Application. Patience. Responsibility. Caution.
What do these words and the Proteas top-order have in common? Nothing, Nada, Buggerall.
The manner in which the likes of Aiden Markram, David Bedingham (twice), Temba Bavuma and even Marques Ackerman (in the first innings) gave away their wickets when patience was required, knowing that they should have taken the responsibility on themselves.
South Africa did extremely well in restricting Australia to only being 100 ahead on Day 3 of the third and deciding Test at Newlands. Having lost 6 wickets for 97 runs on Day 1 to be turned over for 329, and then for Australia to close our Day 2 on 330-4, the Proteas entered Day 3 staring down the barrel of a massive Gatling gun.
But 6-59 meant Australia were dismissed for 429 25 minutes after the lunch break to leave then net-positive 100.
Then Markram (1) decided to go after Mitchell Starc and drove the left-arm seamer straight to Travis Head at mid-off. In the first innings, when on 78, Markram tried to pull Josh Hazlewood, only to top-edge the ball and be caught by Starc in the long-on region.
Bedingham's dismissal in the second innings was copy and paste from the first, caught on the square fence hooking.
Bavuma and Ackerman then at least added 64 before a snorter of a short-pitched delivery saw Ackerman (64) gloving to Cameron Green at first slip - he can be excused. Although in the first innings, when five short of a maiden Test ton, he came dancing down the track once too often to Lyon and was stumped.
Bavuma then, five minutes before the close of play yesterday, went for a big loft over mid-wicket, only to miss and be castled for 35, leaving the home side perilously placed at an effective 40-4 at the close.
Matthew Breetzke (42*) and Ryan Rickelton (24*) have played well in the first 80 minutes of play, bringing up their 50-run stand from 119 balls and taken South Africa's lead to 81.
At 81-4, there is still a hell of a lot of work still to do. Rickelton and Breetzke will need to apply themselves, have patience, take responsibility and play with caution if South Africa are to post anything in excess of 200 to give them something to bowl at.