18 April, 2009

Michael Clarke Australia has gained some respectability with a 47-run victory over South Africa in Johannesburg in the fifth one-day international but still lost the series 3-2.

The hosts were set 304 to win after Brad Haddin and Michael Clarke helped Australia to a strong position and despite 82 from Herschelle Gibbs the Proteas crumbled in the latter half of their innings, collapsing from 4-213 to 256 all out with Mitchell Johnson taking 3-58 for the tourists.

Australia struck an important blow before skipper Graeme Smith (20 runs off 15 balls) could get fully into his stride.

The left-hander waved at a wide Nathan Bracken delivery in the eighth over and got a healthy edge which Haddin did well to hold on to high to his left.

That brought veteran all-rounder Jacques Kallis to the crease and he immediately set about his task in combination with Gibbs.

The pair were untroubled as they easily kept pace with the required rate in a 104-run stand that was brought to an end by a dubious lbw decision against Gibbs.

The 35-year-old attempted to sweep Nathan Hauritz while on 82 and while the ball rapped his front pad, he had made a stride down the wicket which could have offered some doubt about the decision.

Kallis followed for 64 off 69 balls, caught by Haddin off Bracken, and there was little in the way of resistance from the lower order with only AB de Villiers (15) managing double figures outside the top four batsmen.

Earlier, Smith won the toss and inserted the Australians who were looking to earn back some respectability having already conceded the series 3-1.

The tourists had not won since the opening match, but were soon on the front foot through Haddin (64 off 66) and Clarke (66 off 60) who made full use of the early powerplays to clear the in-field with regularity in their opening 127-run stand.

Both fell in quick succession but skipper Ricky Ponting (40 off 45) and rookie Callum Ferguson (41 off 33) picked up the slack to have the Australians at one point 2-191 after 31 overs and dreaming of a total in excess of 350.

But when both fell - to soft dismissals - all momentum the Australians built was soon lost.

Ponting's dismissal, caught at mid-on as he went in search of back-to-back sixes off the part-time spin of JP Duminy, prompted a collapse of 4-23 in a four-over spell that left Australia on 7-246 and with more than 10 overs still to bat.

Instead of putting their foot on the gas the tourists were restricted to just trying to bat out their overs - a feat they achieved thanks to an unbeaten 57-run partnership between Michael Hussey (49) and Hauritz (24).

Duminy finished with figures of 3-48, while fellow spinner Roelof van der Merwe chipped in with 2-44 as the slow bowlers again restricted Australia, but its bowling attack ensured they kept the series deficit to just one.

Australia skipper Ponting said: "It's a great way for us to finish the tour."

"I'm disappointed with way we've played in the series as a group, but a few of the younger guys have had some impact on the game tonight and hopefully they can take that into the series against Pakistan."

De Villiers was named man of the series after hitting 240 runs in the five-match series and said: "I've had an awesome season but I have to say thanks to my team-mates for playing great cricket."

"I'm pretty relaxed and confident and enjoying my cricket at the moment."

Proteas skipper Smith added: "It's been a terrific summer for South African cricket, both teams deserve a lot of credit for the way the series has been played."

"It's been an interesting summer for me. There have been a lot of highs and some injuries thrown in there but I've battled through."