Proteas show steel to earn gritty draw, avoid series whitewash against Aussies
The Proteas snapped a four-match losing streak when they drew the third Test against Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Sunday.
After being bowled out for 255 in response to Australia's 475/4 declared, they were forced to follow on on day five on Sunday, but they showed steel to battle their way to 106/2 before the players shook hands and called the math a draw.
The result meant Australia won the series 2-0 after handsome wins in the first and second Tests in Brisbane and Melbourne.
The draw, the first in over 40 Tests that the Proteas have participated in, was effectively secured through an 80-run first-innings partnership for the eighth wicket between Simon Harmer (47) and Keshav Maharaj (53).
SCORECARD | Australia v Proteas, 3rd Test, Day 5
The 161-ball stand that came after Marco Jansen (11) had fallen to Travis Head (1/21) took the necessary time out of the game that Australia needed to bowl South Africa out twice.
Harmer (165 balls) and Maharaj (81 balls) played contrasting, but equally important knocks as they forced repeated spells from the Australian bowling attack.
They both fell to Josh Hazlewood (4/48), with Nathan Lyon (2/88) removing Kagiso Rabada to end the Proteas' stubborn resistance.
Dean Elgar's (10) poor tour ended with another leg-side strangle, with Alex Carey and Pat Cummins combining for his dismissal.
That left SA at 27/1 at the start of the ninth over, but a 48-run alliance between Sarel Erwee and Heinrich Klaasen (35) spanned 113 balls, which was sufficient to draw the sting from the Australians.
Klaasen was castled by Hazlewood, but the Proteas were guided to safety by Erwee (42*) and Bavuma (17*).