Australia v South Africa - Third Test

Sydney Cricket Ground

Australia: WM Woodfull, WM Lawry, DG Bradman, AR Border, SJ McCabe, KR Miller, +IA Healy, *R Benaud, AK Davidson, DK Lillee, JR Thomson.
South Africa: BA Richards, TL Goddard, WJ Cronje, RG Pollock, *AD Nourse, KC Bland, +DT Lindsay, BM McMillan, HJ Tayfield, AA Donald, PS Heine.

Debuts: Nil
Umpires: DR Shepherd (ENG) & RS Dunne (NZL)
Toss: South Africa

The main question in Sydney was whether South Africa could recover some dignity after their disastrous second innings showing in Melbourne, and under new skipper Dudley Nourse the Proteas staged a fantastic comeback over the course of the first two days at the SCG.

Displaced captain Trevor Goddard formed one half of an excellent opening stand of 158 with Barry Richards, both men notching their first fifties of the series in the process, and Goddard's luck seemed to be turning as he was dropped three times on his way to an innings high 83. Cronje's first ATG fifty continued the tourists' progress, and a fine 82 from the recalled McMillan - also his first score of fifty or more - gave substantial ballast to the bottom half of the innings. McMillan added a national record 67 runs for the ninth wicket in partnership with Donald (16), and South Africa's final total of 454 is the highest ever total without an individual century in 177 ATG Tests.

Goddard's renaissance continued as he dismissed both Australia's openers before the close on day two, but after Bradman's promising innings was cut off on 45 by a Donald yorker on the third morning, McCabe rallied his team with a super innings of 104, his first score of any substance in what had been a hitherto disappointing series for him. McCabe was finally removed by an excellent swinging delivery from Donald, and although Miller and Davidson contributed a pair of attacking forties, this was not enough to prevent South Africa from taking a 103 run lead on first innings, Australia having been bowled out for 351.

South Africa now had the fourth day to convert their advantage into a potentially winning lead, and Richards' second hard-hitting fifty of the match gave them the perfect platform, taking the score to 128-2 and the lead to 231 shortly after the lunch break. However, one over from Keith Miller then changed the complexion of the innings: in the space of five deliveries, Graeme Pollock was felled by a bouncer and had to retire hurt on 38, Nourse had his leg stump uprooted for a second ball duck then Richards top-edged a hook right down Bradman's throat, reducing South Africa to 131-4, effectively five down with Pollock on his way to hospital.

Lindsay's 45 and McMillan's 51 rebuilt the innings somewhat, but the momentum had been lost, and South Africa's eventual total of 263 was perhaps a little less than they might have hoped for. However, a target of 367 in a minimum of 107 overs actually set up a potentially exciting finish to the series, and with an hour to play on the fourth evening Donald and Heine screamed in at Woodfull and Lawry, peppering Australia's openers in what was a truly ferocious display. The two Bills kept their wickets intact in heroic fashion though, and their stoicism laid the foundations for the onslaught that was to follow from Bradman and Border on the final day.

The pair piled on the runs at a rate exceeding four an over as South Africa's bowlers failed to find any movement with the old ball, and with Tayfield continuing to bowl in disappointing fashion there was no curb on Bradman and Border's scoring. Shortly after tea on the final day the scoreboard read 233-2, and with Australia requiring a further 134 runs off 32 overs, the odds were on a sixth successive Test win for the hosts. Bland's run out of Border for 80 ended the 178 run partnership though, and the prospect of the new ball now gave South Africa their last chance to halt the Australian march. Donald and Heine charged in once more, and in the space of half an hour the course of the match changed yet again.

McCabe, Healy and Benaud all went cheaply, and with his score on 99 Bradman was bowled through the gate by a rampaging Donald to hand the advantage firmly back to the South Africans. Miller and Davidson managed to cling on for over an hour, taking the score to 279-7, but with time running out Donald and Heine returned to break the partnership, leaving Australia nine down with ten balls remaining. Lillee and Thomson held firm though, and the draw was secured with Australia 77 runs short of their victory target. The South Africans would have been disappointed not to close the series with a win, but after their mauling in Melbourne, a draw was still a good result for new captain Dudley Nourse and his team.

Scores
South Africa 1st Inns 454 (Goddard 83, Richards 82, McMillan 82, Cronje 55, Nourse 44, Lindsay 41; Lillee 4-124)
Australia 1st Inns 351 (McCabe 104, Miller 48, Bradman 45, Davidson 42; Donald 4-100)
South Africa 2nd Inns 263 (Richards 70, McMillan 51, Lindsay 45)
Australia 2nd Inns 290-9 (Bradman 99, Border 80)

MATCH DRAWN


Man of the Match: AA Donald