10 March, 2009

Paceman Peter Siddle, Australia's only wicket-taker on day four, expects the new ball to be crucial as the visitors seek seven more wickets to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-Test series against South Africa.

The Victorian captured the wickets of openers Neil McKenzie and Hashim Amla before an unbroken 164-run partnership between Jacques Kallis (84) and AB de Villiers (68) saw South Africa reach 2-244 at stumps, still requiring a further 302 runs to win.

"There was not a lot of sideways movement, it's been pretty flat. Every now and then you get the odd one to bounce or keep low," Siddle said.

"Hopefully, with the new ball tomorrow morning, we can get it to swing around a little bit if we take it straight away and then see how it goes. We'll be looking to certainly get a few quick blows."

Despite the tourists looking flat towards the end of a hot day in Durban, the paceman insists the Australians will be ready to fire on Tuesday.

"The general spirit hasn't been too bad. We spent 80 overs in the field and only got a couple of wickets," he added.

"But no, we'll be ready to go again tomorrow morning and show a bit of a buzz in the first hour and hopefully grab another couple of quick ones there and see how we go for the rest of the day."

Amla, one of Siddle's victims on day four, agreed the new ball would be a concern for South Africa's batsmen on a wearing pitch.

But he remained confident South Africa could save the second Test despite needing to bat through the final three sessions with only seven wickets remaining.

The Proteas face a tough final day on an unpredictable Durban pitch as they attempt to chase down an unlikely 546.

"Yes, the new ball is due in the morning and it's also a deteriorating wicket and day five but, as I said, we'll have to try and dig deep in the first session or two and then take things from there," Amla said.

"If Jacques and AB can get us through the new ball safely, and if we lose no more than one wicket before lunch, then we will have a good chance of batting out the day."


"The target's a big one and we're not really looking at that with too much in mind. We're pretty much looking at it hour by hour, trying to play the game as it comes and obviously reassess how far we go by what happens tomorrow."

Amla, who was thrust up the order to open the batting in South Africa's second innings after captain Graeme Smith broke a finger, got the chase off to a good start by sharing a 63-run stand with Neil McKenzie.

And he revealed there is plenty of faith in the dressing room the series can still be kept alive with the final Test to come in Cape Town.

He continued: "Without a doubt (there is belief the game can be saved)."

"I think, over the last good few months now, we've done this before and everyone in the team believes it is possible."

"It will depend a lot on how we start off tomorrow in the first session. I think that will go a long way in determining where we stand in the game."