Aussies dominate day l
Saturday, 7 March 2009
Tea Australia 218 for 2 (Hughes 115, Katich 84*) v South Africa
The scoreboard may have read Hughes-Katich, but the performance was vintage Hayden-Langer. Australia's fledgling opening partnership evoked memories of Australia's recent decadent past, as Philip Hughes' maiden Test century led the tourists to a dominant 218 for 2 at the tea break.
Hughes combined with Simon Katich for a 184-run partnership - the highest first-innings opening stand by an Australian duo since 2005 - and in so doing announced himself a legitimate international force. Just nine days removed from a fourth-ball duck in his maiden Test innings, the rookie left-hander produced a powerful, nerveless 115 highlighted by a pair of towering sixes that guided him through the 90s and into Australian cricketing folklore.
The concern that consumed Australia after Matthew Hayden's retirement has been swept away in less than two Tests. Targetted by South Africa coach Mickey Arthur in the press during the week over his supposed short-comings against short bowling, Hughes seldom looked troubled during his 151 ball stay at the crease, taking full advantage of a low Kingsmead pitch and inoffensive South African bowling. At one stage, Hughes struck four consecutive boundaries against Morne Morkel which, combined with a no-ball and four byes from an errant bouncer, left the out-of-sorts paceman with the unflattering return of 21 runs from four legal deliveries. Whatever pressure Dale Steyn and Makhaya Ntini built in their opening spell had vanished. The resurgent Australians were away.
Curiously, after all the talk of short-pitched bowling, the South Africans maintained a full, straight line to Hughes. He duly responded by driving strongly down the ground, and clipping crisply off his pads. Hughes raised his second consecutive Test half-century with an extravagant square drive off Jacques Kallis that raced to the boundary, then duplicated the stroke (and the four) the very next ball. But the highlight of the innings was undoubtedly the consecutive sixes swatted over the head of Paul Harris to raise his first Test ton - a feat he celebrated with an exuberant leap in the air and pump of the fist.
The scoreboard may have read Hughes-Katich, but the performance was vintage Hayden-Langer. Australia's fledgling opening partnership evoked memories of Australia's recent decadent past, as Philip Hughes' maiden Test century led the tourists to a dominant 218 for 2 at the tea break.
Hughes combined with Simon Katich for a 184-run partnership - the highest first-innings opening stand by an Australian duo since 2005 - and in so doing announced himself a legitimate international force. Just nine days removed from a fourth-ball duck in his maiden Test innings, the rookie left-hander produced a powerful, nerveless 115 highlighted by a pair of towering sixes that guided him through the 90s and into Australian cricketing folklore.
The concern that consumed Australia after Matthew Hayden's retirement has been swept away in less than two Tests. Targetted by South Africa coach Mickey Arthur in the press during the week over his supposed short-comings against short bowling, Hughes seldom looked troubled during his 151 ball stay at the crease, taking full advantage of a low Kingsmead pitch and inoffensive South African bowling. At one stage, Hughes struck four consecutive boundaries against Morne Morkel which, combined with a no-ball and four byes from an errant bouncer, left the out-of-sorts paceman with the unflattering return of 21 runs from four legal deliveries. Whatever pressure Dale Steyn and Makhaya Ntini built in their opening spell had vanished. The resurgent Australians were away.
Curiously, after all the talk of short-pitched bowling, the South Africans maintained a full, straight line to Hughes. He duly responded by driving strongly down the ground, and clipping crisply off his pads. Hughes raised his second consecutive Test half-century with an extravagant square drive off Jacques Kallis that raced to the boundary, then duplicated the stroke (and the four) the very next ball. But the highlight of the innings was undoubtedly the consecutive sixes swatted over the head of Paul Harris to raise his first Test ton - a feat he celebrated with an exuberant leap in the air and pump of the fist.