Australia require 14 more wickets on day five against South Africa if they are to finish the job at the SCG and collect a Test series sweep.
After a number of delays for rain and poor lighting over the first two days, the third day was completely washed out, forcing the Australians to declare after lunch at 475-4 in order to chase a result.
It meant stranding hometown hero Usman Khawaja on 195 not out, but the hosts would get to bowl 59 overs in sharp turning conditions while the tourists could realistically only play for a draw.
Any South African dreams of a two-day batting stand to salvage a gutsy draw took a blow when Josh Hazlewood (2-29) removed Dean Elgar for 15, drawing an outside edge through to the Alex Carey behind the stumps after returning from over a month out of the side.
Things went from bad to worse for South Africa when opener Sarel Elwee opted to leave an off-spinner from Nathan Lyon, only for it to clip his off-stump, departing for 18.
After captain Pat Cummins removed number-three Heinrich Klaasen caught behind for just two runs, the combination of Temba Bavuma (35 off 74) and Khaya Zondo (39 off 83) built a respectable partnership.
Ultimately the Aussie pace attack was too much to handle, with Hazlewood finding the edge of Bavuma before Cummins landed a yorker on Zondo's toes for a plumb LBW.
Cummins took one more in the fading light – Kyle Verreynne's edge to Steve Smith in the slips – to finish the day with team-best figures of 3-29 from 14 overs as South Africa finally reached stumps at 149-6, trailing by 326.
Khawaja reaches new heights at home ground
With his 195no – his fourth not-out from 10 innings at his home ground – Khawaja raised his Test average at the SCG to 130.83.
It is the third-highest Test average for any batter with more than three innings at the ground, trailing only England's Wally Hammond (161.6 from six innings) and India's Sachin Tendulkar (157.0 from nine innings).
Frank Worrell and Sachin Tendulkar are the only other batters in Test history to have been in the 190s when their captains declared.
Hazlewood illustrates Australia's fast-bowling 'problem'
Australia currently have an embarrassment of riches in the fast-bowling department, and it has reached a stage where an elite talent like Hazlewood is fighting for his spot.
Having not played for Australia since a Test against the West Indies in late November, Hazlewood reminded everyone just how good he is, finding the edge of both Elgar and Bavuma to put the hosts in a winning position.
With Scott Boland also boasting historic Test figures, as well Michael Neser and Lance Morris champing at the bit for their opportunity, it creates a good problem for the Aussies to have in an Ashes year.
Matthews among nominees for ICC Women’s Player of the Month award for April
West Indies Women’s Captain Hayley Matthews has been named among three nominees for the ICC Women’s Player of the Month for April.
A past winner of the award and current holder of the ICC Women’s T20I Cricketer of the Year, Matthews is another top-ranked performer to have grabbed headlines in April.
The 26-year-old skipper piled on the runs in her six outings for the West Indies, notching two brilliant ODI centuries followed by back-to-back half-centuries in the T20I contests against Pakistan.
Alongside her 451 runs in April, Matthews also flourished with the ball, taking 12 wickets; six in the ODI matches at an average of 14, and six more in the T20Is at 10.50.
Matthews’ competition for the award are South Africa’s Laura Wolvaardt and Sri Lanka’s Chamari Athapaththu.
The South African opener is looking to claim her maiden Player of the Month award in what is her fourth nomination, and is a strong contender after another historic series of displays in April.
Wolvaardt started the month with a half-century in the final T20I contest against Sri Lanka before carrying her excellent form into the ODI series.
Her innings of 41 in the first match preceded an emphatic 110 not out in the second to claim a vital win, but the 25-year-old saved her best score for the last game, blasting a national record score of 184 in 147 balls only for South Africa to be outdone by the brilliance of Athapaththu.
Athapaththu, last year’s ICC Women’s ODI Cricketer of the Year, continued her dominance in the 50-over format, reclaiming the top spot in the ICC Women’s ODI Batting rankings after a stellar showing in April.
Records tumbled for the Sri Lanka skipper, thanks to a sparkling unbeaten 195 in Potchefstroom against South Africa as the tourists won in a record run chase.
258 ODI runs was complemented by 148 runs in T20Is, which included two half-centuries in South Africa, plus another against Scotland in the ongoing Women’s T20WC Qualifier in Abu Dhabi, where Sri Lanka eventually sealed their qualification thanks to semi-final success on Sunday.
Knight Riders dispatch Super Giants to move top of IPL
Kolkata Knight Riders moved to the top of the Indian Premier League courtesy of a 98-run victory over Lucknow Super Giants.
Sunil Narine hit a sensational 81 from 39 balls, and he was ably supported by Ramandeep Singh's 25 from six deliveries, as KKR reeled off a third straight win on Sunday.
Ramandeep enjoyed a great day in the field too, as he took one of the catches of the season as LSG managed just 137 in response to KKR's 235.
Phil Salt struck 32, but it was fellow opener Narine who did the damage for KKR.
Ravi Bishnoi eventually ended his stand, but only when KKR had reached 140. Angkrish Raghuvanshi (32) had to be substituted out, but Shreyas Iyer added a useful 23 before Ramandeep hammered 25 from just an overs' worth of deliveries.
KL Rahul (25) and Marcus Stoinis (36) tried to get Lucknow going either side of Ramandeep's spectacular catch to dismiss Arshin Kulkarni, but the Super Giants never set the pace to truly trouble Kolkata.
Sunil Narine's plunders 81 to propel Kolkata Knight Riders to emphatic victory over Pooran's Lucknow Super Giants
In a sensational display of power hitting, Sunil Narine spearheaded Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to a commanding victory over Nicholas Pooran's Lucknow Super Giants and a place atop of the IPL table with a stunning knock of 81 runs off just 39 deliveries.
Alongside Narine, contributions from Ramandeep Singh (25 off 6 balls), Phil Salt (32), Angkrish Raghuvanshi (32), and Shreyas Iyer ensured that KKR posted an imposing total of 235 for 6 in their allotted 20 overs.
The match, held at one of the lower-scoring venues in IPL 2024, set the stage for a challenging run chase for Lucknow Super Giants (LSG). Despite a 50-run partnership between KL Rahul and Marcus Stoinis, LSG struggled to accelerate the scoring rate, ultimately succumbing to the pressure imposed by KKR's bowlers.
Andre Russell emerged as a pivotal figure in the match, not only with his powerful batting but also with his crucial contributions with the ball. Russell's bowling spell saw him claim the crucial wickets of Marcus Stoinis and Nicholas Pooran, swinging the match heavily in KKR's favor.
As LSG's innings faltered, the required run rate soared out of control, with the last nine wickets falling for just 67 runs. Varun Chakravarthy and Harshit Rana were instrumental in dismantling LSG's batting lineup, each claiming three wickets.
Narine's explosive batting display in the initial overs set the tone for KKR's commanding total. After Salt's aggressive start, Narine took centre stage, unleashing a barrage of boundaries and sixes. His innings featured a total of seven sixes and six fours, demonstrating his ability to accelerate the scoring rate at will.
Despite eventually being dismissed while attempting another big hit, Narine's contribution laid the foundation for KKR's comprehensive victory. The match also witnessed standout performances from Ramandeep Singh, whose quick-fire innings added crucial runs to KKR's total, putting LSG under immense pressure.
With this convincing win, Kolkata Knight Riders continue to demonstrate their formidable form in IPL 2024, buoyed by standout performances from key players like Sunil Narine and Andre Russell, signaling their intent as serious contenders in the tournament.
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