South Africa v Australia, Fifth Test

Centurion Park

SAF: Richards, *Goddard, Bland, RG Pollock, AD Nourse, Rhodes, +Waite, Procter, Tayfield, Donald, Adcock.

AUS: Woodfull, Taylor, Harvey, GS Chappell, McCabe, Border, +Healy, *Benaud, Davidson, Thomson, Johnston.

A capacity crowd at Centurion Park welcomed Trevor Goddard's all-conquering heroes for the final Test, and their scorecards would have shown two changes from Durban, with the fit-again Donald replacing Heine and Colin Bland coming in at three for hamstring victim Bruce Mitchell. Allan Border made the tourists' starting XI despite the ankle injury he picked up in the last Test, but Dennis Lillee missed out with a shoulder strain, Jeff Thomson replacing him as he had done in the series opener in Cape Town.

Trevor Goddard had no hesitation in batting upon winning the toss, but a rain lashed morning session ended with South Africa on a hesitant 37-1, Barry Richards (16) the man out, and progress was again slow in the afternoon as Australia's seamers bowled with admirable application. Goddard (33) and Nourse (5) both flashed catches into the slip cordon off Johnston and Chappell respectively, whilst the key wicket of Graeme Pollock was claimed courtesy of a brilliant piece of fielding from McCabe, whose direct hit at the bowler's end sent Pollock on his way for just 4 after Bland changed his mind over a possible single.

South Africa were a disappointing 90-4 at tea, and despite a hard-hit 44 from Procter they never really recovered. Bland laboured two and a half hours for just 18, Rhodes showed promise before Johnston cleaned him up for 20, and Procter fell victim to the second direct hit run out of the innings, this time from Allan Border.

The Springboks' innings eventually ended on 193 early on day two, and although the home team could now call upon the services of both Jonty Rhodes and Colin Bland in the field, they would have to work hard to match Australia's efforts on the first day. Bill Johnston had again led the way with figures of 4-49, but as has been the recurring theme on this tour, his work was quickly undermined as Donald picked up the scalps of both Taylor (7) and Woodfull (14) before the break for lunch.

Harvey batted brightly after the break, but on 37 he became the victim of yet another poor decision from the officials, umpire Kidson giving him out lbw to Goddard despite what seemed an obvious inside edge onto the pad, and at 68-3 Australia looked vulnerable. Stan McCabe did not help the cause when he was bowled for 14 playing no stroke against Tayfield, and on the stroke of tea Tayfield struck once more when Chappell again failed to capitalize on a good start, snared by Nourse at silly point for 32.

Australia were now 123-5 and still 70 behind South Africa's paltry first innings total, but Allan Border and the in-form Ian Healy took the tourists to their first 1st innings lead of the series with a vital 85 run partnership for the sixth wicket as the evening session produced 105 runs for Richie Benaud's team. Border eventually fell to Goddard for 58, but Healy remained unbeaten with his third fifty in four innings since replacing the injured Marsh, and if Australia can build on their 35 run lead tomorrow they may yet be able to salvage some pride from what has been an otherwise disastrous series.

Close of Play, Day 2
SAF 1st Inns 193 (Procter 44; Johnston 4-49)
AUS 1st Inns 228-6 (Healy 58*, Border 58)

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

South Africa v Australia, Fourth Test

Kingsmead, Durban

SAF: Richards, *Goddard, Mitchell, RG Pollock, AD Nourse, Rhodes, +Waite, Procter, Tayfield, Heine, Adcock.

AUS: Woodfull, Taylor, Harvey, GS Chappell, McCabe, Border, +Healy, *Benaud, Davidson, Lillee, Johnston.

As the series moved on to Durban, Australia welcomed Stan McCabe into their ranks as replacement for the incapacitated Bradman and Miller, with Bradman himself requesting McCabe's call-up, the hope being that his inclusion would bolster Australia's defences against South Africa's unremitting pace attack. Ironically, the hosts omitted one of their pacemen, Peter Pollock, in favour of Jonty Rhodes, who would make his ATG debut on his home ground, but it was still the same old story once Australia began batting after Benaud won his second consecutive toss.

Neil Adcock reduced the tourists to 7-2 within the first four overs as both he and Procter enjoyed bowling on a fast-paced Kingsmead strip, and Mark Taylor only clung on through a mixture of grim determination and plain good luck as Australia tottered to a score of 64-2 by lunch. Conditions eased in the afternoon, and Chappell purred his way to fifty before once again getting out when set, lbw to Goddard for 56 on this occasion, but with Taylor completing a gutsy 50 of his own he and McCabe took the score to a more healthy 156-3, at which stage the game took a dramatic turn in South Africa's favour.

McCabe had moved through the gears nicely in compiling his 34, but when Tayfield beat him in the flight and bowled him shortly after tea, the rot set in once again for Australia. Border, batting with McCabe as a runner after turning his ankle, was victim of a poor call from Taylor and run out for 9, from which point Hugh Tayfield ran through the remainder of the innings in an incredible passage of play. Tayfield was finding unexpected turn bowling from the Umgeni End, and a succession of Australian batsmen failed to cope with his irresistible combination of flight and guile.

A late flurry from Davidson and Lillee apart, Tayfield exercised complete control, finishing with figures of 6-68 as Australia were bowled out for 246, their seventh consecutive total in the 200s over the course of the series. Eleven half-centuries have led to just one individual hundred for Australia, and this failure to capitalise on a number of starts was punished once again by a ruthless South Africa on day two.

Richards and Goddard started circumspectly, but when Richards was momentarily felled by a bumper from Johnston, the innings was sparked into life in amazing fashion. In front of his home crowd, Richards now set about slaughtering Australia's weary looking attack, leading the Springboks to a score of 91-0 at lunch and then powering them to 246-0 at tea, equalling Australia's total without the loss of a single wicket.

Richards' share at this stage was 163, his first hundred for two seasons, and Australia had no answers. Benaud found it impossible to replicate Tayfield's feats of just a day ago, and with the phlegmatic Goddard providing the perfect foil for Richards exuberance, any number of records appeared under threat. As it was, the partnership was broken on 292, South Africa's second highest stand for any wicket, when Goddard finally fell lbw to Benaud for 93, and this actually precipitated a mini-collapse, with three further wickets falling in quick succession before bad light brought an early halt to the day's proceedings.

One of those wickets was that of Richards, also lbw to Benaud as he tried to sweep a well-flighted delivery for the single that would have raised his double century. Instead, he had to settle for 199 (288 minutes, 208 balls; 28x4, 1x6), but the ovation he received would have been no greater had he managed to collect that final single. His innings had ensured that South Africa had once more dominated the early part of the Test, and in what has been the story of the series, Australia are already on the back foot with little prospect of that elusive victory.

Close of Play, Day 2
AUS 1st Inns 246 (Taylor 73, Chappell 56; Tayfield 6-68)
SAF 1st Inns 311-4 (Richards 199, Goddard 93)

South Africa v Australia - Third Test, Day 5

A lead of 354 would normally allow an overnight declaration going into the final day of a Test match, but Trevor Goddard chose to continue batting on a hot and sunny fifth morning. Bruce Mitchell missed out on completing his century when the excellent Davidson uprooted his off stump for 89 in just the day's second over, but Mike Procter entertained the crowd with a flamboyant innings before being last out for 45, caught by O'Reilly at third man of all places as he scythed at a wide ball from Lillee.

South Africa'a 286 set Australia an impossible target of 422 to win in 74 overs, but on a pitch now stripped of much of its earlier pace, Woodfull and Taylor were able to post their second century opening stand of the series before Taylor (35) edged Procter to Mitchell at second slip from the first ball after tea. Woodfull, whose second fifty of the match had occupied just 70 deliveries and included eleven boundaries, struggled somewhat after the interval as Tayfield enjoyed his first extended spell of the match, and he eventually fell for 90, caught off bat and pad by Procter.

Tayfield also ensnared Harvey for a duck, and when Chappell was undone by Mitchell's occasional leg spin for 13 Australia had been reduced to 143-4, and with 15 overs still to be bowled the demons seemed to be setting in again. Border and Benaud batted out time to secure the draw though, and although series victory is now impossible, at least the rot has been stopped and at 2-0 down with two to play, Australia still have an outside chance of coming away with something positive from this troubled tour.

Close of Play, Day 5
SAF 1st Inns 384 (RG Pollock 122, Nourse 111, Richards 43; Lillee 4-84, Davidson 4-84)
AUS 1st Inns 249 (Woodfull 56, Healy 55, Border 40; Heine 5-67)
SAF 2nd Inns 286 (Mitchell 89, Nourse 45, Procter 45; Davidson 4-66)
AUS 2nd Inns 171-4 (Woodfull 90)

MATCH DRAWN



Man of the Match: PS Heine

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

Only 54 overs were possible on a rain hit third day, but it was time enough for South Africa to finish off Australia's first innings for 249, with pace, pace and more pace once again proving the tourists' undoing. Border and Benaud batted sensibly in adding 41 for the fifth wicket, but the score became 155-5 when Benaud (17) failed to keep down his hook shot off a Heine bouncer, one of four Australians to go down hooking as the Springboks maintained an unrelenting short pitched attack.

Healy counter-attacked as Border dropped anchor, and their 61 run sixth wicket stand gave Australia renewed hope, but from a score of 216-5 shortly before tea it was the same old story as the tail folded to Heine and Adcock, and a final total of 249 all out gave South Africa an eventual 135 run lead. Healy's defiant 55 made up somewhat for a less than perfect display behind the stumps in South Africa's first innings, but it was Peter Heine who took the plaudits, finishing with his first five wicket haul in ATG cricket on his recall to the side.

More rain on the fourth morning made it difficult for Richards and Goddard to establish any momentum as South Africa attempted to build on their lead, and neither were to make it out of the 20s as Lillee, Davidson and Johnston maintained a good collective line. Davidson struck a crucial blow when he removed Graeme Pollock's leg stump for just 19, Pollock failing for the first time in the series, but Mitchell and Nourse hit back in the evening session, taking the total from 86-3 to 156-4 by the time Nourse departed for an attractive 61-ball 45.

O'Reilly was the bowler to strike, but in a series where the spinners have had hardly a look in it was still proving to be a frustrating return for 'Tiger', his match figures at the end of the day reading a sorry 1-119 from 43 overs. Mitchell moved confidently on to 86* before stumps were drawn with the score on 219-5, and a South African lead of 354 seems to have precluded any chance of an Australian victory on the final day. The only question now is whether Australia will be able to survive tomorrow and at least take some hope of squaring the series going into the final two Tests.

Close of Play, Day 4
SAF 1st Inns 384 (RG Pollock 122, Nourse 111, Richards 43; Lillee 4-84, Davidson 4-84)
AUS 1st Inns 249 (Woodfull 56, Healy 55, Border 40; Heine 5-67)
SAF 2nd Inns 219-5 (Mitchell 86*, Nourse 45)