Australia 3 for 214 (Cowan 98*, Clarke 78*, Morkel 2-38) trail South Africa 450 by 236 runs
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
A doughty stand by Ed Cowan and Michael Clarke frustrated South Africa and lifted Australia to the firmer ground of 3 for 214 at lunch on day four of the first Test in Brisbane.
Graeme Smith's side began the day in search of quick wickets to press for victory, but Cowan's highest Test score and a determined if occasionally fortunate contribution by Clarke raised the prospect of a stalemate at the Gabba - about the best Australia could hope for after sliding to 3 for 40 on the third evening.
Considered to be under some pressure for his place entering this match, Cowan provided exactly the sort of innings the team required in the circumstances, scoring within his favoured zones and showing sound judgement of when to defend. It was an
In responding aggressively to a perilous position the night before, Cowan and Clarke had tilted momentum their way even before they emerged on the fourth morning. But they had to fight to build on that advantage against refreshed opponents.
After a brief early flurry, runs came steadily rather than swiftly, Cowan pushing singles while Clarke punched a pair of delectable straight drives back past Steyn in between leaving plenty of deliveries wide of off stump.
Cowan had an uncomfortable moment when he cuffed past the stumps and down to the fine leg boundary while trying to leave Steyn, and Clarke was twice the beneficiary of good fortune when his unconvincing attempts at a sort of half-pull shot lobbed into the air but out of the reach of fielders.
Both such strokes were attempted off the bowling of Kleinveldt, who bowled far better than his nerve-wracked first spell the previous evening. Nonetheless, a wicket was not forthcoming, and Smith brought himself on for a rare spell of friendly off spin in the absence of Imran Tahir and the injured JP Duminy.
Clarke looked uncomfortable against the short ball on more than one occasion, once taking his eye off a Steyn bouncer and gloving into the space between the stumps and the slips cordon. But he prospered in other areas, playing with a restraint that showed self-awareness of how important his wicket has become for Australia.
As the adjournment ticked closer Cowan reached the outskirts of a century, gaining four runs when the umpire Asad Rauf failed to detect Morne Morkel's bouncer had skimmed straight off the batsman's helmet. Ultimately he would go to the interval two runs short of a hundred, but happy to wait for them.
Cowan, Clarke frustrate visitors
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Cowan, Clarke frustrate visitors
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Cowan, Clarke frustrate visitors
