January 4, 2002	Friday	Shawwal 19, 1422

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SYDNEY, Jan 3: South Africa were facing the humiliating prospect of their worst series defeat in over 70 years Thursday as Australia marched confidently towards another massive victory on the second day of the third and final Test.

Damien Martyn helped himself to his second century of the series as Australia’s lower order batsmen joined in the run feast, adding 246 runs to their overnight score of 308 for five to compile a record first innings total of 554.

Fast bowler Glenn McGrath and leg-spinner Stuart MacGill then combined with the ball to reduce the South Africans to 93 for four in reply, still 262 from avoiding the follow-on with just six wickets in hand.

McGrath struck twice in 14 balls, dismissing opener Gary Kirsten for 14 then first-drop Boeta Dippenaar for three. Ponting held a sharp catch at third slip to remove Kirsten while McGrath sent Dippenaar on his way when he sent the ball crashing into the stumps.

MacGill then chipped in to capture the vital wicket of Jacques Kallis for four, catching the tip of his glove to present Adam Gilchrist with a routine catch behind the stumps, before Herschelle Gibbs edged a catch to Mark Waugh at first slip after a patient 32.

Neil McKenzie survived an hour to reach the close unbeaten on 20 while Test debutant Justin Ontong finished eight not out after taking 26 minutes to get off the mark.

With three days to go on a pitch showing signs of deteoriorating, the Australians seem certain to complete a 3-0 series clean sweep after winning the first Test in Adelaide by 246 runs and the second in Melbourne by nine wickets.

South Africa have not lost every Test of a series since they were crushed 5-0 by Bill Woodfull’s Australians in 1931-32 and few would have predicted they would have crumbled so easily this time after arriving in Australia to contest cricket’s first Test world championship.

The Proteas staged a late comeback Wednesday to restrict Australia to 308-5 after Justin Langer and Matthew Hayden scored centuries in a 219-run opening stand.

But any hopes they had of wrapping up the innings were quickly snuffed out as the Australians posted 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 led the way with a magnificent 117 but was well supported by the lower order batsmen who propelled Australia’s score along at exactly a run a minute.

Martyn, who also scored an unbeaten 124 in last month’s first Test win in Adelaide, brought up his fourth career 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, Martyn launched another full-blooded assault before his luck ran out on 117 when he pulled a ball from South Africa’s second left-arm slow bowler Nicky Boje straight to McKenzie.

Gilchrist made a brisk 34 and leg-spinner Shane Warne 37 as Australia went to lunch at 439 for seven.

Brett Lee (29) and 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.