South Africa wicketkeeper Quinton de Kock celebrates with teammates after taking a catch, off the bowling of Vernon Philander, to dismiss Australia opener David Warner. Photos: Reuters

Opening day carnage in second cricket test between Australia and South Africa

Home side are skittled for just 85, with South Africa’s Vernon Philander taking five for 21. In reply, the Proteas reach 171 for five at stumps, with Mitchell Starc taking three for 49

Agence France-Presse

Published: 7:30pm, 12 Nov 2016

Why you can trust SCMP

Mitchell Starc offered Australia a lifeline with an inspired spell after a record low home total against South Africa on an opening day of carnage in the second cricket test in Hobart on Saturday.

The left-arm pace spearhead put the brakes on the Proteas with three wickets in 10 balls post-tea after the Australians were skittled for 85 off 32.5 overs.

The tourists reached stumps at 171 for five and pushed out their lead to 86. Temba Bavuma was unbeaten on 38 with Quinton de Kock on 28.

Up until Starc’s intervention South Africa had seized control of the first day with a total of 15 wickets tumbling for a combined 256 runs under cloudy skies.

Vernon Philander powered the Proteas with five for 21 as Australia folded to their lowest total at home against South Africa to revive memories of recent catastrophic batting collapses.

Australia captain Steve Smith collides with South Africa's Vernon Philander. The South African pace bowler was forced to leave the field for shoulder treatment after the collision, but returned after lunch.

The capitulation revisited the nightmares of their miserable 47 in Cape Town in 2011 and England’s demolition of them for 60 at Trent Bridge last year.

“It was a magnificent all-round performance from everyone, catches needed to be taken, there was a run out and all those things add up to a collective team effort to bowl a team out,” Philander said.

Paceman Kagiso Rabada fires South Africa to victory over Australia

Philander was forced to leave the field for shoulder treatment after a mid-pitch collision with Australia skipper Steve Smith during an lbw appeal, but returned after lunch.

Paceman Mitchell Starc celebrates dismissing South Africa's Dean Elgar.

Smith provided a backbone with his unbeaten knock of 48 as the Australians failed to back up their talk of rebounding from their comprehensive 177-run thrashing by the Proteas in the Perth series opener.

“It was a bit of a reminder of Trent Bridge the way the ball was going around. At the end of the day 85 is not good enough from an Australian cricket team,” said coach Darren Lehmann.

Just as South Africa looked well on the way to emulating the intimidating West Indies teams of the 1980s-1990s with three straight series wins in Australia, Starc struck.

South Africa wicketkeeper Quinton de Kock dives to take a catch to dismiss Australia's Nathan Lyon.

He toe-capped Dean Elgar with a lethal yorker in front of the stumps with his first ball after tea then removed Stephen Cook with his penultimate delivery of the over.

Starc then had Perth centurion JP Duminy snapped up by Smith at second slip reducing the Proteas to 46 for three.

Skipper Faf du Plessis followed lbw to Hazlewood for seven and Hashim Amla was caught behind off the same bowler for 47.

The Hobart rout followed Australia’s first innings collapse of 10 for 86 in Perth when they squandered a 158-run opening stand to surrender meekly to the Proteas.

Cricket statisticians went into overdrive as Australia plumbed new lows in Hobart – it was also their lowest home total since their 76 against the West Indies in 1984.

Post