Tour Match: South Africa 'A' v Australians at Port Elizabeth, 1-4 Mar 2002 CricInfo Live Report

Tour Match: South Africa 'A' v Australians at Port Elizabeth, 1-4 Mar 2002
Peter Robinson

South Africa 'A' 2nd innings: Day 3 - Tea, Day 3 - Result,
Australians 1st innings: Day - Declaration,
Live Reports from previous days

AUSTRALIA STORM TO INNINGS VICTORY INSIDE THREE DAYS
Steve Waugh’s Australians continued to steamroller their way across South Africa, again needing only three days to complete an innings victory, this time over the South African A team at St George’s Park on Sunday.

The home side were bowled out for 232 in their second innings to give Australia the win by an innings and 41 runs. It came despite a plucky seventh wicket partnership of 87 between Justin Kemp and Gulam Bodi and served to emphasise that for the moment Australia constitute an irresistible forced.

The A side were 124 for five at tea and lost their sixth wicket in the second over after the break when Robin Peterson (9) offered Stuart MacGill a low catch in the gully off Shane Watson at 127 for six.

The end might have come quicker but for two lives given to Bodi. The first came when he had 14 as he edged Watson low to Ricky Ponting’s left at slip. It was not an easy chance, and neither was the second when he had 38, mishitting a pull off MacGill to midwicket that Steve Waugh spilled as the ball dropped over his shoulder.

The missed chances kept Australia in the field rather longer than they might have expected as both Bodi and the tall Kemp took the view that if the ball was there to be hit, they would hit it.

The stand took only 70 minutes and ended when Bodi swept MacGill to midwicket allowing Steve Waugh to atone for his earlier error by holding the catch. Bodi was out for 45 at 214 for seven and an over later Kemp, who had gone to his 50 with a huge straight six off MacGill, was on his way too.

He was caught down the leg side gloving a bouncer as Brett Lee went around the wicket to him for 56 at 217 for eight before the tail folded up quickly.

Thami Tsolekile was trapped leg before by Andy Bichel for 6 at 228 for nine and Dewald Pretorius was last man out, bowled by MacGill for 7 as he swung lustily across the line.

MacGill was the most successful of the Australian bowlers, but also comfortably the most expensive, his four wickets coming at a cost of 114 off 22.3 overs as he struggled throughout the afternoon to settle onto a length.

SOUTH AFRICA A CRASH TO 124/5 IN THEIR SECOND INNINGS
Quite possibly distracted by the astounding feats of South Africa’s new world oyster eating champion, the South African A team stuttered to 124 for five in their second innings at tea on the third afternoon of their four-day match against Australia at St George’s Park on Sunday.

During the lunch-break one Charles Liston set a new record for eating oysters, knocking back 87 of the molluscs in three minutes to claim a place in the Guiness Book of Records. Whatever the consequences of this feast on Mr Liston, the effect on the home team’s batting was catastrophic.

Needing 273 to make Australia bat again, the A team lost five wickets for 97 in the afternoon session after lunching at 27 for no wicket.

Jacques Rudolph was the first to go in the fourth over after lunch, although he appeared a little perplexed at umpire Rudi Koertzen’s decision to give him out caught at the wicket as he drove at Brett Lee. Rudolph, who made 11, departed at 31 for one and Australia might have a second wicket from a more obvious edge later in the over when Adam Gilchrist put down a straightforward waist-high chance off Martin van Jaarsveld before he had scored.

Van Jaarsveld, who never seemed entirely at ease, was again fortunate on 2 when an inside edge off Jason Gillespie flashed past his leg stump, but Graeme Smith was the next to go for 31 when Stuart MacGill managed to squeeze one between bat and pad to bowl him at 70 for two.

Van Jaarsveld went two overs later, bowled around his legs by MacGill for 29 at 82 for three before Andy Bichel comprehensively bowled Hashim Amla for 2 at 96 for four.

Daryll Cullinan, who top-scored with 86 in the A team’s first innings, had looked comfortable against MacGill’s leg-spin apart from a moment when he padded up to a googly, but he lost to his wicket for 19 when he pushed forward to one from Bichel that cut back into him and was adjudged lbw by Koertzen at 107 for five.

Justin Kemp, with 15, and Robin Peterson, on 7, took the A team to tea without further setback.

WATSON STORMS TO CENTURY BEFORE AUSTRALIA DECLARE AT 574/9
Shane Watson galloped to his first century for Australia before Steve Waugh declared the tourists’ first innings closed 574 for nine on the third morning of the four-day match against South Africa A at St George’s Park on Sunday.

The 20-year-old Watson went to only his second first-class hundred with his third six, pulled over midwicket off Gulam Bodi, off just 96 deliveries to bring about the declaration which left him not out on exactly 100.

He had batted with impressive power during a 140-minute stay at the crease, accelerating towards the end as hr gradually began to run out of partners. His second 50, in fact, came off only 34 balls with the home team’s bowlers, as had been the case for most of the Australian innings, simply unable to staunch the flow of runs.

The visitors went after the bowling virtually from the start of play with Watson and Adam Gilchrist taking 29 off the first 14 deliveries bowled by Dewald Pretorius in the morning before the Free State fast bowler took two wickets in four balls.

Gilchrist, who had reached his 50 with a huge six struck over wide mid-on off Pretorius, finally fell for 56, caught by Martin van Jaarsveld running in from deep midwicket as the A team spread six of their fielders around the boundary edge.

Gilchrist went at 490 for six, and three balls later it was 490 for seven as Brett Lee edged Pretorius to Daryll Cullinan at slip without scoring. The wicket gave Pretorius five for the innings.

Andy Bichel made 9 before lifting a drive off Charl Willoughby to cover where Hashim Amla took a sharp catch and then Jason Gillespie was run out for 15, going for a suicidal second run as he tried to keep Watson on strike.

The Australian captain was quite obviously waiting for Watson to reach three figures and he did so in style, ending with 14 fours and three sixes as he saluted both the Australian dressing room and the small band of Australian supporters at the Duck Pond End with great enthusiasm.