Day three in Centurion was marred by controversy, with tempers reaching boiling point as what had already been a hard-fought series neared its conclusion. Healy and Benaud extended their seventh wicket partnership to 53 before the former was bowled by Goddard for a career best 79, but Davidson quickly departed lbw for 7, victim of yet another poor decision by umpire Kidson.
Australia led by 88 at lunch with a score of 281-8, and they managed to post their first total of over 300 in the series before Allan Donald ended the innings in controversial fashion. First he felled Australia's number 10, Jeff Thomson, with a searingly quick short pitched ball, and after Goddard removed a clearly shaken Thomson for 5 two overs later, Donald laid out Richie Benaud with a similar delivery, ending the innings as Australia's skipper was forced to retire for a valiant 46.
Umpires Ashman and Kidson would later attract heavy criticism for failing to control Donald's barrage of bouncers at the Australian tail, and the controversy did not end there as South Africa's second innings got under way in the most acrimonious fashion. Trailing by 116, the Springboks now needed a good start from their openers, but with just 4 runs on the board, Trevor Goddard - whose seventh five wicket haul in ATG cricket had earlier gone almost unnoticed - was run out by substitute Bill O'Reilly after fending away a Johnston bouncer to square leg. Goddard did not appear to be attempting a run, but he was out of his crease when O'Reilly's underarm throw hit the stumps, and after much debate with both the umpires and Australia's stand-in captain, Allan Border, he was sent on his way.
Importantly for South Africa at this time, Richards and Bland managed to keep their heads whilst all those around them seemed to be losing theirs, and a century stand either side of tea wiped out the hosts' deficit as Australia's threadbare attack looked like it was beginning to struggle. A neat stumping by Healy standing up to Chappell removed Richards for 58 though, and by stumps both Bland (62) and Nourse (2) departed in fading light as South Africa closed on 155-4, just 39 runs to the good. It had been an exhausting day in Centurion, and one can only hope that come tomorrow it will be the cricket that makes the headlines as Australia attempt to close in on a consolation victory to finish the series.
Close of Play, Day 3SAF 1st Inns 193 (Procter 44; Johnston 4-49)
AUS 1st Inns 309 (Healy 79, Border 58, Benaud 46*; Goddard 5-70)
SAF 2nd Inns 155-4 (Bland 62, Richards 58)
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