Last Updated on 2 minutes ago by Charbel Coorey

Australia need 288 runs. South Africa 10 wickets. A classic Cape Town Test comes down to the final day, with all results possible.

However, what makes the South Africa-Australia rivalry so great is that neither team takes a backward step. You can be sure both sides will push hard for a series-sealing win on Saturday to cap off what has been a captivating series.

The Newlands Test has been a phenomenon, filled with ebbs and flows. South Africa started the Test with a bang before Australia took over. At 330/4 after day two and leading by one run, Australia had visions of a lead exceeding 150. The Proteas then bounced back to limit the lead to 100, before bouncing back again to turn 4/40 at the end of day three into a 287-run lead 24 hours later.

Ryan Rickelton (101) and Wiaan Mulder (115) were outstanding. The former walked to the crease at a crucial juncture following the crucial wicket of Temba Bavuma on the third evening. He was solid in defence and patiently waited for his opportunities, showcasing the kind of temperament South Africa have lacked at times this series. He brought up a deserved century – his third in Tests – and took South Africa past a 200-run lead.

Mulder was just as impressive. The all-rounder has come in for some criticism regarding the nature of his dismissals this series, falling to the short ball on multiple occasions. However, he looked locked in from ball one on Friday, getting under the short ball and accumulating against spin to build the home side’s lead. After doing the hard work, he then opened up late in the day with some crucial blows to take the target towards 300.

SA vs AUS Predictions: Who will win the classic Newlands Cape Town Test?

Australia battled hard with little reward for much of the day. By the midway point of the third session, the visitors had taken just one wicket on day four and were staring at the possibility of a 300+ target.

But, Australia’s excellent fielding and ability to keep a lid on the scoring rate means the game didn’t run away from them. An excellent piece of fielding ended Rickelton’s innings, which brought about an influx of wickets, including the crucial scalps of Marco Jansen and Simon Harmer for one run between them.

“It’s win or lose, I guess. No draw tomorrow,” Rickelton said, as quoted by Cricinfo.

“If you had to say that it’s going down to the third Test, day five, with all three results on the cards or two results on the cards, yeah, I wouldn’t have believed it. It’s been a special series.”

So which way will this classic Test go? The centre of the Newlands pitch is still magnificent for batting with the pace bowlers struggling to generate any movement. But, there is plenty of turn available and potentially cloudier conditions on day five could aid swing.

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