Cricket: Starc Gives Aussies Hope After Innings Collapse

HOBART, Australia, , (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 12th Nov, 2016 ) - Mitchell Starc offered Australia a lifeline with an inspired spell after a record low home total against South Africa on an opening day of carnage in the second Test in Hobart on Saturday.

The left-arm pace spearhead put the brakes on the Proteas with three wickets in 10 balls post-tea after the Australians were skittled for 85 off 32.5 overs. The tourists reached stumps at 171 for five and pushed out their lead to 86.

Temba Bavuma was unbeaten on 38 with Quinton de Kock on 28. Up until Starc's intervention South Africa had seized control of the first day with a total of 15 wickets tumbling for a combined 256 runs under cloudy skies.

Vernon Philander powered the Proteas with five for 21 as Australia folded to their lowest total at home against South Africa to revive memories of recent catastrophic batting collapses.

The capitulation revisited the nightmares of their miserable 47 in Cape Town in 2011 and England's demolition of them for 60 at Trent Bridge last year.

"It was a magnificent all-round performance from everyone, catches needed to be taken, there was a run out and all those things add up to a collective team effort to bowl a team out," Philander said.

Skipper Steve Smith provided backbone with his unbeaten knock of 48 as the Australians failed to back up their talk of rebounding from their comprehensive 177-run thrashing by the Proteas in the Perth series opener. " APP/AFP/ff