p16_Layout 1 1/6/15 9:49 PM Page 1 WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 7, 2015 SPORTS Elgar guides SA to victory CAPE TOWN: Dean Elgar guided South the fifth ball of his sixth over. Africa to a series-clinching victory by eight Du Plessis struggled to 14 off 69 balls wickets on the fifth day of the third and before a ball from Benn kicked viciously final Test against the West Indies at and took the shoulder of his bat for Newlands yesterday. Jermaine Blackwood to take a catch run- South Africa won the series by two ning back from gully. matches to nil, with one match finishing in Benn took two for 24 in an unbroken a rain-affected draw. The left-handed Elgar spell of 17 overs. Elgar, who spoiled Benn’s made 60 not out as South Africa reached a figures slightly by hitting him for six, went victory target of 124 shortly before lunch. It to his fifty off 86 balls with six fours and a was tough going for South Africa at the six. start of the day after they resumed on nine The scoring rate accelerated when cap- for one. tain Hashim Amla joined Elgar in an Fast bowler Jerome Taylor and left-arm unbeaten partnership of 73 off 91 balls. spinner Suleiman Benn did not concede a Amla made 38 not out. run until Elgar pulled Taylor for four after 26 South Africa won the first Test in minutes and off the 45th ball of the day. Centurion by an innings and 220 runs. The The tall Benn was particularly difficult to second match in Port Elizabeth was drawn score off, getting turn and bounce from a after more than two days of playing time wearing pitch, with Faf du Plessis com- was lost to rain. pletely tied down. The sides start a three-match Twenty20 Benn, who bowled Alviro Petersen with international series at Newlands on Friday, the last ball of the fourth day, did not give to be followed by five one-day internation- up a run until Du Plessis took a single off als.—AFP SYDNEY: Australia’s Steve Smith pulls the ball against India during their cricket Test match. —AP SCOREBOARD CAPE TOWN: Final scores on the fifth day of the third and final Test between South Africa and the West Indies at Newlands yesterday. Aussies punish India West Indies, first innings, 329 Extras (b8, lb2, nb2) 12 South Africa, first innings, 421 Total (2 wkts, 37.4 overs) 124 SYDNEY: David Warner kissed the ground in 22 Tests overseas and have been successful in was being played against the poignant back- West Indies, second innings, 215 Fall of wickets: 1-9 (Petersen), 2-51 (Du Phillip Hughes’s memory to lead an Australian only one of their 10 Tests at the Sydney Cricket drop of the tragic death of Hughes. Warner post- South Africa, second innings (overnight 9-1) Plessis) run spree with an emotional century on the Ground, that sole victory coming 37 years ago. ed his first Test century at the SCG and he, along opening day of the final Test against India yes- “It was a very tough day. It’s very important with Smith, Watson, Brad Haddin and Nathan D. Elgar not out 60 Bowling: Taylor 7-3-20-0, Samuels 3.4-0- 24-0, Benn 17-8-24-2, Holder 5-0-19-0, terday. that we pick ourselves up tonight and try to be Lyon, were all on the field when Hughes was A. Petersen b Benn 0 Gabriel 5-1-27-0 (2nb). The dynamic opener posted his third ton of as fresh as possible tomorrow,” Ashwin said. felled by the short-pitched ball. F. du Plessis c Blackwood b Benn 14 Result: South Africa won by eight wickets the series and 12th in Tests as he honored the “It’s going to be a hard day. If we can keep A plaque honouring the batsman has been H. Amla not out 38 memory of his fallen friend Hughes, who was them down to (a reasonable score) we can get installed outside the home dressing room at the fatally struck by a bouncer at the same Sydney back into it.” Warner batted for 180 minutes with SCG and served as a reminder for the Australian Cricket Ground in November. Upon reaching the 16 fours, pulling Mohammed Shami to the players of their former team-mate. symbolic score of 63 that Hughes had made boundary to bring up his ton off 108 balls with India, with Virat Kohli leading the team after when he was hit, Warner kissed the ground and 16 fours. the sudden Test retirement of Mahendra Singh then looked skywards before clapping in tribute. He was out soon after for 101 off 114 balls, Dhoni, made four changes with Rohit Sharma, Warner scored 101 and shared in an opening caught at slip off a leading edge from spinner Suresh Raina, Wriddhiman Saha and stand of 200 on a benign SCG pitch with veteran Ashwin. “It’s great to get milestones and I’ve Bhuvneshwar Kumar coming into the side. Chris Rogers, who again fell short of a ton in his done my job for the team as well as I can,” The tourists left out opener Shikhar Dhawan fifth consecutive half-century of the series. Warner said. with Lokesh Rahul promoted to open the Skipper Steve Smith and Shane Watson main- “The thing I’m most proud of is putting up a innings, Sharma replacing Cheteshwar Pujara tained Australia’s grip with an unbroken 144-run double-century partnership with Bucky (Rogers). and Saha for Dhoni at wicketkeeper, while stand after winning the toss to put the home It’s our first one and we bat very well together.” Kumar came in for paceman Ishant Sharma. The side at a formidable 348 for two at the close. Rogers, who gave chances on 19 and 90, fol- Australians made only one change with Mitchell Smith, who glided to his half-century off 67 lowed Warner to the pavilion six balls later when Starc replacing injured paceman Mitchell balls for his fifth innings beyond 50 in the series, he was bowled for 95 by Shami. The Sydney Test Johnson.—AFP was unbeaten on 82 with Watson on 61. Watson was dropped by Ravichandran Ashwin at slip off the second-last ball of the day. SCOREBOARD “We got lucky the coin fell our way. At the moment it was a fantastic toss to win, we’re two SYDNEY: Scoreboard at the close on the opening day of the fourth Test between Australia and for 348, fantastic position to be in,” Warner said. India at the Sydney Cricket Ground yesterday: “There was no swing, there was no sideways Australia 1st innings Total (2 wickets, 90 overs) 348 movement at all, so it was quite challenging for C. Rogers b Shami 95 Fall of wickets: 1-200 (Warner), 2-204 (Rogers) the bowlers. “It’s going to be challenging for us D. Warner c Vijay b Ashwin 101 Bowling: Kumar 20-2-67-0, Yadav 16-1-97-0 to take 10 wickets as well.” S. Watson not out 61 (6w), Shami 16-2-58-1, Ashwin 28-5-88-1, Raina India have already lost the Border-Gavaskar S. Smith not out 82 10-2-35-0 To bat: S. Marsh, J. Burns, B. Haddin, Trophy with Australia holding an unassailable 2- 0 lead following wins in Adelaide and Brisbane. Extras (lb3, w6) 9 R. Harris, M. Starc, N. Lyon, J. Hazlewood. The tourists have won only one of their last Williamson, Watling record smashes Sri Lanka hopes WELLINGTON: A world record sixth-wicket cricket.” New Zealand declared 13 runs ahead of partnership of 365 by Kane Williamson and B.J. the previous sixth-wicket record of 352 set by Watling, who both posted career bests, Watling with Brendon McCullum in similar Test- slammed the door on Sri Lanka in the second saving circumstances against India a year ago. Test in Wellington yesterday. Williamson’s Then, as now, New Zealand were fighting to unbeaten 242, with Watling not out 142, res- claim the series after winning the first Test. Sri cued New Zealand from a deep hole and car- Lanka squandered several opportunities to ried them to 524-5 declared in their second break the partnership and regain control, and innings. Sri Lanka were left facing a 390-run paid a heavy price for sloppy fielding. CAPE TOWN: South African Dean Elgar reacts after hitting the ball as the team plays final-day target on a ground where the record Williamson offered four chances-dropped by West Indies during the third Test match. —AP for a successful fourth innings chase is 277-3 set Rangana Herath on 29, dropped by Nuwan by Pakistan 11 years ago. Pradeep on 60 and dropped by Prasanna At stumps they were 45-1 with Kaushal Silva Jayawardene on 104 before Jayawardene India pick three spinners on 20 and Dhammika Prasad on one. Dimuth missed a blatant stumping opportunity on 233. Karunaratne was out for 17 four overs before Williamson’s unbeaten 242, the product of the close, the only dismissal of the day. more than 10 hours at the crease, gave the 24- for World Cup With wickets hard to come by on a flat track, year-old his ninth Test century and the seventh and Sri Lanka holding middle-order strength highest score by a New Zealander. MUMBAI: India’s selectors yesterday man Murali Vijay, one of the few Indian led by Kumar Sangakkara, a draw seemed the After cautiously steering New Zealand into a chose three frontline spinners to help players to emerge with credit from the likely outcome.