South Africa Cricket News December 2008
Comprehensive Cricket News, Latest Information and Live ball-by-ball Commentary.
Australia vs South Africa Cricket Series 2008-09
South Africa will play 5 ODIs, 3 Tests and two T20s during the Australian tour starting December 13, 2008.
Get the latest news of South Africa's 2008-09 Australia Tour →
Australia vs South Africa Cricket Series 2008-09
Schedule- Sat 13 - Sun 14, Dec 2008: Western Australia v South Africans at Perth
- Wed 17 - Sun 21, Dec 2008: 1st Test - Australia v South Africa at Perth
- Fri 26 - Tue 30, Dec 2008: 2nd Test - Australia v South Africa at Melbourne
- Sat 3 - Wed 7, Jan 2009: 3rd Test - Australia v South Africa at Sydney
- Sun 11, Jan 2009 (D/N): 1st Twenty20 - Australia v South Africa Melbourne
- Tue 13, Jan 2009 (D/N): 2nd Twenty20 - Australia v South Africa at Brisbane
- Fri 16, Jan 2009 (D/N): 1st ODI - Australia v South Africa at Melbourne
- Sun 18, Jan 2009: 2nd ODI - Australia v South Africa at Hobart
- Fri 23, Jan 2009 (D/N): 3rd ODI - Australia v South Africa at Sydney
- Mon 26, Jan 2009 (D/N): 4th ODI - Australia v South Africa at Adelaide Oval
- Fri 30, Jan 2009 (D/N): 5th ODI - Australia v South Africa at Perth
South Africa in Australia Cricket Series 2008-09
AUS v SA, 2nd Test, Melbourne: South Africa make history, seal series against Australia (SA 2:0)
Dec 30, 2008
Ricky Ponting's Australia are now just one defeat away from losing their world number one crown after South Africa crushed them by nine wickets in the second Test to register their first ever series victory Down Under.
Having taken an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series, South Africa will topple Australia from their top ranking if Graeme Smith's men can win the third and final Test in Sydney.
Resuming on 30 for no loss, South Africa needed 42 overs to score the remaining 153 runs for a memorable win and the moment came soon after lunch when Hashim Amla flicked Michael Clarke behind square leg for two runs. In a match where Smith struck two fifties, JP Duminy scored his maiden hundred and Ponting scored 101 and 99, Dale Steyn was adjudged Man of the Match for his match haul of 10 for 154 besides the crucial 76 he scored in the first innings.
Graeme Smith was the lone South African wicket to fall in the second innings. The South African captain was trapped leg before by Nathan Hauritz after making a 94-ball 75 with 10 boundaries in it. Fellow opener Neil McKenzie (59) and Amla (30) remained not out after guiding the team to a historic win.
Ponting, meanwhile, became the first Australian captain in 16 years to suffer a series defeat on home soil. Last time Australia lost a series at home was against the West Indies in 1992-93.
AUS v SA, 2nd Test, Melbourne: South Africa 459 & 183-1 beat Australia 394 & 247 by 9 wickets
AUS v SA, 1st Test, Perth: Historic win for South Africa at Perth (SA 1:0)
Dec 21, 2008
AB de Villiers hit an unbeaten century to guide South Africa to a successful record-breaking run chase of 414 -the second biggest run chase in Test history against Australia at the WACA in Perth on Sunday.
De Villiers was unbeaten on a cracking 106 and debutant JP Duminy was not out on 50 as South Africa produced a great batting display on the fifth and final day to win the opening Test by a comfortable six-wicket margin. Captain Graeme Smith had given them a perfect start in their second innings with a magnificent 109, adding 153 runs for the third wicket with Hashim Amla (53).
Mitchell Johnson , who took eight for 61 in the first innings, continued chipping away at the wickets in the second innings but the South African middle order came to the party in fine style.
Resuming on 227 for three, veteran Jacques Kallis hit a timely half-century (57) and was involved in a 124-run partnership for the fourth wicket with de Villiers to give the visitors the upperhand. But the wicket of Kallis, with South Africa needing another 111 runs for victory, left the match evenly poised.
De Villiers then took centrestage and he along with Duminy scored runs at will as the Australian bowlers seemed completely clueless. De Villiers hit nine boundaries in 186 deliveries, his seventh Test century, as South Africa coasted to the victory target in 119.2 overs in the post lunch session.
Incidentally, the highest run-chase in Test cricket had come also against Australia when the West Indies chased down a mammoth 418 for seven at St John's in 2003.
| Top Five Run Chases | |||
| Runs | Year | Venue | Results |
| 418�7 | 2003 | St John's | West Indies beat Australia |
| 414�4 | 2008 | Perth | South Africa beat Australia |
| 406�4 | 1976 | Port of Spain | India beat West Indies |
| 404�3 | 1948 | Headingley | Australia beat England |
| 387�4 | 2008 | Chennai | India beat England |
AUS v SA, 1st Test, Perth: South Africa 281 & 414-4 beat Australia 375 & 319 by 6 wickets
Bangladesh in South Africa Cricket Series 2008
BAN vs SA, 2nd Test, Centurion: South Africa completes emphatic victory (SA 2:0)
Nov 28, 2008
Fiery fast bowling and lively fielding sent Bangladesh tumbling to their second successive innings defeat on the third day of the second and final Test against South Africa at Centurion Park.
South Africa won by an innings and 48 runs to clinch the series 2-0 after bowling out Bangladesh for 131 in their second innings. They won the first Test in Bloemfontein by an innings and 129 runs.