Test Cricket: South Africa are confident they can go on to beat Australia after a perfectly executed game plan left them in control of the third Test in Sydney yesterday.
Australia finished the day in trouble at 54-3 after South Africa piled on 451 for nine declared, aided by centuries from Jacques Kallis and Ashwell Prince.
The tourists need to win the final Test to square the series after drawing the opening match and losing the second, but Kallis said he was confident they could do it.
"We've put ourselves in a good position now and it's just a matter of following through," said Kallis, who made 111.
"We've got Australia under pressure, and if we can carry on putting the ball in the right areas there's enough in the wicket to help the bowlers."
Kallis said everything had finally gone right for the South Africans after they had blown their chances of winning either of the previous Tests by dropping 11 catches.
Prince scored 119 as he and Kallis put on 219 to set up the declaration. Then Charl Langeveldt bowled Matthew Hayden and Justin Langer in the final hour and Brad Hodge fell to Andre Nel in the last over of the day.
"We wanted to get 450 and have about 15 overs at them, and that's exactly what happened," Kallis said. "We would have been happy with two (wickets), so to get the third there was an absolute bonus and gives us a lot of confidence going into tomorrow."
Prince, who completed his third Test hundred after starting the day on 62, said he was more pleased about the team's prospects of winning than his own contribution.
"Obviously it's given me great pleasure to do this against Australia in Australia, but most importantly it's put the team in a good position," he said.
Australia coach John Buchanan paid tribute to Kallis and Prince, but said his team had not given up hope of winning the match.
"It's our job now to resurrect the ship a bit and put ourselves in a position where, if we can't get a lead over South Africa, we put them in a position where they have to make some running," Buchanan said.
"They were looking for a backbone for an innings and they got that from Kallis and Prince. They really gave us little opportunity. They've put themselves in a good position by the end of the day."
Buchanan said the Australian batsmen had every reason to feel confident they could amass a big score on a flat Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) pitch.
"We're going to get our noses in front, that's what we're going to try and do. It's a long haul, but it's still a very good batting wicket," he said.
Meanwhile, Kallis is doubtful for South Africa's limited-over series after a recurrence of an elbow injury.
Kallis was included in a 15-man squad for the triangular series, also involving Sri Lanka, pending a fitness test.
"Jacques Kallis, whose left elbow injury has flared up again, will be assessed over the next few days," South African chairman of selectors Haroon Lorgat said in a statement.
"A decision on his fitness for the one-day series will then be made and we will consider retaining AB (De Villiers) should Kallis not be declared fit."
Kallis told a news conference the injury had not affected him during his six-hour innings at the SCG.
"I woke up this morning and it was all right and I didn't have any worries with it today," he said.
Left-arm spinner Nicky Boje, who was dropped for the Sydney Test, will be sent home and replaced by Johan Botha, who made his debut there.
"Johan showed promise in India and we are bold enough to give him another opportunity,' Lorgat said.
Andrew Hall, Boeta Dippenaar and Monde Zondeki also join the squad.
SOUTH AFRICA (squad, for triangular one-day series): Graeme Smith (capt), Jacques Kallis, Johan Botha, Mark Boucher, Boeta Dippenaar, Herschelle Gibbs, Andrew Hall, Justin Kemp, Garnett Kruger, Charl Langeveldt, Andre Nel, Shaun Pollock, Ashwell Prince, Jacques Rudolph, Monde Zondeki.
Overnight: South Africa 230-3 (J Kallis 80 no, A Prince 62 no).
South Africa - First Innings
J Kallis c McGrath b Symonds 111
A Prince lbw b Warne 119
J Rudolph c Gilchrist b McGrath 38
M Boucher c Gilchrist b MacGill 5
S Pollock c Hodge b Lee 46
J Botha not out 20
A Nel c Hodge b Warne 12
C Langeveldt not out 1
Extras (b9 lb6 nb16) 31
Total (9 wkts dec, 154.4 overs) ... 451
Fall of wickets: 1-16, 2-69, 3-86, 4-305, 5-344, 6-355, 7-394, 8-433, 9-449.
Bowling: McGrath 34-17-65-2, Lee 30.4-7-82-3, Symonds 23-4-69-1, Warne 36-6-106-2, Hussey 2-0-12-0, MacGill 29-5-102-1.
Australia - First Innings
J Langer b Langeveldt 25
M Hayden b Langeveldt 4
R Ponting not out 13
B Hodge c Rudolph b Nel 6
Extras (lb6) 6
Total (3 wkts, 14.2 overs) ... 54
Fall of wickets: 1-22, 2-35, 3-54.
To Bat: M Hussey, A Symonds, A Gilchrist, S Warne, G McGrath, S MacGill.
Bowling: Pollock 5-0-20-0, Langeveldt 7-2-23-2, Nel 2.2-0-5-1.
