Close, but no heroic escape for SA

Times Media - March 6 2014

TELFORD VICE, Cape Town

Faf du Plessis couldn’t do it this time. Neither could AB de Villiers nor JP Duminy. Kyle Abbott tried hard, and Vernon Philander and Dale Steyn went beyond the call of duty. But all of them fell short of what was required.

Australia were too good. They won the third test by 245 runs at Newlands yesterday to claim the series 2-1.

SA, set a pipe-dream target of 511, were dismissed for 265 just 27 deliveries away from securing a draw.

SA had to play catch-up cricket ever since Michael Clarke won the toss and was able to declare his team’s first innings closed on 494/7.

But SA never caught up like they did in the Adelaide test in November 2012, when Du Plessis scored an undefeated 110 on debut to save the match.

They were also unsettled by their captain, Graeme Smith, announcing his international retirement after stumps on the second day.

“When I told the team, it was a really tough night,” Smith said yesterday. “I didn’t get too many words out.

“The Proteas have been my family. The hardest part was saying goodbye to the team.”

Clarke offered Smith respect and praise: “He’s going to get a lot of credit, but whatever he gets he deserves a lot more. The game’s a sadder place without him.

“I learnt a lot from him as a captain.”

When play resumed yesterday, SA were 71/4. De Villiers and nightwatchman Abbott absorbed the pressure and held up Australia’s progress for 25 overs.

Mitchell Johnson bowled to a plan bristling with a short cover, five slips, a leg slip, a forward short leg and a short midwicket. Nathan Lyon’s minefield was primed with a silly mid-off, two slips, a leg slip, a leg gully, a forward short leg and a silly mid-on.

The pitch stayed as true as could be expected and took turn, but De Villiers and Abbott stood firm. Then Abbott left an inswinger from Pattinson and was bowled. He faced 89 balls for his seven.

If SA were to secure a draw, De Villiers and Du Plessis would need to stay together at least until the sun began to sink behind Table Mountain.

But it was still high in the clear blue sky in the fifth over of the second session, when De Villiers pushed uncertainly at Ryan Harris and was caught behind to end a vigil of almost six hours and 228 balls for his 43.

Proceedings took a decisive turn in the fourth over before tea when Du Plessis was trapped in front for a 109-ball 47 by a leg-break from Steve Smith that only just pitched on the line of leg stump.

Eight overs after that, Philander wore a beamer from James Pattinson on his hand.

SA were 246/8 with 20 overs left when Duminy tried to clip Johnson to off his pads and was well held by Lyon at leg slip. More valuable than his 43 was the 99 balls it consumed.

Then Johnson bounced Philander, who tried to fend off a brutish ball and was given out caught at short leg. Philander referred the decision, and was reprieved.

That triggered an altercation in which Steyn levelled his bat - apparently at Clarke. Suddenly, the umpires needed the skills of boxing referees. But only words, not punches, were thrown.

With Steyn crocked by a hamstring injury, runs were refused. But there was little SA could do about the slower ball from Harris that bowled Steyn.

Two deliveries later, Harris nailed Morne Morkel’s off-stump to end the match.

Philander trouped off, beaten but unbowed, with 51 not out.