The Hindu : Sport / Cricket : A nail-biting finish on the cards

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A nail-biting finish on the cards

Sydney: Ricky Ponting’s bold declaration on Tuesday injected drama into the third and final cricket Test which seems heading for a nail-biting finish with South Africa needing 314 runs on a tricky fifty day track to complete a rare 3-0 whitewash.

Set a daunting target of 376, South Africa lost makeshift opener Morne Morkel for a second ball duck before reaching 62 for one at stumps on day four of the match.

Acting skipper Neil McKenzie (25) and in-form Hashim Amla (30) were in the middle with South Africa still needing another 314 runs for a memorable win that would also make it the No. 1 Test side in the World.

With just one day left, South Africa may go for the target despite its captain Graeme Smith not being in a position to bat. On the other hand, Australia will also fancy its chances of picking up the remaining wickets to prevent what could be its first whitewash at home.

Earlier, resuming at 33 for no loss, Australia declared its second innings at 257 for four with Simon Katich (61), Ponting (53), Mike Hussey (45 not out) and Michael Clarke (41) scoring the bulk of the runs.

Matthew Hayden, under tremendous pressure to justify his selection in the playing XI, squandered a good start and fell for 39. He dragged a Morkel delivery onto the stumps to depart after what turned out to be his highest score of the summer.

The next man in Ponting almost had a golden pair against his name, but the Australian skipper proved lucky and the first ball he faced from Morkel took an inside edge and missed the leg-stump by a whisker. Ponting had fallen to the pacer for a first ball duck in the first innings. — PTI

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