There was a time when a fourth-innings target of around 200 would have grey-bearded, dark-suited men chewing their nails and wondering if their side could possibly squeak it. Not so long ago Australia had particular trouble with small targets - remember Headingley '81, Edgbaston '81, Sydney '94, The Oval '97 ... even Melbourne '98. But the last two days have showcased a very different approach. "Oh, just the 331 to win is it then?" the Australians seemed to be saying after South Africa posted 473 yesterday. Most teams would have been wondering how on earth they had got into such a spot after the opposition had been 92 for 6 on the first day. Instead, Justin Langer and Matthew Hayden seemed to be wondering if they could finish it that evening and nick a day off.

At no stage during the fourth innings did the Australians look as if defeat - which might have cost them the Test Championship mace - had even crossed their minds. Not when the Waughs went, playing from memories that weren't as crisp as they used to be. Not even when Damien Martyn departed for 0. Why worry? There was still Adam Gilchrist to come. And even when Gilchrist lobbed up a catch there was the reassuringly solid presence of Shane Warne, superbat. Well, it did give Gilly an average for the series (366.00, since you ask).

Ricky Ponting was so overwhelmed by the occasion that he sat back and smashed the last ball into the crowd for six, to reach his century. It was oh so easy.

In fact it was arguably the breeziest chase of a stiff target in Test history. Three other matches spring to mind here. Don Bradman's Invincibles - the side to which Steve Waugh's Stormtroopers are most often compared - hurtled to victory at Headingley in 1948 by making 404 for 3 in 114.1 overs on the final day. Arthur Morris hit 182, and Bradman himself collected 173 not out. But England had declared their second innings, and there were a couple of missed opportunities off Denis Compton's eccentric slow left-armers - at least one stumping chance and a dropped slip catch by the unfortunately named Jack Crapp.

At Port-of-Spain in 1975-76 India went two better than Bradman's team, running up 406 for 4 to beat West Indies. It was another declaration, yet India got home with seven overs to spare. But a glance at the West Indian team tells the story: two fast bowlers (Julien and Holding) with Clive Lloyd at first change, then three spinners (yes, really). They weren't quite Ramadhin and Valentine, either: Albert Padmore, Imtiaz Ali and Raphick Jumadeen only ever played 15 Tests between them. Only Jumadeen managed a wicket as India swept home, and Lloyd went off spinners for ever. In the next Test there was a rather different cast list: Holding, Daniel, Julien and Holder (and a rather surprised Jumadeen).

The third cakewalk? Rewind to England v West Indies, Lord's, 1984. David Gower, one-down in the series, cheekily declared early on the final morning, setting the Windies 342 to win. He had high hopes that Ian Botham, who had taken 8 for 103 in West Indies' first innings, might embarrass them further. Instead the red faces were England's: Gordon Greenidge smashed 214 not out, and West Indies romped home by nine wickets with 11.5 overs to spare. Viv Richards, the man Gower had been most worried about, didn't even get in.

West Indies' stroll in the St John's Wood park gets my vote as the most impressive fourth-innings batting performance of them all. But I would rank Australia's Cape Town classic second. They might just be invincibler than Bradman's boys after all.

Steven Lynch is database director of Wisden.com.

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