Australia V South Africa – Gabba Test – Ed Cowan, Clarke lead Aussie fight-back on day three – Match Update
Hosts Australia were indebted to an unbroken fourth-wicket stand of 71 runs between opener Ed Cowan and skipper Michael Clarke as they looked to fight back from a perilous position (40 for 3), in their reply to South Africa’s 450, on the day three of the ongoing first Test at Gabba, on Sunday.
After starting the innings in a clumsy way, the Aussies looked quite settled at 111 for 3 at stumps on Sunday, with Cowan not out on 49 and skipper Clarke unbeaten on 34 at the other end.
After rolling the Proteas over for 450 in their first innings, soon after tea on third day, the hosts lost opener David Warner (4), debutant Rob Quiney (9) and Ricky Ponting (nought) in quick succession, as the side was soon reeling at 40 for 3.
Warner returned to the dugout in the sixth over of Australian innings when Jacques Kallis took a waist-high catch off Dale Steyn, at first slip, while Quiney offered an easy catch to Dale Steyn at deep fine leg, off Morne Morkel.
Morkel sent packing to Ponting in his next over, without allowing the Tasmanian veteran open his account. The former Australian skipper played a drive outside his off-stump, nicking a simple catch to Kallis in the slips. However, Cowan and the home skipper held firm to reach stumps on 111 without any further loss.
Earlier, after a washed out day two, South Africa resumed their innings at 255 for 2, with both Hashim Amla and Jacques Kallis in sight of centuries. In the first session, the duo played beautifully to take the side to 357 for 3 at lunch. Amla scored 104 runs while the veteran all-rounder Kallis struck 147 before being dismissed by Siddle and Pattinson respectively.
After removing the settled duo, the hosts fought back to bundle the Proteas out for 450 soon after tea. Wicketkeeper batsman AB de Villiers scored 40 runs while Jacques Rudolph added 31 runs to the team’s total.
Injured No. 7 batsman, JP Duminy did not bat. Duminy was on Friday ruled out of the series due to a ruptured Achilles tendon in his left ankle. The middle order batsman sustained the injury during the post-play warmdown on the opening day of the Gabba Test, and remains out of action for three to six months.
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