Scott Boland strikes twice in two balls as rain limits Gqeberha day one to 12.2 overs

Scott Boland removed Aiden Markram and David Bedingham with consecutive deliveries before rain closed the opening day of the second Test with South Africa 20 for 2

Australia won the toss and bowled first at St George's Park, and the only sustained spell of play the weather allowed belonged almost entirely to them. Rain pushed the start back by close to two hours and then returned to end the day early, leaving just 12.2 overs bowled.

Boland, recalled in place of Nathan Lyon, struck twice in two balls in the ninth over to leave the hosts 12 for 2 and under pressure in conditions built for seam.

Captain Temba Bavuma, four not out, and Test debutant Marques Ackerman, five not out, saw out the rest of the shortened day and resume on Monday with Australia 1-0 up in the three-match series.

Rain owns the opening day

The covers were on at St George's Park long before the scheduled start, and the umpires were able to call the players out only after a delay of close to two hours.

An early lunch was taken after 5.3 overs with the South African openers still together, and a second shower followed soon after the restart.

Play was abandoned in mid-afternoon local time with heavy rain falling, the day's total of 12.2 overs the fewest either side will have planned for.

Boland strikes in two balls

Markram had looked the more fluent of the openers before Boland brought one back off the seam and through the gate to bowl him for 11.

The next delivery moved the other way and took the edge of Bedingham's bat, Alex Carey taking the catch behind the stumps to leave the No 3 with a golden duck.

Bavuma survived the rest of the over and the pair added a handful of runs in the overs that remained before the weather intervened again.

Australia leave out Nathan Lyon

Boland's recall came at the cost of Lyon, Australia choosing four seamers in Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Boland on a damp, green surface.

It is the first time since 2013 that Lyon has been left out of a Test for which he was fit, an unbroken run that stretches back to the Ashes series in England that year.

"It's partly conditions, and Scotty Boland has been incredible whenever he's played Test cricket," Cummins said at the toss. "So it felt like it aligned this week and it was the right time to insert him."

Cummins added that Boland "gets a lot of seam movement" when there is help in the pitch and brings control once it flattens out, framing the call as a conditions decision rather than a verdict on Lyon's form.

South Africa make three changes

Kagiso Rabada returned from a hamstring injury, Matthew Breetzke came in to lengthen the batting and Ackerman was handed his debut at the top of the order.

Kyle Verreynne, Tristan Stubbs and Keshav Maharaj all made way, with Ryan Rickelton taking the gloves and dropping to No 6.

Simon Harmer is South Africa's only specialist spinner in a side otherwise stacked with seam in Rabada, Marco Jansen, Anrich Nortje and Wiaan Mulder.

What is still left to play for

Australia go into the rest of the match on the back of a 214-run win in the first Test in Durban, which means South Africa need a result here to take the series to a decider.

Lost time can be recovered across the remaining days, but the forecast for Gqeberha carries further disruption, and a drawn match would settle the series in Australia's favour before the third Test is played.

South Africa's immediate problem is narrower than that: two down with barely an hour of cricket completed, against an attack that has not had to work for either wicket.

Scorecard: South Africa 20 for 2 from 12.2 overs (Markram 11, Bavuma 4 not out, Ackerman 5 not out) against Australia at St George's Park, stumps on day one of the second Test.

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