Sportsupdated 1h ago2 min read
Scott Boland Drags Marques Ackerman Onto Front Foot as South Africa Reach 97-5
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Boland took 4-31 as Australia began their innings, exposing SA's frailties. South Africa stood 97-5 with Bavuma 41 not out at day's close.
7 outlets told this the same way.
Boland exposes frailties
South Africa closed the second day of the second Test in Gqeberha on 97-5, with Bavuma on 41 not out and Australia holding the balance of power in the series. Scott Boland added to his two wickets taken amid the rain on day one, and the BBC described him as finding the perfect length to drag debutant Marques Ackerman onto the front foot. Marques Ackerman defended for 38 balls before he became the 85th victim of Boland's 20-Test career, nicking through to wicketkeeper Alex Carey.
Boland ended the day with 4-31, and the BBC said his probing ensured Australia have not missed spinner Nathan Lyon, who he replaced, or Josh Hazlewood, who remained at the team hotel throughout the day because of illness. Temba Bavuma remained on 41 not out and seamer Kagiso Rabada returned match figures of 11-150 against Australia on this ground in 2018, a South Africa win that levelled that four-match series going into the infamous Sandpaper Test.
Journalists barred from Gaza
Israel continued to bar foreign journalists from entering the Gaza Strip independently, and the dispute remained before the Israeli Supreme Court as the Foreign Press Association sought access that would not require military escort. The State of Israel told the court in a reply submitted on Sunday that security conditions did not permit journalists to enter without military escort, rejecting the association’s demands for a judicial decision guaranteeing international reporters’ access to Gaza. The Foreign Press Association argued that escorted tours did not allow journalists to choose places they visit, conduct independent interviews with residents, or investigate events away from military oversight.
The BBC was not part of this dispute, but the Euronews account said the court had previously rejected a petition in January 2024 while allowing the association to renew its claim if circumstances changed. Euronews said the next step remained contingent on the court’s decision on the submitted requests, with the association warning that ongoing delays deprive the media of documenting events that cannot be recalled after they occur.
Draft dodgers and enforcement
The Israeli Broadcasting Authority, Kan, reported that the number of Israelis classified as military draft dodgers rose to about 110,000 people, after it stood at about 75,000 at the start of 2026. The report said Haredim made up 80% of those currently classified as draft dodgers, and it attributed the increase to tens of thousands of draft orders taking effect. The Israeli Broadcasting Authority, Kan, also reported that enforcement actions remained largely suspended despite the Supreme Court’s ruling that emphasized the need to enforce the law against the draft dodgers, except in limited cases.
The report said authorities arrested 14 Haredim draft dodgers during random inspection campaigns, along with 13 other people who were not Haredim. The report added that a wide-scale operation to enforce the law was scheduled for the current month but was canceled due to a disagreement between the police and the army over the distribution of responsibilities, with the police requesting 300 soldiers and the army rejecting the request.