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Tea South Africa 7 for 141 (Du Plessis 39*, Philander 4*, Starc 2-47) v Australia
Mitchell Starc improved greatly in his second spell, finding the perfect length and just enough swing a few minutes before lunch © Getty Images
Australia rushed through South Africa's middle order, then Nathan Lyon struck late in the afternoon session, as the visitors limped to 7 for 141 at tea on day one of the third Test in Perth. Hashim Amla, AB de Villiers and the debutant Dean Elgar departed in the space of four overs and eight runs in the first half-hour after lunch, leaving Australia in command.
Du Plessis reprised the commendable composure he had shown in Adelaide to establish a foothold and found a willing ally in Robin Peterson, chosen ostensibly for his left-arm spin in this match but also capable of the kind of doughty batting he displayed here. Australia's captain Michel Clarke turned to spin late in the session, and was rewarded when Peterson snicked an attempt to cut Lyon into the gloves of Matthew Wade.
Vernon Philander' few minutes at the crease included a handful of uncomfortable moments, and Australia could feel satisfied that their dramatically recast pace attack had done a commendable job after taking a little while in the morning to find the right direction.
Lacking James Pattinson, Peter Siddle and Ben Hilfenhaus due to their Adelaide exertions, Starc and Johnson were recalled while Hastings made his debut as the into-the-wind trundler so often favoured at the WACA ground.
Having been 12th man in Brisbane and Perth, Starc found himself taking the new ball at the start of the Test. There was some early swing for him and Petersen was given out lbw by the umpire Richard Kettleborough when one delivery curled back into the opener's pads, but a review had the ball passing high and wide of the stumps.
That ball was not representative of the opening spells for either Starc nor Hastings, who both erred on the short side to give plenty of sighters to Petersen and Smith. Clarke called on Watson at first change and followed up with Johnson at the other end, and their spells signalled a change in the morning. Watson found a little movement either way and bowled a far better length, rewarded when Smith pushed out at ball going across him and edged to Clarke at slip.
Johnson produced some nasty deliveries to Smith and some compelling ones to Amla, beating the No. 3 for pace and length on more than one occasion. Having been given a firm idea of how to bowl by two more experienced WACA ground exponents, Starc improved greatly in his second spell. A few minutes before lunch he found the perfect length and just enough swing to burst through Petersen's drive, and in the next over produced a near identical delivery to do the same to Kallis.
South Africa thus ended the session in far worse shape than they had seemed likely to for most of its duration. Starc had learned quickly, helped by the examples of Watson and Johnson. On resumption, Hastings commenced an excellent spell up-wind, finding useful outswing in addition to sharp bounce.
Amla was fortunate when he flicked Hastings straight to midwicket in the first over, Ed Cowan dropping a simple chance, but in the next he was caught somewhat short of the appropriate gear when de Villiers called for a quick single - David Warner's hit found Amla short and saved Cowan the blushes. Unnerved by the run-out, de Villiers walked into a delectable, swerving ball from Hastings in the next over and edged to Clarke at slip.
Elgar's first appearance at a Test batting crease was not pretty - Johnson worked him around the crease with a hostile spell - and he completed a 12-ball duck by gloving a short ball to Wade when trying to hook. Peterson's first ball was full, fast and far too quick for the batsman, but it narrowly missed off stump.
Slowly du Plessis and Peterson regathered somewhat less shaky ground, punching the ball through the field and taking advantage of Perth's typically quick outfield. Du Plessis eluded a concerted lbw appeal and referral by Watson when ball-tracking had the ball missing leg stump, and the pair had caught a glimpse of tea when Lyon was introduced.
There was evidence of loop, bounce and turn in Lyon's first over, and in his third a shortish ball bounced enough to draw a fatal error from Peterson.
Mitchell Starc improved greatly in his second spell, finding the perfect length and just enough swing a few minutes before lunch © Getty Images
Australia rushed through South Africa's middle order, then Nathan Lyon struck late in the afternoon session, as the visitors limped to 7 for 141 at tea on day one of the third Test in Perth. Hashim Amla, AB de Villiers and the debutant Dean Elgar departed in the space of four overs and eight runs in the first half-hour after lunch, leaving Australia in command.
Du Plessis reprised the commendable composure he had shown in Adelaide to establish a foothold and found a willing ally in Robin Peterson, chosen ostensibly for his left-arm spin in this match but also capable of the kind of doughty batting he displayed here. Australia's captain Michel Clarke turned to spin late in the session, and was rewarded when Peterson snicked an attempt to cut Lyon into the gloves of Matthew Wade.
Vernon Philander' few minutes at the crease included a handful of uncomfortable moments, and Australia could feel satisfied that their dramatically recast pace attack had done a commendable job after taking a little while in the morning to find the right direction.
Lacking James Pattinson, Peter Siddle and Ben Hilfenhaus due to their Adelaide exertions, Starc and Johnson were recalled while Hastings made his debut as the into-the-wind trundler so often favoured at the WACA ground.
Having been 12th man in Brisbane and Perth, Starc found himself taking the new ball at the start of the Test. There was some early swing for him and Petersen was given out lbw by the umpire Richard Kettleborough when one delivery curled back into the opener's pads, but a review had the ball passing high and wide of the stumps.
That ball was not representative of the opening spells for either Starc nor Hastings, who both erred on the short side to give plenty of sighters to Petersen and Smith. Clarke called on Watson at first change and followed up with Johnson at the other end, and their spells signalled a change in the morning. Watson found a little movement either way and bowled a far better length, rewarded when Smith pushed out at ball going across him and edged to Clarke at slip.
Johnson produced some nasty deliveries to Smith and some compelling ones to Amla, beating the No. 3 for pace and length on more than one occasion. Having been given a firm idea of how to bowl by two more experienced WACA ground exponents, Starc improved greatly in his second spell. A few minutes before lunch he found the perfect length and just enough swing to burst through Petersen's drive, and in the next over produced a near identical delivery to do the same to Kallis.
South Africa thus ended the session in far worse shape than they had seemed likely to for most of its duration. Starc had learned quickly, helped by the examples of Watson and Johnson. On resumption, Hastings commenced an excellent spell up-wind, finding useful outswing in addition to sharp bounce.
Amla was fortunate when he flicked Hastings straight to midwicket in the first over, Ed Cowan dropping a simple chance, but in the next he was caught somewhat short of the appropriate gear when de Villiers called for a quick single - David Warner's hit found Amla short and saved Cowan the blushes. Unnerved by the run-out, de Villiers walked into a delectable, swerving ball from Hastings in the next over and edged to Clarke at slip.
Elgar's first appearance at a Test batting crease was not pretty - Johnson worked him around the crease with a hostile spell - and he completed a 12-ball duck by gloving a short ball to Wade when trying to hook. Peterson's first ball was full, fast and far too quick for the batsman, but it narrowly missed off stump.
Slowly du Plessis and Peterson regathered somewhat less shaky ground, punching the ball through the field and taking advantage of Perth's typically quick outfield. Du Plessis eluded a concerted lbw appeal and referral by Watson when ball-tracking had the ball missing leg stump, and the pair had caught a glimpse of tea when Lyon was introduced.
There was evidence of loop, bounce and turn in Lyon's first over, and in his third a shortish ball bounced enough to draw a fatal error from Peterson.