South Africa produced a stunning final-day turnaround at Newlands to beat Australia by 176 runs in the third Test on Saturday, 31 October 2026, and seal a 2-1 series victory. Chasing 288 for a series win of their own, Australia were bowled out for just 111 in their second innings, as off-spinner Simon Harmer claimed a career-best 6 for 16 and finished with his first ten-wicket haul in Test cricket.
The win completes a remarkable comeback in the series. Australia had won the first Test in Durban by 214 runs, but South Africa hit back with an innings-and-31-run win in Gqeberha to level the series 1-1, and then dominated the decider when it mattered most. It is South Africa’s first Test series win over Australia since 2018, and it takes the Proteas back to the top of the ICC Test team rankings for the first time since January 2016.
Match Summary
Australia won the toss and chose to bowl, and for much of the match they looked in control. South Africa were bowled out for 329 in their first innings, and Australia replied with 429 to take a 100-run lead. But South Africa’s second innings of 387 turned the match on its head, and a devastating spell of new-ball and spin bowling on the final day finished the job before tea.
| Team | First Innings | Second Innings |
|---|---|---|
| South Africa | 329 (82.3 overs) | 387 (134.4 overs) |
| Australia | 429 (125.1 overs) | 111 (57.1 overs) |
Result: South Africa won by 176 runs. Series: South Africa won 2-1. Player of the Match: Simon Harmer (10-120). Player of the Series: Marco Jansen (198 runs, 13 wickets).
How the Match Unfolded
South Africa batted first after Australia chose to field, and Aiden Markram’s 78 and Marco Jansen’s 52 helped them to 329. Mitchell Starc was the pick of the Australian attack with six wickets for 72. Australia then built a commanding reply: Josh Inglis scored 102, Alex Carey made 80 and Cameron Green added 65 as the visitors posted 429 and a first-innings lead of 100. Harmer took four wickets in that innings, a sign of what was to come.
South Africa’s reply was built on two centuries. Ryan Rickelton scored 101 and Wiaan Mulder made 115, the pair adding 154 runs together, while opener Marques Ackerman contributed a valuable 62. Their 387 set Australia 288 to win the match and the series — a target that looked gettable on a wearing Newlands surface, but one that demanded a calm, long batting effort.
That calm never arrived. Kagiso Rabada tore into Australia’s top order with the new ball, taking three wickets for 14 in his first five overs, including Matthew Renshaw caught behind for a golden duck with the first ball of the innings and Marnus Labuschagne leg before for 4. Australia slumped to 42 for 6 and were 60 for 7 by lunch. Harmer then took over on the turning pitch, claiming three wickets in quick time before lunch and finishing with 6 for 16 from 21.1 overs. Nathan Lyon top-scored with an unbeaten 33, Cameron Green resisted for 27 from 110 balls and captain Pat Cummins made 11 from 90, but Harmer trapped Cummins leg before and then bowled Josh Hazlewood to seal a 176-run win shortly before tea.
Key Performances
- Simon Harmer — 6-16 in the second innings and 10-120 in the match, his first ten-wicket haul in Tests and the first by a South African spinner against Australia since 1952. Player of the Match.
- Kagiso Rabada — 3-39 in the final innings, including a devastating opening burst, and he reached 350 Test wickets in a record 13,808 deliveries, faster by balls bowled than Dale Steyn and Waqar Younis.
- Ryan Rickelton — 101 in the second innings, the century that steadied South Africa after they had conceded a 100-run first-innings lead.
- Wiaan Mulder — 115 in the second innings, sharing a 154-run stand with Rickelton that changed the direction of the match.
- Marco Jansen — Player of the Series for 198 runs and 13 wickets across the three Tests.
- Nathan Lyon — 33 not out, Australia’s top scorer in a second innings of 111, in a rearguard that only delayed the inevitable.
This decider followed South Africa’s innings win in the second Test — read the full story in our South Africa vs Australia, 2nd Test recap — and the original match preview for this game. The series had been set up by the second Test preview as well, with everything on the line at Newlands.
What It Means for the Series and the Rankings
The 2-1 win is South Africa’s first home Test series victory over Australia since 2018, and Australia have now not won a Test series in South Africa since 2014. For the defending World Test Championship holders, the result also keeps their title defence firmly alive: their win percentage in the current cycle rose to 71.43 after five wins in seven matches.
Most symbolically, South Africa return to No. 1 in the ICC Test team rankings, a position they last held in January 2016, knocking Australia off the top. For Australia, the collapse to 111 — after leading by 100 runs on first innings — will sting, and it leaves them with serious questions about their batting against high-class spin on a wearing fifth-day pitch. For South Africa, this was a series won by resilience: outplayed in Durban, ruthless in Gqeberha, and ice-cold when the decider was on the line at Newlands.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Who won the South Africa vs Australia 3rd Test?
A: South Africa won by 176 runs at Newlands, Cape Town, on 31 October 2026.
Q: What was the final score in the 3rd Test?
A: South Africa 329 and 387 beat Australia 429 and 111. Australia, chasing 288, were bowled out for 111 in 57.1 overs.
Q: Who was the Player of the Match?
A: Simon Harmer, for his match figures of 10-120, including a career-best 6-16 in Australia’s second innings.
Q: Who won the Test series?
A: South Africa won the three-match series 2-1, after Australia won the first Test in Durban and South Africa won the second Test in Gqeberha and the decider at Newlands.
Q: What does the result mean for the Test rankings?
A: South Africa returned to No. 1 in the ICC Test team rankings for the first time since January 2016, while their World Test Championship win percentage rose to 71.43.
Conclusion
From 100 runs behind on first innings to a 176-run win, this was a Test match — and a series — defined by South Africa’s refusal to blink. Harmer’s ten-wicket haul will rightly headline the history books, but it was built on Rickelton and Mulder’s centuries, Rabada’s new-ball fire and a team that kept believing after Durban. Newlands has witnessed many famous South African wins; this comeback, sealing a 2-1 series triumph and a return to No. 1, belongs among the very best of them.
Full scorecard and ball-by-ball details: CricTracker scorecard
Green Benn is a dedicated sports writer specializing in cricket, including IPL and international formats. Known for clear, engaging, and informative content, Green simplifies complex match analysis and player statistics for all readers. Passionate about sports storytelling, Green delivers reliable, SEO-friendly articles that keep fans updated and informed
