South Africa won the third Test against Australia at Newlands in Cape Town by 176 runs on Saturday 31 October and took the series 2-1 after trailing from the first match. Simon Harmer was player of the match and Marco Jansen was named player of the series.
Harmer ends it
Set 288 to win after South Africa’s 387 in the second innings, Australia were bowled out for 111 in 57.1 overs. Harmer took 6 wickets for 16 runs in 21.1 overs and Kagiso Rabada added 3/39. Nathan Lyon, batting at the end, was the top scorer with 33 not out off 57 balls. Harmer had also taken 4/104 in 37 overs in Australia’s first innings, so his match figures were 10 wickets.
The match turned in South Africa’s second innings. After conceding a 100-run lead, they were rescued by Wiaan Mulder, who made 115 off 221 balls, and Ryan Rickelton, who made 101 off 219. Marques Ackerman had added 62 off 80 balls. Mitchell Starc finished with 9 wickets in the match (6/72 and 3/65), and Pat Cummins and Lyon took two each in the second innings.
Scorecard summary
| Innings | Score | Top performers |
|---|---|---|
| South Africa, 1st innings | 329 all out (82.3 overs) | Marques Ackerman 95, Aiden Markram 78, Marco Jansen 52, David Bedingham 50. Mitchell Starc 6/72 |
| Australia, 1st innings | 429 all out (125.1 overs) | Josh Inglis 102, Alex Carey 80, Matt Renshaw 74, Cameron Green 65. Simon Harmer 4/104, Marco Jansen 3/60 |
| South Africa, 2nd innings | 387 all out (134.4 overs) | Wiaan Mulder 115, Ryan Rickelton 101, Marques Ackerman 62. Mitchell Starc 3/65 |
| Australia, 2nd innings | 111 all out (57.1 overs) | Nathan Lyon 33 not out. Simon Harmer 6/16, Kagiso Rabada 3/39 |
Australia’s first innings was their best passage of the match. Josh Inglis made 102 off 135 balls, Alex Carey 80 off 168, Matt Renshaw 74 and Green 65, which gave them a 100-run first-innings lead.
The series
| Test | Venue | Dates | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st Test | Durban | 9 to 13 October | Australia won by 214 runs |
| 2nd Test | Gqeberha | 18 to 22 October | South Africa won by an innings and 31 runs |
| 3rd Test | Cape Town | 27 to 31 October | South Africa won by 176 runs |
South Africa lost the opening Test in Durban by 214 runs and then won the last two, which is how they finished 2-1 ahead. Jansen’s three wickets in Australia’s first innings (3/60) and 52 with the bat in the first innings were his contribution to the final Test.
Scores are from the ESPNcricinfo scorecards, read on 1 November 2026.
