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Hazlewood's career-best 6 for 49 gives Australia 214-run win in Durban
South Africa lost their last four wickets for five runs at Kingsmead and were all out for 206. Matt Renshaw was player of the match, and Temba Bavuma has lost a Test as captain for the first time.
Key points
- Australia beat South Africa by 214 runs to go 1-0 up in the three-Test series.
- Josh Hazlewood took 6 for 49, his best Test figures, and eight wickets in the match.
- South Africa fall to third in the World Test Championship, behind Australia and New Zealand.
Josh Hazlewood took the second new ball at Kingsmead on Tuesday and finished the first Test before tea. South Africa lost their last four wickets for five runs and were all out for 206, chasing 421, and Australia won by 214 runs to lead the three-match series 1-0.
Hazlewood finished with 6 for 49, the best figures of his Test career, and eight wickets in the match. Matt Renshaw, whose 190 and 82 shaped the game, was named player of the match.
How the last day went
South Africa began the day on 102 for 4 with Aiden Markram unbeaten on 45, and for a long spell they made Australia work. Markram and Wiaan Mulder added 69 for the fifth wicket before Mulder, on 29 off 110 balls, edged Hazlewood and Alex Carey held a one-handed catch.
Renshaw, the part-time off-spinner, then had Kyle Verreynne caught at slip by Steve Smith, his second wicket of the innings after Bavuma on Monday. South Africa reached lunch on 166 for 6.
Markram’s resistance ended on 75 off 237 balls. He was given out caught behind off Mitchell Starc only after Australia sent the appeal for review. Marco Jansen made 35 before Hazlewood bowled him, Simon Harmer was caught behind for a duck, and Anrich Nortje lobbed a catch to Nathan Lyon to finish the match before tea.
Smith, hit on the helmet by a Nortje bouncer on Monday, was back in the field. Cricket Australia said he had completed his concussion assessments and “has been cleared to take the field this morning.”
South Africa’s first slip under Bavuma
The defeat ends a fine run for Temba Bavuma, who had led South Africa in 12 Tests without losing one. He said his side could learn from the way Australia played and that “you’ve got to give it to them.” He also said the return of fast bowler Kagiso Rabada, missing here, would be a major lift.
Coach Shukri Conrad pointed to a long gap without Test cricket. “I don’t think it’s easy coming off an eight-month break,” he said.
What it means for the table
The win strengthens Australia’s lead in the World Test Championship. South Africa drop to third and New Zealand move up to second. India, who play two Tests in New Zealand and then five at home against Australia, are fifth.
What’s next
The second Test starts in Gqeberha on Sunday, 18 October, and the series ends in Cape Town from 27 to 31 October.
The documents
- Australia breeze to a big win over South Africa in DurbanICC, 13 October 2026
- State of Play at the ICC World Test Championship 2025-27ICC, 13 October 2026