Siddle’s first five-wicket haul puts Aussies on top

Peter Siddle’s first five-wicket haul in Tests halted a familiar third-day fightback from South Africa, who with the exception of Mark Boucher and Morne Morkel, finally showed signs of tiring at the end of a whirlwind series. Australia closed the day with an advantage of 151 and on a cracking surface it was a more than useful buffer with ten wickets in hand.

Matthew Hayden survived a perilously tight lbw shout from Dale Steyn late in the day as Australia faced a tricky 20-minute period that closed a day that, but for one partnership, belonged largely to Australia. Boucher and Morkel combined for a 115-run sixth-wicket stand which was the only highlight for a generally lacklustre South Africa.

When Siddle broke the stand with a straight ball that crashed into Morkel’s middle stump, the end came quickly.

Siddle kept the ball on target and rattled the stumps of Steyn and Boucher and trapped Paul Harris in front to finish with 5 for 59, which gave Australia a first-innings lead of 118.

Three wickets and a strangling of the run-rate suggested the match might not head in the same direction as the first two Tests, and Siddle’s strikes ended the day on a high. The problem for Australia was what was sandwiched between the good times.

Australia 
1st innings 445

South Africa 1st innings

ND McKenzie lbw b Siddle		23
GC Smith retired hurt			30
HM Amla lbw b McDonald			51
JH Kallis c Hayden b Johnson		37
AB de Villiers run out (Johnson)	11
JP Duminy lbw b Johnson			13
MV Boucher b Siddle			89
M Morkel b Siddle			40
PL Harris lbw b Siddle			 2
DW Steyn b Siddle			 6
M Ntini not out				 0

Extras (lb 12, w 9, nb 4)		25

TOTAL (all out; 120.5 overs)		327

FALL OF WICKETS : 0-35* (Smith, retired not out, 12.5 ov), 1-76 (McKenzie), 2-131 (Kallis), 3-161 (de Villiers),
 		4-166 (Amla), 5-193 (Duminy), 6-308 (Morkel), 7-310 (Harris), 8-316 (Steyn), 9-327 (Boucher)
BOWLING: PM Siddle 27.5-11-59-5, DE Bollinger 23-4-78-0 (3nb, 2w), MG Johnson 28-6-69-2 (3w), 
	AB McDonald 22-8-41-1 (1nb), NM Hauritz 20-4-68-0. 

Australia 
2nd innings

ML Hayden not out			18
SM Katich not out			 9

Extras (lb 6)				 6
	
TOTAL (0 wickets; 6 overs)		33
BOWLING: DW Steyn 3-0-17-0, M Ntini 3-0-10-0


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