Morkel’s late heroics give SA thrilling win

JP Duminy (71) and Neil McKenzie set the foundation for the visiting side before Morkel played a brilliant 40-run cameo,also sharing a 50-run eighth-wicket stand with Johan Botha (11) to seal the win for the South Africans.

Opting to bat first after winning the toss,the Australians were left to rue a slow batting start and shoddy bowling at the death in the see-saw contest.

Shaun Marsh top-scored for the hosts with a 97-ball 79. David Hussey’s 50-ball 52 and skipper Ricky Ponting’s 46 were the only other notable contributions in the Aussie total after a slow start left them 146 for three in 31 overs.

He didn’t take any wicket but Jacques Kallis’s stifling 10-over spell conceding just 35 runs coupled with an equally economical 1/49 by Dale Steyn never allowed the Aussie batsmen to flourish.

Scoreboard

Australia: S Marsh c Boucher b M Morkel 79,M Hussey c Boucher b Steyn 6,R Ponting c Boucher b Botha 46,M Clarke c Amla b A Morkel 19,D Hussey b J Morkel 52,C White b Botha 21,B Haddin run out (A Morkel) 19,J Hopes c Van Jaarsveld b M Morkel 2,N Bracken not out 12,W Hilfenhaus not out 1

Extras (b-2,lb-3,w-9) 14

Total (8 wkts; 50 overs) 271

FoW: 1-8,2-102,3-146,4-174,5-223,

6-231,7-254,8-259

Bowling: D Steyn 10-2-49-1,A Morkel

9-0-58-2,J Kallis 10-0-35-0,M Morkel 10-0-68-2,J Botha 10-0-50-2,J Duminy 1-0-6-0

South Africa (target: 272): H Gibbs b

Hilfenhaus 22,H Amla b Tait 1,J Kallis b Clarke 41,J Duminy White b Bracken 71,N McKenzie c Ponting b Hilfenhaus 63,M Boucher b Tait 0,V van Jaarsveld run out (Ponting) 4,A Morkel not out 40,J Botha not out 12

Extras (lb-10,w-8) 18

Total (7 wkts; 49.3 overs) 272

FoW: 1-4,2-36,3-90,4-213,5-215,

6-219,7-221

Bowling: N Bracken 10-2-49-1,S Tait

10-0-43-2,B Hilfenhaus 9.3-1-55-2,J Hopes 10-0-51-0,D Hussey 5-0-35-0,

M Clarke 5-0-29-1