TUESDAY, 8.30AM:
JACQUES KALLIS and Hansie Cronje kept the South African flag flying on the last day of the first Australian test, to reach 226 for four, 77 runs short of their target. Scores at tea time on the fifth and final day on Tuesday were:
Australia first innings — 309
South Africa first innings — 186
Australia second innings — 257
G Kirsten b Reiffel 0 (23m 14b)
A Bacher c Taylor b Warne 39 (149m 109b 1×4)
J Kallis not out 100 (340m 266b 6×4)
D Cullinan b Warne 0 (10m 8b)
H Cronje c Taylor b S Waugh 70 (170m 143b 2×4)
B McMillan not out 6 (32m 26b 1×4)
Extras (5b 2lb 4nb) 11
Total (for 4 wkts) 226 — 93 overs (tea)
Fall of wickets: 1/2 2/88 3/88 4/122
Bowling: McGrath 22-10-47-0, Reiffel 12-4-19-1 (1nb), Kasprowicz 8-0-30-0, Warne 33-5-82-2 (3nb), M Waugh 10-0-25-0, S Waugh 7-2-12-1, Blewett 1-0-4-0
MONDAY, 10.30AM:
SOUTH Africa face either bitter defeat or a record-book victory as they face the final day of the first cricket Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Tuesday, after ending the fourth day on Monday with 79 for one wicket in their second innings.
South Africa need 302 runs for victory, against the nine wickets the Aussies need to win. However, SA’s best bet will probably be to bat out the remaining six hours of the match and force a draw. Australia, 309 and 257 to South Africa’s 186 and 79/1, still enjoy a daunting overall advantage of 301.
Youngbloods Adam Bacher and Jacques Kallis led the way on Monday, putting behind them a string of indifferent performances. Opener Bacher came back with an unbeaten 34, while No 3 Kallis cracked a fine 40 and showed that legendary Aussie spinner Shane Warne does not intimidate him. Bacher made a lucky start when Ricky Ponting at short leg dropped a Glenn McGrath delivery when Bacher had only one run. Number two bat Gary Kirsten was dismissed for a duck by Paul Reiffel with just two runs on the board, giving Reiffel his 100th test wicket in his 33rd appearance since making his debut against India in Perth in 1992.
Reiffel earlier showed his batting class with a career-best 79 not out off 115 balls that sealed the home side’s second innings.
Before Reiffel saved the day for the Aussies, SA paceman Allan Donald tore through the Aussie top order, dispensing with Ian Healy, Shane Warne and Michael Kasprowicz to finish with 6-59. Kasprowicz’s wicket took Donald to the position of SA’s leading wicket taker –171 wickets in 36 tests — to pass Hugh Tayfield’s 170 wickets in 37 matches. Donald took three wickets in Australia’s first innings to complete a match bag of 9-133.
Scoreboard Monday at stumps on the fourth day of the first cricket test between Australia and South Africa at the Melbourne Cricket Ground:
Australia won the toss
Australia, 1st Innings 309
South Africa 1st Innings 186
Australia 2nd Innings (67/4 overnight)
Mark Taylor c Cullinan b Symcox 59
Matthew Elliott lbw b Donald 1
Greg Blewett c McMillan b Donald 6
Mark Waugh b Donald 1
Steve Waugh c Richardson b Pollock 17
Ricky Ponting c and b Pollock 32
Ian Healy b Donald 4
Paul Reiffel not out 79
Shane Warne c Symcox b Donald 10
Michael Kasprowicz c Kirsten b Donald 19
Glenn McGrath c McMillan b Pollock 18
Extras (4b, 3lb, 4nb) 11
Total: 257 all out
Fall of wickets: 4, 10, 12, 44, 106, 128, 128, 146, 208, 257.
Bowling: Allan Donald 27-8-59-6 (3nb), Shaun Pollock 21.2-5-56-3 (1nb), Pat Symcox 35-9-90-1, Brian McMillan 2-0-6-0, Lance Klusener 9-2-28-0, Hansie Cronje 2-0-11-0.
Batting time: 403 minutes. Overs: 96.2
South Africa second innings
G Kirsten b Reiffel 0 (23m 14b)
A Bacher not out 34 (122m 87b 1×4)
J Kallis not out 40 (98m 83b 3×4)
Extras (3b 2nb) 5
Total (for 1 wkt) 79 — 30 overs (122 mins)
Fall of wicket: 1/2
Bowling: McGrath 9-4-18-0, Reiffel 6-3-9-1 (1nb), Kasprowicz 4-0-19-0, Warne 9-1-27-0 (1nb), Mark Waugh 2-0-3-0.
Batting time: 122 minutes. Overs: 30