Proteas ride on Prince ton
Saturday, 21 March 2009
Tea South Africa 256 for 2 (Prince 119*, Kallis 39*) lead Australia 209 by 47 runs
Ashwell Prince hit an imperious century in his first international outing in over four months to take South Africa into the lead. With the series lost South Africa had not just proverbial pride to play for but also needed to sort out a reliable opening alternative to the injured Graeme Smith. In compiling an assured, unfussy 11th Test century, his second against Australia, Prince has shown that he has the necessary quality.
Prince may not have figured in South Africa's plans when the series began, but he slotted in to the unfamiliar opening role with a stylish, collected innings. He did the hard work last evening and this morning, seeing off the new ball, and walked out after lunch on a deserved 70. The only blemish came in the same over that Hashim Amla edged a leaden-footed drive off Mitchell Johnson - another aborted half-century against Australia - when he flashed an edge over the slip cordon.
Passing 3000 Test runs along the way, Prince ticked through the seventies and eighties without throwing his weight around, but the legspinner Bryce McGain was given a warm welcome on his introduction an hour into the session. With a three-card trick of boundaries, Prince moved from 93 to 105. The first was a touch risky as the ball spliced off the bat and raced away to the third-man boundary, but the next two were dismissive - a twinkle-toed hit over mid-off and a dismissive sweep in front of square.
A seemingly bogged down Jacques Kallis was given the once-over by Johnson, copping nasty short deliveries on the shoulder and helmet that prompted an assortment of replacement helmets. Once he settled on one to his liking, Kallis' technique tightened somewhat, but what really got him going was poor McGain. In five balls Kallis jumped from a 39-ball four to 18 with three disdainful shots, the biggest of the lot being a pull over midwicket for six. McGain continued to send down short-pitched stuff and Kallis responded with gusto - that five-over spell cost 51. By tea he was on 39, of which 32 came off McGain. — Cricinfo
Ashwell Prince hit an imperious century in his first international outing in over four months to take South Africa into the lead. With the series lost South Africa had not just proverbial pride to play for but also needed to sort out a reliable opening alternative to the injured Graeme Smith. In compiling an assured, unfussy 11th Test century, his second against Australia, Prince has shown that he has the necessary quality.
Prince may not have figured in South Africa's plans when the series began, but he slotted in to the unfamiliar opening role with a stylish, collected innings. He did the hard work last evening and this morning, seeing off the new ball, and walked out after lunch on a deserved 70. The only blemish came in the same over that Hashim Amla edged a leaden-footed drive off Mitchell Johnson - another aborted half-century against Australia - when he flashed an edge over the slip cordon.
Passing 3000 Test runs along the way, Prince ticked through the seventies and eighties without throwing his weight around, but the legspinner Bryce McGain was given a warm welcome on his introduction an hour into the session. With a three-card trick of boundaries, Prince moved from 93 to 105. The first was a touch risky as the ball spliced off the bat and raced away to the third-man boundary, but the next two were dismissive - a twinkle-toed hit over mid-off and a dismissive sweep in front of square.
A seemingly bogged down Jacques Kallis was given the once-over by Johnson, copping nasty short deliveries on the shoulder and helmet that prompted an assortment of replacement helmets. Once he settled on one to his liking, Kallis' technique tightened somewhat, but what really got him going was poor McGain. In five balls Kallis jumped from a 39-ball four to 18 with three disdainful shots, the biggest of the lot being a pull over midwicket for six. McGain continued to send down short-pitched stuff and Kallis responded with gusto - that five-over spell cost 51. By tea he was on 39, of which 32 came off McGain. — Cricinfo