DURBAN: Australian captain Ricky Ponting scored two centuries in a match for the third time this season before setting South Africa a victory target of 410 on the fourth day of the second Test at Kingsmead on Monday.

Ponting made 116 and Matthew Hayden hit 102 as Australia piled up 307 for four before declaring shortly before tea. South Africa was 29 for no wicket shortly after tea when bad light stopped play. It needs to bat out the final day to avoid a series-deciding second successive defeat.

Going great guns

It was the second time in three Tests that Ponting, who made 103 in the first innings, made two centuries in a Test against South Africa. He made two hundreds in his 100th Test appearance in Sydney in January. He also notched twin hundreds against the West Indies in Brisbane in November.

Ponting is only the second man to have scored two centuries in a match on three occasions in a career, joining India's Sunil Gavaskar.

The Australian captain has enjoyed an extraordinary run feast against South Africa this summer. He made 515 runs at an average of 103 when the sides met in a three-match series in Australia.

He has made 294 runs in four innings in the current series. It was his fifth century in his last eight innings against South Africa and the seventh of his career against it.

It was Ponting's 30th Test century, taking him ahead of Don Bradman to fifth place on an all-time list headed by Sachin Tendulkar of India, who has made 35. Steve Waugh, on 32, is the only Australian ahead of him.

In command

Ponting and Hayden were seldom troubled, as they put on 201 in a second wicket stand, which took the match beyond South Africa's reach.

Ponting reached his century off 166 balls, while Hayden needed 209 to reach the same mark. The left-handed Hayden took 130 balls to reach his fifty before picking up the pace, hitting some powerful off-side shots, as he moved to his 26th Test century and his sixth against South Africa.

Ponting looked in total command and played some fine strokes, including a pulled six off Shaun Pollock. He was eventually out caught at deep square leg trying to force the pace ahead of a declaration.

Adam Gilchrist struck 22 runs in an over off Andre Nel before he was caught by Nel at long-on off left-arm spinner Nicky Boje for 24, made off nine balls. Ponting declared immediately.

In contrast to the first three days, the weather was overcast and the floodlights were on for all but the second hour of play.

Australia clinched the home series 2-0 and won the first Test of the current series in Cape Town. — AFP

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