Australia's fastest century opening stand

Stats highlights from the fourth day in Cape Town, which was dominated by David Warner and Australia's fast bowlers

04-Mar-2014

David Warner cuts for four, South Africa v Australia, 3rd Test, Cape Town, 4th day, March 4, 2014

David Warner's series aggregate of 543 is the third highest by an Australian in series of three or fewer Tests. Michael Clarke's 576 in the home series against South Africa in 2012-13 is the highest, followed by Matthew Hayden's 549 in India in 2000-01. It is also the second best in a three-Test series between Australia and South Africa.

Warner's twin hundreds in this match is the 20th instance of an Australian doing so in Tests, and the eighth by an Australian opener. Ricky Ponting achieved it three times, while Allan Border, Greg Chappell and Hayden did it twice, making Warner the 15th Australian to score hundreds in each innings.

Australia scored 303 runs in 58 overs in their second innings, a run rate of 5.22. It's their second highest run rate in a Test innings in which they've faced at least 50 overs. Their best is 5.80, also against South Africa, but in 1902. Against the same opposition in Adelaide in 2012, they scored 550 in 107.2 overs, a rate of 5.12, which is their third-best. Six of their top nine such efforts, and ten out of their top 20, have been against South Africa.

Warner's strike rate in his innings of 145 was 92.94 (145 off 156). It is the fifth-highest strike rate for a 100-plus score by an Australian opener in Tests (in matches in which the balls-faced data is available). Warner is a prominent name in this list, featuring four times in the top six.

The opening partnership of 123 between Warner and Chris Rogers came off just 20.2 overs, with the batsmen scoring at a run rate of 6.04 runs per over. It is the highest run rate for a century partnership by an Australian opening pair (in matches in which balls-faced data is available). The next best also involves Warner, when he added 214 off 233 balls with Ed Cowan against India in Perth in 2012, a run rate of 5.51 per over.

Ryan Harris became the 24th Australian fast bowler to take 100 or more Test wickets, but in terms of averages he is at No. 5 in that group, next only to Charlie Turner, Alan Davidson, Glenn McGrath and Keith Miller. Harris' 100 wickets have so far cost him 23.02 runs each, 0.01 better than Ray Lindwall, while Dennis Lillee had a career average of 23.92.

South Africa have already batted 41 overs on the fourth day and potentially have to play another 98 on the final day. If they do play all those overs and survive, they will come very close to the record number of overs batted by a team in the fourth innings in Cape Town. South Africa faced 142.2 against New Zealand in 1962, though they lost the Test, while England played 141 in 2010 and barely held on to a draw, finishing on 296 for 9.

Ryan Harris David Warner South Africa Australia South Africa vs Australia Australia tour of South Africa

S Rajesh is stats editor of ESPNcricinfo. Follow him on Twitter