Cricket: Waugh seals victory: Australian all-rounder's Test best

South Africa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .361 and 164

Australia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .435 and 92-1

(Australia win by nine wickets)

AUSTRALIA owed a great deal to the all-rounder Steve Waugh as they defeated South Africa by nine wickets in the second Test in Cape Town yesterday to square the three- match series.

Although Michael Slater (43 not out) and David Boon (32 not out) hit most of the 91 runs needed for victory, Waugh took three of the last four South African wickets for his best Test bowling figures of 5 for 28. He took the last two in three balls just after lunch.

It had looked as though the South Africans might hang on for a draw. Resuming on 100 for 6 - just 26 ahead - they lost Brian McMillan in the sixth over of the morning, lbw to Waugh for three. McMillan's dismissal, which made the score 103 for 7, meant that five South African wickets had fallen for the addition of nine runs. However, Jonty Rhodes and Dave Richardson knuckled down to bat through until the lunch interval in an eighth-wicket partnership worth 61 runs.

At 153 for 7, a lead of 79, the South Africans had some hope, but it all changed when Allan Border took the new ball. Instead of throwing it to his experienced new-ball pair of Craig McDermott and Merv Hughes, Border entrusted the job to Glenn McGrath and Waugh, who had bowled for much of the morning in tandem with Shane Warne. The result was three wickets in the space of five balls, with McGrath making the breakthrough tempting Richardson to snick a catch to the wicketkeeper Ian Healy.

(Final day: South Africa won toss)

SOUTH AFRICA - First innings 361 (A C Hudson 102, B M McMillan 74; P N Kirsten 62).

AUSTRALIA - First Innings 435 (D C Boon 96, S R Waugh 86; M A Taylor 70, I A Healy 61; C R Matthews 5-80, P S De Villiers 4-117).

SOUTH AFRICA - Second Innings

(Overnight: 100 for 6)

J N Rhodes c Border b S Waugh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27

B M McMillan lbw b S Waugh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3

D J Richardson c Healy b McGrath. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31

C R Matthews not out . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .0

A A Donald b S Waugh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .0

Extras (b4 lb6 nb3) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13

Total . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164

Fall (cont): 7-103 8-164 9-164 10-164.

Bowling: McDermott 13-3-39-0 (2nb); Hughes 5-1-12-0; Warne 30-13-38-3; McGrath 16-6-26-1; S Waugh 22.3-9-28-5 (1nb); Border 1-1-0-0; M Waugh 3-1-11-0.

AUSTRALIA - Second Innings

M A Taylor b Donald . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14

M J Slater not out . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

D C Boon not out . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

Extras (b1, nb2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3

Total (for 1) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .92

Fall: 1-30.

Bowling: Matthews 6-1-14-0; De Villiers 6-0-20-0 (2nb); Donald 5-0-20-1; McMillan 5-0-23-0; Cronje 2-0-4-0; G Kirsten 1.1-0-10-0.

Umpires: K Liebenberg (SA) and D Shepherd (Eng).