Cricket: SA seek historic MCG win

South Africa will resume at the MCG today needing only 153 more runs to beat Australia in the second Test and claim their first series win in Australia.

The Proteas are 0-30 with captain Graeme Smith on 25 and struggling opener Neil McKenzie on three.

McKenzie has already been bowled by Australia paceman Brett Lee, but it was a no-ball.

Australia trail 1-0 in the three-match series and Ricky Ponting's men are desperately trying to avoid defeat in Melbourne, which would be Australia's first series loss in Australia since 1992-93.

Australia's best hope may rest with a rain-affected draw on day five, with morning rain predicted and a possible storm, with a top of 21 degrees.

Ponting is hopeful of early wickets but is unsure if Lee will be available to bowl after injuring his foot earlier in the match. The NSW quick is set to miss six weeks of cricket after the Melbourne Test, ruling him out of the third Test in Sydney on January 3.

Lee opened the bowling for Australia late on day four and took 0-17 from three overs.

"We'll keep our fingers crossed and hope he can be out there and give us as much as he can," said Ponting, who made a brilliant 99 in Australia's second innings of 247.

The Proteas have been inspired by paceman Dale Steyn's match figures of 10-154.

Ponting, who made 101 in Australia's first innings, was caught at short cover by rival skipper Smith off Morne Morkel's bowling for 99, silencing Monday's crowd of 19,847.

The Tasmanian fell one run short of a world record of becoming the first player to score twin centuries in a Test four times.

Steyn, who has claimed 74 wickets this year, took four of the first five wickets to fall on Monday. They included out-of-form pair Matthew Hayden (23) and Andrew Symonds (0).

The 102-Test career of Hayden, 37, appears almost over.

Ponting on Monday said he couldn't guarantee the opener a place in the team for the Sydney Test and that it was up to the selectors.

 

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