Tour Match: South Africa 'A' v Australians at Potchefstroom, 17-19 Feb 2002 CricInfo Live Report

Tour Match: South Africa 'A' v Australians at Potchefstroom, 17-19 Feb 2002
Peter Robinson

Australians 1st innings: Day 2 - Lunch, Day 2 - Rain,
Live Reports from previous days

RAIN KEEPS WAUGH WAITING FOR HIS CENTURY IN POTCHEFSTROOM
Rain stopped play for the second time on the second day of Australia’s three-day game against South Africa ‘A’ in Potchefstroom on Monday, putting Steve Waugh’s hopes of an early-tour century on hold. After a lengthened lunch session, the Australians managed to move on to 351 for eight in their first innings with Waugh not out on 91 when the players were again forced off the field.

The Australians lost one further wicket in the seven overs between lunch and the rain as Andrew Hall picked up his fifth wicket of the innings. He had Brett Lee caught at second slip by Graeme Smith for 6 with Australia 332 for eight.

As a contest this game is clearly already dead – unless the South African ‘A’ collapse horribly twice on the last day – but as an exercise in patience, it may have served Australia’s purposes. Ricky Ponting, Mark Waugh and now his twin Steve have all given themselves time at the crease and in the context of the tour, these might well have been the three chosen by the visitors for as much batting practice as possible.

PONTING CLAIMS FIRST CENTURY OF AUSTRALIAN TOUR
In terms of spending time in the middle, all of Australia’s batsmen had been given an chance by lunch on the second day of their three-day match against South Africa ‘A’ in Potchefstroom on Monday. Not all of them, however, took full use of this opportunity as the tourists moved to 325 for seven.

As far as the Australians are concerned, they have reason to be pleased with the form of Ricky Ponting, who went on from 93 not out overnight to score the first century of the tour, and captain Steve Waugh, who was 77 not out when a shower brought the players in for an early lunch.

Damien Martyn and Adam Gilchrist, however, both went cheaply during the morning session while Shane Warne failed to trouble the scorers.

Ponting reached his hundred in the third over of the morning when he tucked Andre Nel away to square leg for a single and he went on to reach 120 before he finally fell to the left-arm wrist spinner Gulam Bodi, caught at the wicket off a thin edge as he essayed a cut.

Ponting had been at the crease for 263 minutes, hitting 23 boundaries and he and Waugh put on 94 for the fourth wicket.

Damien Martyn came and went quickly, top-edging a sweep against Claude Henderson to be caught by Daryll Cullinan who ran around from slip to hold the catch at backward square leg. Martyn made only 1 with the fifth wicket falling at 272.

The second new ball, shared by Nel and Andrew Hall, accounted for the next two wickets. Hall, who had taken the first two wickets to fall in the innings before being hit out of the attack on the first day, had Gilchrist well caught at slip, low down and to his left by Graeme Smith, for 16 before producing an inswinger that caught Shane Warne plumb in front as he padded up.

Australia were 321 for seven at that stage and only a further four runs were added to the score before rain stopped play 20 minutes before the scheduled lunch break.