Proteas cling on for draw

Debutant Faf du Plessis batted throughout the final day for a defiant unbeaten century to guide South Africa to a thrilling draw against Australia in the second Adelaide Test on Monday.

Man-of-the-match du Plessis occupied the crease for almost eight hours in a feat of physical and mental endurance to ensure the Proteas avoided defeat and take the three-Test series to a decider starting in Perth on Friday.

Australia must win the series to take the world number one ranking from South Africa.

In a gripping finish, lion-hearted fast bowler Peter Siddle had Dale Steyn caught at mid-wicket for a duck and then bowled Rory Kleinveldt (3) with a yorker deep inside the final hour of play.

Siddle gave everything in the final over of the Test in search of the last two wickets but Morne Morkel held on.

It was the second time the South Africans had batted out for a draw in the series after denying Australia's unlikely victory push in the Brisbane opener earlier this month.

At stumps Du Plessis, who needed physio treatment for cramps late in the day, was unconquered on 110 with Morkel not out eight in South Africa's 248 for eight.

AFP

Australia 
1st Innings 550
South Africa 
1st Innings 388 
Australia 
2nd Innings 267 for 8 dec. 
South Africa 
2nd Innings 
(overnight 77 for 4)
A. Petersen b Siddle		24
G. Smith c Ponting b Hilfenhaus	 0
H. Amla c Clarke b Lyon		17
J. Rudolph c Cowan b Lyon	 3 
AB de Villiers b Siddle		33
F. du Plessis not out 		110 
J. Kallis c Cowan b Lyon	46
D. Steyn c Quiney b Siddle	 0
R. Kleinveldt b Siddle		 3 
M. Morkel not out 		 8 
Extras (b1, lb1, w1, nb1)	 4 
Total (8 wickets; 148 overs)	248
Fall of wickets: 1-3 (Smith), 2-36 (Amla), 3-45 (Rudolph), 4-45 (Petersen), 
5-134 (De Villiers), 6-233 (Kallis), 7-234 (Steyn), 8-240 (Kleinveldt)
Bowling: Hilfenhaus 34-16-65-1, Siddle 33-15-65-4 (1nb), Clarke 18-5-34-0, 
Lyon 50-31-49-3, Warner 6-0-29-0, Quiney 6-3-4-0 (1w), Ponting 1-1-0-0