Hansie Cronje's Face At The Post Match Press Conference Told The Story Of This Most Dramatic Of Draws. Cronje's South African team had gone within three wickets of victory, allowing Australia to complete their ninth consecutive series win, but only after a major controversy in the last hour. The flashpoint occurred in the seventh of the last 15 overs, with six Australian wickets down and a victory target of 361 long since academic. Mark Waugh, who had battled his carefree instincts all day to reach an unbeaten 107, was struck on the shoulder by a short delivery form Shaun Pollock, and the ball lobbed towards gully where Pat Symcox dived forward to claim a catch.

Doug Cowie, the neutral umpire from New Zealand, had no problems in turning down that appeal, but the South Africans then spotted that a bail had been dislodged. The umpire standing at square leg, Steve Randell, signalled for the third umpire Steve Davis, to give a ruling.

The television replay showed that after being hit, Waugh had turned to follow the direction of the ball and flicked the bail off with his bat. After a two minute delay, the green light flashed to show Davis's decision - not out. But it was another two minutes before play resumed, as Cronje and Symcox confronted Waugh and Randell.

Their mood was hardly helped as from the first ball of the same over, Waugh was dropped by Adam Bacher at short leg for the third time in the innings - and later survived a fourth chance to Symcox himself at gully with six overs still remaining .

The relevant law states that a batsman should be given out hit wicket if he dislodges a bail either in playing his stroke, or in setting off for a run, and there was no question of the latter.

It would have taken some courage to suggest it to Cronje, but South Africa should have had this game rapped up well before the final session. They dropped five chances in Australia's first innings, most significantly Taylor less than a quarter of the way through his marathon unbeaten 169, and doubled that unfortunate tally second time around.

The most costly, if not culpable miss was Backer's first on Monday evening when Waugh had only a single - sharp and one-handed, but the sort which the very best short legs might expect to take.

There was no doubt that this was Waugh's day. With 15 minutes remaining before the last 15 overs, he had lost only his overnight partner Greg Blewett and twin brother Steve and Australia were cruising towards safety at 185 for 4. Then Ricky Ponting slashed Lance Klusener to gully - the trigger for all the drama.

Ian Healy marred his 100th Test appearance by edging a wide long hop from Jacques Kallis to the wicketkeeper, and even after the bails furore, South Africa still had every chance when the aggressive and impressive Klusener claimed his fourth wicket by trapping Andy Bichel lbw.

However, Shane Warne (named man-of-the-series) joined Waugh to see out the final five overs, with nine fielders around the bat and every dot ball applauded by a 70,000 crowd, ensuring that his 11 wickets in the second Test at Sydney would ultimately separate the teams.