Head keeps Australia in the fight after Proteas run riot

The fourth day of the second ICC World Test Championship Test between South Africa and Australia saw the Proteas quicks come out all guns blazing, ripping through Australia’s batting line-up to secure a sizeable first-innings advantage.

Starting the day at 3/1 after losing Nic Maddinson for a duck late on Day 3, Australia struggled to get their innings going from the outset.

Scott Boland was the first to fall, with Ryan Rickelton and Marco Jansen combining to dismiss Australia's five-wicket star from the first innings.

Jansen then produced a beauty to remove Travis Head for 14, leaving Australia reeling at 22/3.

Marnus Labuschagne and Steve Smith attempted to steady the innings but Anrich Nortje struck again before leaving the field with a suspected groin injury.

Jansen then returned to dismiss Australia's star performer from the first Test, Matt Renshaw and Alex Carey in the space of three deliveries, piling further pressure on the visitors.

The pacer continued his remarkable spell, bringing Beau Webster’s resistance to an end, with Aiden Markram taking the catch to hand the seamer his fifth wicket of the innings, which he concluded with bowling figures of 5/33.

As wickets continued to tumble at the other end, Smith reached the landmark of 11 000 Test runs, joining Australian greats Ricky Ponting and Allan Border in an exclusive club. His milestone innings, however, was cut short when Wiaan Mulder dismissed him for 28 off 88 balls.

The 37-year-old, who was the top-scorer for the visitors in an innings where the Proteas bowlers dominated the proceedings, crossed the milestone that only two other former Australian batters have.

Meanwhile, alongside Ricky Ponting (13 378) and Allan Border (11 174), Smith joins a total of 12 players who have achieved the feat in the longest format of the game.

Smith, who made his Test debut back in 2010, has 37 centuries to his name, the second-most for Australia and the sixth overall.

The right-hander is only behind Sachin Tendulkar (51), Jacques Kallis, Ricky Ponting, Joe Root, and Kumar Sangakkara in the all-time tally.

In addition, Smith also boasts 45 fifty-plus scores. With Australia atop the current ICC World Test Championship cycle, the most experienced batter in their current squad has been prolific with the bat, scoring 650 runs from 10 Tests in the ongoing cycle.

Australia were eventually bowled out for just 99, with the Proteas securing a mammoth 326-run first-innings lead.

South Africa enforced the follow-on and Kagiso Rabada struck early to dismiss Maddinson for eight.

Labuschagne and Head took charge of things after the first wicket and combined for a 92-run stand to anchor the innings for Australia.

Labuschagne, however, bit the dust when he was dismissed for 39 by Simon Harmer. Rabada struck again soon after, toppling the stumps of Renshaw to pile on more trouble for the visitors as they found themselves at 123/3 with over 200 runs to catch up on.

Webster came in and wasn’t able to match up to Harmer’s spin, who trapped him leg-before soon after.

Head fought on at the other end, ending the day unbeaten at 87, as Australia finished with 156/4 on the board, staring at a substantial 170-run deficit to save the second Test in Gqeberha.