Bichel rockets Australia to victory

Despite its poor start to the VB Series, Australia is right back in the thick of finals contention following a resounding win over South Africa at the Sydney Cricket Ground today. In reaching a meagre victory target of 107 in just the 19th over of their innings, the Australians have swept past the South Africans into second place on the competition points table.

That Mark Waugh (55*) and Ricky Ponting (33) were able to combine in a 77-run second wicket partnership and make short work of the chase also ensured that the Australians secured a potentially vital bonus point in the first five-point result of the triangular tournament.

The secret to the Australians' success was not the play of their batsmen, though. Instead, it was destructive pace bowling from Andy Bichel (5/19), Glenn McGrath (3/29) and Jason Gillespie (1/27) - on a pitch both captains initially believed would play in favour of their strokemakers - which lay at the core of the home team's win.

Before rain sent the players scurrying from the field for 41 minutes, McGrath did the early damage, removing Herschelle Gibbs (0) and Boeta Dippenaar (0) in his two opening overs to have the Proteas precariously placed at 2/5.

For the second time in the series, Gibbs fell in the first over of the match - feathering a catch to wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist off an outside edge as he drove at a leg cutter of perfect length. Dippenaar then played a similarly ill-advised shot, cutting at a delivery too close to his body and spearing the ball off a top edge to Shane Warne at slip.

The tourists managed to stage a mini-recovery as Gary Kirsten (44) and Neil McKenzie (18) doggedly built a 37-run union around the difficulties presented by consistently seaming deliveries.

But, when McKenzie played around an inswinging yorker from Bichel to be bowled, it set the tone for a dismal collapse. The Queenslander promptly roared through the defences of Jonty Rhodes (1), Mark Boucher (1) and Shaun Pollock (0) as well, having the former caught behind as he fended uncomfortably at a rising delivery and trapping Boucher and Pollock in front of their stumps.

He later returned to crown his first five-wicket haul in one-day internationals with a brilliant one-handed catch as he leapt across to his right to intercept a drive from Makhaya Ntini (0). But it was his first spell that settled the fate of the game.

He claimed figures of 4/7 in the space of 14 balls, prompting a collapse that saw the Proteas slump from 2/42 to 7/50 and surrender virtually all aspirations of posting a competitive score.

"Sometimes it's good to have a pitch which gives bowlers a bit of assistance because generally you get a very flat wicket with quick outfields and small boundaries," said Australian captain, Steve Waugh, as he conceded that he would have done exactly the same as rival skipper Pollock in choosing to bat first upon winning the toss.

"It was another excellent wicket ... I don't think South Africa would have been that pleased with the way they batted; it probably wasn't a 106 wicket and (at least) 150-160 would have been a more realistic score on that wicket."

Kirsten was typically defiant but South Africa's woes were mounting everywhere one looked. Only minutes before the innings ended at a paltry 106 - the country's third-lowest score in one-day international history - tailender Steve Elworthy (18) ducked sickeningly into a McGrath thunderbolt down the leg side. He batted on gamely but, upon his dismissal, was taken to a local hospital for scans and observation.

Gilchrist (8) was dismissed early in Australia's reply as he defended off an inside edge at Pollock (1/36), and Ponting fell much later as he met the same fate in playing down the wrong line at Lance Klusener (1/28). But bad news continued to unfold for South Africa.

Mark Waugh, whose hold on a position in the Australian line-up has been the subject of intense scrutiny in local media circles in recent weeks, survived a series of close shaves early in his innings, even being dropped twice in successive deliveries at one point.

Missing Allan Donald and Jacques Kallis because of ongoing injury concerns, and suiting up for their third game in the space of four days, the tourists played like a jaded team.

Having now tumbled into last place on the competition table with eight points - one behind Australia and four behind New Zealand - they will be hoping for a revival when the series moves to Adelaide this weekend.