Harmer Takes 10 Wickets as South Africa Beat Australia by 176 Runs
Simon Harmer took 6 for 16 on the final day at Newlands, finishing with 10 wickets in the match as South Africa won the third Test by 176 runs and the series 2-1.
By John · 2 Nov 2026 · 2 min read
South Africa beat Australia by 176 runs in the third Test at Newlands, Cape Town, on 31 October 2026 and took the three-match series 2-1. Offspinner Simon Harmer was the decisive figure, taking 6 for 16 in Australia's second innings and 10 wickets in the match, the first ten-wicket haul of his Test career.
Australia had been set 288 to win on the fifth day and were bowled out for 111 in 57.1 overs. Harmer's second-innings figures came from 21.1 overs. Kagiso Rabada took 3 for 39 in the same innings, according to the CricTracker report. Nathan Lyon was unbeaten on 33. Harmer's match figures of 10 for 120 were a career best.
How the match went
Australia won the toss and chose to field. South Africa made 329 in their first innings and Australia replied with 429, a lead of 100. Harmer took four wickets in that innings. Mitchell Starc was Australia's main threat with the ball and took 6 for 72 in South Africa's first innings, according to Wikipedia's match summary.
South Africa then batted again and reached 387. Wiaan Mulder scored 115, which was the highest individual score of the match in the Wikipedia record. That left Australia needing 288, a target that the slow Newlands pitch made difficult, as South Africa’s Ryan Rickelton had said before the final day, according to a Reuters report carried by The Star.
The series
The decider followed a series that had swung both ways. Australia won the first Test in Durban by 214 runs, and South Africa answered with an innings-and-31-run win in Gqeberha. The result at Newlands therefore settled the series in South Africa’s favour. Wikipedia’s series page lists Harmer as player of the match and Marco Jansen as player of the series.
