Cricket: Border guards the door

Australia 269 and 297-4

South Africa 422

Match drawn

WITH an Ashes series on the agenda next winter, Allan Border's reluctance to describe his innings in Durban yesterday as his last in Test cricket was understandable. Should that prove the case, however, the unbeaten 42 that ensured a stalemate in the third Test against South Africa, and thus a 1-1 draw in the series, will stand as a fitting adieu to one of the game's more immovable objects.

In surviving the whole of the final day for the loss of just two wickets, Australia were indebted to an unbroken fifth- wicket stand of 140 between their captain and the hitherto off-form Mark Waugh, whose unbeaten 113 was his fifth century in Tests, a milestone he reached off 195 balls.

Michael Slater had been controversially adjudged leg- before for 95 when the pair joined forces half an hour before lunch, at which stage the tourists, on 157 for 4, were only four runs ahead.

Fifth day: South Africa won toss)

AUSTRALIA - First Innings 269 (S R Waugh 64, I A Healy 55; C R Matthews 4-64).

SOUTH AFRICA - First Innings 422 (B M McMillan 84, J N Rhodes 70; S K Warne 4-92).

AUSTRALIA - Second Innings

(Overnight: 89 for 2)

M J Slater lbw b Donald 95

S K Warne c McMillan b Donald 12

M E Waugh not out 113

*A R Border not out 42

Extras (nb4, lb6, w1) 11

Total (for 4) 297

Fall (cont): 3-109 4-157.

Bowling: Donald 28-7-66-3; De Villiers 24-5- 69-1; McMillan 22-6-53-0; Matthews 28-12-56- 0; Cronje 18-5-40-0; G Kirsten 3-1-7-0; Rhodes 1- 1-0-0.