Harris hands Australia innings defeat

FE Team | Published: March 23, 2009 00:00:00 | Updated: February 01, 2018 00:00:00

South Africa 651 (de Villiers 163, Prince 150, Kallis 102) beat Australia 209 (Katich 55, Steyn 4-56) and 422 (Johnson 123*, McDonald 68, Katich 54, Harris 6-127) by an innings and 20 runs
South Africa were made to wait longer than expected for a consolation victory in Cape Town by Mitchell Johnson's first Test century and a stubborn knock from Andrew McDonald. Paul Harris and Dale Steyn had dismissed the big names of the visitors' batting by tea but it was nearly stumps before Australia's first innings-defeat in more than 11 years was confirmed. The victory snapped South Africa's string of five consecutive losses to Australia at home.
Both sides decided to play the waiting game, but with differing results. South Africa's bowlers took a cue from Australia's batsmen in the morning and patiently went about their task, and by the time tea rolled around they had picked up four of the eight wickets needed to secure victory in the final Test. The afternoon session started with Dale Steyn dismissing the obdurate Michael Hussey, looking to defend, and finished with him cleaning up Michael Clarke, looking to drive. Minor lapses in concentration were always going to be crucial on a day like this.
After the flogging of yesterday afternoon, a battle of attrition played out on the fourth morning. Just 40 runs were scored, with Australia's batsmen trying valiantly to delay South Africa's charge towards victory. Runs became immaterial as Simon Katich and Hussey set about trying to eat up the hours, playing the ball straight and with soft hands, with Australia facing an uphill battle.
The first run didn't come for 23 minutes, after which Katich was dropped by Paul Harris at gully without adding a run to his overnight 44. He finally got to his half-century but 20 minutes before lunch an unlikely stroke led to his downfall when he chased a flighted delivery and picked out mid-off.
It was soon after the lunch break that Australia had their second breakthrough. The diligent Steyn had worked hard on the approach of Hussey, bowling a good line outside the off stump. He kept a tight control on where Hussey could play the ball, and when he brought his line closer to the off stump, he was rewarded as the ball got big and took the shoulder of the blade to a tumbling JP Duminy at gully. Hussey had compiled a tolerant 39 but failed to add to that after lunch.
Instead of persisting with pace at one end, Jacques Kallis then called on Duminy's part-time spin to partner the restrictive Harris. While Clarke collected four boundaries in three overs with twinkle-toed efficiency, his new partner never settled. Brad Haddin, a tad squirmy at the crease, tried to match the burgeoning strokeplay of his vice-captain and chipped a lofted shot to a back-pedaling Duminy at mid-on. Kallis hadn't tried too hard to get wickets, opting to go slow, but Australia were wobbling. ---Cricinfo