Ken Borland

Australia called into service all the ruthlessness, precision and nous of their ace bowling attack to leave South Africa reeling on 149 for six, the follow-on now almost certain, at the end of the fourth day of the third Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Saturday.

With rain having washed out the entire third day’s play and the fourth morning, and Australia declaring on their overnight score of 475 for four, the Proteas were left with five sessions to survive, the follow-on target of 276 their prime objective.

But their top-order was blown away before tea as they slumped to 37 for three, and middle-order resistance in the final session was broken as captain Pat Cummins bowled a wonderful spell of skilful, clever and aggressive fast bowling, using the around-the-wicket option superbly.

Temba Bavuma (35) and Khaya Zondo (39) provided some brave resistance as they added 48 for the fourth wicket, and Zondo and Kyle Verreynne (19) added 45 for the fifth wicket.

Marco Jansen (10*) and Simon Harmer (6*) are at the wicket for the Proteas and will try and prolong the first innings for as long as possible on the final day.

Josh Hazlewood returned to Test action with an immaculate line at brisk pace, and he grabbed his second wicket when he removed the tenacious Bavuma, the batsman edging an unnecessary defensive stroke outside off-stump to the wicketkeeper.

An outstanding yorker from around the wicket by Cummins (14-5-29-3) then accounted for Zondo, trapped lbw, and four overs later, he induced an easy slip catch from Verreynne.

The Australian attack, having five sessions to take 20 wickets to win the Test and claim a 3-0 sweep of the series, as well as assuring themselves of a place in the World Test Championship final, were bang on target from the outset on Saturday.

It made for a torrid time for the Proteas batsmen, especially opener Dean Elgar. The captain scored 15, but most of those runs were off the edge and he lived a charmed life, notably when he edged Hazlewood to Steven Smith at first slip. Smith was diving forward one-handed, but the similarity to the Marnus Labuschagne/Harmer incident on the first day saw third umpire Richard Kettleborough quite rightly disallow the catch because some part of the ball had touched the ground.

But Hazlewood dismissed Elgar four overs later when the left-hander got into a tangle against a well-directed lifter on leg-stump, gloving a catch to the wicketkeeper.

Off-spinner Nathan Lyon was introduced in the eighth over and he bowled opener Sarel Erwee for 18 in his sixth over, the left-hander making a terrible error of judgement and shouldering arms to a delivery that went straight on to off-stump.

Excellent use of the short ball again by Australia, this time by Cummins, saw the departure of Heinrich Klaasen (2) in the next over, gloving a lifter aimed at his armpit through to the wicketkeeper.

The West Indies were facing an uphill struggle trying to chase down the follow-on mark as they stumbled to tea on 184 for six on the third day of the first Sunfoil Test against South Africa at SuperSport Park in Centurion on Friday.

With South Africa having declared their first innings on 552 for five, the West Indies need 353 to avoid the follow-on, but it was a frustrating day for them as all six dismissed batsmen made it into double-figures, with two of them out in controversial fashion

Vernon Philander’s tight off-stump line with movement away was exacting a heavy toll on the West Indies and he had four for 26 including the big wicket of Shivnarine Chanderpaul for 21.

The awkward, slow-scoring left-hander pushed forward to an excellent delivery that pitched on off-stump and moved away, edging a low catch to second slip, where Alviro Petersen made a good diving take.

The ball was really talking for Philander and four overs later he drew an edge from Jermaine Blackwood (12) that, despite the batsman’s soft hands, just about made it to Petersen diving forward at second slip. It was a superb take, but television replays suggested the batsman should have been given the benefit of the doubt.

Morne Morkel, meanwhile, had given Marlon Samuels a rough, bareback ride in the previous spell from the Hennops River End, but the batsman mounted a spirited defence, surviving for two hours as he scored 33.

Morkel was targeting the body from around the wicket and eventually a delivery jagged back and dribbled off the inside edge into the stumps, ending a 45-run stand with Chanderpaul.

Leon Johnson also made a start, reaching 31 before he was dismissed in soft fashion, driving Kyle Abbott to cover in the third over after lunch.

An opening stand of 72 had nicely teed up the West Indies’ reply before both openers were dismissed and they reached lunch on 110 for two.

Kraigg Braithwaite (34) and Devon Smith (35) were the batsmen who defied the much-vaunted South African pace attack for 21.4 overs in cloudy conditions and it took an extraordinary decision by TV umpire Paul Reiffel for the breakthrough to come.

Philander had just returned for his second spell when Smith tried to pull a shortish delivery and wicketkeeper AB de Villiers, standing in for Quinton de Kock who rolled an ankle in the warm-up, tumbled to his left to make the take. Faf du Plessis was also off the field due to abdominal cramps.

On-field umpire Billy Bowden turned down the caught-behind appeal that came mostly from Philander and South Africa decided to refer the decision.

Reiffel decided that a flimsy scratch on Snicko could be pinned down to when the ball passed the bat and overturned Bowden’s decision, which left most people watching the replays utterly bemused and the West Indians less than happy.

Braithwaite was then nailed by Philander in his next over, the accurate paceman getting a delivery to nip away, a firm push sending the ball low and to the right of Hashim Amla at first slip, the captain claiming a good catch.

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South Africa continued to chip away at the Sri Lankan second innings as the tourists reached 138 for four in their follow-on innings at stumps on the third day of the third and final test at Newlands on Thursday.

Sri Lanka are still 203 runs behind, with South Africa needing just six more wickets in two days to win the test and clinch the series 2-1.

After being asked to follow on 341 runs behind, under cloudless skies on a mostly even batting pitch, Sri Lanka lost regular wickets.

Their only partnership of note was the 67-run second-wicket stand between Lahiru Thirimanne and Kumar Sangakkara.

Jacques Kallis, who had scored 224 to provide the foundation of South Africa’s massive first-innings total of 580 for four declared, eventually removed Thirimanne for 30 in an aggressive spell after tea.

The left-handed opener edged a lifter on to his thigh pad, from where the ball ricocheted to short-leg, Hashim Amla clasping a fine reflex catch above his head.

Leg-spinner Imran Tahir then piled on the pressure with an impressive spell around the wicket into the rough outside the left-handed Sangakkara’s off-stump, the former captain eventually edging a back-foot defensive stroke to Kallis at slip.

Sangakkara had held up the South Africans for a little over two hours in scoring 34.

Kallis then took a thrilling catch, diving low in front of first slip, to remove Mahela Jayawardene for 12 off the bowling of Morne Morkel.

Angelo Mathews then went confidently to 28 not out by stumps as he struck three fours off 38 balls. He was partnered by Thilan Samaraweera, on 19 not out, at the close.

Seamer Vernon Philander gave Sri Lanka the most headaches after lunch as Sri Lanka struggled to 42 for one in their follow-on innings at tea.

Philander took three for 46 as he wrapped up the Sri Lankan first innings for 239  and he then claimed the one wicket to fall before tea.

Sri Lanka captain Tillakaratne Dilshan fell for just five when he edged a booming drive at Philander through to wicketkeeper Mark Boucher.

Morkel should have claimed the wicket of fellow opener Thirimanne on 10, but Boucher dropped a simple catch behind the stumps.

South Africa captain Graeme Smith enforced the follow on after Sri Lanka lost their last three wickets for 20 runs in the half-hour after lunch, fast bowler Dale Steyn also finishing with three wickets.

Steyn bowled with great intensity and control before lunch to give South Africa a firm grip on the test. Sticking to a wonderful line just outside off stump and moving the ball away at high pace, he took three for 16 in eight overs on the third morning as Sri Lanka’s ill-equipped batsmen slumped to 219 for seven at lunch.

Rookie wicketkeeper/batsman Dinesh Chandimal was their leading light on Thursday as he was the last man out, for 35.

Sri Lanka had resumed on their overnight score of 149 for two and lost eight wickets for 90 runs.

It was Steyn who started the rot when he removed Sangakkara, who drove lazily to Amla at point, for 35 with the third ball of the day.

Philander, who may have taken more wickets with a bit more fortune, then found the edge of Samaraweera’s bat as the veteran prodded at another fine delivery that nipped away from back-of-a-length outside off stump. Kallis took a low catch at second slip and Samaraweera was out for 11.

Steyn, who did not stray from his exemplary line all morning, then returned half-an-hour before lunch and Jayawardene (30) was not able to resist pushing firmly at a delivery outside off stump, edging another catch to Kallis at second slip.

Mathews did not trouble Steyn for long, making just a single before he dabbed at an away-swinger and wicketkeeper Boucher took a good catch diving forward.

Spinner Tahir then rushed a big-turning leg-break through Thisara Perera’s defences to bowl him for five with what became the last ball before lunch.

Fast bowler Steyn finished with three for 56 in 20 overs, while Tahir took two for 54 in 21 overs.

South Africa won the first match of the series at Centurion by an innings and 81 runs and Sri Lanka triumphed by 208 runs in the second test in Durban.