Cricket: South Africa's faltering progress

The Australian pace bowlers Paul Reiffel and Craig McDermott checked South Africa's progress after they had started their first innings with a century stand in the third and final Test at Kingsmead, Durban, yesterday. Reiffel and McDermott took three wickets for 18 runs after Andrew Hudson and Gary Kirsten put on 100 in pursuit of Australia's first innings of 269. South Africa had reached a painstaking 143 for three at the close on the second day. It was different when the innings began. Hudson and Kirsten scored the first 47 off 13 overs by lunch, but that was followed by two dour sessions in which South Africa added 53 and 43. Hudson, on his home ground, completed his ninth Test half-century in his 25th innings and reached 1,000 Test runs when he had scored five.