Australia on course to avoid series whitewash
Peter Siddle's five wickets give Australia upper hand on day three
Monday, 05, Jan 2009 11:54
Australia have ended day three of the third Test in Sydney on 33-0, holding a 151-run lead over South Africa as they bid to avoid a historic series whitewash.
The match is already a dead rubber after the hosts collapsed to defeats to the Proteas in Perth and Melbourne - and defeat in the final Test of the series could see them replaced by their opponents at the top of cricket's world rankings.
However, a five-wicket haul from fast bowler Peter Siddle - his first in Test cricket - put the hosts on course for a dominant day.
Resuming on 125-1, but with captain Graeme Smith having been forced out with a broken hand when unbeaten on 30, South Africa looked to build an innings to rival Australia's 445 all out.
But when Mitchell Johnson struck early to remove Jacques Kallis (37) and AB de Villiers (11) was run out soon afterwards the tourists looked in trouble.
In-form Hashim Amla (51) followed just after making an assured half-century to leave Smith's side on 166-4, before Johnson struck again to remove the Proteas' second Test hero JP Duminy (13).
Mark Boucher (89) and Morne Morkel (40) looked to be on course to stage another tail-end fightback after the 180-run partnership for the ninth wicket in their first innings of the last Test.
But this time Australia's bowlers had the final word - in particular Siddle, who clean bowled Morkel after he had played his part in a 115-run partnership.
The paceman then caught Paul Harris lbw for two, and bowled Dale Steyn (six) and Boucher to restrict the tourists to 327-9 and a deficit of 118.
Matthew Hayden and Simon Katich then comfortably saw off the final six overs, putting on 33 runs to move the lead past 150 going into the fourth day.