Australians suspect South Africa wicketkeeper A B de Villiers of tampering with the ball

A B de Villiers (right) celebrates another wicket taken during Dale Steyn’s spell of reverse swing (AP)

Australia opener David Warner has all but accused the South Africa wicketkeeper A B de Villiers of ball tampering, intimating that the keeper used his gloves to scuff the ball to produce the reverse swing which enabled the Proteas' fast bowlers to win the second Test on Sunday and level the three-match series at 1-1.

Following an opening stand of 126 between Warner (66) and Chris Rogers (107), Australia lost all 10 second-innings wickets for 90 to lose the Port Elizabeth Test by 231 runs after Dale Steyn had produced a hostile spell of reverse swing to take 4 for 55, well supported by Vernon Philander with 2 for 39.

Warner admitted both teams had looked to make the ball reverse by throwing it in on the bounce across the outlying wickets. But he felt South Africa, and De Villiers in particular, went further.

"We were actually questioning whether or not A B de Villiers would get the ball in his hand and, with his glove, wipe the rough side every ball," Warner said. "That's another thing we have to try to bring up with the umpires."

Australia's own pacemen struggled to fire as South Africa, led by Hashim Amla's century, declared on 270 for 5 in their second innings to set a target of 448.

Ryan Harris's 13 wicketless overs went for 74 runs while Peter Siddle – who, like Mitchell Johnson, took two wickets – was also expensive as the ball proved largely unresponsive.

Warner said: "I think it comes down to the umpires warning both teams not to throw the ball into the wicket, which you generally try to do. [South Africa] did it better than we did, or more obviously than we did. At the end of the day it comes down to who can do that the best and work on the ball."

PA