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SYDNEY, Dec 22: South Africa, lifted by positive batting late in Saturday’s final session, led New South Wales by 225 runs with nine second-innings wickets in hand at the end of day three of their tour match at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
Gary Kirsten was unbeaten on 34 with Jacques Rudolph on two after coming to the crease when opener Herschelle Gibbs threw his wicket away chasing quick runs on a placid wicket ideal for batting.
Following on from his first-innings 145, Gibbs blasted his way to 75 off just 84 balls, including 64 runs made in boundaries, before he was trapped lbw by Stuart MacGill as he tried to hoist the leg-spinner over the fence.
The South Africans scored 112 runs in the final session after New South Wales captain Michael Bevan made a sporting declaration at tea when he was just 17 runs short of a double-century.
Bevan, unbeaten on 183, declared the NSW first innings at 385 for six, still 113 behind South Africa’s 498 all out, in the hope of forcing a result on the last day Sunday.
His decision robbed him of the chance of a second double-century at the SCG this week, following his unbeaten 203 against Western Australia in an interstate match Monday, but the game came to life as the South Africans responded by swinging the bat.
Regarded as one of the finest batsmen in international one-day cricket, Bevan was unusually slow in the session prior to lunch before unleashing himself on the South African bowlers after the restart.
He added just 26 runs to his overnight score of 60 to reach lunch on 86 as the home team crawled along to 233 for four after resuming at 170 for three.
But once he reached his century, Bevan instantly went on the attack, smacking 97 runs
off 82 balls between lunch and tea.
He was especially savage on promising young South African off-spinner Justin Ontong, belting 35 runs, including three sixes and four fours, off two of his overs.
Veteran pace bowler Allan Donald failed to make an impression in his bid to convince the selectors he should be recalled for the second Test in Melbourne starting Wednesday, finishing with none for 64 from 21 overs.
The best of the South African bowlers was Steve Elworthy who took three for 57 before Bevan mercifully declared the innings closed to send the Proteas back in to breathe some life into a match which seemed to be heading towards a tame draw.
Scoreboard
SOUTH AFRICA (1st Innings) 498 (H.H. Gibbs 145, H.H. Dippenaar 115).
NEW SOUTH WALES (1st Innings, overnight 170-3):
G.J. Mail lbw b Elworthy 54
B.P. van Deinsen c Gibbs b Pollock 1
C.J. Richards c Gibbs b Elworthy 37
M.G. Bevan not out 183
S.D. Bradstreet b Henderson 15
M.J. Clarke c Pollock b Elworthy 37
M.A. Higgs c Rudolph b Klusener 23
B.J. Haddin not out 20
EXTRAS (B-4, LB-4, NB-7) 15
TOTAL (for six dec, 123 overs) 385
FALL OF WKTS: 1-2, 2-54, 3-149, 4-179,
5-252, 6-359.
DID NOT BAT: S.C.G. MacGill, J.M. Heath, D.A. Nash.
BOWLING: Donald 21-8-64-0; Pollock
20-4-53-1 (3nb); Klusener 15-8-26-1; Elworthy 21-9-57-3; Henderson 40-11-130-1 (4nb); Ontong 6-0-47-0.
SOUTH AFRICA (2nd Innings):
G. Kirsten not out 34
H.H. Gibbs lbw b MacGill 75
J.A. Rudolph not out 2
EXTRAS (B-1) 1
TOTAL (for one wkt, 31 overs) 112
FALL OF WKT: 1-109.
BOWLING (to-date): Nash 7-2-19-0;
Heath 5-0-22-0; Bradstreet 6-2-36-0; MacGill
9-2-27-1; Higgs 4-0-7-0.—Reuters
