Latest Cape Town disaster blows Australia away

Scott Bailey | October 31, 2026

Australia are on the brink of series defeat to South Africa and losing top spot in the Test rankings after a calamitous morning in Cape Town left them 7-60, chasing 288.

In a horror start to the final day of the series, Australia lost Matt Renshaw and Marnus Labuschagne in the opening over and never really recovered before lunch.

Kagiso Rabada has taken 3-14 as he became the fastest man to 350 Test wickets, before Simon Harmer’s 3-5 ripped the heart out of the middle order with spin.

The chaos was summed up when Cameron Green defended a ball past Marques Ackerman at silly point, took off and ran Josh Inglis out in the process.

Harmer also took two wickets in one over during the collapse, getting Alex Carey reverse-sweeping before Cooper Connolly was caught behind for a duck.

Only Travis Head (14) and Green (25no) have reached double figures, with Australia at least passing the low mark of 47 they were bowled out for in Cape Town in 2011.

Australia’s batting was badly exposed in Gqeberha last week when they were bowled out for 99 on the fourth day, and asked to follow on and lost the match.

But Saturday morning has been even more disastrous, with the series on the line at Newlands.

Renshaw was out in the first over when he tickled a ball down legside off Rabada and was caught behind.

Labuschagne then had a leading edge for four first ball, before he left his third, was hit on the pads and trapped lbw.

The Queenslander reviewed and was out on umpire’s call, before trudging off in what could be his last Test after 49 innings without a century.

Head then edged Rabada to gully while trying to drive outside off, before the Inglis run out headlined Australia’s horror show.

The session ended with Mitchell Starc caught at bat pad off Harmer for a 25-ball duck, coming out at No.8 with Australia milking the strike and seemingly playing for a draw.

The collapse came on the same pitch Australia struggled to get any life out of on day four, with the Proteas limiting Nathan Lyon’s spin to two wickets.

Australia’s last visit to Cape Town for a Test marked the side’s lowest day, with the ball-tampering scandal in 2018. 

Saturday was not quite as bleak, but as far as an on-field effort it was not much better.

In a tour full of twists and turns, a series loss for Australia looked near impossible when they had South Africa 6-110 on day three of a wet Gqeberha Test after winning the first in Durban.

But the Proteas fought back, rolled through Australia and won by an innings and 31 runs. And a little over a week on, the series looks set to go to South Africa.

If the Proteas do win in Cape Town, they will take first spot off Australia in the ICC Test rankings and also leapfrog them into the top two in the race to next year’s World Test Championship final.