Wickets tumble on first day at Lord's

South Africa 4-43 in reply to Australia's 220 (Thomas Miles' score cards attached)

DAY ONE

The South African support staff crowded onto the Lord’s balcony at 4.05 pm local time in acknowledgement of the fact the Australians were back inside their dressing room with just 220 runs on the board.

They were in this game and had made the most of sending the opposition in.

Kagiso Rabada’s 15th five-wicket haul (5-51) had moved him past Allan Donald on that country’s all-time list. The paceman, who said “he felt ready a week ago”, had taken his tally to 331 wickets in 71 matches, where the man they called White Lightning finished with 330 from 72.

Rabada’s opening partner, Marco Jansen (3-49) was the other outstanding contributor in an attack that otherwise looked a little thin.

Two excellent early slip catches had given Rabada and the South Africans wings, while Aidan Markram had cashed in on a lapse of concentration from Steve Smith, and Keshav Maharaj had been operating when a premeditated sweep by Alex Carey had gifted him his only scalp.

Essentially, however, South Africa had fired on two cylinders.

The Australian attack has no weak links, and its three seamers were ruthless when given their chance to win back bragging rights.

On dismissal, Mitchell Starc had turned and sprinted for the pavilion, clearly keen to get into his work. Given the first over from the nursery end, he summoned that searing in-swing that every opponent knows is coming, but so many fail to counter.

His first wicket, Aiden Markram, came from one that swerved into the stumps off the South African’s inside edge six balls into the innings.

His second, Ryan Rickelton, (16 from 23 deliveries) moved up the hill and away, catching the edge before sailing into Usman Khawaja’s safe hands.

Not so safe, were the hands of Alex Carey who fumbled a straightforward snick from another Starc delivery that should have had Wiaan Mulder on his way earlier than he was.

Yes, the ball wobbles and can weave late in these parts, but there’s no excuse for a Test keeper to drop a chance like that.

Carey will mark himself hard for that on a ground where he has had an interesting time of it. Earlier in the day, the genial South Australian had got himself out with a premeditated reverse sweep when runs were needed - and available.

Mulder and Temba Bavuma struggled at times to get bat on ball, let alone score a run. Pat Cummins eventually walked one straight through the gap in Mulder’s technique. The inexperienced No.3 had scored just 6 runs from 44 deliveries.

Swung around to the nursery end for his second spell, Josh Hazlewood moved one down the slope, and in through a gap in Tristan Stubb’s defence soon after.

South Africa begin tomorrow on 4-43, with Temba Bavuma (3 from 37 deliveries) and David Beddington (8 from 9 deliveries).

Six times bowlers had hit the stumps on a day when 14 wickets fell for 253 runs.

The World Test Championship is an odd beast, and Lord’s felt almost a little begrudging at having to host the two colonial cricket outfits. Rabada reported that it felt like a home crowd, and there was more to cheer about in the early going for those fans.

Clouds were heavy on a cool morning, but the sun burned bright as the afternoon arrived. Runs were difficult to come by against the new ball, the bounce was uneven and the batting, with the exception of Steve Smith and Beau Webster, underwhelming.

Both sides had unsettled top sixes and both’s strengths lay with their seamers. Six days are allocated for the match, but unless something odd happens, this could be done in three.