Welcome to Crikcomedy — cricket news with a smile. And what a first story to start with.
South Africa have beaten Australia 2-1 in a Test series that had everything: a comeback, a collapse, and a 6ft 8in all-rounder who looked like he was bowling from the top of a building.
After losing the first Test in Durban by 214 runs, South Africa turned it around completely. They won the second Test at Gqeberha by an innings and 31 runs, after bowling Australia out for just 99 in the first innings. Then they won the decider at Newlands by 176 runs, bowling Australia out for 111 while chasing 288.
The star of the series was Marco Jansen, named Player of the Series.
Jansen took 13 wickets at 19.76 in the series and scored 198 runs. His best moment came at Gqeberha, where he scored 85 and then took 5-33. That spell helped South Africa enforce the follow-on and win by an innings.
Since his Test debut against India in December 2021, Jansen has now taken 102 wickets at 20.95 in 24 Tests, and scored 822 runs lower down the order. He is now at the top of the ICC Test bowling rankings, and also top of the all-rounder rankings.
Why is he so hard to face?
First, the height. At 6ft 8in, his good-length ball climbs sharply and moves away. Batters think they can play it, then it is suddenly past the edge and into the slips. Aiden Markram took a stunning catch at second slip at Gqeberha to finish one of those dismissals, with Australia 84-7 at the time.
Second, the control. His good-length delivery was his most reliable weapon in the Australia series. He bowled 283 balls in that area, took four wickets at an average of 22.5, and went for just 1.9 runs per over.
Third, he has more than one trick. He can go short, he can swing it, and he can switch to a yorker when a batter least expects it. Nathan Lyon found that out at Durban.
He was not alone. Simon Harmer took 6-16 in the fourth innings at Newlands, his maiden 10-wicket haul in Tests, and was Player of the Match in the decider. Harmer has now taken 25 wickets at 6.96 in the fourth innings of Tests, and South Africa have won all six of those matches.
Jansen has also been nominated for the ICC Men's Player of the Month award for October 2026, along with Pakistan's Arafat Minhas and West Indies captain Shai Hope.
The Crikcomedy take: if you are an Australian batter right now, you probably do not want to see a 6ft 8in left-armer running in at you. If you are a South Africa fan, you probably cannot wait for the next series.
South Africa are now second in the World Test Championship standings, and top of the ICC Test rankings for the first time since January 2016. Test cricket, at its best, is still box office.
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