South Africa v Australia - Fourth Test, Days 3 & 4

The opening session of day three belonged entirely to Australia as Bill Johnston bowled the tourists back into the match with a clinical spell of left-arm seam that destroyed the remainder of the Springbok innings. After yesterday's record breaking opening stand between Richards and Goddard, South Africa lost ten wickets for 74 runs, five of them falling to Johnston on the third morning, giving him career best figures of 7-82 and restricting the hosts to a total of 366 and a lead of 120.

After Johnston dismissed Rhodes for a debut duck in the day's first over, Benaud took the new ball, and whilst Lillee bowled too short and found little movement, Johnston swung and seamed the ball at will, leaving the South Africans with few, if any, answers. Other than the opening stand of 292, the next highest partnership was the 20 added by Heine and Adcock for the last wicket, and the afternoon session began with renewed hope for Australia; had Benaud been able to bowl with the control shown by Tayfield on day one, or had O'Reilly been in the starting XI - his absence has been a topic of great debate in the media centre - then Australia's position could have been even more favourable.

The tourists' batsmen now needed to build on the foundations laid by Johnston, but within an hour Australia's innings had been reduced to a shambolic 33-4 and the work of the morning had been undone. Woodfull, Taylor and Chappell were undone by good deliveries, but with only 4 to his name, Harvey hooked irresponsibly at Heine to give the waiting Rhodes a comfortable catch and the South Africans could hardly keep the grins from their faces.

The dashing McCabe and the stoic Border took Australia through to tea at 60-4 and looked as though they could yet right Australia's fast sinking ship, but when McCabe (27) became yet another victim of the hook to the first ball after tea, Rhodes claiming his second simple catch, this time off Procter, the writing was on the wall. Healy counter-attacked gamely and struck 53 off 85 balls, but his run out attempting a second on the arm of Barry Richards just about summed up Australia's despair, and when Border finally departed for 32 after three and a half hours at the crease, it was all over bar the shouting.

Australia began day four on 176-8, a lead of just 56, and there was to be no addition to the overnight score as Procter and Adcock clinically finished off proceedings. Benaud was ninth out, umpire Mitchley adjudging him caught behind off Procter for 26 when there was clear daylight between bat and ball, and this was a decision that just about summed up Australia's fortunes on this tour. They have not batted well as a unit, but they have also endured any number of poor decisions and have had an appalling run of injuries that would have disrupted the preparations of any side.

Richards and Goddard knocked off the 57 runs needed for victory within 13 overs, and South Africa had secured a 10 wicket win before lunch on the fourth day, and with it, the series. If this were a boxing contest the referee would now step in to stop any further punishment, but the teams must meet once more, this time in Centurion, before Australia can be finally put out of their misery.

Close of Play, Day 4
AUS 1st Inns 246 (Taylor 73, Chappell 56; Tayfield 6-68)
SAF 1st Inns 366 (Richards 199, Goddard 93; Johnston 7-82)
AUS 2nd Inns 176 (Healy 53)
SAF 2nd Inns 57-0 (Richards 40*)

SOUTH AFRICA WON BY 10 WICKETS


Man of the Match: BA Richards