Aussies choose not to enforce follow-on
Sunday, 1 March 2009
Tea Australia 466 and 30 for 0 (Hughes 22*, Katich 6*) lead South Africa 220 (de Villiers 104*) by 276 runs
A dazzling century from AB de Villiers- his eighth, in his 50th Test- wasn't enough for South Africa to avoid the follow-on target of 267.
But Australia decided not to enforce the follow-on, adding a further 30 to the lead before tea. de Villiers was left unconquered on 104 after adding 52 for the ninth wicket with Dale Steyn.
Phillip Hughes cut and drove confidently after his first-innings duck, but South Africa should have had him just before the break when Morne Morkel got him to fend one behind off the glove. With the umpire unsure, Graeme Smith decided not to go for the referral.
South Africa started the day poorly and never really recovered. The key wickets were those of Neil McKenzie and JP Duminy. McKenzie's 125-ball vigil fetched him just 36, but he managed to glue together an indifferent top-order performance. Peter Siddle angled one in to strike him low on the pad and Steve Bucknor had no doubt at all. McKenzie reckoned he might have got an inside-edge, but TV replays suggested nothing of the sort.
That ended a 44-run partnership, and reunited two of the heroes of the Perth victory that was the springboard for South African success in Australia. An appeal for a catch down the leg side off Duminy couldn't be referred because the appropriate replay couldn't be found, and the Australian mood got worse when Ricky Ponting put down a chance to his right at second slip after Duminy edged an away-going delivery from Mitchell Johnson.
It had been hard going for South Africa, with Siddle generating lively pace and Ben Hilfenhaus giving them nothing whatsoever to hit. When de Villiers struck gorgeous off and cover drives from successive Hilfenhaus deliveries, it seemed that the shackles might be broken, but it proved to be the cruellest of false dawns.
Duminy had repeatedly been targeted with the short ball, and when Johnson directed one at the body, the fend only found Brad Haddin's gloves down the leg side. Moments later, the controversy. A beautiful delivery angled across Mark Boucher and squared him up completely. Billy Bowden's finger went up almost as soon as the keeper and slips did, but Boucher was convinced he hadn't hit it.
A dazzling century from AB de Villiers- his eighth, in his 50th Test- wasn't enough for South Africa to avoid the follow-on target of 267.
But Australia decided not to enforce the follow-on, adding a further 30 to the lead before tea. de Villiers was left unconquered on 104 after adding 52 for the ninth wicket with Dale Steyn.
Phillip Hughes cut and drove confidently after his first-innings duck, but South Africa should have had him just before the break when Morne Morkel got him to fend one behind off the glove. With the umpire unsure, Graeme Smith decided not to go for the referral.
South Africa started the day poorly and never really recovered. The key wickets were those of Neil McKenzie and JP Duminy. McKenzie's 125-ball vigil fetched him just 36, but he managed to glue together an indifferent top-order performance. Peter Siddle angled one in to strike him low on the pad and Steve Bucknor had no doubt at all. McKenzie reckoned he might have got an inside-edge, but TV replays suggested nothing of the sort.
That ended a 44-run partnership, and reunited two of the heroes of the Perth victory that was the springboard for South African success in Australia. An appeal for a catch down the leg side off Duminy couldn't be referred because the appropriate replay couldn't be found, and the Australian mood got worse when Ricky Ponting put down a chance to his right at second slip after Duminy edged an away-going delivery from Mitchell Johnson.
It had been hard going for South Africa, with Siddle generating lively pace and Ben Hilfenhaus giving them nothing whatsoever to hit. When de Villiers struck gorgeous off and cover drives from successive Hilfenhaus deliveries, it seemed that the shackles might be broken, but it proved to be the cruellest of false dawns.
Duminy had repeatedly been targeted with the short ball, and when Johnson directed one at the body, the fend only found Brad Haddin's gloves down the leg side. Moments later, the controversy. A beautiful delivery angled across Mark Boucher and squared him up completely. Billy Bowden's finger went up almost as soon as the keeper and slips did, but Boucher was convinced he hadn't hit it.