Mulder and Rickelton centuries put South Africa in charge as Australia face second-highest chase in 137 years at Newlands

Australia's bowlers toiled hard on the fourth day of the third and deciding Test at Newlands in Cape Town. They managed only one wicket across the first two sessions, and their bowling began to bite only after the tea break. Even so, the day belonged entirely to the home side, and Saturday promises an intriguing contest. Australia must complete the second-highest successful run chase in the 137-year history of Test cricket at Newlands — a formidable task at the best of times, let alone on a pitch whose character is changing by the session. The biggest story of the day was Wiaan Mulder's innings of 115, his fourth Test century. He batted at a moment when his team needed it most, and it was his knock that caused Australia the greatest trouble. He did not just wear the bowlers down; he also kept the scoring rate moving. His shot selection was measured, and whenever a bowler erred, he made him pay in full. He was the last man out, caught on the boundary as he tried to up the tempo. At the other end, Ryan Rickelton made 101. He showed clear intent from the start and gave himself time at the crease. With turn on offer for the spinner and variable bounce for the seamers, he never let his defence loosen. Even after reaching three figures he kept his patience intact, and that patience was Australia's biggest problem. The quality of his innings lay in the fact that it never required him to take undue risk. Mulder and Rickelton shared a stand of 154 for the sixth wicket. That partnership was decisive because it denied Australia precisely what it wanted most: a steady stream of wickets to make a large target look manageable. Both batters concentrated on one ball at a time and refused to let the idea of a big partnership weigh them down. South Africa resumed the fourth morning at 140 for four. Across two sessions they lost only Matthew Breetzke, who made 43 before falling to a pull shot, caught on the boundary. That has become a familiar mode of dismissal for the home side in this Test, and it is something the team management has been watching closely. Speaking to reporters, Rickelton said: "It was about trying to win the small moments. We knew we were effectively 40 for four this morning and that Australia would come hard at us." He added: "It was about spending time at the crease rather than worrying about scoring runs or getting too far ahead of ourselves. We had our plans and needed to stick to them." Rickelton continued: "We knew the longer we batted, the more frustrated Australia would become. Perhaps they expected things to happen quite quickly because of the deteriorating wicket." For Australia, the heaviest workload was borne by spinner Nathan Lyon, who returned figures of 2-101. There was considerable turn for the spinner and variable bounce for the seamers. That meant batting was never easy, but South Africa's batters read the challenge well and played accordingly. The cluster of wickets Australia claimed after tea briefly raised the prospect of the hosts coming under pressure, but the home side kept its grip on the day until the close. The final wicket of the day was Mulder's, caught on the boundary as he attempted to accelerate. That brought the day's play to an end, leaving Australia facing a large target, limited time and a deteriorating pitch all at once. The series is level at 1-1. Australia won the first Test in Durban by 214 runs, and South Africa responded with a victory by an innings and 31 runs in Gqeberha. Both wins came by wide margins, which underlines how dangerous each side is in conditions that suit it. The result of this match will settle more than the series: it will also decide the top spot in the Test world rankings. Australia currently holds number one, and the winner of this match will occupy that position. That raises the stakes considerably — a series on the line on one side, and the chance to be the world's leading Test side on the other. The equation for the fifth day is clear. South Africa's fast bowlers have had their feet up for more than a day-and-a-half, so they will be fresh, and they can expect uneven bounce to work in their favour. Australia will need to score at more than three runs an over, which is never simple on a surface like this. Lyon can play a major role, but the difficulty is that his job will not be to bowl South Africa out; it will be to stop them leaking runs quickly — and doing both at once is hard. Should Australia pull off the chase at Newlands, it would be the second-highest successful pursuit in the venue's 137 years of Test history. South Africa, by contrast, have a golden chance to win the series on home soil and climb to the top of the world rankings. Saturday will therefore be not merely a day of Test cricket but a test of strategy, patience and mental resilience for both sides.