South Africa’s cricketers will be aiming to ruin the farewell party of Australia great Ricky Ponting when the third Test at the WACA Ground resumes on Monday.

Chasing 632 for victory, Australia will start day four at 0-40, with David Warner on 29 and Ed Cowan on nine.

Ponting, who has already announced his retirement, is due to bat at No.4, and will no doubt want to go out with a bang after making just four runs in the first innings.

An unlikely Australian victory would mean a record for the highest ever successful fourth-innings run chase.

The previous best mark was the West Indies’ 7-418 against Australia in 2003, while South Africa’s 4-414 at the WACA four years ago ranks second.

South African wicketkeeper AB de Villiers, who made 169 in his team’s second-innings total of 569, denied Ponting’s farewell had already been ruined.

But he wants to make it the case on Monday.

“He’s still got to come out and bat,” de Villiers said on Sunday.

“We’ve got a lot of hard work ahead of us tomorrow and day five if it goes that far … but I believe we have the skill to get those 10 wickets.

“We haven’t ruined his last Test match yet but hopefully we do.”

Recalled Australian fast bowlers Mitchell Starc (6-154) and Mitchell Johnson (4-110) performed strongly on Sunday, but Shane Watson, John Hastings and spinner Nathan Lyon failed to snare a wicket as South Africa batted to a commanding position.

Should the South Africans either draw or win, they will retain the No.1 Test ranking.

The series is currently locked at 0-0.