The key facts

  • South Africa beat Australia by 176 runs in the third Test and won the series
  • Harmer took a career-best 6/16 and 10/120 in the match
  • South Africa overtook Australia and moved to the top of the ICC Test rankings

The collapse after the first spell

Kagiso Rabada settled the outcome of the third and final Test at Newlands in the morning session itself: two wickets in the first over and a third in the same spell cut down Australia's top three, who needed 288 runs to win. Travis Head managed one run, but Matt Renshaw fell to the first ball he faced, and Marnus Labuschagne was caught on the helmet with 'umpire's call' on the off-stump. Then Josh Inglis was run out, and Simon Harmer took two wickets in three balls, leaving Australia at 42 for 6. This is reported by AFP.

Harmer's career best

Off-spinner Harmer finished the match with figures of 10 for 120, and in the second innings took a career best — six wickets for 16 runs in 21.1 overs. 'After KG (Rabada) took three wickets, it was all about them playing for a draw,' said Harmer, noting that the pressure of the 'theatre' with fielders around the bat makes his job easier. South Africa sealed the win shortly before tea: Australia, who lost Mitchell Starc at 60 for 7 before lunch, held on for another two hours. Nathan Lyon was the top scorer with an unbeaten 33; Harmer removed Cameron Green for 27, caught Pat Cummins in front of the stumps and bowled Josh Hazlewood, completing a 176-run victory.

Series outcome

Australia captain Pat Cummins admitted: 'We didn't give ourselves a chance today… We came here thinking we were good enough to win, but we weren't.' South Africa, the reigning World Test champions, overtook Australia at the end of the series, in which all three matches produced a result on the fifth day, and moved to the top of the ICC Test rankings.