Australia Thrash South Africa by 214 Runs in Durban — Hazlewood's Six-For Stuns the Proteas
By NajamSports Team | October 13, 2026
I have seen Australia win a lot of Tests on tour, but this one at Kingsmead felt different. It was not just a win — it was a statement. Australia beat South Africa by 214 runs in the first Test at Durban on October 13, 2026, and took a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.
South Africa, set an imposing 421 to win, were bowled out for 206 in their second innings on the final day. The man who finished them off was Josh Hazlewood, who produced a masterclass in fast bowling: 6 for 49.
What Happened?
Australia had won the toss and batted first. After slipping to 124 for 6 in the first innings, Matt Renshaw's magnificent 190 carried them to 390. South Africa replied with 284, and Australia's second innings was an exhibition of controlled aggression — 314 for 6 declared, with Renshaw adding 82 and Pat Cummins smashing an unbeaten 32 off just 12 balls before declaring at tea on Day 4.
That set South Africa 421. They closed Day 4 at 102 for 4, still 319 runs short, and the writing was on the wall. On the final morning the resistance faded fast — South Africa added only 104 runs for their last six wickets and were dismissed for 206 in 86.5 overs. Hazlewood finished with 6 for 49 (16.5 overs, four maidens); Mitchell Starc took 1 for 33. Keshav Maharaj was left stranded on 1 not out as Anrich Nortje became the final wicket to fall.
Latest Updates on the Series
- Australia lead the three-match series 1-0. The second Test begins on October 18 at St George's Park, Gqeberha, with the third at Newlands, Cape Town from October 27.
- Renshaw's match figures: 190 in the first innings and 82 in the second — 272 runs across the match.
- Cummins' 12-ball 32 not out was the fastest scoring of the game, reportedly the highest strike rate in an away Test for an innings of 30 or more runs.
Why This News Matters
For Australia, this is the perfect start to a tough away tour. Winning the first Test in South Africa is never easy, and doing it by 214 runs sends a loud message to the rest of the series.
For South Africa, the questions are serious. They were without Kagiso Rabada, and their batting had no answer to Hazlewood on a wearing Day-5 pitch. Chasing 421 was always a mountain, but the way the tail folded on the final morning will worry Temba Bavuma — as our Day 4 stumps report predicted, Australia and Bangladesh were both closing in, and Durban fell first.
Our Analysis
Here is my honest take. The declaration was the moment this match was won. Cummins gave his bowlers 421 runs and enough time to take ten wickets, and he backed them to do it. Hazlewood rewarded that faith with one of his finest spells — relentless, probing, never giving the batters a single release ball.
But the bigger story for me is Renshaw. The 190 that dragged Australia from 124 for 6 to 390, followed by 82 in the second innings — 272 runs in the match — is the kind of week that ends selection debates for good. Australia finally look settled with a man in form who simply refuses to give his wicket away.
South Africa's problem is deeper than one missing fast bowler. Their first-innings 284 was under par on a decent surface, and once the Markram-Bedingham resistance was broken, nobody else looked like batting time. Gqeberha is now a must-win — go 2-0 down and this series is gone.
Conclusion
Australia's 214-run win at Durban is the emphatic start they wanted. Hazlewood's 6 for 49 and Renshaw's 272-run match made the difference between the sides. The series moves to Gqeberha on October 18 — and South Africa need a response, fast.
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Sources
- ESPNcricinfo — South Africa vs Australia, 1st Test scorecard, Durban: Match result and scorecard
- Cricbuzz — Australia six wickets away from Test win in Durban: Match report