Mitchell Starc's Six-Wicket Burst Sends South Africa From 158 for 0 to 329 All Out at Newlands

South Africa were bowled out for 329 on day one of the series-deciding third Test against Australia at Newlands, collapsing from 158 for 0 after Mitchell Starc ran through the rest of the innings to finish with 6 for 72.

A flying start undone

Marques Ackerman (95, stumped off Nathan Lyon) and Aiden Markram (78, caught off Josh Hazlewood after Starc held the catch at the other end) had put South Africa in complete control with their opening stand of 158, as reported through the morning and afternoon sessions. From there, the innings turned sharply: Temba Bavuma was bowled by Lyon for a duck, Matthew Breetzke was given out lbw for 2 after a review, and David Bedingham's fifty — his innings ending caught off Starc with the total on 232 — was the last substantial contribution of the day.

Starc cleans up the tail

With the second new ball due, Starc worked through South Africa's lower order in short order, removing Wiaan Mulder for a duck, trapping Ryan Rickelton (42) lbw, and bowling Marco Jansen (52) before finishing off the innings with the wickets of Gerald Coetzee and Kagiso Rabada, both for nought. South Africa's last five wickets fell for just over 100 runs in a rapid span of overs, a dramatic swing from the position they held at lunch.

A series already finely balanced

The collapse came in a Test that already carries series-deciding weight. Australia won the opening Test at Kingsmead, Durban, by 214 runs, with Josh Hazlewood's career-best 6 for 49 bowling South Africa out for 206 in a chase of 421, while Matthew Renshaw's twin contributions of 190 and 82 underpinned Australia's total. South Africa hit back to win the second Test at Gqeberha by an innings and 31 runs, leveling the series at 1-1 heading into this decider at Newlands.

Starc's six-for means Australia, who elected to field first after Pat Cummins won the toss, have avoided conceding a daunting first-innings total despite losing the toss battle in the morning session. For South Africa, Ackerman's second Test fifty-plus score in three matches continues to justify Bavuma's backing of the uncapped opener, even as the middle and lower order let the platform slip away.

Fantasy angle

Starc's 6 for 72 is the standout pick of the day for anyone building a squad around Australia's bowling attack, and with South Africa's innings wrapped up inside a single day, Australia's top order — Renshaw and Travis Head in particular — are the batting picks to watch once the reply gets underway. Ackerman's near-century, despite the dismissal, keeps him in the frame as a top-order accumulator worth tracking for the remainder of the series.

Follow the decider

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South Africa's final total, Mitchell Starc's figures and the wicket sequence in this article are verified against same-day and freshly re-checked reporting as of October 28, 2026; Australia had not yet begun their reply at the time of writing.