The Hindu : Gibbs' century raises Proteas' hopes

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Mar 18, 2002

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Sport - Cricket

Gibbs' century raises Proteas' hopes
By Malcolm Conn

DURBAN, MARCH 17. South Africa must hold its collective nerve on Monday to achieve a tense and historic victory over Australia in the third and final Test at Kingsmead.

The home side will resume on Monday morning at 264-4, still requiring a further 71 runs to deny Australia a clean sweep after losing five successive Tests away and at home.

A century from Herschelle Gibbs laid the foundation for South Africa to run down the target of 335 but a late clatter of wickets on Sunday reshaped the match.

Gibbs batted beautifully for 104 but was in the middle of South Africa losing three wickets for 16 runs when it was 216- 1 and cruising. Remarkably the destroyer was Mark Waugh with his occasional off-spinners.

Gary Kirsten had been tragically run out earlier for 64 but Gibbs and Graeme Smith, playing in just his second Test, were in complete command when Steve Waugh made his last throw of the dice and brought his brother on to bowl.

In Mark Waugh's second over Smith (42) attempted an ambitious pull and hit the ball straight up in the air to be caught by wicket-keeper Adam Gilchrist.

During Waugh's following over Gibbs ran down the wicket and flicked a ball off his legs into the deep. Running around the boundary from square leg Damien Martyn dived to take a wonderful catch, ending a five-hour innings that included 198 balls and 15 fours.

Astonishing fielding

Australia's exceptional fielding kept it in the game, with Matthew Hayden taking a running, diving catch from mid-on when Neil McKenzie (4) mistimed a pull off Shane Warne. Excellent fielding also resulted in the demise of Kirsten.

The opening stand of 142 was the best in six Tests against Australia this summer, beating the 87 the pair added in Adelaide three months ago. It was also only the seventh time South Africa managed a hundred stand against Australia and just the third since readmission.

Gibbs and Kirsten played positively after a cautious start, taking to Shane Warne in particular, before Gibbs ran out his partner in a terrible mix-up.

Turning a full delivery from Brett Lee to mid-wicket, Gibbs wanted a quick single before changing his mind as Martyn pounced. His hard, low throw was brilliantly gathered by Lee low to the ground as he ran back to the stumps, with his momentum taking him ball first into the wickets, flattening them completely. It completed Kirsten's second half-century against Australia in as many Tests.

Should South Africa win it will not only beat the previous highest fourth innings victory chase against Australia - 297-4 in the fifth Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in 1952- 53, but also its best last innings total ever against the world Test champions. That was 326-5 to draw in Sydney during 1963-64.

In a complete contrast to South Africa's first innings, when Warne claimed cheap, soft wickets as it was bowled out for a meek 167 on Saturday, Warne had unflattering figures of one for 81 from 24 overs on Sunday.

With 17 wickets falling on Saturday, nine from South Africa and eight from Australia, it appeared the intensity had dropped given the series has been decided.

Resuming at a disappointing 159-8, Australia was bowled out for 186 just seven overs into a slightly extended day. Jacques Kallis brilliantly caught Steve Waugh at second slip diving away to his right to gather the ball in one hand while still airborne and horizontal.

Waugh had made 42, ensuring his Test average would remain exactly 50. It gave Waugh just 95 runs at 19 for the series and 314 at 24.15 across nine Tests this summer, stark figures for such a great player as he approaches his 37th birthday.

Of the top eight in the batting order, including Shane Warne, the Waugh brothers have the worst averages across the season. Mark scored 438 at 33.69.

The Australian captain, making his highest score in a disappointing series, drove hard off the back foot at a delivery from Makhaya Ntini which took a thick edge.

Australia's innings finished next ball, when Ntini flattened Glenn McGrath's off stump to finish with the deserved figures of three for 65.

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