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DURBAN, March 11: Australia levelled the five-match series of One-day Internationals with South Africa at 2-2 after a nerve-shredding one-wicket victory on Friday (partly reported in Saturdays edition).
The world champions, chasing 247 in 50 overs to win the day-night match, reached their target with five balls to spare after tail-ender Stuart Clark compiled a priceless undefeated 16.
Australia looked poised for a much easier victory when Adam Gilchrist (45) and Simon Katich (46) put on 87 for the first wicket and when Andrew Symonds was in full flight.
Hitting the ball with ferocious power, Symonds cracked two sixes and nine fours to race to 76 off 71 balls.
Roger Telemachus, who had figures of three for 34, set up the thrilling finish when he bowled Symonds to leave Australia 218 for seven.
Makhaya Ntini then had Brett Lee caught behind off the next ball but Clark, Nathan Bracken and Mick Lewis held their nerve to push the visitors over the finish line.
Defeat was a bitter pill to swallow for South Africa especially after they had gone 2-0 up in the series. To add to their worries, all-rounder Shaun Pollock left the field with a back strain.
Scoreboard
SOUTH AFRICA:
G.C. Smith c Gilchrist b Bracken 1
H.H. Dippenaar c Clarke b Lee 101
H.H. Gibbs c Gilchrist b Bracken 1
A.B. de Villiers lbw b Lewis 38
J.H. Kallis c Hussey b Symonds 21
M.V. Boucher c Gilchrist b Lewis 19
J.M. Kemp lbw b Clark 1
S.M. Pollock not out 53
R. Telemachus run out 0
A.J. Hall run out 0
EXTRAS (B-2, LB-2, W-2, PEN-5) 11
TOTAL (for nine wkts, 50 overs) 246
FALL OF WKTS: 1-1, 2-9, 3-81, 4-118, 5-170, 6-173, 7-245, 8-246, 9-246.
DID NOT BAT: M. Ntini.
BOWLING: Lee 10-0-55-1; Bracken 10-2-36-2; Clark 10-1-49-1; Lewis 10-0-38-2; Symonds 6-0-31-1 (1w); Hussey 2-0-15-0; Clarke 2-0-13-0 (1w).
AUSTRALIA:
A.C. Gilchrist c de Villiers b Kallis 45
S.M. Katich c Kallis b Hall 46
R.T. Ponting c Boucher b Telemachus 7
D.R. Martyn c Boucher b Telemachus 1
A. Symonds b Telemachus 76
M.J. Clarke c Boucher b Kallis 7
M.E.K. Hussey run out 19
B. Lee c Boucher b Ntini 6
N.W. Bracken b Hall 7
S.R. Clark not out 16
M. Lewis not out 4
EXTRAS (B-1, LB-2, W-7, NB-3) 13
TOTAL (for nine wkts, 49.1 overs) 247
FALL OF WKTS: 1-87, 2-99, 3-100, 4-101, 5-140, 6-192, 7-218, 8-218, 9-241.
BOWLING: Pollock 5-2-22-0 (1nb); Ntini 10-1-501; Hall 9.1-1-52-2; Telemachus 10-1-34-3 (2nb); Kallis 9-0-46-2 (3w); Kemp 4-0-170; Smith 2-0-23-0 (4w).
UMPIRES: K.H. Hurter (South Africa) and J.W. Lloyds (England).
TV UMPIRE: B.G. Jerling (South Africa).
MATCH REFEREE: B.C Broad (England).
MAN-OF-THE-MATCH: Boeta Dippenaar.
FINAL MATCH: At Johannesburg on Sunday.—Reuters
