South Africa slump to record defeat by Australia

South Africa crashed to their heaviest Test innings defeat on Sunday when they were bowled out for just 133 in their second innings shortly after tea on day three of the first Test against Australia.

The South Africans, forced to follow on after being dismissed for a lowly 159 before lunch, lost by an innings and 360 runs as Australia wrist-spinner Shane Warne moved into second place on the all-time Test wicket-taking standings.

Their previous worst innings loss, also to Australia, was by an innings and 259 runs in Port Elizabeth during 1949-50.

Warne finished with figures of four for 44 in 12 overs, including the wicket of top-scorer Herschelle Gibbs who was stumped for 47, and has now taken 436 career Test wickets.

The Australian, who is playing his 99th match, moves ahead of India's Kapil Dev (434) in the standings but is well behind West Indian Courtney Walsh (519).

But fast bowler Glenn McGrath was Australia's highest wicket-taker of the innings, claiming five for 21 as South Africa were humbled for 133 in only 38.3 overs.

It was the 23rd time McGrath had taken five wickets or more in a Test innings.

South Africa began their second innings shortly before lunch and lost their first wicket early in the afternoon session when Gary Kirsten was caught in the gully by Damien Martyn off the bowling of Jason Gillespie for 12.

Gibbs and Ashwell Prince, the Test debutant who top-scored for South Africa with 49 in the first innings, then shared in the biggest stand of the innings as they put on 69 for the second wicket.

But the dismissal of Prince, bowled by Warne for 28 in the 24th over, triggered South Africa's final collapse.

Warne removed Gibbs three overs later, when he had the opener stumped by Adam Gilchrist for 47. Gibbs had hit eight fours in 82 balls in just over two hours.

Jacques Kallis fell for eight, caught behind by Gilchrist off McGrath, and Warne then took his 435th and 436th Test wickets by removing Boeta Dippenaar and Mark Boucher for one apiece.

McGrath wrapped up the match straight after tea, firing out Nicky Boje (5), Makhaya Ntini (0) and Andre Nel (0) in just four deliveries and then having Allan Donald caught by Matthew Hayden for no score in his very next over.

Test Victories by an innings
Runs	Winner	Loser	Test	Series	Venue
579	Eng	Aus	5th	1938	The Oval
360	Aus	SA	1st	2001-02	Joh'burg
336	WI	Ind	3rd	1958-59	Calcutta
332	Aus	Eng	1st	1946-47	Brisbane
322	WI	NZ	2nd	1994-95	Wellington
285	Eng	Ind	2nd	1974	Lord's

Statistics: Mohandas Menon

Match report: Day 1 | Day 2
Images: Day 1 | Day 2

Mail Cricket Editor