Australia bounced back from their humiliating defeat on Friday night with a hard fought 24 run win in the third Standard Bank one-day international at St George’s Park on Sunday.
South Africa were all out for 230 in the 48th over chasing 255 for victory.
”It was a result win for us,” said Australian captain Ricky Ponting. ”They had built up some momentum after the first two matches, and we had to break that.”
Set a challenging target of 255 to win, South Africa got off to a bad start, losing the wicket of Graeme Smith in the third over, when he edged a Brett Lee delivery to Adam Gilchrist for 10.
Herschelle Gibbs was next to go, run out by Stuart Clark, whose fingers brushed the ball as a straight drive from Boeta Dippenaar rocketed into Gibbs’s wicket. Gibbs dived for the crease, but his bat bounced up and he was out for 16.
Dippenaar was given out lbw to Shane Watson for 16, although the ball appeared to hit him above the knee roll. Brett Lee struck again, when he got Mark Boucher to edge a ball to Adam Gilchrist for five, and Justin Kemp, trying to up the pace, was caught by Nathan Bracken off Stuart Clark without scoring, and South Africa were
reeling on 69 for five.
But AB de Villiers and Shaun Pollock did much to help South Africa’s cause, with a partnership of 119.
De Villiers, batting very responsibly, reached his first one-day international half century off 72 balls, nudging the ball into the gaps, and keeping the scoreboard ticking over.
Pollock played the more aggressive role, reaching his 10th half century at a run a ball. Their century partnership came up off 113 deliveries, and included nine boundaries and a six.
Watson bowled Pollock for 69 off 74 balls, including seven boundaries and a six. De Villiers went the following over, brilliantly caught on the boundary by Brad Hogg off the bowling of Michael Clarke for 68 off 92 balls, including six fours and a six.
The departure of De Villiers and Pollock was the end of South Africa’s hopes of victory. Needing to score at nearly 10 runs an over, the tail-enders had no choice but to go for the runs.
Andrew Hall was caught behind by Gilchrist off Lee for five, and Robin Peterson went the same way three balls balls later for three.
However, Roger Telemachus, who forced his way back into the national team with some brilliant performances with both bat and ball, was not prepared to give up. He bludgeoned two consecutive sixes off Lee, who conceded 20 runs off the 47th over. But Telemachus was given out lbw to Bracken two balls later, and South Africa were all out for 230. Telemachus smashed 29 runs off just 13 balls, hitting three sixes.
”It was a target we should have reached,” said Smith. ”We bowled well and we fielded well, but we didn’t get any partnerships going in the early stages of the innings. If we had had the kind of partnership that Polly and AB had in the early stages, we would have won the game.”
Ponting said he had felt that 254 was a good total at St George’s Park.
”Our batting was solid, and then we did what we had to do in the field,” he said. ”We probably let them get a bit closer than they should have — so the momentum hasn’t swung completely our way.”
Man of the match Lee, who took four wickets for 48 runs, said he had worked hard in the nets, and felt he had his pace and rhythm back. He said he had been particularly pleased to get Smith’s wicket. ”It’s always handy to get Smith out cheaply,” he said.
”Their team tend to build an innings around him, so we always want to get him early.”
Ponting said all-rounder Andrew Symonds would probably be fit for the next match in Durban on Friday.
South Africa lead the five-match series 2-1. – Sapa