Ponting falls after scoring a half century
Posted on Jan 05, 2009 at 10:01 | Updated Jan 06, 2009 at 08:21
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Sydney: Peter Siddle's maiden five-wicket haul blighted South Africa's response as Australia tightened its grip on the proceedings on day three of the third and final cricket Test here on Monday.
Resuming on 125 for one, South Africa folded for 327 runs, bulk of which came from the blades of Hashim Amla (51), Mark Boucher (89) and Morne Morkel (40) -- the last two featuring in a spectacular 115-run sixth-wicket stand between.
Australia, in their second essay, were 33 for no loss at close of play, having stretched their overall lead to 151.
Matthew Hayden hit three confident boundaries en route to a 23-ball 18 and had Simon Katich (9) for company at stumps.
Injured Protea captain Graeme Smith, who had retired hurt on 30 on Sunday, didn't bat and Neil McKenzie led the side in his absence.
For Australia, Siddle finished with 5-59 while Mitchell Johnson scalped two.
With Smith ruled out for the match, lot depended on Jacques Kallis (37) but the seasoned South African let down the side and played a loose drive off Johnson to perish in the slips, having added just one run to his overnight score.
Amla, however, went on to complete his fifty before double blows pegged back South Africa, reducing them to 166 for four.
A lazy AB de Villiers (11) was caught short of ground when Johnson threw down the stumps at the striker's end and five runs later, Andrew McDonald got his first Test victim in Amla when the ball came off one of those innumerable cracks on the pitch and trapped the right-hander leg before.
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