July 02, 2007	Monday	Jamadi-us-Sani 16, 1428

BELFAST, July 1: Justin Kemp marked his return to South Africa colours with a run-a-ball 61 as the Proteas fought back to finish on 148 for seven against India in the third and final One-day International here at Stormont on Sunday after rain had reduced the match to a 31 overs per side contest.

Kemp, fit after a thigh injury, and Herschelle Gibbs (56) shared a fifth-wicket stand of 99 after South Africa, who lost the toss, had collapsed to 28 for four on a seaming pitch.

But India, with the series all square at 1-1, might have had less of a target to chase had not Kemp been dropped on 10 and Gibbs missed twice in the 40s.

Kemp, who had hit the first ball of the final over from Sachin Tendulkar, was bowled round his legs next ball.

Part-time spinner Tendulkar, who only bowled one over, saw Andrew Hall hole out off the last ball of the innings.

Ajit Agarkar, who missed the second match of this series with 'flu, marked his return by removing top order batsman Morne van Wyk and South Africa captain Jacques Kallis for nought apiece on his way to figures of two for 21.

Former captain Saurav Ganguly (two for 24) followed up with two wickets in two balls.

A.B. de Villiers, on eight, then survived two chances in as many balls at the start of the fifth over from left-arm quick Zaheer Khan.

First he appeared to edge to second slip where a diving Yuvraj Singh caught the ball.

However, to India's disbelief, Pakistan umpire Aleem Dar gave the batsman not out. Next ball, a clip off de Villiers's legs was dropped at mid-wicket by Gautam Gambhir.

But de Villiers's luck ran out when, he edged a delivery from medium-pacer Ganguly onto his pad and wicket-keeper Mahendra Singh Dhoni, standing up to the stumps, ran round to take a catch.

Next ball left-hander Jean-Paul Duminy was given out lbw by Aleem to a swinging ball that looked to be missing leg-stump.

Kemp survived the hat-trick with a single.

However, on 10, he saw a powerfully hit drive off left-arm quick R.P. Singh dropped by Dinesh Karthik, normally a wicket-keeper, at cover with South Africa 53 for four.

Gibbs should have been run out for 43 but Chawla knocked the bails off without the ball. And two deliveries later Dhoni missed a chance to stump Gibbs.

The talented Gibbs then completed a 59-ball fifty with a soaring straight six off Chawla before he was bowled by a full-length Zaheer delivery.

Scoreboard

SOUTH AFRICA:

A.B. de Villiers c Dhoni b Ganguly 15

M.N. van Wyk lbw b Agarkar 0

J.H. Kallis b Agarkar 0

H.H. Gibbs b Zaheer 56

J.P. Duminy lbw b Ganguly 0

J.M. Kemp b Tendulkar 61

M.V. Boucher not out 11

A.J. Hall c Karthik b Tendulkar 1

EXTRAS (B-1, LB-3) 4

TOTAL (for seven wkts, 31 overs) 148

FALL OF WKTS: 1-6, 2-8, 3-28, 4-28, 5-127, 6-144, 7-148.

DID NOT BAT: D.W. Steyn, A. Nel, M. Ntini.

BOWLING: Zaheer Khan 7-0-29-1; Agarkar 6-0-21-2; R.P. Singh 6-2-15-0; Ganguly 6-0-24-2; Chawla 3-0-28-0; Yuvraj Singh 2-0-17-0; Tendulkar 1-0-10-2.

INDIA: S.R. Tendulkar, S.C. Ganguly, G. Gambhir, R. Dravid, Yuvraj Singh, K.D. Karthik, M.S. Dhoni, A.B. Agarkar, Zaheer Khan, Piyush Chawla, R.P. Singh.

UMPIRES: Aleem Dar (Pakistan) and M.R. Benson (England).

TV UMPIRE: B.F. Bowden (New Zealand).

MATCH REFEREE: A.G. Hurst (Australia).—AFP