Cummins six-fer gives Australia 74-run lead

A fiery spell from Pat Cummins put Australia in a position of strength as South Africa collapsed in the post-lunch session on Day 2 of the World Test Championship Final at Lord's. Resuming at 121/5, South Africa were skittled for 138, with Cummins returning figures of 6-28 to hand his side a valuable 74-run lead. Australia lost couple of wickets in their second innings, both to Kagiso Rabada, but they reached 32/2 at Tea, stretching the lead to 106.

The second session got underway after a brief rain interruption, with David Bedingham and Kyle Verreynne resuming their partnership. But the stand was short-lived as the latter was out lbw to Pat Cummins just in the third over into the session. The Australian captain, who was involved in a collision with the wicketkeeper-batter, got up quickly and went for a review and his decision was justified. Cummins bagged another wicket in the same over, with Marco Jansen handing a catch back to the bowler, and then became the first captain to bag a fifer at Lord's since Daniel Vettori in 2008 when he got Bedingham to nick behind for 45. Keshav Maharaj was run out soon after while Rabada fell to a short delivery from Cummins, who bagged his 300th wicket in Tests.

Marnus Labuschagne got Australia off to a steady start, extending the lead closer to the 100-run mark while South Africa lost a review going upstairs for a caught-behind decision when Usman Khawaja missed a pull off Jansen. The lead reached three figures before Rabada tried to revive South Africa's hopes as he accounted for the wickets of Khawaja and Cameron Green in the same over - the left-hander edging to the 'keeper and the right-hander handing a catch to third slip just before the Tea break.

Earlier, in the morning session, Temba Bavuma appeared a lot more confident compared to the previous evening, dealing in regular boundaries. He was given out LBW off Josh Hazlewood but he used the DRS to get the onfield decision reversed, with replays revealing an inside edge - much to the surprise, and relief, of the batter. Bavuma was also confident enough to go aerial a few times inside the first hour, including an authoritative pull off a chest-high delivery from Cummins for a six as South Africa made good progress and didn't lose a wicket before the first drinks break.

Bedingham, overshadowed a bit by Bavuma's intent-filled batting, played a straight drive off Mitchell Starc for his second four of the day, having struck an on-drive for a four off the same bowler early in the first session. But the partnership worth 64 came to an end in a Cummins over as a terrific diving catch by Labuschagne led to the downfall of Bavuma when he failed to keep a drive down, leaving South Africa at 94/5. The dismissal slowed South Africa down again, with Bedingham and Verreynne choosing caution, although the former ended the session well with two fours off Beau Webster.

Brief scores: Australia 212 & 32/2 (Marnus Labuschagne 16*; Kagiso Rabada 2-15) lead South Africa 138 (David Bedingham 45, Temba Bavuma 36; Pat Cummins 6-28, Mitchell Starc 2-41) by 106 runs.