De Kock denies Starc a hat-trick before falling to Hazlewood at Kingsmead
Monday 5 March 2018 13:16, UK
Australia needed just 22 balls on day five to wrap up an emphatic 118-run win over South Africa in an ill-tempered first Test in Durban.
Josh Hazlewood took the final wicket, trapping Quinton de Kock (83) lbw as South Africa, who began the morning on 293-9, were shot out for 298 at Kingsmead to slip 1-0 down in the four-match series.
Mitchell Starc missed out on a hat-trick - the left-arm paceman, who bowled Keshav Maharaj and Kagiso Rabada from his final two deliveries on day four, opening up on Monday with a ball that rapped De Kock on the pads but was heading down leg.
The game has been marred, however, by a verbal altercation between De Kock and David Warner outside the dressing rooms at tea on day four, with CCTV footage showing Warner being restrained by his team-mates.
"I think what was said and done during that interval was regrettable on both sides," said Australia captain Steve Smith. "Getting personal on the field is not on.
"We were certainly very chirpy out in the field. As far as I'm aware, we didn't get personal towards Quinton. What he said got a little bit personal towards Davey and, as we saw, it certainly provoked an emotional response.
"Both sides are obviously disappointed with the way it all came about. Hopefully we can move on and play in the right spirit for the next three Tests."
South Africa captain Faf du Plessis said: "For me, if you chirp each other, it's always on the field. There needs to be boundaries - it needs to stay on the field.
"[De Kock] is fine. I don't think you get a reaction from him most of the time. When you look at him now it's like nothing happened."
South Africa would have pulled off the second-highest run chase in Test history had they reached their target of 417, behind only the 418-7 Windies scored against Australia in Antigua in 2003.
The Proteas' second innings was in tatters at 49-4 - AB de Villiers having been run out for a duck - but Aiden Markram (143), De Kock and Theunis de Bruyn (36) then lifted the hosts to 283-5.
However, Markram edged Mitchell Marsh behind in Sunday's evening session, before Starc torpedoed the tail to extinguish South Africa's faint hopes of victory.
Watch the second Test between South Africa and Australia, at St George's Park in Port Elizabeth, live from 7.55am on Friday on Sky Sports Cricket (channel 404).
