Warne spins Australia to series victory

Australia have ensured that they will return home from South Africa winners on the back of some timely Shane Warne heroics, defeating the Proteas by 112 runs in the fading Durban light.

Set 410 runs for victory, the home side were bundled out for 297, rocked by the spinning fingers of arch nemesis Warne, who gathered a match winning 6/86 from his 36 over stint at the bowling crease.

The Proteas began well; both skipper Graeme Smith and fellow opener AB de Villiers handling the pace of Brett Lee, Stuart Clark and Michael Kasprowicz with ease, before Warne entered the fray.

The world record holder immediately sent de Villiers packing, stumped by stand-in skipper Gilchrist after lunging forward to a well flighted delivery from the Victorian.

Gilchrist was captain in the absence of regulation leader Ricky Ponting, who was forced out of the final day with a stomach complaint.

It was fortunate for the Australians that Ponting was not forced out when it was his turn to bat, the skipper scoring centuries in both innings to pilot his side to a winning position.

Warne ended Smith’s day four overs later, caught by Justin Langer for a paced 40.

Smith and Warne have waged a verbal battled throughout the summer, with the Australian claiming his counterpart was a poor skipper, and the South African squad which toured tour under last summer was the worst he had seen from the country for some time.

Warne was able to have the last laugh, sending Smith on his way for 40, his side rocked at 2/98.

It became 3/122, when home town ace Jacques Kallis – who kept the South African dream alive in the first dig – became Warne’s third victim, trapped LBW for a paltry seven, his side now on the ropes.

Rookie paceman Clark then chipped in with two wickets of his own, snapping up those of Gibbs and Prince, reducing the home team to 5/146 – but still with some batting yet to come.

But it was Warne again who continued to eat into the South African batting card, snaring the prized scalps of Rudolph and Pollock, the former desperately unlucky, the ball bounding off his bat onto his glove, then held by the safe mitts of Langer.

The South Africans were not done with yet, and Mark Boucher and Nicky Boje – underrated with the bat – staged a 72 run stand in 20 overs, before the latter fell to the tireless Kasprowicz – a scorching drive held spectacularly by sub fielder Michael Clarke, on the field as a replacement for Ponting.

Times were tough for both sides as the final overs approached, the umpires dealing Australia a blow when they disallowed the pace trio from bowling in the fading light.

It was left to the spin of Warne and Andrew Symonds to take the wickets, the ever reliable Victorian taking those of a defiant Nel 14 in 68 minutes) and finally Ntini for a duck, Australia with an unassailable 2-0 series lead.

Warne took out man of the match honours for his overall figures of 10/166, the ill Ponting considered unlucky to miss out after his back-to-back centuries.

The final match of the series is set to take place at the “Bullring’, Johannesburg, where the Australians are poised for a 3-0 series whitewash.

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