2nd Orange Test: Australia v South Africa at Melbourne, 26-30 Dec 2001 CricInfo Live Report

2nd Orange Test: Australia v South Africa at Melbourne, 26-30 Dec 2001
John Polack

Pre-game: Toss,
South Africa 1st innings: Lunch - Day 1, Rain delay, Rain delay/Tea - Day 1, 3/69, Stumps - Day 1,

BOXING DAY BOXED IN BY RAIN AGAIN

Boxing Day - aesthetically billed in the context of this heavyweight showdown between Australia and South Africa - is, in theory, the biggest day on the Australian cricket calendar.

But, for far from the first time in recent years, rain in Melbourne made for a rather unsatisfactory, anti-climactic and incomplete experience all round today as the two teams endured an abbreviated opening to the Second Test.

Invited to bat first on an intermittently lively pitch, South Africa had struggled to 3/89 by the time that play was finally abandoned at 6:27pm.

The tourists lost Herschelle Gibbs (14) and Gary Kirsten (10) to outside and under edged strokes at Glenn McGrath (2/28) respectively, and then Boeta Dippenaar (26) to a stunning gully catch from Matthew Hayden as he issued a full-blooded cut at Brett Lee (1/38).

But the position might have been worse.

Jacques Kallis (22*) looked surprisingly uncomfortable at times in fending short-pitched deliveries from McGrath and Andy Bichel (0/15) off the line of his throat.

And, as he joined with Neil McKenzie (14*) to guide his team to stumps, he was twice dropped off the bowling of a desperately unlucky Bichel. Third slip fieldsman Ricky Ponting spilt a very tough chance, one handed and low to his right, with Kallis on 6. Then Lee, on the verge of the fine leg boundary rope, grassed a top edged hook as he attempted to clutch the ball to his chest with the elegant right hander's score advanced by another five runs.

The Australian pace attack bowled well, though Gibbs and Kirsten resisted them stoically in a first session limited to a total of just 40 minutes.

Also compromising the Australians' attempts to take wickets was the persistent arrival of drenching rain. Along with the 80 minutes lost at the start of the day, there were then another three stoppages to follow.

The lights in the towers that surround the stadium were even switched on at lunch to counteract a backdrop of charcoal-coloured skies. And the umpires, captains and match referee continually did their best to produce more cricket too - even agreeing to the prospect of an elongated 170-minute final session.

Yet - in front of a largely undaunted and good-natured gathering of 61,796 spectators - a total of 50 overs was still surrendered.

It's tradition for Melbourne's Test to be staged in the week that follows Christmas; sadly, though, another sort of tradition is quickly enveloping the event.

This Test had already been serially afflicted by rain over each of the past three years and Boxing Day itself has rarely been spared in recent times. The entire day was lost to the elements when England toured in 1998-99 and then only three hours of play were possible before the Second Test against India in 1999-2000 continued to have all five days affected by weather stoppages.

Even more ominously perhaps, only four hours of play were possible over the entirety of the match's opening three days when South Africa visited the city in 1993-94.

Ironically, bushfires were raging across a scalded Sydney (next week's Test venue) all the while today. There were also canopies of bright blue sky in both Brisbane and Hobart, where Tests were ravaged by rain earlier in the season.

MORE WICKETS TUMBLE AS RAINS FAIL TO

The rains have finally cleared and, accordingly, a sustained period of play is finally under way on the opening day of the Second Test between Australia and South Africa at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

But, while the outlook in the weather quarter is brighter than it has been all day, the situation has not improved any for the South Africans.

Halfway through a final session that has been elongated by close to an hour to compensate for some of the time wiped out by a series of earlier downpours, the tourists have stumbled to a scoreline of 3/69.

And, having already lost Boeta Dippenaar (26) and Gary Kirsten (12) in this session, they now face the prospect of seeing off a rampant Australian pace attack for another 22 overs today.

Kirsten had survived a huge lbw appeal on 10 as he unwisely padded up at Lee shortly after the resumption. But he failed to add to his total before issuing a loose, abbreviated cut at Glenn McGrath (2/24) and under-edging the ball back into his stumps.

Dippenaar better capitalised upon a similarly close brush with death after French cutting a McGrath delivery perilously close to leg stump on 2. But, as in Adelaide, luck again failed to remain on his side for long. For the second time in three innings in this series, he fell to an astonishing catch in the gully - this one effected by Matthew Hayden off the bowling of Brett Lee (1/30) with an extraordinary one-handed interception of a full-blooded cut that had the ball speeding from the square at ferocious pace to his right.

It might have been even worse for the South Africans if Ricky Ponting - the man responsible for the stunning catch that had helped remove Dippenaar in Adelaide - had held another very sharp catch behind the wicket in the very next over.

Jacques Kallis (11*), with his score on 6, was the recipient of this missed chance as he edged an Andy Bichel (0/9) delivery low and fast to the right of Ponting at third slip.

Kallis has looked surprisingly uncomfortable at times in fending short-pitched deliveries from McGrath and Bichel off the line of the throat, but has managed to maintain his composure through another difficult period.

Neil McKenzie (5*) has joined him as the Proteas look for a way back under skies that alternate between bright and dull.

Probably so sick of being forced from the field already today, the umpires and players even turned a blind eye to ten minutes of rain early in this elongated final session.

GIBBS DEPARTS BETWEEN SHOWERS

Another resumption, and another aborted period of play in the lead-up to a stoppage on the opening day of this Second Test between Australia and South Africa.

The weather cleared for long enough to permit a return to the action at 2:34pm, but only nine minutes of play was possible before watery missiles were being thrown down from a charcoal-coloured Melbourne sky again.

It was a happy nine minutes for Australia nonetheless. With the sixth of the nine legal deliveries bowled, spearhead Glenn McGrath (1/14) beat Herschelle Gibbs (14) with a lovely off cutting delivery just outside the line of off stump. Gibbs' marginally angled bat had the ball travelling low and fractionally to the right of Ricky Ponting at third slip for a gleefully taken catch.

With partner Gary Kirsten (10*), lightly framed right hander Boeta Dippenaar (2*) then survived three legal balls in murky conditions to help the South Africans to a score of 1/25. He looked more than happy to sprint from the arena as the rains poured down again.

The umpires, captains and match referee ultimately agreed to convene tea at 3:50pm, and to stage a longer-than-expected 170-minute final session of play. As ambitious as it seems in the circumstances, they will now attempt to complete 43.1 overs in the period between 4:10pm and 7:00pm.

PLAY STOPPED AGAIN AS RAIN RETURNS

Rain has again hit the MCG shortly after the players' return from lunch on an abbreviated opening day of the Second Test between Australia and South Africa today.

After 80 minutes of the opening session had been wiped out, only a further 14 deliveries were bowled at the start of the post-lunch phase before the ground again came under siege from the elements.

In that time, openers Herschelle Gibbs (13*) and Gary Kirsten (9*) had managed to take South Africa's score to 0/22, with one lovely drive from the former to the long off boundary the clear highlight.

But the stadium's lights had already been switched on by that stage and conditions were not looking pleasant for cricket. Duly, heavy rain was not far away and the covers were laid down with haste.

SLOW START AFTER THE RAINS CLEAR

There's a typically big Boxing Day crowd at the Melbourne Cricket Ground today.

But, on a dull and overcast morning, they have been deprived of much in the way of action at the start of this crucial Second Test between Australia and South Africa.

At lunch, following an unremarkable 40 minutes of play, the South Africans are stationed at a score of 0/17 after having been sent in to bat.

And, insofar as news did emerge from the opening part of the day, then the vast majority of it was grim. Shortly after Australian captain Steve Waugh had won the toss, spitting drizzle transformed itself into a sharp burst of rain and ensured that it was not until 12:20pm that play was able to begin.

Even the singing of the national anthem came close to being aborted in the damp conditions.

As for the play itself, there was also little in the way of drama. Glenn McGrath (0/7) and Brett Lee (0/9) gained the chance to bowl first on a pitch that was expected to offer the pacemen some early encouragement. As matters transpired, though, there was not much to concern either Gary Kirsten (9*) or Herschelle Gibbs (8*).

Gibbs hit one delightful shot through point off McGrath, and Kirsten some meaty drives down the ground off Lee. Otherwise, though, they were content to shoulder arms for much of what had the potential to be a testing period in the lead-up to the interval.

Weather permitting, a pair of two-and-a-half hour sessions will now follow. Play is scheduled to resume at 1:40pm; tea is slated for 4:10pm; and then the final session is expected to cover the period between 4:30pm and 7:00pm. If there are no further interruptions, a total of 85 overs - only five less than originally planned - will be delivered for the day.

MELBOURNE'S SKYLINE SOURCE OF LITTLE COMFORT AND JOY

Boxing Day, from the outset, had always appeared an appropriate day in the calendar on which to stage the opening of the pivotal match of this three-game heavyweight showdown between Australia and South Africa.

But that was before one factored in the astonishing ability of Melbourne’s weather to disrupt this Test match over recent years.

And, unfortunately, there’s more in the way of grey skies and rain to observe at the colosseum of the Melbourne Cricket Ground this year, ensuring that the Second Test will be the subject of a delayed start.

Though the rain is not especially heavy this morning, it is persistent enough to have the wicket square fully covered and to continue a frustrating trend of weather-enforced interruptions in Melbourne.

This Test has been serially afflicted by rain over each of the past three years and Boxing Day itself has rarely been spared. The entire day was lost when England toured in 1998-99 and then only just over three hours of play were possible before the Second Test against India in 1999-2000 continued to have all five days affected by weather stoppages.

Even more ominously perhaps, only four hours of play were possible over the match’s opening three days when South Africa visited the city in 1993-94.

How much time will be lost in 2001-02 remains anyone's guess though there is at least some positive news in the sense that the umpires are hoping to start play at 12:20pm.

The toss has also been made - the locals landing an important early blow there and receiving the chance to bowl first on a pitch expected to contain some significant life once the covers are removed.

To that end, the Australians will have cause to rue the loss from their attack of injured South Australian paceman Jason Gillespie. But they have found a more than able replacement nonetheless, complementing regular pace duo Glenn McGrath and Brett Lee with the inclusion of Queenslander Andy Bichel.

Already 1-0 up in the series after securing a crushing 246-run victory in the First Test, the locals would extend their sense of early command with a good start here.

The South Africans, for their part, have made one change to their line-up.

Fast bowler Makhaya Ntini has been omitted and, significantly, the Proteas have chosen to include in his place the veteran paceman Allan Donald. Donald has been suffering from a foot injury, and hasn't been in peak form on this tour, but his elevation importantly confers a different look to an attack that appeared impotent at times in the series' opening match.