the 1993 Ashes in England when he formed a great partnership with Shane Warne. So he is far from alone in not having the courage to slow down, throw the ball up, get drift and dip, and let it really grip and spin. Shorter forms of the game encourage pushing the ball through and it does not help develop the true attacking spin bowling skills. 

Lyon almost getting de Kock multiple times.

And Bird gets him, de Kock never looked any good. Lyon troubled him and then Bird followed up with a good ball first up.

And Nevill ended up 179 not out when NSW declared.

jackson bird starting to hit some form with this spell

If we have 4 in form bowlers that certainly will help

Fast bowling looks fairly good, there is not an absolute spear head but with Starc, Hazlewood, Bird, Pattinson, Cummins, Siddle and Sayers things should be okay. Spinning with Lyon, O'Keefe and Holland perhaps for the tour of India is not brilliant but not terrible either.

o'keefe and lyon look ok as a team

Starc is good in sub continent conditions it will be more tricky for your line and length type bowlers over there

do south africa just have a policy of reviewing everything?

Seems a bit like it, Amla's was ridiculous yesterday, this was just bad as well. 

Cook with an extremely hard fought century, held the South African innings together, but he looked terrible for quite a while.

pretty poor new ball bowling so far....lots of swing but bad line and length

250 is exactly par for a 3rd innings

126 to win on a pretty decent pitch

126 should not be anywhere near enough but if the ball swings around for the South Africans like Starc and Hazlewood had it going then it will not be easy batting.

10-15 overs of carnage

after that it should be much easier if we survive

Abbot bowling to a right handed batsman in this first over

another crazy review

it was so obvious the way it looped in the air

South Africa bowling poorly. Rabada needs to replace Abbott.

another runout

sheesh

Renshaws fault this time

we have had 4 runouts in 3 games

And it is won, the painfully slow Renshaw and Handscomb at the wicket.

Renshaw is an aberration.

He is more of an old fashioned high order batter, like David  Boon,  Bill Lawry and Mark  Taylor, who leave a lot of balls to fly through to the keeper. Hence, the bowler wastes energy. Other players who played with Boon, like Greg Blewett, loved the way Boon made bowlers come to him and play his game, no theirs.

Late in his career, the English worked Boon out by making him reach to good length balls outside his off stump.

Renshaw soaked up a lot bowling energy and shine from the new ball from South Africa, despot his slow scoring rate. I didn't  see a lot runs scored in his two innings.  If he can take regular singles,  this is excellent batting given the frequent fast scoring rate from the batters lower in the order and Warner..

We all know how how frustrating batters like Boycott, Edrich and Dravid and  could be as opponents. They based their batting around a very good defence.

Hopefully, Renshaw plays no limited overs cricket.

Thankfully we won and in only a few days.

Good to  see an old fashioned stonewaller like Renshaw opening.

I'm still concerned that Maddinson hasn't done enough for selection, compared to his compatriot Kurtis Paterson.

Nevill has just made a huge century for NSW against Tassie. Other spectators said his Shield batting record was similar to,   or better than Wade's.

When Lyon was interviewed yesterday he diplomatically said he wasn't worried about his position in the team. He politely suggested that those calling for his sacking knew little about Test cricket.

Lyon said  basically had been bowling with similar competency, but without luck.

I like his interviewing style. He modeslty described how he was lucky enough for the wickets to have fallen. In detail he described each wicket scenario, proclaiming the luck he needed for each wicket after the specific plan devised for the batter.

lyon has improved every season
but hard to not pick a spinner averaging 25 in shield cricket (and 30 with the bat as a bonus)

he hasn't done much wrong but o'keefe could be special if he reproduces that at test level