Sydney Test: SA still in driver's seat

South Africa retain momentum with a lead of 96 runs after day 3, despite superb knocks from Ponting (120) and Gilchrist (86).

Ricky Ponting marked his 100th Test with a majestic hundred and Adam Gilchrist providentially found his form as Australia fought back to concede a first-innings lead of just 92 in the third cricket Test against South Africa on tuesday.

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Skipper Ponting became only the sixth player to score a century in his 100th Test with his 120 and his deputy Gilchrist rediscovered his scoring touch with a blazing 86 to shake the Sydney Test into life after days of cricket torpor.

Australia were dismissed for 359 after the last three wickets added 96, in reply to the South Africans' 451 for nine declared.

In the final over, South Africa lost the wicket of AB de Villiers in the evening gloom, leg before wicket to Brett Lee for one, to end the day on four for one, 96 ahead. Skipper Graeme Smith was not out three.

Ponting joined Colin Cowdrey (104), Gordon Greenidge (149), Inzamam-ul-Haq (184), Javed Miandad (145) and Alec Stewart (105) with a ton in his 100th Test.

When the momentum in the Australian run chase slowed after three wickets fell for four runs, Gilchrist staged a display of batting pyrotechnics, damaging three bats in the process.

He shook off a poor run of scores to thrill the home crowd with 10 fours and two sixes, frustrating South African attempts to grab a much bigger innings lead with two days remaining. Gilchrist found willing allies in Brett Lee (17), Stuart MacGill (29) and Glenn McGrath (1) to prolong the Proteas' agony before he was caught by Mark Boucher off Andre Nel. In spite of Australian fightback, South Africans still retain the momentum.

Scorecard

South Africa 1st innings 451 for 9 decl (A. Prince 119, J. Kallis 111)
Australia 1st innings (Overnight: 54-3)
J. Langer b Langeveldt 25
M. Hayden b Langeveldt 4
R. Ponting lbw b Kallis 120
B. Hodge c Rudolph b Nel 6
M. Hussey c Boucher b Botha 45
A. Symonds lbw b Nel 12
A. Gilchrist c Boucher b Nel 86
S. Warne c Boucher b Nel 0
B. Lee c Smith b Kallis 17
S. MacGill c Nel b Pollock 29
G. McGrath not out 1
Extras (lb-10 nb-2 w-2) 14
Total (all out, 95.1 overs) 359
Fall of wickets: 1-22 2-35 3-54 4-184 5-222 6-226 7-226 8-263 9-322 10-359
Bowling
S. Pollock 25 - 3 - 109 - 1 (nb-2)
C. Langeveldt 24 - 4 - 108 - 2 (w-1)
A. Nel 24.1 - 3 - 81 - 4
J. Kallis 15 - 4 - 25 - 2 (w-1)
J. Botha 7 - 2 - 26 - 1
South Africa 2nd innings
G. Smith not out 3
A. de Villiers lbw b Lee 1
Total (for 1 wickets, 1.3 overs) 4