Australia beat South Africa by nine wickets

Australia defeated South Africa by nine wickets on the fourth day of the second Test at Melbourne Cricket Ground on Saturday to take an unbeatable 2-0 lead in the three-Test series.

Opening batsman Matthew Hayden (three not out), who made 138 in the first innings, hit a single through cover in the third over for the victory shortly after Justin Langer was out for seven the previous over.

Minutes earlier, Jacques Kallis was unlucky to be run out for 99 as South Africa were dismissed for 219 to set Australia a target of 10 to win the match.

Kallis was 95 not out when Allan Donald was out for seven at 215 for nine with only number 11 batsman Mornantu Hayward to come.

He advanced to 98 before attempting an ambitious second run from a cut shot from the bowling of Andrew Bichel and failed to make his ground.

Leg-spinner Shane Warne (3-68) continued his dominance over South Africa as the Proteas tumbled to 158 for seven at tea on the fourth day of the second Test at Melbourne Cricket Ground on Saturday.

Warne, man of the match with eight wickets for 170 when Australia won the first Test of the three-match series by 246 runs in Adelaide earlier this month, took two of the four wickets to fall in the middle session.

South Africa's last hopes of a fightback were fading when Kallis called captain Shaun Pollock for a single after playing the ball to cover where a direct hit found Pollock short of his ground for 18 in the penultimate over before tea.

Brett Lee (2-52) removed openers Gary Kirsten for 10 and Herschelle Gibbs for 21 before Boeta Dippenaar (23) fell victim to a spectacular catch from Matthew Hayden at short leg off the bowling of Warne.

Pollock (3-84) dismissed Glenn McGrath lbw for a duck in the first over of the fourth day's play after Australia resumed at their overnight score of 487 for nine, a lead of 210 on the first innings, with wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist unbeaten on 30.

Scorecards:
SA 1st innings | Aus 1st innings | SA 2nd innings | Aus 2nd innings
Images: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4
Match report: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3

Mail Cricket Editor