George Bailey rode his luck, rebuilt Australia's innings and will need to replace the injured Michael Clarke as captain in South Africa's chase at the WACA. Bailey top scored with 70 and he put on 92 with Matthew Wade for the sixth wicket to ensure the Australians posted a very competitive 8 for 300 after they struggled against Vernon Philander and his colleagues through the middle of the innings.

Aaron Finch and David Warner had delivered a powerful opening partnership of 94 but when they both fell to Philander in the 15th over it sparked a strong period for the South Africans, in which they claimed 5 for 50. But the most worrying development for Australia was a recurrence of Clarke's hamstring injury, which troubled him in Zimbabwe this year, and the news that he would take no further part in the game.

Clarke had scored only 11 when he tried to hook Dale Steyn but was through his shot early and gloved the ball through to Quinton de Kock, walking off the field without displaying any pain. However, his batting and captaincy replacement Bailey was in discomfort when he walked to the crease and first ball ducked a searing bouncer from Steyn that grazed his shoulder and flew over the head of the wicketkeeper.

South Africa's bowlers made life difficult for Bailey in the early stages but the team's catching left him off the hook. Twice Bailey was dropped on 2, first when he cut hard off Morne Morkel and David Miller at point spilled an easy chance, and then when a leading edge off Imran Tahir lobbed back to the bowler, who grassed an even simpler opportunity.

Tahir picked up a wicket when Shane Watson swept to short fine leg for 13 and Morkel pulled off an excellent diving catch, but the Bailey let-offs cost South Africa. After Mitchell Marsh was bowled for 10 by a lovely Philander delivery that seamed back in, Bailey and Wade combined for a partnership that was initially scratchy but ultimately importantly steady.

They came together at 5 for 144 in the 30th over and pushed the ball around for a while, happy to rotate the strike and prevent any further collapse. It took Bailey until his 50th ball to strike his first boundary, when he lofted Morkel back over his head for four during the batting powerplay, and the runs began to flow a little easier.

But there were two further lives for Bailey: on 39 he slogged Ryan McLaren high and Philander running back to long-on failed to cling on, and on 47 he pulled Philander and was dropped in the deep by Farhaan Behardien. Worryingly for South Africa, Behardien hurt his left shoulder while diving for the catch and left the field, and it was unclear whether he would be able to bat.

Bailey's half-century came from his 69th delivery and he then started to go after the fast men, thumping McLaren for two sixes down the ground in one over, before also depositing a Steyn slower ball over the long-on rope. His luck ran out on 70 from 75 balls when Faf du Plessis took the hardest of Bailey's chances, running back from mid-off and taking the catch while falling down.

Wade moved on to 35 before he became the final victim of Philander, who finished with 4 for 45 after Wade was caught at deep cover. Glenn Maxwell provided the same kind of cameo he delivered in the Abu Dhabi Test but here his 29 from 19 balls was valuable, including as it did five boundaries before Morkel had him caught at mid-off. Mitchell Johnson and Nathan Coulter-Nile lifted the total to 300 and Australia made 104 from their last 10 overs.

It was a fine recovery but AB de Villiers, having won the toss and given his fast men first use of the hard and bouncy pitch, will still believe his men can break the venue record for a successful ODI chase; 9 for 274 is the highest winning score in the second innings at the WACA. It appeared while Australia's openers were moving briskly in the early stages that something deep into the 300s might have been possible.

David Warner crunched three sixes, including two off the fast men, on his way to a rapid 46 from 49 balls, and Aaron Finch found or cleared the boundary five times during his 35 from 40. But Philander had them both within the space of three balls, Warner caught off a pull to deep midwicket and Finch caught behind off a tentative push outside off.
(Cricinfo)