TUESDAY, 12.30PM:
INDIFFERENT fielding by South Africa, the side regarded as the world’s best fielders, led to Australia being let off the hook in the final Test in Adelaide on Tuesday.
The South Africans let the match slip from their grasp due to 10 dropped catches, four of those chances squandered on Aussie batting hero Mark Waugh, who salvaged the Australian innings with an awesome innings of 115.
Dropped on one, 96, 107 and then again on 108, Waugh capitalised on his strokes of fortune to ease his way to 100 (15x4s) off 249 deliveries. Although the tourists dropped 10, only two — Waugh’s first and Mark Taylor’s when he had 40 of his first-innings 169 — turned out to be very costly, but all played a huge role in Australia’s survival.
With Lance Klusener getting rid of Steve Waugh (34), Ricky Ponting (23) and Andy Bichel (7), and Jacques Kallis nabbing Ian Healy’s wicket, South Africa were still in with a fair chance with the score on 215/7.
Instead of capitalising, however, first Adam Bacher at short leg and then Pat Symcox in the gully, gave Waugh two more chances at rescuing Australia. Waugh was also the object of much discussion after he knocked over his wicket after avoiding a vicious bouncer by Pollock. He was judged not out, because he had already completed his stroke.
Captain Hansie Cronje was literally beside himself and one could understand his frustration.
Ironically, what once saved South Africa from humbling defeats such as this one, their fielding, has turned into the very reason for their poor showing.
Scoreboard at the end of the third cricket Test between Australia and South Africa at the Adelaide Oval on Tuesday:
South Africa, first innings — 517
Australia, first innings — 350
South Africa second innings — 193/6 wkts decl.
Australia, second innings — (32/2 wkts over):
M Taylor b Klusener 6 (39m 27b)
M Elliott c Richardson b Pollock 4 (18m 16b 1×4)
G Blewett b Pollock 16 (104m 79b 2×4)
M Waugh not out 115 (404m 305b 16×4)
S Waugh c Richardson b Klusener 34 (110m 73b 6×4)
R Ponting c Symcox b Klusener 23 (118m 84b 3×4)
I Healy c Richardson b Kallis 10 (24m 18b 2×4)
A Bichel lbw Klusener 7 (40m 26b 1×4)
S Warne not out 4 (24m 13b)
Extras (2b 6nb) 8
Total (for 7 wkts) 227 — 108,4 overs, 444 mins.
Fall of wickets: 1/6 2/17 3/54 4/112 5/185 6/202 7/215
Bowling: Pollock 30,4-12-61-2 (2nb), Klusener 30-10-67-4 (3nb), Kallis 16-10-20-1, Symcox 18-2-42-0, McMillan 13-2-33-0 (1nb), Cronje 1-0-2-0.
Result: Draw
Series result: Australia won 1-0
Man of the match: Shaun Pollock (SA)
Man of the series: Shane Warne (Aus)