SYDNEY, Jan 4: A fine century by Michael Clarke has given Australia a good chance of earning a consolation victory in the third and final Test against South Africa at the Sydney Cricket Ground here on Sunday.

The Aussie vice-captain, dropped twice on the first day, converted an unbeaten 73 into 138, while valuable contributions from Mitchell Johnson (64) and Nathan Hauritz (41) guided Australia to 445 all out in their first innings.

South Africa, who replied strongly to close at 125-1, suffered a big blow when their skipper Graeme Smith retired hurt with a broken hand that will keep him out for six weeks after being hit by a vicious delivery from left-arm fast bowler Johnson.

The tourists, having won the first two matches to earn their first Test series victory in Australia, started the day in fine shape to force a whitewash.

But having bowled well on Saturday to restrict the hosts to 267-6, they were not counting on a 142-run stand between Clarke and Johnson.

That was finally ended after lunch when Jean-Paul Duminy’s occasional spin forced the downfall of Clarke, the right-hander driving a catch back to the bowler off a full toss in the slow left-armer’s first over in Test cricket.

Johnson, who slammed 11 fours, soon followed, edging Dale Steyn (3-95) to slip, but there was a further sting in the tail, with Hauritz and Peter Siddle (23) adding 59 for the ninth wicket.

Paul Harris (3-84) finally removed both men as Australia continued to attack, and South Africa reached tea on 18-0.

Smith and Neil McKenzie batted for a further eight overs in the final session before a Johnson delivery hit Smith on his left hand with the total on 35.

McKenzie batted on smoothly against a novice Aussie bowling attack before Siddle nipped one back into his pads to remove him lbw for 23.

However, Hashim Amla (30) and Jacques Kallis (36) prevented any further damage in an unbroken partnership of 49.

But the day belonged chiefly to Clarke, who blotted out previous failures at his home ground to reach an important 250-ball landmark during which batted for six hours and 13 minutes and hit 17 boundaries.

He said afterwards: “It’s my fifth Test here and I hadn’t scored a fifty, so it’s very disappointing to have your family and friends come out to watch and you don’t perform. I’ve let them down too many times, so today I didn’t let them down. It was extra special.”

However he was upset with the manner of his dismissal, explaining: “I was very disappointed, a rank full toss. I was a little bit mentally fatigued. It’s been a tough series, a very good series for me personally to try myself against a very good attack.”

Scoreboard

AUSTRALIA (1st Innings, overnight 267-6):

M.L. Hayden b Steyn 31

S.M. Katich c de Villiers b Kallis 47

R.T. Ponting c Boucher b Morkel 0

M.E.K. Hussey c Kallis b Harris 30

M.J. Clarke c and b Duminy 138

A.B. McDonald c Boucher b Ntini 15

B.J. Haddin b Steyn 38

M.G. Johnson c Smith b Steyn 64

N.M. Hauritz c Duminy b Harris 41

P.M. Siddle lbw b Harris 23

D.E. Bollinger not out 0

EXTRAS (LB-7, W-3, NB-8) 18

TOTAL (all out, 136.2 overs) 445

FALL OF WKTS: 1-62, 2-63, 3-109, 4-130, 5-162, 6-237, 7-379, 8-381, 9-440.

BOWLING: Steyn 27-5-95-3; Ntini 29-5-102-1 (3nb, 1w); Morkel 27-3-89-1 (5nb); Kallis 20-6-54-1 (1w); Harris 29.2-6-84-3; Duminy 4-0-14-1.

SOUTH AFRCA (1st Innings):

N.D. McKenzie lbw b Siddle 23

G.C. Smith retired hurt 30

H.M. Amla not out 30

J.H. Kallis not out 36

EXTRAS (LB-2, W-2, NB-2) 6

TOTAL (for one wkt, 39 overs) 125

FALL OF WKT: 1-76.

TO BAT: A.B. de Villiers, J.P. Duminy, M.V. Boucher, M. Morkel, P.L. Harris, D.W. Steyn, M. Ntini.

BOWLING (to-date): Siddle 10-4-21-1; Bollinger 10-1-42-0 (1nb, 1w); Johnson 8-1-28-0 (1w); McDonald 6-2-12-0 (1nb); Hauritz 5-0-20-0.

NOTE: Smith retired hurt at 35-0.

—Agencies