SA vs AUS, 2nd Test — Day 2 Stumps: South Africa 97/5 as Scott Boland Takes Four and Matt Renshaw Plucks One From the Turf

For most of Monday the only thing moving at St George's Park was the groundstaff. Heavy overnight and early-morning rain left wet patches on the outfield, and lunch and tea were both taken without a ball being bowled. Play finally began at 3.45pm, six hours late. By ESPNcricinfo's count, 146 overs have now been lost to the weather across the first two days.

What was possible, 30.4 overs, was enough for Australia to tighten their hold. South Africa added 77 runs and lost three wickets, and they end the day on 97 for 5 with their captain the one batter who has looked settled. With three days left and less rain forecast, Australia, already 1-0 up, are in a strong position to make up the lost time.

Scott Boland beat Temba Bavuma's bat with the first ball of the day. Bavuma answered at the end of that over with a firm drive through the covers, and it looked as though he had settled. Marques Ackerman never did. Pat Cummins hit him with a bouncer off the arm guard that looped to Alex Carey, and Australia considered a review. They didn't need one. In the next over Ackerman drove at Boland with hard hands, the ball left him off the seam and Carey took the edge. Ackerman's debut innings ended on 6 from 38 balls.

Matthew Breetzke, back in the Test side and playing his first first-class match since February, left the ball well early on. Then Mitchell Starc angled one across him and offered the drive, Breetzke went for it, and Carey took another edge. South Africa were 40 for 4 in the 22nd over.

That brought in Ryan Rickelton, who has moved down from opener to No. 6 because he is keeping wicket in this match, and it was the best spell of the day for South Africa. Rickelton hit two fine drives down the ground off Cummins, and Bavuma began to time the ball too. With Josh Hazlewood unwell and unable to bowl, Cummins turned to Beau Webster early. Webster's four overs went for one run, and Carey stood up to the stumps to him.

Their fifth-wicket stand reached 50 in 99 balls. With nine overs left, Boland came back for a second spell as the shadows lengthened. Bavuma pulled a Cummins short ball out of the ground into Park Drive for six. Australia nearly broke through when Rickelton, on 26, tucked Cummins to Marnus Labuschagne at leg slip, but Labuschagne, looking into the glare, seemed to lose it and the ball struck him in the chest.

Boland switched ends and found a little movement away. Rickelton followed it and edged. Carey did not move for it. Matt Renshaw at first slip dived across in front of him and took it one-handed, just above the grass. Rickelton was out for 31 with 3.2 overs left in the day. ESPNcricinfo noted that he has one fifty in his last 13 Test innings. Wiaan Mulder saw out the rest of the day with Bavuma.

Boland was picked ahead of Nathan Lyon, and he has done exactly the job he was picked for. He has bowled 14 overs, five of them maidens, and taken 4 for 31. Three of the four wickets were edges to the cordon and the other an inside edge onto the stumps. He keeps asking batters to drive without giving them anything full enough to drive safely, and South Africa have not found an answer. These are already his best figures against South Africa. With Hazlewood unwell, Boland has carried even more of the attack, and he showed no sign of tiring at the end of the day.

Bavuma has 41 not out from 108 balls, and nobody else in the South African top six has passed 31. He has five fours and a six and has looked the most assured batter in the match. After Mulder come the bowlers, Kagiso Rabada and Simon Harmer among them.South Africa need Bavuma to bat for a long time on Day 3 and take the total past 200, or they will be playing catch-up for the rest of the series.

Our preview named Matthew Breetzke as South Africa's player to watch, saying that if he failed the selectors would face hard questions. He made 4, edging Starc, so those questions now start. We also wrote that Bavuma "has a habit of producing innings when his captaincy is under scrutiny", and his 41 not out so far supports that. Our Australian pick, Nathan Lyon, was left out, and the bowler picked instead of him has four wickets. Our general view, that Australia hold the advantage, still looks right.

The first hour on Day 3 decides a lot. Boland has bowled 14 overs and will be back with a ball 43 overs old. If Australia remove Bavuma early, they could be batting before lunch. If Bavuma and Mulder get through that first hour, South Africa can hope for a total that keeps the match, and the series, open. Starc and Cummins have one wicket between them, so Australia will want more from both. They will also want to know how Hazlewood is.