Cricket: Umpiring cost us 3 wickets, say SA

SYDNEY - South Africa coach Mickey Arthur said he was disappointed by umpiring decisions which reprieved three Australian batsmen in the third cricket test yesterday.

The tourists ended the third day leading by 96 runs with nine second innings wickets in hand and Arthur said they could have been in an even better position if Billy Bowden and Aleem Dar had ruled in their favour on several crucial decisions.


Rain again delayed the start of play on day four. 

Ricky Ponting, Mike Hussey and Andrew Symonds were yesterday given the benefit of the doubt on lbw decisions that television replays suggested should have been given out.

"We felt we were on the back end of a few decisions that didn't go our way. I am disappointed," Arthur said.

"Certainly, we feel we had Ponting, Hussey and Symonds earlier than they were eventually out."

Ponting made 120 after a let-off on 95 while Hussey was given a reprieve on nine. He made 45 and shared in a 130-run partnership with Ponting that helped Australia avoid the follow-on.

Symonds got a life while in single figures and scored 12.

Despite his grievances, Arthur said South Africa were still in a strong position to win the match and square the series.

"We're slightly disappointed we didn't capitalise and get a bigger lead of around 150 but we would have taken a 100 lead at the start," he said.

"Tomorrow is going to be interesting. We feel we need another 200. If we can get that, we're set up for a huge last day. It'll be a great end to the series."

The South Africans batted cautiously and slowly in the first innings before declaring on 451 for nine. Arthur said they would be far more aggressive in the second innings.

"The feeling within our camp is that we don't want to put too much pressure on ourselves. We don't want to be tentative." "If we go home having lost 2-0 trying to give ourselves the option of winning, we're going to he happy with that. We're going to give ourselves the option of winning this test match, to go home 1-1.

"There's no pressure on our batting. We're going to enjoy it in order to get ourselves into a good position."

Australia finished 92 short of South Africa's total when a rearguard 86 from Adam Gilchrist lifted them to 359.

They also made an early inroad into the South African second innings when Brett Lee trapped AB de Villiers lbw for one and Ponting said an Australian victory was not out of the question.

"South Africa are probably slightly in front. To have a first innings lead at the SCG (Sydney Cricket Ground) is generally pretty important," Ponting said.

"It hasn't been a real bad day for us. If we can have some conditions in our favour tomorrow morning and do some damage with the new ball and get the spinners in there, then we've still a decent chance of winning this match."

- REUTERS