Batsmen dominate in Townsville

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Australia A face an uphill battle to avoid a crushing defeat against South Africa A in Townsville after another day of cricket dominated by the tourists.

South Australia pair Tom Cooper (42no) and Callum Ferguson (27no) will be called upon to lead the way, the duo set to resume their unbeaten 62-run partnership when play commences on the fourth and final day.

With the home side still 180 runs behind South Africa A and with eight wickets in hand, Cooper concedes the pitch at Tony Ireland Stadium isn’t getting any easier to bat on.

“It’s a bit up and down, which you would expect at the end of day three,” the 27-year-old told cricket.com.au after play.

“They bowled really well tonight so it was hard work to get started.

“I’m hoping once you get in it’s going to be bit easier as Rilee (Rossouw) showed in their innings.”

Opening batsman Phil Hughes again failed to make the most of his opportunity at the top of the order, edging a full delivery from off-spinner Simon Harmer to end his stay on 12 off 35 balls.

Hughes has been out to prove a point in Townsville following his omission from the Australia one-day squad announced this week.

The left-hander has looked solid in both innings in far north Queensland, but like a number of his team-mates, has been unable to go on and get a big score against the South African line-up in the four-day clash.

“Things didn’t really go to plan for us in the first innings,” Cooper continued.

“(South Africa A) showed us what we should have done.

“So it’s disappointing in that regard, but hopefully in this second innings we can right a few wrongs and a few of us can get some big scores.”

While a number of the Australia A batsmen haven’t played first-class cricket since the end of the Bupa Sheffield Shield season, Cooper was quick to dismiss that as an excuse for the lack of big runs from the Aussie side.

“You can’t blame it not playing for a few months,” he said.

“We’re playing for our country and it’s our job.

“A little bit of luck went against us and maybe some poor execution, but it happens in cricket.

“Our job is to score runs so when we don’t it’s pretty disappointing.”

Earlier, Rilee Rossouw and Temba Bavuma picked up where they left off the previous day, extending the lead beyond 160 before a spectacular catch in the deep from Chadd Sayers ended Bavuma’s knock on 162.

Rossouw, who returns home after this match to join the national one-day squad, brought up a brilliant double-century to ensure his side had all the momentum when skipper Justin Ontong declared with a 293-run advantage and more than four sessions left to play.

Aussie seamer Gurinder Sandhu was rewarded for his 34 overs of hard work, claiming 4-77 to be the pick of the bowlers for the home side.

Australia A’s second innings got off to a reasonable start with both Hughes and Marcus Stoinis looking sound in defence and dangerous on the attack against the new-ball combination of Marchant de Lange and Kagiso Rabada.

While Hughes would have been disappointed to again depart edging to the slips cordon, his opening partner Stoinis fell victim to a tough lbw decision to become Harmer’s second scalp for the day.

West End Redbacks team-mates Cooper and Ferguson then came together in the middle and began chipping away at the imposing deficit.

“Hopefully we can get back in tomorrow morning and make a long day of it,” Cooper added.

“The first half an hour they’re going to come out really hard, so it’s going to be quite tough to start.

“We have to bat the majority of the day or we might be in a bit of strife!”

Watch all the action from the final day LIVE on cricket.com.au from 9:30am AEST.