Melbourne, Dec. 31: South Africa has vowed to maintain the pressure on Australia during the third Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG), which begins on Saturday.

Injured vice-captain Ashwell Prince revealed today the triumphant tourists had a "proper party last night" to celebrate their series-clinching nine-wicket win at the MCG, but warned that the psychological edge over Ricky Ponting''s team would be maintained going into the return three-Test series in South Africa starting in February.

Melbourne, Dec. 31 : Australia's chief cricket selector Andrew Hilditch has reiterated that the rebuilding process is progressing well and asserted that now was "not a time for chopping and changing" the squad despite the series loss to South Africa.

Sydney, Dec. 31: South African stars Graeme Smith and Dale Steyn may be focussing on overtaking Australia as the world''s No. 1 Test cricket side, but they can also reflect on 2008 as a stand-out year individually.

The Proteas can attribute much of their success this year - 11 wins, two draws and two losses from 15 Tests, and series wins in England and Australia - to Smith''s magnificent batting and Steyn''s brilliant fast bowling.

Sydney, Dec. 31 : Cricket is a game forever on the cusp of disappointing its traditionalists.

If 1932-33 was its defining angry flashpoint (Bodyline Series), then this year, or more specifically 2009 when the second season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) gets underway, must challenge Packer''s 1970s World Series revolution as the most violent rupture in the sport''s economics.

According to the Sydney Morning Herald, 2009 looms as a crucial period in clarifying where the game is headed, for its fans, players, administrators, and those that make money from it.

One test will be the integrity of cricket''s new constellation of money and power - with India and Twenty20 at its center - in the face of the world''s financial crisis.

Karachi, Dec. 31: The Director-General of Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), Javed Miandad, has rejected chief selector Abdul Qadir's proposal to host a series of trial matches ahead of the home team's upcoming international fixtures.

Qadir failed to impress both Miandad and PCB chairman Ijaz Butt with his idea of playing trial matches which would help the selectors to pick the best possible team for the home assignment apart from providing the players a perfect opportunity to get ready for challenging assignments.

Sydney, Dec. 31: Well known cricket columnist Peter Roebuck believes that Australia's period of cricketing domination is over, and therefore, it needs to pass the champions baton to the South Africans.

With Australia losing its series to South Africa two nil, Roebuck says that the matches at Perth and Melbourne showed the hosts letting go of advantages after securing powerful positions.