SA hold on for draw in third Test

SYDNEY, Australia (AP):

Australia started the day needing 14 wickets for an unlikely victory and a South African series clean sweep but could only muster six as the Proteas batting finally showed some grit to force a draw in the third Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

The hosts toiled under some welcome sun in a match that was frequently impacted by weather delays and, while they achieved their first aim on Sunday of enforcing the follow on after bowling South Africa out for 255, further inroads proved few and far between.

“The wicket was still pretty good, we knew we were up against it,” captain Pat Cummins said immediately after the match. “We kept putting some balls in some good areas, hopefully the luck turned. But that wasn’t the case, they batted beautifully.”

“We were probably up against it. We had 150 overs to try and take 20 wickets on a pretty good batting surface. Really proud of all the efforts.”

At stumps, South Africa were 106-2 in their second innings, having lost Dean Elgar again cheaply to complete a miserable series for the skipper, and Heinrich Klaasen was the only wicket to fall in the final session.

Josh Hazlewood took five wickets over the two South Africa innings in his return to the team after missing three Tests with injury, while Cummins bowled with menace throughout the final day to claim four wickets.

Earlier, Australia ended South Africa’s first-innings rearguard resistance shortly after lunch and enforced the follow on.

As he did in the first innings, Cummins (1-16) made the initial breakthrough, again having Elgar (10) caught down the leg side for the second time in the match.

It completed a miserable series for the South African captain who made just 56 runs in six innings for an average of just over nine.

“It’s just a bit frustrating that I could never get going throughout the series and, when I could get going, I managed to run myself out, which is a massive no-no in Test cricket,” Elgar said on his meagre series return.

After surviving multiple television reviews from a luckless Nathan Lyon, Heinrich Klaasen’s luck finally ran out when Hazlewood (1-9) found a way through the batter’s defence to bowl him for 35.

Sarel Erwee (42 not out) and Temba Bavuma (17 not out) saw the tourists safely to the close without further loss and South Africa’s first drawn Test in 47 matches.

Final scores: Australia 475 for four declared; South Africa 255 and 106 for two (following on).