Rickelton and Mulder score centuries, Australia target 288

South Africa completed day four of the third and decisive Test against Australia at 387 runs. Ryan Rickelton and Wiaan Mulder each scored a century to take the side to that total. The home side left their opponents a target of 288 runs to win.

Mulder reached 115 runs, his fourth Test century. Rickelton scored 101. The 154-run partnership the pair built for the sixth wicket largely decided the outcome of the match.

South Africa resumed in the morning on 140 for four wickets. Only Matthew Breetzke got out early, for 43 runs. Pat Cummins dismissed him with a pull shot, and Mitchell Starc took the catch at the boundary.

Rickelton recalled that the side had lost four wickets for 40 runs that morning. Stressing the importance of batting patiently, he said Australia had managed only one wicket in the first two sessions and had picked up after tea. Nathan Lyon took 2 wickets for 101 runs and got noticeable turn from the ball.

The pitch is known to be wearing. Josh Inglis had said that chasing more than 200 in the final innings would be difficult. Australia need to achieve the second-highest successful chase in the 137-year history of Test cricket, at Newlands on Saturday.