Labuschagne sets unwanted Australian record with 48th innings without a century

Marnus Labuschagne’s dismissal without scoring on the second day of the deciding Test against South Africa extended his wait for a century to a record 48 consecutive innings for a batter in Australia’s top four, according to BBC Sport. The 32-year-old lasted five deliveries in Cape Town as his side replied to South Africa’s first-innings total of 329.

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Simon Harmer removed Labuschagne with a full delivery that the Australian played from the crease, edging a catch to slip. With Travis Head already dismissed, Australia were left on 58-2. They were also without Steve Smith, who had been ruled out of the match with a neck injury, leaving other members of the batting order to build the response.

Labuschagne’s most recent Test hundred came at Old Trafford during the 2023 Ashes. BBC Sport reported that he has averaged 24.77 since that innings, a marked decline from the period spanning his emergence as a concussion substitute in the 2019 Ashes and the end of the following Ashes series, when he averaged 65. In the current South Africa series, he had reached 30 in several innings without converting those starts into a substantial score.

Despite his latest failure, Australia ended day two on 330-4, one run ahead. Matt Renshaw made 74, following his career-best 190 earlier in the series in Durban, while Cameron Green contributed 65. Their half-centuries helped Australia recover from the early losses before Marco Jansen dismissed both batters in successive overs ahead of tea. Jansen finished the day with figures of 2-37.

Josh Inglis then reached an unbeaten 85 and shared an unbroken partnership of 145 with Alex Carey. Inglis had not played red-ball cricket since March, and a broken finger had restricted his preparation, BBC Sport reported. His innings ensured that Australia moved beyond South Africa’s total without losing another wicket after Jansen’s double breakthrough.

Australia’s response followed Mitchell Starc’s 6-72 in South Africa’s innings, in which Ackerman top-scored with 95. The tourists therefore finished the second day with six first-innings wickets still available. Labuschagne’s individual setback came within an otherwise productive day for the batting side, with the decisive Test still unfinished.