Cricket: 'A great Test and a great win'

FANIE de VILLIERS, South Africa's man of the match in the five-run victory, said: 'To beat Australia in Australia must be one of the best feelings in Test cricket.'

The former South African captain, Ali Bacher, now the managing director of the United Cricket Board of South Africa, said: 'It's the greatest performance by any South African team ever. We're all very proud of them.'

Eddie Barlow, the former all-rounder, took a more cautious stance, telling the team to enjoy their moment of victory to the full but warning them: 'We will lose games like this in the future. We're not on a rocket to the moon. The wicket, as we saw, was impossible to score freely on, but South Africa's bowlers were magnificent.'

Barlow's team-mate during the last series between the two countries in 1969-70, the wicketkeeper-batsman Denis Lindsay, said: 'Anybody would think Australia had been in isolation for 23 years, not South Africa.'

The former South African captain Clive Rice said: 'I really think there is now great hope for South Africa. No more negative ideas and dull, lifeless cricket. There was imagination, guts and bravery shown by the captain and all the players. It was a great Test match and a great win.'

England fit for Caribbean,

South Africa's joy, page 35