Josh Hazlewood took a career-best six for 49 as Australia beat South Africa by 214 runs in the first Test at Kingsmead, Durban, with the home side bowled out for 206 on the fifth day, the Guardian reported.
Australia wrapped up the win at 1:30pm local time, according to cricket.com.au, and lead the three-Test series 1-0 with the second match to come in Gqeberha.
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A Career-Best at 35
Hazlewood’s 6-49 came from 16.5 overs and was his 15th five-wicket haul in Tests, ABC News reported.
He is 35, and the return was his second six-wicket haul in three matches, following the 6-89 he took against Bangladesh in Darwin, according to cricket.com.au.
The wickets also moved him up the all-time list. With the haul, Hazlewood passed Fred Trueman, Morne Morkel, Lance Gibbs and Brett Lee on the Test wicket list, and he drew level with Ishant Sharma and Zaheer Khan on 311, the Guardian reported.
How the Resistance Broke
South Africa’s slide began on the fourth evening. Hazlewood trapped David Bedingham in front, and the home side went from 73 for one to 86 for four, the Guardian reported.
On day five, Aiden Markram and Wiaan Mulder batted through the morning. Hazlewood broke the stand when Mulder edged down the leg side and Alex Carey took a diving one-handed catch, according to the Guardian. Mulder made 29 off 110, cricket.com.au reported.
Matt Renshaw then had Kyle Verreynne caught by Steve Smith at slip, according to cricket.com.au. Hazlewood bowled Marco Jansen for 35 with the second new ball and had Simon Harmer caught behind soon after, cricket.com.au reported.
Markram then inside-edged Mitchell Starc, and Hazlewood finished the match by having Anrich Nortje caught at midwicket, the Guardian reported.
Markram made 75 off 237 balls and was the penultimate wicket, according to cricket.com.au. The final four wickets fell for only five runs, in 15 balls, cricket.com.au reported.
Elsewhere in the attack, Starc had radar issues and Nathan Lyon went wicketless, according to the Guardian.
Renshaw’s Match
Renshaw was player of the match for his 272 runs and two wickets, ABC News reported. On the final day he removed Kyle Verreynne, caught by Steve Smith at slip.
He became the first Australian to score more than 270 runs and take at least two wickets in the same Test, according to cricket.com.au.
The Selection Debate
In the ABC’s analysis, Russell Jackson wrote that the win vindicated a selection strategy that drew heavy criticism last week.
The same analysis said Australia will probably look to switch Travis Head and Renshaw in the batting order.
On the South African side, Kagiso Rabada was seen in the nets throughout the game, ABC News reported.
Proteas coach Conrad Shukri’s pre-tour advice, as quoted by ABC News, was to “give [Australia’s players] some stick, but respectfully so”.
On to Gqeberha
The second Test will be played from 18 to 22 October at St George’s Park, Gqeberha, starting at 7pm AEDT, according to cricket.com.au. The third Test follows from 27 to 31 October at Newlands, Cape Town.
Australia take a 1-0 lead to Gqeberha. Whether Head and Renshaw swap places in the order, as the ABC’s analysis suggests is likely, is the selection call still to come. The rest of the series will be covered in prw’s Cricket archive.
Sources: The Guardian, “Josh Hazlewood reminds Australia of his worth with six for 49 to see off South Africa”, 13 October 2026 (https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2026/oct/13/josh-hazlewood-reminds-australia-of-his-worth-with-6-49-to-see-off-south-africa); ABC News, “Selection critics silenced as Australia’s old guard wins first Test”, 14 October 2026 (https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-10-14/australia-has-silenced-critics-of-its-test-selection-strategy/107259814); cricket.com.au, “Hazlewood sparks collapse as Aussies thump Proteas in Durban” (https://www.cricket.com.au/news/4591632/australia-beat-south-africa-first-test-kingsmead-durban-day-five-report-highlights-scores-hazlewood-renshaw-markram-recap)
Photo: South African Tourism, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Durban’s beachfront and skyline in May 2015. It sets the scene in the host city; Kingsmead and the match are not shown.
