Third Test live updates: Aussies come roaring back into the match after early Proteas blitz

And that’s my shift done, folks.

What a dramatic day of Test cricket it has been.

Our live blog will sit idle overnight and be brought back to life about 6am (AEDT).

Day one will be in the books by then, but there will be plenty to cover in the wash-up.

Thanks for following along. Catch you all later.

What a spurt this has been from the Australians.

The South Africans are now six wickets down after Mitchell Starc found the top edge of Wiaan Mulder’s bat.

Starc sent down a short ball, Mulder went to hook, and the ball tickled his top edge and sailed through to Alex Carey.

Mulder falls for a duck and South Africa is 6-232.

The hosts passed 200 only one wicket down. They have now lost 5-29.

South Africa is now five down after a superb effort on the boundary from Josh Hazlewood off the bowling of Mitchell Starc.

David Bedingham hooked Starc and Hazlewood produced an outstanding effort at fine leg – catching the ball, throwing it up as he stepped over the boundary rope, and completing the catch as he moved back into the field of play.

Bedingham is gone for 50 and the Proteas are 5-232.

South Africa is 4-221 at tea on day one after Australia came charging back with avengeance.

Nathan Lyon has two wickets, Josh Hazlewood has one and Cooper Connolly – the Aussie surprise packet – has a pole of his own.

David Bedingham has made 41 and Ryan Rickelton is on 2.

This match has taken a very sharp turn.

South Africa is now four down – 4-216 – after Australia had an lbw call overturned on review.

The standing umpire ruled not out when young all-rounder Cooper Connolly and his teammates appealed for the wicket of Matthew Breetzke via lbw, but Australia went upstairs and technology delivered.

Replays showed the ball hit pad before bat. They also showed the ball would have gone on to hit off stump.

Breetzke is subsequently out for 2, and the Proteas are suddenly 4-216.

Oh, and that is Connolly’s maiden Test wicket. A terrific moment for the young man.

“That’s a moment he will never forget, at a moment when Australia needed it,” Simon Katich says in commentary.

“Pat Cummins gave him the opportunity and he hasn’t let the skipper down.”

That proved to be an outstanding bowling change by Pat Cummins. He brought on Connolly for a spell just before tea and the young gun delivered in his second over.

Australia has come ROARING back into the contest in Cape Town.

Temba Bavuma, facing only his third ball, has his stumps dismantled by Nathan Lyon.

The off-spin great floats the ball up nicely, Bavuma leans forward to defend, and the ball fizzes past the captain’s bat and crashes into off stump.

As Richie Benaud would say…

Marvellous.

The South Africans passed 200 with only one wicket down. They are now 3-204.

Matthew Breetzke joins David Bedingham in the middle.

Australia has its second wicket at Newlands.

Josh Hazlewood drops one short, Aiden Markram goes for the hook but fails to hit it along the ground, and Mitchell Starc takes an impressive diving catch at fine leg.

South Africa is now 2-203 in the 45th over of its innings.

The Proteas captain, the pint-sized, inspirational Temba Bavuma, walks out to join David Bedingham.

Aiden Markram leans into a cover drive off Josh Hazlewood’s bowling and the ball races away for four to take South Africa past 200.

The Proteas are 1-202 after Pat Cummins won the toss and sent the home side in to bat – a decision that’s looking like a shocker.

Markram has made 77 and David Bedingham is on 27.

Marques Ackerman threw away his wicket on 95.

Boy, did Australia need that.

The Australians have their first wicket. Nathan Lyon is the wicket-taker. Marques Ackerman dances down the pitch on 95, Lyon pushes it wide, Ackerman misses and Alex Carey whips off the bails.

The Proteas are 1-158 in the 32nd over.

Ackerman, playing his second Test, threw away an opportunity to make his maiden Test century there.

He will be kicking himself back in his team’s viewing area.

David Bedingham joins Aiden Markram in the middle.

The players are back on the field for the second session of day one and Nathan Lyon has the ball.

Can Australia make desperately needed inroads over the next couple of hours?

The Proteas are 0-140 after Pat Cummins won the toss and sent the hosts in to bat.