Ton-up Aiden Markram piles misery on embattled Australia

South Africa's Aiden Markram celebrates his century on Day One of the fourth Test against Australia at the Wanderers yesterday. Pic/AFP

A career-best century by Aiden Markram added pain to an Australian side reeling from the ball tampering scandal on the first day of the fourth and final Test against Australia at the Wanderers Stadium yesterday. Markram made a flawless 152 before the beleaguered Australians fought back with four late strikes as South Africa finished on 313 for six on the best batting pitch of a series which SA lead 2-1.

Markram, though, was the star on a day when players and spectators alike seemed to have tried to move on from the controversy and bad feeling which resulted in three Australian players, including sacked captain Steven Smith, being banned and banished for ball-tampering in the third Test at Cape Town last weekend. South African captain Faf du Plessis and new Australian skipper Tim Paine had a friendly chat before the toss and in an unusual move players of both teams lined up to exchange handshakes after the national anthems.

Some fans could not resist poking fun at the Australians' fateful attempts to doctor the ball in the third Test. One banner among a group of spectators wearing yellow read: "Sandpaper Special, Only R10 (10 Rand)". The biggest problems for Australia were purely cricket-related. Markram played a majestic innings against a bowling attack missing spearhead Mitchell Starc, who was ruled out with a stress fracture of his lower right leg.

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