South Africa storms back to crush Australia by an innings and level the test series 1-1

GQEBERHA, South Africa (AP) — South Africa set up a series decider with a stunning comeback win over Australia by an innings and 31 runs on the last day Thursday of the second cricket test at St. George's Park.

Despite the morning session being a washout and minus one frontline bowler, South Africa dismissed Australia for 295 in its second innings an hour after tea.

After losing in Durban by 214 runs, South Africa tied the series 1-1 and the leaders in the World Test Championship will play for the series win in Cape Town from Tuesday.

“A long way from our best. A reverse of last week,” Australia skipper Pat Cummins said. “They played well.”

WTC holders the Proteas lost the toss and were down to 110-6 but rallied to seemingly save a draw when they declared their rain-affected first innings at 425-9 late on day three Tuesday after captain Temba Bavuma's career-best 179 and Marco Jansen's rapid 85.

But then Australia was shot out for 99 by Jansen's 5-33, was forced to follow on, and remarkably lost 13 wickets in total on Wednesday. Meanwhile, South Africa's pace attack lost Anrich Nortje to a suspected groin injury in his fourth over and he didn't bowl for the rest of Australia's second innings.

Australia resumed on 156-4 on Thursday and hoped for a reduced 81 overs of rearguard action with Steve Smith and Alex Carey in reserve but unravelled once chief holdout Travis Head was dismissed.

“We tried to stay in the moment despite the rain delays (across the five days),” player-of-the-match Bavuma said. “When we were batting it was all about how we could extend the innings and keep on batting another hour, then another session, keep (the Australia bowlers) on their feet because that has an affect. With the ball, we were as ruthless as we could be.

"Our team goes about playing good old test cricket, wear down the opposition and then take them down when the opportunity presents itself.”

Wiaan Mulder rebounded from a wicketless and expensive second innings on Wednesday by taking three of the six wickets South Africa needed on the fifth and final day.

Mulder bowled century-maker Head, fellow overnight fighter Scott Boland as well as Cummins.

Head, on 87 overnight, posted his 13th test century off 151 balls with his 12th boundary. But the opener's natural positive intent undid him on 121 when he chopped on against Mulder. Head faced 190 balls.

Smith came in at No. 7, three places lower than usual after he got a kink in his neck in the first innings. Mulder tested Smith's neck with a first-ball bouncer.

Smith endured the last five overs of the old ball but was out for 3 in the third over of the new ball when he mis-hit pacer Kagiso Rabada. The ball caught the wind and Matthew Breetzke bobbled the ball at midwicket but took it at the second attempt.

Boland passed his previous highest test score of 21 when he reached tea on 40 with Carey.

But Boland was the seventh Australian out soon after tea when he tried to defend a come-backer from Mulder and was beaten between the gates. Boland's resistance lasted for 166 balls to score 40.

“There was some good fight today,” Cummins said. “Boland and Trav played their roles. But (99) was a fair way to come back from.”

Cummins quickly left after hitting a boundary then Rabada returned and took out Mitchell Starc with an inside edge.

Jansen finished the match when he got Josh Hazlewood to send a thick edge to slip. Carey was left on 37 not out.

Rabada, returning from a hamstring injury, took 4-77 — he and Jansen finished with six wickets each in the match — and Mulder 3-64.

See AP’s full cricket coverage here

South Africa's captain Temba Bavuma celebrates as teammate Wiaan Mulder bowled out Australia's Scott Boland on day five of the second cricket test match between South Africa and Australia, in Gqeberha, South Africa, Thursday, Oct. 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

South Africa's Wiaan Mulder, center, celebrates with teammates the wicket of Australia's captain Pat Cummins on day five of the second cricket test match between South Africa and Australia, in Gqeberha, South Africa, Thursday, Oct. 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

South Africa's Kagiso Rabada bowls during day five of the second cricket test match between South Africa and Australia, in Gqeberha, South Africa, Thursday, Oct. 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

South Africa's Kagiso Rabada, left, celebrates the wicket of Australia's Mitchell Starc, right, on day five of the second cricket test match between South Africa and Australia, in Gqeberha, South Africa, Thursday, Oct. 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

South Africa's captain Temba Bavuma, center right, celebrates with teammates after winning the second cricket test match between South Africa and Australia, in Gqeberha, South Africa, Thursday, Oct. 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Republican Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine has denounced a controversial ad featuring the estranged mother of Dr. Amy Acton, taking sides with the Democratic candidate for governor and former member of his Cabinet over her Republican rival, Vivek Ramaswamy.

At a gathering with reporters at the Ohio Statehouse, DeWine — recalling the painful experiences of rape victims he dealt with as a county prosecutor and state attorney general — called the ad “deeply, deeply troubling.”

“It's wrong to run this ad,” he said. “And, even at this late time — my wife, Fran, saw the ad just run this morning on TV — I would just urge the Ramaswamy campaign to take this down.”

The term-limited DeWine’s remarks place him at odds with Ramaswamy, whom he has endorsed. The biotech entrepreneur and 2024 presidential candidate has taken responsibility for the 60-second video and is spending $4 million to broadcast it online and on TV.

But the governor stopped short of pulling his backing of the Republican for now. DeWine recalled a previous line of attack by the Acton campaign had mentioned Ramaswamy's mother and said that also was wrong — “family members have always historically been off limits” — though he noted it was never used in a multimillion-dollar ad campaign.

That critique from the summer cited an investigative report into Geetha Ramaswamy's role at a pharmaceutical company run by her son, who Acton and Democrats described as “hiring his own mother to manipulate clinical trial data.”

The Ramaswamy campaign called those claims “slanderous” and said he's being held to a different standard than Acton and other Democrats who have attacked Republicans' families.

“Governor DeWine is correct that the first and only candidate to attack the mother of her opponent in this race was Amy Acton,” spokesperson Connie Luck said in a statement, adding, "We refuse to accept the media's double standards.”

By chiming in, DeWine has entered the fray of a growing rift among Ohio Republicans over the advertisement — as both the governor's race and a race for U.S. Senate appear far tighter than expected in a state Donald Trump won handily three times. The video features Acton’s birth mother, Donna Arthur, calling her “a liar” and insinuating she has mental health issues.

Acton, Ohio’s COVID-19-era health director, has made no secret of facing homelessness and abuse as a child. Arthur lost custody of her children after their stepfather, Arthur's husband, was indicted on a charge of rape involving Acton. Acton's campaign on Tuesday posted a video of her brother, who supported her backstory about living in a tent and being abused.

Republican Vice President JD Vance, an Ohio native son, expressed disgust during an Ohio campaign swing Wednesday with Republicans “whining” about the ad as low and in poor taste. But Republican U.S. Sen. Jon Husted, DeWine's former lieutenant governor — running in a tight retention race against Democrat Sherrod Brown — has said he would not have run the ad, as has Republican Secretary of State Frank LaRose, who is running for state auditor.

Another influential Ohio Republican, former U.S. Rep. Jim Renacci, posted a lengthy essay on X overnight, suggesting that “the floor may have just fallen out from under the Republican campaign for Ohio Governor” and urging every Republican to distance themselves from it.

Amid the turmoil, Ohio Republican Party Chairman Alex Triantafilou posted what sounded like a warning, or a threat.

“The final days of a tough campaign are always the best time to find out who is really with you and who just posts and pretends,” he wrote. “Yes—we are keeping score.” The quote was followed by a winking-eye emoji.

The ad is also dividing Republicans nationally.

Nikki Haley, who sparred with Ramaswamy during the 2024 Republican presidential primary over the personal nature of his attacks, called him “a bad guy” in a social media post Tuesday. “It’s a shame he continues to get away with it,” she wrote.

At the same time, Media Matters for America, a left-leaning media watchdog group, has reported that many within the national conservative media are promoting and praising the ad. Ramaswamy's campaign manager, Jonathan Ewing, characterized it as “a campaign-ending moment for Amy Acton.”

Wayne Allyn Root, of Gateway Pundit, called it “absolutely hilarious” and Daily Wire host Michael Knowles described it as “brilliant.”

Police and court records show Cledith Arthur was arrested and charged with the rape of Acton in July 1978, when she was 12, after her biological father lodged a formal complaint against him. The abuse allegedly happened from December 1976 to April 1978. Cledith Arthur failed to show for a court appearance and became a fugitive.

Donna Arthur remained married to him until his death in 2004.

President Donald Trump listens as gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy speaks at a campaign rally at the Covelli Centre, in Youngstown, Ohio, Monday, Oct. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)