South Africa v Australia: second mens cricket Test, day five – live

That's it from us today, what a brilliant Test match. Get those loins girded for a series deciding showdown in Cape Town next week. From all of us on the OBO – thanks for your company and correspondence. Goodbye!

Pat Cummins speaks:

I thought there was some good fight today. Boland and Trav (Head) played their roles but it was a fair way to come back from there and it wasn't enough.

We were a long way away from our best. We didn't start off too strong. We just need more from all departments. You saw a blueprint today, how Scotty and Trav went about. They got stuck in. You need to weather the storm but when you do, there are some runs to have. After a loss there a few things to look at. The pitch was good and we needed to score a few runs. We will look at it. It's a reverse of last week, isn't it? They played well.â€

Temba Bavuma is Player of the Match:

The heart rate's quite good! We were a little bit scrambling in the changing room and not too sure with the weather but we were very excited as soon as we got on the field. They made us work hard for those six wickets.

I think we saw throughout the days that batting was quite difficult, especially against the new ball. So I think to be able to perform like that, to be able to get the team in a very competitive position, I take a lot of pride in that.

I think our team, the way we go about it, we play good old Test cricket, you know, try and wear the opposition down and then take them down when the opportunity presents itself.â€

Meanwhile, it's bubbling up nicely in Rawalpindi:

Time for the presentations…

South Africa were 20 for 2 on day one then 97 for 5 and 110 for 6 on day two. Temba Bavuma's ensuing 179 off 334 balls against a gun bowling line up and with the series on the line will surely go down as one of the great modern innings for the Proteas, heck, potentially for anyone.

Handshakes all round and beaming smiles from the South African's who managed to get the final few wickets with the gloom circling, the clouds certainly added a further layer of anxiety to proceedings but Rabada and Jansen went bang bang after Wiaan Mulder managed to prise out Scott Boland and then nip out Pat Cummins with a couple of doozies. A great effort from the Proteas bowlers in the second innings with Anrich Nortje out of action through a groin injury.

Series locked 1-1 heading to Cape Town is just what the Test match Doctor ordered.

Hazlewood has a slash at Jansen and is caught behind! That's it! South Africa level the series and take it to a decider in Cape Town. What a performance from the Proteas, they took a risk by making Australia follow on but it gave them enough time to get over the line in a rain shortened Test.

107th over: Australia 295-9 (Carey 37, Hazlewood 0) Rabada it is after a slurp of something luminous. Can he finish this off before any potential rain shower? Nervous glances abound. The band play but Carey blocks one two three four five… and then bunts for four off the last. Nice shot but Hazlewood will be on strike to Jansen. Deep breaths.

A drinks break?! You are kidding me!

106th over: Australia 291-9 (Carey 33, Hazlewood 0) Oh my days! Carey is pinned down for five balls by Jansen and attempts a quick single off the last in order to keep the strike, the run was never there but Ackerman misses run out attempt with one stump to aim at, Carey wasn't even in the frame!

105th over: Australia 290-9 (Carey 32, Hazlewood 0) Rabada completes a wicket maiden in his first over back. Josh Hazlewood is Australia's last man. Marco Jansen is thrown the ball with one wicket left to take and the clouds still hovering. I'm nervous, not least because I need to pick my daughter up from school in 45 minutes, so much at stake here!

Starc leaves Rabada's first ball with all three stumps showing, the ball wobbles back and winks at off stump as it passed by not very much. The groundstaff are circling with a rain cloud hovering – a stoppage for a shower here would really ramp things up…

GONE! KG cleans up Starc for the 8th time in 11 Test innings, an airy drive misses by miles and the stumps are splayed. South Africa are one wicket away from levelling up the series.

104th over: Australia 290-8 (Carey 32, Starc 11) It's Harmer once again, Carey flicks off his pads for four and then works for two through midwicket. The deficit is down to 36 runs and the grey cloud is beginning to sit over St George's Park. What tension! Here is KG Rabada, can he finish this off?

103rd over: Australia 284-8 (Carey 26, Starc 11) The lbw from Harmer to Carey just hit the batter outside the line so would have remained not out. Starc gets right in behind six balls from Mulder and even has a smile on his face as he does so. On we go.

102nd over: Australia 283-8 (Carey 26, Starc 11) Harmer continues, Carey attempts a reverse-sweep and misses… there's a huge appeal but the umpire says no and Harmer doesn't fancy it. Replays show it might've been closer than it looked and was probably worth sending upstairs. More as we get it…

Carey sweeps again and gets four this time. That might be the end of Harmer's spell as the TV camera pan to the grey cloud building behind the grandstand once again. As Moloko sang – The Time Is Now.

101st over: Australia 276-8 (Carey 21, Starc 9) Rickelton is up to the stumps to Mulder but it doesn't stop Starc from unfurling a long-limbed cover drive for four. Ooosht! Starc attempts the same to the next ball and is beaten. Ooohs and aaaahs almost every ball. Mulder is hitting a spot and getting the ball to jag. The camera pans to some grey cloud building in the distance… I'm saying nothing.

100th over: Australia 272-8 (Carey 21, Starc 5) Harmer is negotiated and worked for a couple. Mulder is going to continue. C'mon Temba, now's the time to go to your big men and get the job done.

99th over: Australia 270-8 (Carey 20, Starc 4) Mulder doesn't strike for the third over in a row. Get him hooked! Seriously though, I'd be throwing the ball to Rabada and Jansen now, Harmer is being played relatively easily.

98th over: Australia 266-8 (Carey 19, Starc 1) A real spring in the South African step now as they sense the series levelling win. How does Carey play it from here? Attack or batten down the hatches? The deficit is still 60 runs.

97th over: Australia 262-8 (Carey 16, Starc 0) It was another lovely ball from Mulder, just enough movement and reward for targeting the stumps. Cummins sent on his way early and unable to play the sort of innings he is well capable of that could have seen the Aussies get close to saving the Test. Carey now has just Starc for company and Hazlewood in the hutch.

You bet he does! Cummins is defeated by a full ball that straightens enough to beat the bat and trim the off bail. South Africa just two away now!

96th over: Australia 261-7 (Carey 15, Cummins 4) Boland's score is the highest by a nightwatchman at Gqeberha and the replays keep showing that he was undone by an absolute peach. Cummins gets off the mark with a tentative poke for four off Harmer. Here's Mulder for the next, does he have another magic ball or two up his sleeve?

95th over: Australia 256-7 (Carey 13, Cummins 0) Scott Boland faced 166 balls for his 40 and was only sent on his way by an absolute ripper that seamed back considerably to beat his forward defensive. It would have cleaned up plenty of ‘proper' batters that one. Mulder has three huge wickets in this game, Smith in the first dig and Head and Boland in the second. Bavuma went to him after tea – which was obviously a good idea – and he has delivered the crucial breakthrough. South Africa need three more as Pat Cummins arrives in the middle to join Alex Carey.

The ball is only 14 overs old and the players have just had a break, I'm really surprised that Rabada or Jansen isn't having a burst to break this partnersh… SHUT UP WALLACE… Mulder cleans up Boland with a beauty to end the vigil and break the game open!

94th over: Australia 255-6 (Boland 40, Carey 13) Harmer has two short legs in place, I wonder if he should throw it a bit wider of off stump and entice the drive rather than everything being quite so straight. Carey clips a single and Boland navigates the rest of the over with ease. The nerves and tension rise with every over. The sun is beating down and the pitch looks flat, the Aussies will be heartened by the conditions and how solid Carey and Boland have looked.

93rd over: Australia 254-6 (Boland 40, Carey 12) Wiaan Mulder starts after the break. Can he find the golden arm that got rid of Travis Head? Not this over, he's right on the money but Scott Boland is batting like Rahul Dravid. A maiden consisting of five solid defensive blocks and and a well judged leave. Get past that.

Right then, the players head back out to the middle. Which way is this Test match going to go? Let's find out.

Simon Harmer beats Alex Carey with a doozy that draws the batter in and then spits past the forward defence. Carey then lap sweeps with aplomb for four and a solid forward defensive sees out the session.

38 overs bowled, 98 runs added but two crucial wickets lost in the form of Travis Head and Steve Smith. Scott Boland is still there, unbeaten on his highest Test score of 40 and having soaked up a priceless 154 deliveries. Australia's hopes hang on him, Carey and the rest of the bowlers. There are a potential 45 overs more to survive but bad light could come into it before then. An hour and a half more of resistance could see Australia save the Test. South Africa are desperate for the four wickets needed to level the series and take it to a decider in Cape Town.

Decent game eh? See you back here in ten.

92nd over: Australia 253-6 (Boland 40, Carey 12)

91st over: Australia 249-6 (Boland 40, Carey 8) The camera pans to Jason Gillespie in the crowd, just in case Aussie fans wanted a bit more nightwatchman inspiration as Boland gets through another Jansen over.

90th over: Australia 248-6 (Boland 40, Carey 7) Alex Carey is a lucky lad! He goes back to a quicker ball from Harmer and almost chops onto his own stumps, fortunately for him and Australia the meaty inside edge bounces over the pegs. Tension ramping up with each over, we're going down to the final session folks, and potentially down to the wire too.

89th over: Australia 245-6 (Boland 38, Carey 6) I do enjoy Jansen's bowling face, he gives a real surly teenager freshly scolded for having a messy bedroom vibe at the top of his mark. He nearly gets the breakthrough with a beauty to Boland that zips past the defensive prod. So close, so far.

88th over: Australia 244-6 (Boland 38, Carey 5) Harmer mixes up his pace, tossing up a flighted delivery and then following up with a couple of darts in an attempt to catch Boland out. He's got his eye well in by now though and defends robustly.

87th over: Australia 243-6 (Boland 38, Carey 4) Eeesht! Boland has started to play a bit more loosely since Smith's departure, the odd play and miss and unconvincing waft. Its imperative for the Aussies that these two make it through to tea and beyond. A dicey upper cut from Boland to a Rabada short ball lands safely over the infield but there were green and gold hearts in mouths for a split second or two. Head down Scotty!

86th over: Australia 240-6 (Boland 36, Carey 3) Harmer whirls away. “Bowling Red†comes the call from Rickelton behind the stumps. Four men around the bat waiting for an edge onto pad to loop up and be swallowed. Boland blocks out five balls after a Carey single off the first. Can't take your eyes off it.

85th over: Australia 239-6 (Boland 36, Carey 2) Just a leg bye and a Rabada front foot no ball off the over. Bavuma calls for Simon Harmer for the next over and the fielders are clamouring to get round the bat. Twenty minutes til the tea interval. Don't go anywhere.

84th over: Australia 237-6 (Boland 36, Carey 2) Boland keeps at it, a 37 year old Duracell Bunny of a man. He gets a meaty edge to Jansen that goes for a streaky four and chastises himself for the loose stroke. A few balls later Marco puts it in the same place and Boland cuts for four with much more composure. The deficit stands at 89 runs.

83rd over: Australia 229-6 (Boland 28, Carey 2) Temba Bavuma couldn't watch the Smith/Breetzke catch as it plooped up, he turned away to look at the crowd like a nervous parent or stressed to all heck football manager during a penalty shootout. He saved himself a palpitation or two not having to witness the juggle from the fielder.

Alex Carey arrives to join Boland. This pair need to take another hour or so at least out of the final afternoon to give Australia a realistic chance of saving this game. South Africa are hunting the win that will take us to a mouthwatering series shootout in Capetown.

Carey is off the mark with a single to cover, Boland carries on his brilliant resistance with another textbook push for three through the off side.

That could well be the game! Smith plays a terrible cross batted hack to Rabada and spoons a catch to Breetzke who juggles the catch as it comes over his shoulder but he takes it at the second grab! What was Smith thinking?! He trudges off and Australia's hopes now lie with Alex Carey and the bowlers.

82nd over: Australia 225-5 (Boland 25, Smith 3) Jansen shares the new nut. Smith clips the first ball of the over into the leg side for a single, Boland has batted so well that there is no question of shielding strike. Five dots follow but Jansen does beat Scotty B with a beauty that angles in and shapes away late.

81st over: Australia 224-5 (Boland 25, Smith 2) “The new ball is yours†Geoff says in his handover text. I think that might be the first time in my life someone has said that to me. What a moment. Goosebumps.

Anyway, what a thrill to be here on the OBO tools for the denouement of this enthralling Test. Rabada has the new ball and Scott Boland now has his highest Test score with a compact push down the ground for four! Some knock this has been, 116 balls faced for his 25 runs and plenty of crucial minutes soaked up. Smith quietly getting his head down with a crook neck, he glides a single past point.

80th over: Australia 219-5 (Boland 21, Smith 1) Last over before the new Kooka will be Harmer. It won't be Boland's eighth maiden of the innings, because he drives Harmer square for two, and equals his own Test high score! Whatever happens after the new ball comes, this has been an admirable effort from a true competitor.

New ball, new commentator. It's time for me to go, and for James Wallace to accompany you through Scotty B's next hundred deliveries.

79th over: Australia 217-5 (Boland 19, Smith 1) Mulder got Smith in the first dig, and he's looking for him again. On the off stump, searching for a way through, but Smith full-blades him to mid on. No run from the over.

The weather, writes Gervase Greene, “leads me inevitably to the utterly cricket topic of what type of draw might this become? We all know ‘a win is a win' – be it in football, athletics, darts, life, whatever. But in the age of sudden-death finals, golden points, penalty shoot-outs etc, Test cricket stands supreme for the baffling grey-ness of a draw. There are honorable draws, fortuitous draws, gutsy draws and the downright shabby (ie ‘you should have declined to accept') draws. I hope the weather improves and this becomes just idle speculation, but I might suggest from an Australian perspective this one lands closer to the latter.â€

This email, admittedly, came through a little while ago, but if Australia do survive today it will be highly creditable. The odds are still with South Africa. Smith hasn't been himself, Carey is in poor nick, then you get through to the bowlers, Boland's exceptional defence notwithstanding.

78th over: Australia 217-5 (Boland 19, Smith 1) Boland has gone past 100 balls faced. He's facing Harmer again, still with four catchers, though they've swapped one of the off-side men to leg slip, the classic star formation. Finally Boland gets another run, through square, and Smith gets a couple of leg byes in a similar direction. Harmer bowling way too much on the pads. Smith finally gets his first run, flicked square.

The deficit is 109.

77th over: Australia 213-5 (Boland 18, Smith 0) Catch down? Kinda sorta. Smith goes get some bat on Mulder's ball, but with the keeper standing up to the stumps, that hits Rickelton more than being dropped by him. Defensive shot on off stump from Smith, otherwise it was hitting his woodwork, but the outside edge followed.

Boland has been on 18 for 10 overs. Smith hasn't scored. There are 58 overs remaining, and three until the new ball.

76th over: Australia 213-5 (Boland 18, Smith 0) Boland's seventh maiden over faced, seeing off Harmer, but the close fielders are getting interested as the odd one turns.

75th over: Australia 213-5 (Boland 18, Smith 0) So Head drives a lovely straight four from Mulder, then gets out. Boland survives him, incongruously. Also incongruous is Steve Smith batting at No7 for the first time since 2014. Guess where that happened? Gqeberha. He gets a bumper from Mulder first up, and it goes through the keeper for four byes.

The man least likely! He's the understated name in the seam bowling line-up, but Wiaan Mulder has got the biggest wicket! Head chops on again, again, again, even in this innings, even after a ton. Mulder around the wicket, short of a length, angled in, and Head doesn't need to play this ball, could have dropped his gloves under it, could have let it hit him, anything. Instead, while hopping, he pushes those gloves at the line of the ball, and deflects it down into his stumps.

South Africa don't need to wait for the new ball. They're in.

74th over: Australia 205-4 (Head 116, Boland 18) The lesser-spotted defensive Head carries on being spotted, waiting out Harmer's over before taking a single from the last.

That is drinks. Australia now with 61 overs left in the day, and 121 runs to make up. South Africa must remain patient and give themselves the chance of a wicket. Everything can change when one falls, and surely at some stage it will.

73rd over: Australia 204-4 (Head 116, Boland 18) Head started the day aggressively but has become very quiet in the last few overs. Into a defensive groove. Mulder the bowler, right-arm seam around the wicket to the lefty, who eventually gets a run to fine leg. He's not blocking bad balls. Boland defends crisply. He's approaching his Cowan Ton.

72nd over: Australia 203-4 (Head 115, Boland 18) Turn from Harmer, but slow turn from the surface. It starts wide and goes wider, and Head can knock it away easily enough. Cuts the next ball for one run to deep cover. Harmer goes up for a bat-pad appeal against Boland, but that ball was all knee-roll, no bat, hitting outside the leg stump. Harmer's bowling around the wicket to the righty.

Boland in Test cricket, by the by, has now opened, batted three, and batted five, six, ten, and eleven. Only number four has eluded him in the top six.

71st over: Australia 202-4 (Head 114, Boland 18) Second maiden in a row, as Boland blocks out Mulder. Australia remain 124 runs behind in their second innings. New ball nine overs away.

70th over: Australia 202-4 (Head 114, Boland 18) Harmer has swapped ends to the one that Rabada was using. A well set field stops Head scoring while playing the ball into the off side. He's still there at the end of the over though.

69th over: Australia 202-4 (Head 114, Boland 18) South Africa will be starting to grind their teeth. That's 15 overs bowled this morning and still no wicket. Boland is now playing the longest innings of his career to date, 84 balls and counting. Mulder on, almost bowls Boland while leaving, but it doesn't nip enough.

68th over: Australia 201-4 (Head 113, Boland 18) He is up and away! Looks all set to block a sixth maiden over, then from the last ball decides to uppercut Rabada for four instead. Whoosh. Takes the team past 200.

67th over: Australia 197-4 (Head 113, Boland 14) For Head, Harmer has a slip, shot leg, and that short mid off, about 20 paces from the bat. A misfield at cover lets Head off strike. Australia 130 behind. Harmer spears down leg to Boland, in between targeting the front pad, and Boland is able to jab one of those leg-stump balls away for a run.

66th over: Australia 195-4 (Head 112, Boland 13) Looking confident is Boland. Plays a cut shot and an off drive to Rabada, both to the field, but neatly done. Then fiddles at a line tight to the off stump! Nearly nicks it. Defends the next one well off the back foot, ball angled at his body, and calls “No!†stoutly.

That's the fifth maiden he's blocked out. Faced 70 balls so far.

65th over: Australia 195-4 (Head 112, Boland 13) Bavuma is riiiiight under the nose on the off side, almost touching the cut strip with his fingers. I think the umpire might even have moved him back a touch the next ball. He's close enough to get hit by the bat if Boland steps to the off side to drive. But it's not Boland who is nearly caught by someone close in, it's Head after gaining strike. Digs out Harmer to a short straight mid on, full ball, and it just bounces in front of the fielder, who doesn't claim it but the umpires do choose a quick video check.