Australia’s tour of woe ends with ignominious collapse

JOHANNESBURG: Australia’s controversyplagued tour of South Africa has ended with a chaotic collapse and recordbreaking defeat in Johannesburg, where the host has triumphed by 492 runs to complete an historic 31 test series win.

The tourist resumed at 88 for three on day five of the fourth test, hoping to bat all day and salvage a draw after being set an insurmountable target of 612.

Instead it capitulated last night in 81 minutes, during which Vernon Philander took a stunning six for three in 5.2 overs, as the Proteas recorded their first home test series win over Australia since the end of apartheid.

Australia was rolled for 119, suffering its secondheaviest defeat — in terms of runs — in the history of test cricket.

Philander was unstoppable, removing the Marsh brothers in his opening over, before accounting for Peter Handscomb, Tim Paine, Pat Cummins and Chadd Sayers.

The visitor was eventually put out of its misery when Quinton de Kock whipped off the bails to complete a runout, finding Nathan Lyon short of his ground.

The meek surrender capped one of Australia’s mostincredible cricket tours.

Regrettably for coach Darren Lehmann — who tearfully announced last week this would be his final match in charge — plus Steve Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft, it was unforgettable for all the wrong reasons.

The absence of Smith and Warner was glaring at the Wanderers, although the tourists’ batting woes were an issue on the trip long before the former captain and vicecaptain were shamed and sacked.

No Australian batsman scored a century this series. That has not happened in a fourtest series since Bill Lawry’s team lost 40 in 1970 to South Africa.

That contest was ironically South Africa’s mostrecent home test series win over Australia.

South Africa had failed in seven home series against Australia since being welcomed back to international cricket in 1991. — AAP