Cricket: 3rd & Final Test – Australia vs South Africa (Friday 30 November to Tuesday 4 December 2012)

Published 3 December 2012 | By grootblousmile

Australia and the South African Proteas did battle in the 3rd & final Test of the Series in Australia at the Western Australia Cricket Association ground (WACA), Perth.

The game took place mostly in the middle of the night for South Africans, so live updates was given in the mornings.

Some thought it strange when South Africa chose to bat first after winning the toss, considering the batting surface, but in hind sight it proved the perfect decision. After only posting a modest 225 by South Africa in the first innings, they took the Australian batsment apart with regularity in Australia’s first innings, reducing them to only 163 all out.

Then came the master class of the South African second innings, amassing 569 runs in double quick fashion and with an hour to go in Day 3, the Australians went in to bat. No wickets fell in that last hour of Day 3, but Day 4 was the clincher, with Australian wickets falling at regular intervals.

Michael Starc hung on, frustrating the South African bowlers and South African spectators alike, but in the end South Africa won the Test by 309 runs, more than a full Day early, and thus winning the Test Series 1 / 0 to retain their World No 1 Test ranking.

 

South Africa 225 & 569

Australia 163 & 322

 

South Africa won by 309 runs

  • South Africa in Australia Test Series – 3rd Test
  • Test no. 2064 | 2012/13 season
  • Played at Western Australia Cricket Association Ground, Perth
  • 30 November, 1,2,3 December 2012 (5-day match)
South Africa 1st innings R B 4s 6s SR
GC Smith* c Clarke b Watson 16 30 1 0 53.33
AN Petersen b Starc 30 73 4 0 41.09
HM Amla run out (Warner) 11 43 2 0 25.58
JH Kallis b Starc 2 7 0 0 28.57
AB de Villiers† c Clarke b Hastings 4 12 1 0 33.33
D Elgar c †Wade b Johnson 0 12 0 0 0.00
F du Plessis not out 78 142 12 0 54.92
RJ Peterson c †Wade b Lyon 31 45 3 0 68.88
VD Philander c Hussey b Lyon 30 54 2 1 55.55
DW Steyn b Johnson 2 11 0 0 18.18
M Morkel c Hastings b Lyon 17 15 4 0 113.33
Extras (lb 2, w 2) 4
Total (all out; 74 overs) 225 (3.04 runs per over)
Fall of wickets 1-38 (Smith, 11.3 ov), 2-61 (Petersen, 22.4 ov), 3-63 (Kallis, 24.3 ov), 4-67 (Amla, 26.5 ov), 5-67 (de Villiers, 27.4 ov), 6-75 (Elgar, 30.5 ov), 7-132 (Peterson, 47.3 ov), 8-196 (Philander, 67.1 ov), 9-206 (Steyn, 70.2 ov), 10-225 (Morkel, 73.6 ov)
Bowling O M R W Econ
MA Starc 16 3 55 2 3.43
JW Hastings 20 2 51 1 2.55
SR Watson 9 2 22 1 2.44 (1w)
MG Johnson 17 3 54 2 3.17 (1w)
NM Lyon 12 1 41 3 3.41
Australia 1st innings R B 4s 6s SR
DA Warner c †de Villiers b Steyn 13 35 2 0 37.14
EJM Cowan c Kallis b Steyn 0 1 0 0 0.00
SR Watson lbw b Philander 10 12 1 0 83.33
NM Lyon c du Plessis b Steyn 7 26 0 0 26.92
RT Ponting lbw b Philander 4 7 0 0 57.14
MJ Clarke* c †de Villiers b Steyn 5 13 0 0 38.46
MEK Hussey c Smith b Morkel 12 40 1 0 30.00
MS Wade† b Peterson 68 102 7 3 66.66
JW Hastings c Petersen b Peterson 32 58 4 0 55.17
MG Johnson b Peterson 7 22 0 0 31.81
MA Starc not out 0 3 0 0 0.00
Extras (lb 5) 5
Total (all out; 53.1 overs) 163 (3.06 runs per over)
Fall of wickets 1-3 (Cowan, 0.3 ov), 2-18 (Watson, 5.1 ov), 3-34 (Warner, 12.1 ov), 4-35 (Lyon, 12.4 ov), 5-43 (Ponting, 15.2 ov), 6-45 (Clarke, 16.2 ov), 7-100 (Hussey, 30.3 ov), 8-140 (Wade, 45.5 ov), 9-162 (Johnson, 51.5 ov), 10-163 (Hastings, 53.1 ov)
Bowling O M R W Econ
DW Steyn 16 4 40 4 2.50
VD Philander 16 0 55 2 3.43
M Morkel 13 6 19 1 1.46
RJ Peterson 8.1 1 44 3 5.38
South Africa 2nd innings R B 4s 6s SR
AN Petersen c & b Johnson 23 20 4 0 115.00
GC Smith* c Lyon b Starc 84 100 13 0 84.00
HM Amla c & b Johnson 196 221 21 0 88.68
JH Kallis c Johnson b Starc 37 65 5 0 56.92
AB de Villiers† c †Wade b Starc 169 184 21 3 91.84
D Elgar lbw b Johnson 0 4 0 0 0.00
F du Plessis c Clarke b Johnson 27 38 4 0 71.05
RJ Peterson c Johnson b Starc 0 3 0 0 0.00
VD Philander not out 14 17 2 0 82.35
DW Steyn c †Wade b Starc 8 17 1 0 47.05
M Morkel b Starc 0 2 0 0 0.00
Extras (b 4, lb 4, w 3) 11
Total (all out; 111.5 overs) 569 (5.08 runs per over)
Fall of wickets 1-28 (Petersen, 6.6 ov), 2-206 (Smith, 32.3 ov), 3-287 (Kallis, 51.5 ov), 4-436 (Amla, 88.1 ov), 5-436 (Elgar, 88.5 ov), 6-538 (du Plessis, 102.6 ov), 7-539 (Peterson, 103.5 ov), 8-557 (de Villiers, 107.4 ov), 9-569 (Steyn, 111.3 ov), 10-569 (Morkel, 111.5 ov)
Bowling O M R W Econ
MA Starc 28.5 3 154 6 5.34 (1w)
SR Watson 9 3 24 0 2.66
MG Johnson 25 1 110 4 4.40
JW Hastings 19 1 102 0 5.36 (1w)
NM Lyon 22 2 128 0 5.81
MEK Hussey 4 0 26 0 6.50 (1w)
DA Warner 3 0 14 0 4.66
RT Ponting 1 0 3 0 3.00
Australia 2nd innings (target: 632 runs) R B 4s 6s SR
EJM Cowan c Elgar b Steyn 53 149 5 1 35.57
DA Warner c Smith b Philander 29 34 5 0 85.29
SR Watson c Smith b Morkel 25 46 4 0 54.34
RT Ponting c Kallis b Peterson 8 23 2 0 34.78
MJ Clarke* st †de Villiers b Peterson 44 52 8 0 84.61
MEK Hussey c †de Villiers b Steyn 26 52 1 0 50.00
MS Wade† c Smith b Peterson 10 12 2 0 83.33
JW Hastings c Smith b Morkel 20 30 1 2 66.66
MG Johnson c †de Villiers b Philander 3 13 0 0 23.07
MA Starc not out 68 43 9 2 158.13
NM Lyon c Smith b Steyn 31 43 6 0 72.09
Extras (lb 3, w 2) 5
Total (10 wickets; 82.5 overs) 322 (3.88 runs per over)
Fall of wickets 1-40 (Warner, 13.2 ov), 2-81 (Watson, 28.6 ov), 3-102 (Ponting, 37.4 ov), 4-130 (Cowan, 42.5 ov), 5-188 (Clarke, 57.5 ov), 6-198 (Hussey, 60.3 ov), 7-198 (Wade, 61.5 ov), 8-204 (Johnson, 66.5 ov), 9-235 (Hastings, 70.2 ov), 10-322 (Lyon, 82.5 ov)
Bowling O M R W Econ
DW Steyn 22.5 6 72 3 3.15 (1w)
VD Philander 21 8 41 2 1.95
M Morkel 16 2 57 2 3.56 (1w)
RJ Peterson 20 2 127 3 6.35
D Elgar 1 0 4 0 4.00
F du Plessis 2 0 18 0 9.00
Match details
Toss South Africa, who chose to bat
Test debuts JW Hastings (Australia); D Elgar (South Africa)
Player of the match tba
Umpires Asad Rauf (Pakistan) and RA Kettleborough (England)
TV umpire BF Bowden (New Zealand)
Match referee RS Madugalle (Sri Lanka)
Reserve umpire JD Ward
Close of play
– day 1 – Australia 1st innings 33/2 (DA Warner 12*, NM Lyon 7*, 11 ov)
– day 2 – South Africa 2nd innings 230/2 (HM Amla 99*, JH Kallis 17*, 38 ov)
– day 3 – Australia 2nd innings 40/0 (EJM Cowan 9*, DA Warner 29*, 13 ov)
Match notes
  • Day 1
  • Day 2
  • Day 3
  • Day 4
  • Australia: 50 runs in 17.2 overs (104 balls), Extras 2
  • Drinks: Australia – 73/1 in 26.0 overs (EJM Cowan 22, SR Watson 19)
  • Australia: 100 runs in 37.2 overs (224 balls), Extras 3
  • Lunch: Australia – 110/3 in 38.0 overs (EJM Cowan 37, MJ Clarke 8)
  • EJM Cowan: 50 off 146 balls (5 x 4, 1 x 6)
  • Australia: 150 runs in 49.3 overs (297 balls), Extras 3
  • Drinks: Australia – 152/4 in 51.0 overs (MJ Clarke 27, MEK Hussey 7)
  • 5th Wicket: 50 runs in 78 balls (MJ Clarke 28, MEK Hussey 23, Ex 0)
  • Australia: 200 runs in 61.6 overs (372 balls), Extras 3
  • Tea: Australia – 204/7 in 64.0 overs (JW Hastings 2, MG Johnson 3)
  • Australia: 250 runs in 72.2 overs (434 balls), Extras 5
  • MA Starc: 50 off 32 balls (5 x 4, 2 x 6)
  • 10th Wicket: 50 runs in 44 balls (MA Starc 37, NM Lyon 14, Ex 1)
  • Australia: 300 runs in 79.6 overs (480 balls), Extras 5
  • New Ball Taken: Australia 302/9 after 80.1 overs (MA Starc 60, NM Lyon 19)

204 Responses to Cricket: 3rd & Final Test – Australia vs South Africa (Friday 30 November to Tuesday 4 December 2012)

1 2 3 4 5 … 7

  • 61

    superBul on 1 December 2012 at 12:57 am

    Match report of DAY 1

    Though Perth is three hours behind the rest of Australia, the nature of the WACA ground pitch is to encourage a match in fast forward, and so it was again. A dramatically recast Australian team rued Faf du Plessis’ composure for the second time in the space of four days as South Africa scrambled to 225 then snipped the top off Australia’s batting order on day one of the third Test.

    Twelve wickets fell for 257 runs, but with enough evidence between several rushes of wickets to suggest that batsmen will prosper at some point during the match. Du Plessis’ exemplary, unbeaten 78 was compiled after he came to the wicket amidst the fall of 5 for 14 either side of lunch. It granted South Africa some sort of total to bowl at, enough for Dale Steyn and the fit-again Vernon Philander to nip out Ed Cowan and Shane Watson before the ball had lost its shine.

    The WACA ground rose mistakenly to laud Ricky Ponting at the fall of Watson’s wicket, but it was the nightwatchman Nathan Lyon who walked out instead. He did Ponting a major good turn in the 37-year-old’s final Test by accompanying a somewhat jumpy David Warner to the close at 2 for 33.

    Aside from the aforementioned period of frenzy, Australia found breakthroughs difficult to extract on a bouncy but true surface. The Australia bowlers shared the spoils, Mitchell Starc perhaps the pick with a pair of late inswingers to bowl Alviro Petersen and Jacques Kallis in the closing minutes of the morning session. Lyon vindicated his inclusion with 3 for 41, the debutant John Hastings and vice-captain Shane Watson contributed important wickets, while Mitchell Johnson claimed two of his own and intimidated at times with well-directed short balls.

    Lacking James Pattinson, Peter Siddle and Ben Hilfenhaus due to their Adelaide exertions, Starc and Johnson were recalled while Hastings made his debut as the into-the-wind trundler so often favoured at the WACA ground.

    Having been 12th man in Brisbane and Perth, Starc found himself taking the new ball at the start of the Test. There was some early swing for him and Petersen was given out lbw by the umpire Richard Kettleborough when one delivery curled back into the opener’s pads, but a review had the ball passing high and wide of the stumps.

    That ball was not representative of the opening spells for either Starc nor Hastings, who both erred on the short side to give plenty of sighters to Petersen and Smith. Clarke called on Watson at first change and followed up with Johnson at the other end, and their spells signalled a change in the morning. Watson found a little movement either way and bowled a far better length, rewarded when Smith pushed out at ball going across him and edged to Clarke at slip.

    Johnson produced some nasty deliveries to Smith and some compelling ones to Amla, beating the No. 3 for pace and length on more than one occasion. Having been given a firm idea of how to bowl by two more experienced WACA ground exponents, Starc improved greatly in his second spell. A few minutes before lunch he found the perfect length and just enough swing to burst through Petersen’s drive, and in the next over produced a near identical delivery to do the same to Kallis.

    South Africa thus ended the session in far worse shape than they had seemed likely to for most of its duration. Starc had learned quickly, helped by the examples of Watson and Johnson. On resumption Hastings commenced an excellent spell up-wind, finding useful outswing in addition to sharp bounce.

    Amla was fortunate when he flicked Hastings straight to midwicket in the first over, Ed Cowan dropping a simple chance, but in the next he was caught somewhat short of the appropriate gear when de Villiers called a quick single – David Warner’s direct hit found Amla short and saved Cowan the blushes. Unnerved by the run-out, de Villiers walked into a delectable, swerving ball from Hastings in the next over and edged to Clarke at slip.

    Elgar’s first appearance at a Test batting crease was not pretty – Johnson worked him around the crease with a hostile spell – and he completed a 12-ball duck by gloving a short ball tamely to Wade when trying to hook. The first ball Peterson faced was full, fast and far too quick for him, but it narrowly missed off stump.

    Slowly du Plessis and Peterson regathered somewhat less shaky ground, punching the ball through the field and taking advantage of Perth’s typically quick outfield. De Plessis eluded a concerted lbw appeal and referral by Watson when ball-tracking had the ball missing leg stump, and the pair had caught a glimpse of tea when Lyon was introduced.

    There was evidence of loop, bounce and turn in Lyon’s first over, and in his third a shortish ball bounced enough to draw a fatal error from Peterson. Philander contributed another nuisance lower-order innings to follow up, however, advancing to loft Lyon into the crowd at wide long on before he skied to Michael Hussey when attempting a repeat. Lyon had moved around the wicket, and was rewarded further when he claimed the last man Morne Morkel, who had clumped a trio of boundaries from the bowling of Johnson after Steyn played on.

    Left with a little under an hour to bat, Warner flashed absentmindedly at Steyn’s first delivery. His third angled teasingly across Cowan, who pushed at the line in expectation of some swing, but finding none succeeded only in edging to Kallis at slip for a golden duck. Watson late cut his first ball to the fence, but his tendency to plonk the front pad down the pitch was exploited by Philander, who had the plumbest of lbw decisions bizarrely refused by Asad Rauf. The inevitable review set that call right, and left Lyon to bravely protect Ponting until stumps.

  • 62

    superBul on 1 December 2012 at 12:58 am

    Smart stats

    Faf du Plessis has become the first batsman to score more than 70 in each of his first three Test innings. The batsman who got nearest to achieving it was Australia’s Herbie Collins, who scored 70, 104 and 64 in his first three. Andrew Strauss was close too, with scores of 112, 83 and 62.
    This is the third successive instance of the team batting first scoring less than 300 in a Perth Test, following India’s 161 earlier this year and Australia’s 268 in the 2010 Ashes.
    Dean Elgar has become the first South Africa top-order batsman (batting in the top 7) to score a duck on Test debut since Gerhardus Liebenberg in 1998.
    In nine Tests when AB de Villiers has played as wicketkeeper, he has an average of 29.23 with a strike rate of 39.62 and one half-century in 15 innings. When he doesn’t keep wicket, he averages 50.42 at a strike rate of 55.01.
    Nathan Lyon’s 3 for 41 are the third-best figures by an Australia spinner in the first innings of a Perth Test, after Bruce Yardley’s 5 for 107 in 1982 and Shane Warne’s 4 for 83 in 1997.

  • 63

    superBul on 1 December 2012 at 1:37 am

    JFK are you on Internet? Did you have a safe trip? Best wishes for your new life in England.

  • 64

    superBul on 1 December 2012 at 6:00 am

    A partnership is is now building STOP it

    Fall of wickets 1-3 (Cowan, 0.3 ov), 2-18 (Watson, 5.1 ov), 3-34 (Warner, 12.1 ov), 4-35 (Lyon, 12.4 ov), 5-43 (Ponting, 15.2 ov), 6-45 (Clarke, 16.2 ov)

    Current partnership 49 runs, 12.0 overs, RR: 4.08 (Hussey 9, Wade 40)

  • 65

    superBul on 1 December 2012 at 6:07 am

    DW Steyn 11 3 33 4 3.00
    VD Philander 10 0 35 2 3.50

    Morne Morkel bowling well with no success

    South Africa 225

    Australia 100/6 (30.0 ov)

    Australia trail by 125 runs with 4 wickets remaining in the 1st innings

    Day 2 – Session 1

    Australia RR 3.33
    Last 10 ovs 48/0 RR 4.80
    Min overs remaining 71.0

  • 66

    superBul on 1 December 2012 at 6:12 am

    And there Morne joins the party…
    30.3

    Morkel to Hussey, OUT, the fruits of his labour over the last two and a half overs have paid off for Morkel! Morkel had complete control over Hussey over that period and really set this up, this was pitched up a bit more, on the channel outside off, Hussey had to play at it and got a thick outside edge to first slip

    MEK Hussey c Smith b Morkel 12 (40b 1×4 0x6) SR: 30.00

  • 67

    superBul on 1 December 2012 at 6:16 am

    Australia show no respect for our spinners

    RJ Peterson 4-0-26-0

  • 68

    superBul on 1 December 2012 at 6:17 am

    M Morkel 7-4-9-1

  • 69

    superBul on 1 December 2012 at 6:22 am

    This would have been the ideal time to give the ball to J Kallis

    South Africa 225

    Australia 111/7 (33.1 ov)

    Australia trail by 114 runs with 3 wickets remaining in the 1st innings

  • 70

    superBul on 1 December 2012 at 6:23 am

    Balaji: “Given the conditions, I think Wade would find Graeme Smith’s offspin more difficult to play than Peterson. He just does not seem to have any guile / venom at all.” Upto Peterson now to surprise us

  • 71

    superBul on 1 December 2012 at 6:24 am

    Get this man, fast

    MS Wade 56* (60b 6×4 3×6)

  • 72

    superBul on 1 December 2012 at 6:35 am

    South Africa 225

    Australia 118/7 (36.0 ov)

    Australia trail by 107 runs with 3 wickets remaining in the 1st innings

    Lunch – Day 2

  • 73

    superBul on 1 December 2012 at 6:36 am

    LUNCH

    End of over 36 (1 run) Australia 118/7
    MS Wade 60* (69b 7×4 3×6)
    JW Hastings 2* (13b)

    VD Philander 12-0-41-2
    DW Steyn 12-4-33-4

  • 74

    superBul on 1 December 2012 at 6:37 am

    South Africa all the way this session despite a fighting half-century by Wade. Procession of wickets this morning thanks to some superb seam bowling by Steyn. Morkel had his moments against Hussey while Philander got rid of Ponting

  • 75

    Puma on 1 December 2012 at 8:25 am

    162/8

    Need to try and get Hastings, who is on 31 right now.

  • 76

    Puma on 1 December 2012 at 8:27 am

    74 @ superBul:
    Pity Wade was not run out earlier by Amla, we would have had Oz really on the ropes then, because if we had it would have been Oz 45/7 at the time. One miss and we let them off the hook a bit there as Wade went on to bat well after that.

  • 77

    Puma on 1 December 2012 at 8:33 am

    Johnson gone.

    163/9

    Come on boys one more. Damn pity we never got Wade when Oz was only on 45 jeez we let them a little off the hook there.

  • 78

    Sharks_forever on 1 December 2012 at 8:35 am

    ok so we have a 62 run lead, lets hope our batsmen are awake and bat sensibly.
    Not give away easy wickets like in the first innings.

  • 79

    Puma on 1 December 2012 at 8:36 am

    Oz all out.

    Now we need to come in and FOCUS while batting, can’t lose a early wicket tonight.

  • 80

    Sharks_forever on 1 December 2012 at 8:38 am

    Aussies attacked the spinner as they were not really getting runs off the Quickies, it gave them quite a lot of runs but also gave him wickets as typical tail enders their eyes lit up

  • 81

    Puma on 1 December 2012 at 8:51 am

    Oz lead by 68

    We almost go out straight away. Eish! Come now boys focus man, we need to build on our small lead here.

    78 @ Sharks_forever:
    Howzit bro,

  • 82

    Puma on 1 December 2012 at 8:56 am

    Would be great by close tonight we have not lost a wicket..lol. Looks tough out there for batting right now, especially facing the new ball.

  • 83

    Puma on 1 December 2012 at 8:57 am

    80 @ Sharks_forever:
    They did and although they got runs they were losing wickets. Looks tough for batting out there against the quickies!

  • 84

    Stormersboy on 1 December 2012 at 9:14 am

    Well this one won’t be ending in a draw, one way or another. Good for cricket.

    Hope we can bat till the end and then get on tomorrow and put up a decent total. There’s so much time left that we should ideally bat the whole of tomorrow or Aus could chase down the total.

  • 85

    Puma on 1 December 2012 at 9:29 am

    84 @ Stormersboy:

    Howzit bro, how did the golf go?

    True there will be a result here for sure, unless rain comes to spoil it. Doubt rain will come though. We only in day two, so much time left. If we can get to close without losing a wicket we will be in a great position tomorrow morning.

  • 86

    Puma on 1 December 2012 at 9:57 am

    SA 64/1 lead by 126

  • 87

    Puma on 1 December 2012 at 9:59 am

    Must try not lose another wicket before close. Would put us in a good position tomorrow morning.

  • 88

    Puma on 1 December 2012 at 10:19 am

    103/1 lead by 165

  • 89

    Stormersboy on 1 December 2012 at 10:59 am

    @ Puma:
    Hey boet, the golf was entertaining in a 50km/h wind. Played with a 16 year old called Armand Grobbelaar. He is ranked 12th in SA for juniors U19.

    What a player to watch. He drove the ball close to 300 with regularity and well over that with the wind behind him. Almost drove the green on a 370 par 4. The wind was directly behind though.

    If he continues to develop he’ll be a name to watch out for.

    Nice to see the batsmen playing so positively. Need to take the game away from them.

    What are the chances of 2 centuries before close of play?

  • 90

    bdb on 1 December 2012 at 11:07 am

    Proteas maak mooi. Moet so 2 dae kolf en op 1500 vir 1 verklaar, daarna die Pommies instuur en uitboul vir 7 lopies.

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