More runs as Bevan prolongs high-scoring trend

Welcome returns to form for Boeta Dippenaar and Shaun Pollock were followed by the continuation of a golden run for Michael Bevan as South Africa and New South Wales continued to engage in a run-feast in their tour match here at the Sydney Cricket Ground today.

After Dippenaar (115) and Pollock (53) had combined to lift the tourists to an imposing first innings tally of 498, it was again the left handed Bevan (60*) who shored up the locals' defences to leave this high-scoring match in the balance after two days of near-complete batting domination.

New South Wales was at 3/170 by stumps, still needing 179 runs to avoid the prospect of following on. Yet it appears in little danger for as long as its captain continues to occupy the crease.

Rain interrupted play for close to an hour, and there was watchful batting throughout the closing two sessions of the day as Bevan and a string of top order batting partners played with vigilance.

To that end, most of the day's highlights came early.

Under pressure to retain his Test place ahead of next Wednesday's meeting with Australia in Melbourne, Dippenaar had produced one of the best-timed innings of his career in crafting an excellent unbeaten 78 yesterday. And there was little to detract from it today as he made rapid progress toward and beyond three figures. Five glorious boundaries even came in successive deliveries from medium pacer Shawn Bradstreet (1/132) in the third over of the day as his combination of shots through the leg and off side continued to be near perfectly balanced.

It wasn't until he had struck an amazing 23 boundaries in total that he was finally conquered - a lifted straight drive presenting paceman Jamie Heath (3/72) with a sharp caught and bowled chance.

"It is always nice to spend some time out in the middle ... you get the confidence back," said a relieved Dippenaar of the boost in confidence his 11th first-class century had afforded him after scores of just 0, 4 and 0 earlier on tour.

"There is nothing like spending some time in the middle."

Pollock also celebrated his return to batting form with a half-century, hooking and pulling impressively before playing the shot once too often at Heath and top edging. He and Dippenaar added 101 runs together for the seventh wicket.

Steve Elworthy (31) and Claude Henderson (11) also chimed in before hitting catches to Stuart MacGill at mid off. On a morning when he had little chance to add to five wickets yesterday, it proved MacGill's best way of keeping his name on the scoresheet.

There were wickets for both Elworthy (2/34) and Pollock (1/22) in the New South Wales reply. Brett van Deinsen (1) hit a catch straight to Herschelle Gibbs in the gully off Pollock; Corey Richards (37) slashed at Elworthy to present the same fieldsman with a brilliant one handed catch to his right; and then obdurate opener Greg Mail (54) succumbed to a classical inswinging yorker from Elworthy just before the end of an extended final session.

But Bevan, backing up an unbeaten 562-minute innings that had helped his team to save a Pura Cup match against Western Australia on Monday, was not nearly as easy to shift. An early stumping chance came from the bowling of Henderson (0/68), and there were a few miscued strokes, but his bat was generally impassable.

Mail's obstinacy, in an innings spread over more than three and a half hours, also proved infuriating.

Further problems were caused by a stiffening afternoon breeze on a muggy but cloudy day in Sydney, and to no bowler more than paceman Allan Donald (0/23). The 35-year-old had looked to be regaining his rhythm at times during a total of 12 overs but was forced to bowl seven of them into the breeze and looked to be so frustrated by it that he even had to abort his run-up more than once.