Australian fast bowler Mitchell Starc produced a frightening bouncer to dismiss South Africa batter Marques Ackerman during the third Test at Newlands on Thursday, October 29. The short delivery struck Ackerman’s helmet before ricocheting towards Cameron Green, who completed a sharp catch at slip to give Australia a crucial breakthrough.
South Africa finished the third day’s play at 140/4 in their second innings, taking a 40-run lead with six wickets remaining. Starc led Australia’s bowling effort with figures of 2/29, while Josh Hazlewood and Nathan Lyon picked up one wicket each. Ackerman was South Africa’s leading scorer with 62 runs off 80 deliveries, including eight boundaries.
The dismissal also created a brief moment of confusion. Ackerman appeared unsure whether he had edged the ball before it struck his helmet grille. After Green completed the catch, the left-hander approached captain Temba Bavuma to discuss a possible DRS review. However, he signalled for the review after the 15-second countdown had expired.
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The umpires therefore rejected the request, while replays later confirmed that the ball had brushed his bat before hitting the helmet. Travis Head immediately checked on Ackerman’s condition following the impact and called for medical assistance. Meanwhile, Marnus Labuschagne’s comments were picked up by the stump microphone, adding an unusual moment to the incident.
That helmet hit was BRUTAL 💀
#SAvAUS #SouthAfrica #TestCricket #MitchellStarc https://t.co/Esqf48Om7D
— FanCode (@FanCode) October 29, 2026
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Earlier, Josh Inglis converted his overnight score into his second Test century, helping Australia reach 429 in their first innings. The wicketkeeper-batter brought up the milestone off 132 balls by reverse-sweeping Simon Harmer for a boundary.
Inglis and Alex Carey also produced a crucial 185-run partnership for the fifth wicket. Carey scored 80 before falling to Harmer at slip, while Inglis was caught behind four overs earlier.
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South Africa eventually fought back through their bowling attack. Harmer claimed four wickets for 104 runs, while Marco Jansen finished with 3/60. Kagiso Rabada also dismissed Pat Cummins for a duck as Australia lost their final six wickets for just 99 runs.
Despite the late collapse, Australia finished with 429, securing a valuable 100-run first-innings lead. Their bowlers now have an important cushion as the Newlands surface begins offering greater assistance to spin.
