Cricket: Accidental hero revives clean sweep hopes

Simon Katich is congratulated after taking the wicket of Salman Butt. Photo / Getty Images

Simon Katich had the last laugh as he became Australia's accidental hero, reviving hopes of a series clean sweep against Pakistan yesterday.

Rarely used as a bowler in Ricky Ponting's captaincy tenure, the opening batsman took three wickets in six overs with his Chinaman deliveries to spark a dramatic third test collapse by the tourists at Bellerive Oval.

Katich almost immediately spun out Salman Butt for 102 when Pakistan were cruising at 213 for four and went on to claim Sarfraz Ahmed (1) and Mohammad Aamer (4) to help bowl them out for 301.

While Australia took a 218-run lead, Ponting opted against enforcing the follow-on and saw his team to 59 for one at stumps on day three. Ponting, fresh from his Bellerive record 209, was unbeaten on 25. Katich looked as good with the bat as ball by making it to 33 not out.

With Australia holding an overall lead of 277, Ponting will look to set Pakistan a huge fourth-innings target by declaring some time today.

Rain is forecast but the nature of the benign pitch - shown by a 53-run last-wicket stand by Umar Gul and Mohammad Asif - convinced Ponting to bat again.

Australian batting coach Justin Langer said on ABC Radio there was plenty of joking in the dressing room when Ponting revealed Katich would bowl after lunch when Butt and Shoaib Malik were well set.

The tourists batted through the morning session and were hardly troubled by Australia's pacemen and off-spinner Nathan Hauritz.

While Langer said Katich's team-mates feared full tosses and half-trackers, he spun and bounced the ball more than Hauritz and sparked a 4-14 collapse.

Butt had just registered his third test century, and second in Australia, when Katich had him edging to Michael Clarke at first slip.

Clarke also caught Sarfraz next over.

It ended a dogged 234-ball stay which also included two disastrous mix-ups which saw batting partners Mohammad Yousuf and Umar Akmal needlessly run out during a 4-21 collapse on Friday afternoon.

Hauritz (3-96) also chimed in with the scalps of Malik and Danish Kaneria and then returned to finish off Asif (29) to claim his 50th test wicket.

Branded a lazy and selfish runner by Yousuf on Friday night, Butt did his best to atone for his sins.

The 25-year-old played the ball late and gained most of his runs from cuts off the back foot against Australia's tight bowling.