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Hazlewood Takes 6-49 as Australia Beat South Africa by 214 Runs
A career-best haul broke South African resistance on day five in Durban and carried the fast bowler past a string of greats on the Test wickets list.
Josh Hazlewood answered the enduring Scott Boland debate the best way he knows how: with a career-best six for 49 that broke South Africa's resistance on the fifth day in Durban and sealed a 214-run win for Australia in the first Test.
Set a distant target, the hosts were bowled out for 206 despite a monumental rearguard from Aiden Markram, who batted two minutes shy of six hours for his 75.
Breaking the stubborn stand
The decisive intervention came after 25 overs of morning toil. Bowling with a 66-over-old ball, Hazlewood brought in a leg slip, targeted the pads, and coaxed an inside edge from the compact Wiaan Mulder that Alex Carey snaffled one-handed diving left — ending a 32-over, 69-run stand.
With the new ball he struck twice more in quick succession: Marco Jansen bowled through the gate on 35, then Simon Harmer edging a lifting delivery three balls later. When Starc finally removed Markram via an inside edge, Hazlewood completed the set by having Anrich Nortje caught at midwicket.
Climbing the list
The haul moved Hazlewood past Fred Trueman, Morne Morkel, Lance Gibbs and Brett Lee on the all-time Test wickets list, drawing him level with Ishant Sharma and Zaheer Khan on 311. Three more would take him beyond Mitchell Johnson — among Australians, only Dennis Lillee, Glenn McGrath and Shane Warne would then sit ahead of him among retired greats.
Australia leave Durban 1-0 up — as they did in 2018. This time, they intend to keep it.
