Matt Renshaw batted with icy calm until he ended a near decade wait for a Test century before the Australia batsman allowed his emotions to take over on the second day of the first Test against South Africa on Saturday.

Renshaw, 30, went on to make a career-best 190, steering Australia to 390 all out at Kingsmead before Josh Hazlewood struck in the second over of South Africa’s reply.

The hosts were 27 for one at the close.

Renshaw’s only previous Test century was 184 against Pakistan in Sydney in January 2017.

Since then he has experienced the downside of international sport having been left out of the side for two lengthy periods and even being dropped from his state team, Queensland, before a recall to the Test team against Bangladesh in August this year.

“It’s a weird one,” he said of the way he celebrated when he hit the boundary for his century.

“Once I’d had a few years out of the team, then had an opportunity in 2023 and didn’t take it, you probably think that you’re never going to get this opportunity again so when I hit the ball I was screaming at it, ‘Go, go, go’.

“It sort of all just hit me at once,” he added.

Batting partner Nathan Lyon joined in the emotion but the pair quickly got back down to the business of draining the energy out of the South African bowlers on a hot, humid day.

The 134-run ninth wicket partnership with Lyon – a record for Australia in Tests against South Africa – swung the balance of the match decisively in Australia’s favour after they had been floundering at 124 for six on the first day.

Source: https://www.namibian.com.na/renshaw-ends-long-wait-to-put-australia-on-top-in-first-sa-test/