Australia complete series whitewash with emphatic win
SYDNEY: Australia defeated South Africa by 10 wickets on Saturday to win the third and final Test at the SCG and complete their first series clean sweep over the Proteas in 70 years.
Gary Kirsten scored a magnificent 153 to help South Africa amass 452 in their second innings and avoid an innings defeat but it was not enough to prevent Australia from completing another massive win.
Set 53 to win, Australia coasted to victory 23 minutes before the scheduled end of play, reaching their target off just 10.1 overs with Justin Langer making 30 and Matthew Hayden 21 to follow up their centuries from the first innings.
Australia's win, which followed their 246 run triumph in Adelaide and their nine wicket success in Melbourne, gave them their first series clean sweep over South Africa since Bill Woodfull's side thumped the Proteas 5-0 in 1931-32.
It also cemented their place as the world's official Test champions although they had to work a little harder than expected after the South Africans produced their finest batting performance of the series to stall Australia's march to victory.
South Africa started the day at 209 for two, needing another 191 to make Australia bat again after their first innings total of 154, and added another 146 runs before they were finally dismissed after tea.
Only Gary Kirsten defied the hosts with a magnificent 153 that saw him join Darryl Cullinan as South Africa's most prolific century maker in Tests as well as breaking Jim Zulch's record for the highest score by a South African in Sydney.
The 34-year-old resumed on 82 and took less than an hour to get the required 18 runs to equal Cullinan's South African record of 14 Test hundreds, reaching the mark with a boundary off Australian leg spinner Stuart MacGill.
The left handed opener had received a let-off on 12 the previous day when he was dropped by Mark Waugh at second slip but hardly played another false shot as he went on to register his second hundred against Australia off 246 balls in five hours.
He went on to pass Zulch's previous record of 150 for the highest score by a South African in Sydney set in 1910-11, before dragging a wide delivery from MacGill back on to his stumps, ending an innings that spanned 359 balls over seven and a quarter hours and featured 19 fours.
Jacques Kallis (34), Neil McKenzie (38) and test debutant Justin Ontong (32) all shared half-century partnerships with Kirsten before Shaun Pollock hit an adventurous unbeaten 61 not out to steer the visitors past Australia's total.
MacGill was the best of the Australian bowlers, taking four second innings wickets to finish with seven for the match while Shane Warne added three more to his first innings haul.
Australia travel to South Africa next month for a return three-match series.
January 05, 2002 - 0500 GMT
Kirsten defies Australia with century
SYDNEY: Gary Kirsten completed a hundred on Saturday to stall Australia's march towards victory in the third and final Test and join Darryl Cullinan as South Africa's most prolific century maker.
The 34-year-old Kirsten scored an unbeaten 150 to equal Cullinan's national record of 14 Test centuries as well as Jim Zulch's mark for the highest score by a South African at the Sydney Cricket Ground, which he set during the 1910-11 season.
Despite Kirsten's heroics, South Africa are facing inevitable defeat as the match reached the halfway point of the fourth day with the visitors 356 for five in their second innings, still 44 short of making Australia bat again.
South Africa had started the day on 209 for two and added 147 for the loss of three wickets when drinks were taken after lunch with Jacques Kallis (34), Neil McKenzie (38) and Justin Ontong (32) all departing.
Kirsten resumed on 82 and took less than an hour to get the required 18 runs for his 14th Test century, reaching the mark with a boundary off Australian leg spinner Stuart MacGill.
The left handed opener had received a let-off on 12 the previous day when he was dropped by Mark Waugh at second slip but hardly played another false shot as he went on to register his second hundred against Australia
off 246 balls in five hours.
Kirsten's defiant hundred, which featured 15 fours, boosted South African hopes of at least forcing the Australians to bat again after they trailed by exactly 400 following their first innings effort of 154.
They suffered an early setback on Saturday when Kallis was dismissed in the third over of the morning, adding just two runs to his overnight score of 32, when he mistimed an attempted sweep off Shane Warne and edged a simple catch to wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist.
But Kirsten and McKenzie steadied the innings with a 71-run stand for the fourth wicket in just 81 minutes.
McKenzie belted six boundaries to reach 38 before he fell with the total on 282 when he got a leading edge to a ball from Brett Lee and gave MacGill an easy catch at mid-off.
Test debutant Ontong shared a 74-run partnership with Kirsten to reach 32 when he was given out lbw to Warne, leaving South Africa needing another 44 with five wickets in hand.
Australia won the first Test in Adelaide by 246 runs and the second in Melbourne by nine wickets to set themselves up for their first series whitewash over South Africa in 70 years.
DAY
THREE
January 04, 2002 - 1000 GMT
Kirsten halts Australian push for victory
SYDNEY: Gary Kirsten scored a defiant 82 as South Africa reached 209 for two in their second innings to stall Australia's march towards victory on the third day of the third and final Test on Friday.
Kirsten produced his best performance of the series to force the match into a fourth day after the Australians threatened to wrap it up inside three days when they bowled the South Africans out for 154 before lunch and ordered them to follow-on.
Trailing by 400 and facing one of their heaviest defeats in over a century of Test cricket, South Africa's batsmen thwarted Australia's bowlers for the remaining two sessions, losing just two wickets, but finished the day still needing another 191 runs to make the home side bat again.
Kirsten had a lucky escape on 12 when Mark Waugh failed to hold a sharp catch at second slip but batted through 211 balls to reach the close 18 runs short of becoming the first South African to score a century this series.
Boeta Dippenaar missed out on his chance of a hundred when he threw his wicket away for 74 following a 149-run partnership with Kirsten after Brett Lee had bowled Herschelle Gibbs for 10 with the South African total on 17.
They took the score along to 166 before Dippenaar steered a full toss from leg spinner Stuart MacGill straight to Ricky Ponting at mid-wicket.
Jacques Kallis, who was run out for 99 in last week's second Test loss in Melbourne, replaced Dippenaar and scored a patient 32 to see the tourists through to the close.
Although the Australians seemed certain to go on and win the match, Steve Waugh's men would need no reminding of their loss to India last year when Vangipurappu Laxman rescued India from a similar position with 281.
South Africa were ordered to follow-on after their first innings came to an abrupt halt before lunch. The Proteas started the day at 93 for four but lost their last six wickets for 61 runs in 98 minutes to fall 201 runs short of the follow-on target.
Australia's first-choice leg spinner Shane Warne was the main architect of South Africa's collapse, capturing three wickets to pass Charlie Turner's record as the most successful bowler at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
Warne's three for 47 from 19 overs lifted his tally of Test victims at Australia's most spin-friendly pitch to 46, one more than Turner's 45 scalps from the late 19th century.
Glenn McGrath and MacGill also finished with three wickets after taking two each the previous day.
With Australia having won the first Test in Adelaide by 246 runs and the second in Melbourne by nine wickets, the South Africans were still facing one of their heaviest ever defeats.
They have not lost every match of a series since being thumped 5-0 by Bill Woodfull's Australians in 1931-32.
January 04, 2002 - 0500 GMT
Wickets continue to tumble as SA lose Gibbs early
SYDNEY: Boeta Dippenaar and Gary Kirsten cracked half centuries as South Africa who were struggling to avoid an innings defeat after losing an early wicket in ther second innings on the third day of the third and final Test against Australia on Friday here at the Sydney Cricket Ground, staged a remarkable comeback.
Forced to follow-on after collapsing to be all out for 154 in their first innings - 400 behind Australia's 554 - South Africa suffered an early jolt in their second innings when they lost Herschelle Gibbs with the total on 17.
Gibbs, who made 32 in the first innings, made just 10 when he was bowled by Brett Lee. His fellow opener Gary Kirsten was lucky not be dismissed while on 12 when Lee found the edge only for Mark Waugh to drop the sharp chance at second slip.
At tea on the third day, Kirsten was batting on 55 as South Africa managed to score 140 for one, still 260 behind Australia, with Boeta Dippenaar unbeaten on 66. The two have added 123 runs in their 28.1-over stay after the loss of Gibbs.
The South Africans were made to follow-on after falling 201 runs short of the follow-on target of 355. They started the day at 93 for four in their first innings but lost their last six wickets for 61 runs in just 98 minutes.
Australian leg spinner Shane Warne was the main architect of South Africa's collapse, capturing three wickets to pass Charlie Turner's record as the most successful bowler at the Sydney Cricket Ground. Glenn McGrath and Stuart MacGill also finished with three wickets after taking two each the previous day.
With Australia having won the first test in Adelaide by 246 runs and the second in Melbourne by nine wickets, the South Africans are facing one of their heaviest ever defeats.
They haven't lost every match of a series since being thumped 5-0 by Bill Woodfull's Australians in 1931-32.
They are also in danger of suffering their worst ever loss in a single match against Australia since the two countries began playing each other 99 years ago.
January 04, 2002 - 0300 GMT
Australia reign supreme as SA made to follow-on
SYDNEY: South Africa were made to follow-on after collapsing to be all out for 154 on the third day of the third and final Test against Australia on Friday.
Replying to Australia's massive first innings total of 554, the South Africans fell 201 runs short of the follow-on target of 355. Batting a second time, South Africa reached the lunch break at six without loss with Herschelle Gibbs unbeaten on four and Gary Kirsten not out two, leaving them 394 runs short of making Australia bat a second time.
The Proteas started the day at 93 for four in their first innings but lost their last six wickets for 61 runs in just 98 minutes. Australian leg spinner Shane Warne was the main architect of South Africa's collapse, capturing three wickets to pass Charlie Turner's record as the most successful bowler at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
Warne's three for 47 from 19 overs lifted his tally of Test victims at the SCG to 46, one more than Turner's 45 scalps from the late 19th century.
After failing to take a wicket the previous day, Warne collected two wickets in his first nine deliveries. He bowled the in-form Neil McKenzie for 20 on the third ball of the day without any addition to the overnight score then trapped Justin Ontong lbw for nine in his next over.
Glenn McGrath and Stuart MacGill also finished with three wickets after taking two each the previous day. McGrath had South African captain Shaun Pollock caught by Damien Martyn at point for six while MacGill finished off the innings when Claude Henderson skied a catch to McGrath.
With Australia having won the first Test in Adelaide by 246 runs and the second in Melbourne by nine wickets, the South Africans are facing one of their heaviest ever defeats.
They haven't lost every match of a series since being thumped 5-0 by Bill Woodfull's Australians in 1931-32. They are also in danger of suffering their worst ever loss in a single match against Australia since the two countries began playing each other 99 years ago.
DAY
TWO
January 03, 2002 - 0755 GMT
Australian bowlers demolish SA top order in final Test
SYDNEY: Glenn McGrath and Stuart MacGill took two wickets each as South Africa stumbled to 93/4 in reply Australia's 554 at stumps on the second day of the third Test in Sydney.
The not out batsmen for the tourists were Neil McKenzie (20) and Justin Ontong (8) who would be looking to first take South Africa past the follow-on target of 354 but with three days' play remaining and fine weather forecast another huge defeat is on the cards.
This would mean South Africa's first series clean sweep defeat since they lost 5-0 to Bill Woodfull's Australians in 1931-32.
First to go for the Proteas was opener Gary Kirsten (18), who fell to his nemesis Glenn McGrath once again. The lanky pacer switched to around the wicket and immediately induced an edge which flew to Ricky Ponting, who held a head-high catch at third slip.
Boeta Dippenaar (3) was completely beaten by McGrath's first ball after drinks and was comprehensively bowled off the inswinger.
Jacques Kallis, who almost single-handedly took the fight to the Australian attack in the first two matches, managed just four before edging leg-spinner Stuart MacGill to Adam Gilchrist. MacGill also dismissed Herschelle Gibbs (32) half an hour before the close when the batsman edged an attempted drive to Mark Waugh at slip.
Earlier, Damien Martyn blasted a century to steer Australia to a record total of 554 all out when tea was taken early on the second day on Thursday.
Martyn made 117 after Justin Langer and Matthew Hayden scored hundreds the previous day as Australia's lower order batsmen plundered another 246 runs to add to their overnight total of 308 for five.
Australia's total, scored at exactly a run a minute, was their highest ever score against South Africa at the Sydney Cricket Ground and their equal-third best against South Africa at any venue since they first played each other 99 years ago.
Martyn, who also scored an unbeaten 124 in last month's first Test win in Adelaide, brought up his fourth Test hundred after lunch off 156 balls in less than three and a half hours.
The West Australian middle-order batsmen started the day on one, and began cautiously, scoring just 13 runs in the first hour of play, before suddenly unleashing himself on the South African bowlers.
He smashed 11 boundaries to all parts of the ground during his innings - including two improvised reverse sweeps off left arm spinner Claude Henderson - and reaching his hundred with a glide past gully for two.
Once he passed triple figures, he launched another full-blooded assault before his luck ran out on 117 when he pulled a ball from Nicky Boje straight to Neil McKenzie.
Martyn was well supported by Australia's lower order batsmen who all contributed runs at a steady pace on another hot day at the SCG.
Wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist made a brisk 34 and leg-spinner Shane Warne 37 as Australia went to lunch at 439 for seven. Brett Lee (29) and Stuart MacGill (20) then kept up the attack after the re-start before they both fell to Boje, who finished with four for 63 despite only arriving in Sydney two days ago.
Australia won the first Test in Adelaide by 246 runs and the second in Melbourne by nine wickets to take an unbeatable 2-0 lead in the three match series.
January 03, 2002 - 0500 GMT
Martyn lifts Australia to 554 with century
SYDNEY: Damien Martyn blasted a century to steer Australia to a record total of 554 all out when tea was taken early on the second day of the third and final Test against South Africa on Thursday.
Martyn made 117 after Justin Langer and Matthew Hayden scored hundreds the previous day as Australia's lower
order batsmen plundered another 246 runs to add to their overnight total of 308 for five.
Australia's total, scored at exactly a run a minute, was their highest ever score against South Africa at the Sydney Cricket Ground and their equal-third best against South Africa at any venue since they first played each other 99 years ago.
Martyn, who also scored an unbeaten 124 in last month's first Test win in Adelaide, brought up his fourth Test hundred after lunch off 156 balls in less than three and a half hours.
The West Australian middle-order batsmen started the day on one, and began cautiously, scoring just 13 runs
in the first hour of play, before suddenly unleashing himself on the South African bowlers.
He smashed 11 boundaries to all parts of the ground during his innings - including two improvised reverse sweeps off left arm spinner Claude Henderson - and reaching his hundred with a glide past gully for two.
Once he passed triple figures, he launched another full-blooded assault before his luck ran out on 117 when he pulled a ball from Nicky Boje straight to Neil McKenzie.
Martyn was well supported by Australia's lower order batsmen who all contributed runs at a steady pace on another hot day at the SCG.
Wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist made a brisk 34 and leg-spinner Shane Warne 37 as Australia went to lunch at 439 for seven.
Brett Lee (29) and Stuart MacGill (20) then kept up the attack after the re-start before they both fell to Boje, who finished with four for 63 despite only arriving in Sydney two days ago.
Australia won the first Test in Adelaide by 246 runs and the second in Melbourne by nine wickets to take an unbeatable 2-0 lead in the three match series.
January 03, 2002 - 0300 GMT
Martyn rescues Australia as Proteas fail to grab initiative
SYDNEY: Damien Martyn scored an unbeaten half-century as Australia reached 439 for seven at lunch on the second day to strengthen their grip on the third and final Test against South Africa.
Martyn, who scored 124 not out in the first Test in Adelaide, continued his excellent form by adding 56 runs to his overnight score to reach 57 not out after the hosts had resumed their first innings at 308 for five. They lost wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist for 34 then leg-spinner Shane Warne for 37 but still managed to score another 131 runs in the first session.
Martyn began cautiously, scoring just 13 runs in the first hour of play, before suddenly opening up after the drinks break.
He passed his 50 off 93 balls when he drove South African fast bowler Allan Donald straight down the ground for four and reached the lunch break with seven boundaries to his credit.
Gilchrist hit three fours during his 50-ball innings only to throw his wicket away with a loose shot when a bigger score beckoned, edging medium pacer Jacques Kallis to wicketkeeper Mark Boucher with the total on 356.
Martyn and Warne increased the run-rate with a dashing 83-run partnership off just 80 balls with Warne belting six fours and a six during his 46-ball knock before Shaun Pollock bowled him with the final delivery before lunch.
Australia won the first Test in Adelaide by 246 runs and the second in Melbourne by nine wickets to take an unbeatable 2-0 lead in the three match series.
DAY
ONE
January 02, 2002 - 0905 GMT
Openers put Australia on top in Sydney
SYDNEY: Justin Langer and Matthew Hayden celebrated the New Year by blasting hundreds in a double-century partnership that put Australia in command of the third and final Test against South Africa on Wednesday.
Langer scored 126 and Hayden 105 as the two Australian openers put on 219 for the first wicket before South Africa captured five late wickets to restrict Australia to 308 for five by stumps.
Australia lost five for 89 after tea but still finished the first day on top thanks to Langer and Hayden's fourth double-century partnership in two months.
The only other opening pair in over 120 years of Test cricket to share in four double-century partnerships was West Indian greats Gordon Greenidge and Desmond Haynes, who achieved the feat over a 10-year period.
Langer's hundred was the 12th of his Test career and his fifth in seven matches since he was recalled to the Australian team during last year's Ashes tour of England. The 31-year-old left hander brought up his century after lunch off 187 balls and went on to hit 19 fours and a six before he was eventually out after tea, caught by Neil McKenzie at bat-pad off left arm spinner Nicky Boje.
Hayden, the leading runscorer in the world in 2001, began the new year in the same way he ended last year, recording his third century in as many matches against South Africa.
The Queenslander had a let-off on 68 when he was dropped by Boeta Dippenaar but did not make another mistake until he fell in the second over after tea, caught by Jacques Kallis at first slip off Shaun Pollock. He batted for four hours for his 105 runs, hitting 14 boundaries and a six to become the first Australian to score more than 700 runs in a summer at home.
He scored a century against New Zealand in November when he and Langer scored the first of their four-double centuries and has scored hundreds in each of the three Tests against the South Africa.
Langer has been just as ruthless, scoring two hundreds against both New Zealand and South Africa after being recalled to the side at the expense of Michael Slater.
Langer and Hayden launched the Australian summer season with a 224-run stand against New Zealand in Brisbane followed by 223 in the next Test in Hobart.
Last week in Melbourne they put on 202 in the first innings of the Melbourne Test and they also scored 158 against England last August at The Oval.
The Australians were freewheeling at 215 without loss at tea with most of the South African players leaving the field with their heads on their chests.
Langer became the first Australian batsman since former captain Mark Taylor in 1989-90 to score four centuries in a season.
Hayden's dismissal triggered a minor scandal with Ricky Ponting and the Waugh twins all falling cheaply. Ponting was run out for 14 by black all-rounder Justin Ontong who was controversially selected to make his Test debut.
South African senior selector Graeme Pollock told Australian radio that Ontong had not originally been selected to play in the match but was included because of political reasons.
The South Africans are obliged to field at least one coloured player but there has been increased pressure to play two.
The Waughs added 49 for the fourth wicket before they fell in quick succession. Steve was bowled for 30 by a Pollock delivery that swung back late and crashed into his stumps while Mark departed for 19 on what proved to be the last ball of the day when he edged Donald behind to wicketkeeper Mark Boucher.
With Australia pushing for their first series clean sweep over South Africa since Don Bradman's team won 5-0 in 1930-31, Steve Waugh sent his batsmen in after winning the toss on a baking hot day and the air still thick with smoke from the nearby bushfires.
At stumps on the opening day, Australia were 308 for five with Damien Martyn not out on one.
The danger for Pollock's team is that the more runs Australia score the more difficult it will be to combat the twin legspin menace of Shane Warne and Stuart MacGill, on an anticipated turning pitch.
Steve Waugh's third toss win this series means that South Africa will have to bat last on a wearing SCG pitch, which has a reputation as a spinner's pitch.
So far Warne has taken 11 wickets in the series and MacGill claimed nine for New South Wales in the tour match against the Proteas here just before Christmas.
January 02, 2002 - 0500 GMT
Langer, Hayden
give Australia another big start
SYDNEY: Australia made a flying start to the third and final Test against South Africa at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Wednesday, reaching 215/0 at tea on the first day.
Justin Langer and Matthew Hayden continued their remarkable run of form this summer, following up their double-century partnerships in the previous two Tests with another record stand. They put their fourth double century partnership in Test cricket.
Langer is unbeaten on 106, his twelfth Test century, while his fellow left-handed opener Hayden is on 102, his seventh Test century.
Langer went to his century forty minutes before tea from 147 balls with fourteen fours and a six.
South Africa spurned a chance for a breakthrough when Boeta Dippenaar spilled a striaghtforward chance at square leg when Hayden was on 68. The unlucky bowler was Claude Henderson. Nicky Boje also made Langer edge a spinning delivery to wicketkeeper Boucher who failed to hold on to the difficult chance.
January 02, 2002 - 0330 GMT
Australia makes flying start to final Test
SYDNEY: Australia made a flying start to the third and final Test against South Africa at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Wednesday, piling on 93 runs without loss by lunch on the first day.
Justin Langer and Matthew Hayden continued their remarkable run of form this summer, following up their double-century partnerships in the previous two Tests with another record stand.
Langer struck seven boundaries and a six to reach the interval unbeaten on 46 while his fellow left-handed opener Hayden hit six fours to finish 42 not out.
Their unconquered 93-run stand also broke a 91-year-old record for the highest opening partnership by an Australian pair against South Africa at the Sydney Cricket Ground, eclipsing the previous mark of 74 set by Warren Bardsley and Charlie McCartney in 1910-11.
The pair made a cautious start to their innings after Steve Waugh won the toss and elected to bat first on a baking hot day and the ground still blanketed by a thin cover of haze from the nearby bushfires.
Both batsmen were unusually tentative in the first hour as the Proteas' pacemen Allan Donald and Shaun Pollock extracted plenty of bounce and movement from the pitch.
They had scored just 38 when drinks were called but added another 55 in the second hour of the session, with Langer's towering six off left arm spinner Claude Henderson the highlight.
With Australia having already clinched the series after winning the first Test in Adelaide by 246 runs and the second in Melbourne in nine wickets, both teams made changes for the final match.
Leg spinner Stuart MacGill was recalled to the Australian team at the expense of paceman Andrew Bichel, giving the home side two wrist spinners on Australia's most spin-friendly wicket.
The South Africans made two changes, replacing Lance Klusener and Mornantau Hayward with left arm spinner Nicky Boje and uncapped all-rounder Justin Ontong.
Klusener returned to South Africa on New Year's Day to visit his pregnant wife but was scheduled to return next week for the limited-overs series.
Boje was rushed into the side even though he only arrived in Australia on Tuesday afternoon while Ontong, 21, received his first Test cap after previously representing South Africa at one-day level.
January 02, 2002 - 0100 GMT
Australia elect to bat first after winning toss
SYDNEY: Australian captain Steve Waugh won his third toss of the series and decided to bat in the third and final Test against South Africa at the Sydney Cricket Ground Wednesday.
Australia, who have already captured the series after comprehensive wins in the Adelaide and Melbourne Tests, went into the Test with an extra leg-spinner with Stuart MacGill to partner Shane Warne on a turning wicket.
The South Africans, who are without Lance Klusener, now back home to regain confidence for this month's triangular one-day series, brought in left-arm spinner Nicky Boje and Justin Ontong.
Pace bowler Steve Elworthy was named South Africa's 12th man while Andy Bichel was left out of the Australian XI.
The match will start under fine if hazy skies as a result of extensive bushfires throughout the Sydney region since Christmas.
Australia: Matthew Hayden, Justin Langer, Ricky Ponting, Mark Waugh, Steve Waugh (capt), Damien Martyn, Adam Gilchrist, Shane Warne, Brett Lee, Glenn McGrath, Stuart MacGill. Andy Bichel (12th man).
South Africa: Gary Kirsten, Herschelle Gibbs, Jacques Kallis, Boeta Dippenaar, Neil McKenzie, Justin Ontong, Mark Boucher, Shaun Pollock (captain), Nicky Boje, Claude Henderson, Allan Donald. Steve Elworthy (12th man).
Umpires: David Shepherd (Eng), Daryl Harper (Aus)
TV umpire: Simon Taufel (Aus)
Match referee: Ranjan Madugalle (SL)
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