Cricket: Waugh spins new plot to win 3-0

MELBOURNE - Australian captain Steve Waugh hopes there will be some turn in the Sydney Cricket Ground pitch as he contemplates a dual legspin attack for the final test against South Africa.

Legspinner Stuart MacGill has been added to the Australians' third test squad, which has been boosted to 13.

And South Africa hinted at a surprise call-up for left-arm spinner Nicky Boje for the final test.

Boje missed the start of the tour because of injury but is due in Sydney this week, supposedly for the upcoming one-day series.

But South African skipper Shaun Pollock hinted he could be considered for the test as well.

"Maybe Nicky Boje might be out in time," Pollock said.

"It was always the case that as soon as he was fit and ready he was going to come over."

Australia will be seeking a 3-0 whitewash after securing the series with a nine-wicket win at the MCG on Saturday. That followed the 246-run win in the first test, at Adelaide.

"We've got the momentum going our way and we've got a good record in Sydney," Waugh said.

"I don't know what the wicket's going to be like, but I'd like to think there'll be a bit of turn. We're playing good cricket. I'd like to win it three-nil."

Legspinner Shane Warne has taken 11 wickets in the series and MacGill took nine in the match for New South Wales against South Africa this month. MacGill said the SCG pitch would take spin.

"The pitch I took nine wickets on against the South Africans at the SCG had no grass on it at all, but one thing I have found over the years is that it always turns at the SCG whether there is grass on the surface or not," he said.

Pollock said Australia deserved to be hailed as the top team in test cricket after crushing South Africa in the first two tests.

"Their rating of the No 1 team is totally justified," Pollock said. "We had high hopes when we came to Australia. At the end of the day we've been beaten by a better team.

"It was billed as the championship of test cricket and we've definitely been disappointing and maybe putting too much pressure on ourselves has caused it. We've been inferior to them in all parts. We have been outplayed."

The one South African batsman to shine in their second innings of 219 was Jacques Kallis, who had the misfortune to be run out for 99. That followed his valiant 65 not out in South Africa's dismal second innings of 128 in the first test.

"Yes it's obviously nice from a personal point of view to get a few runs," said Kallis.

But he said the rest of the team's batting in the two tests had been "a little bit disappointing".

Waugh, fined half his match fee for dissent after being adjudged run out for 90 in Australia's innings, lauded his team's ability to play at a consistently high level.

"The bowling was superb - it was a pretty flat wicket, there wasn't a lot in it, but the bowlers just kept going. The intensity for the game was excellent - overall it was an excellent performance."

Waugh said it was hard to say whether Australia over-performed or if South Africa crumbled.

"We have played good cricket, we've had them under pressure constantly and it's always hard to produce the goods in that situation."

Australian squad: Steve Waugh (capt), Matthew Hayden, Justin Langer, Ricky Ponting, Mark Waugh, Damien Martyn, Adam Gilchrist, Shane Warne, Brett Lee, Andy Bichel, Glenn McGrath, Brad Williams, Stuart MacGill.

- AGENCIES