22 March, 2009

Paul Harris and Dale Steyn claimed two prized wickets after tea on day three of the third Test to help South Africa edge closer to victory against Australia in Cape Town.

The pair dismissed Phillip Hughes (32) and Ricky Ponting (12) to leave the tourists 2-102 at stumps at Newlands, still trailing the hosts by 340 runs with two days to play.

AB de Villiers was the star performer earlier in the day, notching his ninth Test century, while debutant Albie Morkel also contributed with a brisk 58 as the Proteas piled on a massive 651 all out in response to the visitors' first-innings 209.

It was their highest ever total against Australia beating the previous best 9-622 declared set in Durban 39 years ago and came as South Africa looked to salvage some pride having lost the opening two Tests in the three-match series.

And it continued to build on its first-innings bowling performance with Harris dismissing nemesis Hughes, who had already scored 383 runs in his previous five efforts against it, in the 14th over.

The left-arm spinner floated in a wide delivery that the New South Wales batsman could not resist and only ended up edging to Jacques Kallis at first slip concluding a 57-run opening stand.

Ponting was in next and never looked settled against an inspired Steyn.

The South Africa strike bowler looked to have had his man early in the 21st over when the Australia captain was squared up and seemingly caught by Harris at gully.

Ponting stood his ground though, and was eventually deemed not out by third umpire Billy Bowden after replays showed the ball had bounced millimetres short.

But that joy was short-lived, as Steyn enticed him to chase an away swinger with the final ball of the over that was easily gathered by Mark Boucher leaving Simon Katich (44) and Michael Hussey (13) unbeaten at the close.

The Australians did have some joy at the start of the day when two wickets from Mitchell Johnson and another from Ben Hilfenhaus helped them reduce the home side to 6-508 at lunch.

Kallis, who was not out on 102, perished without adding to his overnight score, while JP Duminy and Boucher also fell cheaply.

The stand-in captain was first to go in just the third over of the day courtesy of an error of judgment, which saw him attempt to pull Hilfenhaus onto the leg side.

But he succeeded only in lifting the ball straight up into the air, handing a simple return catch to the bowler.

Duminy was next to follow for seven, when he dragged a wide delivery onto his stumps whilst attempting a pull off Johnson, before Boucher chased a full angled ball from the same bowler and edged to Ponting at slip for 12.

After the break, the hosts came out on a mission blasting 97 runs in the first hour, when they were especially harsh on Bryce McGain and Andrew McDonald.

De Villiers reached his century off 149 balls when he scrambled two runs off the leg-spinner, before Morkel reached his 50 in just 59 balls shortly after when he tapped the same bowler for a single.

The pair then cut loose, and after Morkel slammed Peter Siddle for consecutive boundaries, his partner took four sixes in four balls from the 140th over bowled by McDonald.

However, the medium-pacer struck back and clean bowled the debutant to end his entertaining 71-ball stay.


But De Villiers continued his assault lifting McDonald for yet another four over the mid-on region to raise his 150 in style.

Spinner Katich was then introduced and he struck immediately by claiming the prized scalp of De Villiers, whose attempt to lift him over the mid-wicket fence ended with McDonald taking a straightforward catch and sending the batsman on his way for 163 in just 196 deliveries.

The score was then 637 and South Africa lost another wicket on the same total when Katich drew an edge from Steyn through to Michael Clarke at first slip for a fourth-ball duck.

Captain Ponting then put down a tough chance from Harris off Johnson at second slip, before the same bowler managed to induce another edge that was this time snapped up by wicketkeeper Haddin for 27 as South Africa ended with its third highest score ever in Test cricket.

Johnson ended as the pick of the visiting bowlers grabbing 4-148, while there were also two wickets each for Hilfenhaus and Katich.