Black Caps go top of World Test Championship as South Africa overturn Australia

South Africa beat Australia by 176 runs and clinched a 2-1 series victory when Australia were bowled out for 111 on day five of the third Test at Newlands.

Aside from the Proteas, the Black Caps are arguably the big winners from Australia’s series loss and climb to the top of the World Test Championship standings, with 72.22% of points won.

The defeat sees Pat Cummins’ side fall to third at 69.23%, while South Africa sit second at 71.43%. The top two after the six-test series will play a one-off final at The Oval in London.

Kagiso Rabada took two wickets in the first over and followed up with a third in a devastating opening spell which ripped out Australia’s top three batsmen after they had started the day needing 288 to win.

Off-spinner Simon Harmer took a career-best 6-16 in 21.1 overs as South Africa completed their win shortly before tea.

Josh Inglis was run out to add to Australia’s woes after Rabada’s initial burst, before Harmer took two wickets in three balls to plunge the tourists to 42-6.

South Africa's Simon Harmer celebrates a wicket in his side's day five victory over Australia in Cape Town. Photo / AFP

Australia were 60-7 at lunch when Mitchell Starc was caught at short leg, but in keeping with a series of changes of fortune, South Africa kept them in the field for another two hours before completing their win.

South Africa, the defending World Test champions, were projected to depose Australia at the top of the International Cricket Council World Test rankings after a series in which all three matches produced a result on the fifth day.

Travis Head scored a single off Rabada’s second delivery but Matt Renshaw, Australia’s most successful batsman in the series, was out first ball, glancing Rabada down the leg side to a diving wicketkeeper Ryan Rickelton.

Three balls later, the out-of-form Marnus Labuschagne padded up to a ball which swung in sharply and was given out leg before wicket, with a review showing the umpire’s call on off stump.

Head fell to a reflex catch by Marco Jansen at gully as the left-hander flashed at Rabada and the South African players celebrated the demise of a batsman capable of playing a match-changing innings.