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

Australia 1st innings: Stumps - Day 2,
South Africa 1st innings: Drinks - Day 2, Lunch - Day 2, Tea - Day 2,
Live Reports from previous days

SOUTH AFRICANS FAIL TO WEATHER AUSTRALIAN ONSLAUGHT

There was not much in the way of further rain on the second day of the Second Test between Australia and South Africa in Melbourne today. But a grim outlook still emerged for the South Africans as ambitions of a series revival were seriously undermined by a paceman who hasn't played a Test for 12 months.

Andy Bichel (3/44) has been considered surplus to the needs of Australia's attack for precisely a year now. Yet the wholehearted Queenslander didn't exactly look out of place as he snared three wickets, held two fine catches, and inspired a run out to bring crashing down the South Africans' hopes of reaching any more than a modest total of 277 in their first innings.

On a pitch playing in far more benign fashion than expected, it was enough to leave the tourists courting serious trouble.

And, as if to clarify the error of their opponents' ways, openers Justin Langer (67*) and Matthew Hayden (55*) then forged another century stand to leave the Australians powerfully placed at 0/126 by the time that stumps were drawn.

The South Africans started the day well enough but a dubious umpiring decision, and a failure to build a succession of solid partnerships, came to haunt them.

After a compelling duel through the opening 75 minutes of a 150 minute-long opening session, it was Bichel who tilted matters the home team's way by claiming the wickets of Jacques Kallis (38) and Lance Klusener (0) with successive balls.

Also significant, though, was a controversial piece of adjudication.

West Indian Eddie Nicholls was the man on the spot as Kallis fenced at a rising delivery that cut away sharply off the pitch. Wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist didn't appeal for the potential caught behind verdict, and the shouts of both Bichel and Shane Warne at first slip seemed to owe more to curiosity than conviction. Television replays later suggested why, indicating that both bat and gloves had remained well inside the line of the ball.

Kallis and Neil McKenzie (67) had added a doughty 72 runs for the fourth wicket by then, but the effect of their resistance was quickly compromised.

The sadly out-of-form Klusener fell to the very next delivery - offering Bichel the chance to snare a brilliant one-handed caught and bowled to his left - and further calamities awaited the Proteas after lunch.

Mark Boucher (43), having fought hard alongside McKenzie, drove a wide delivery from part-time off spinner Mark Waugh (1/19) to Bichel at mid off. McKenzie was trapped palpably lbw by a fine delivery from Brett Lee (3/77). Man-of-the-moment Bichel ran Claude Henderson (5) out with a brilliant pick-up and direct-hit throw from cover. And Allan Donald (0), disconcerted by another fiery assault upon a number ten batsman by Lee, then presented Ricky Ponting with catching practice at third slip.

Aside from the spirit shown in a last wicket partnership of 44 between Shaun Pollock (42*) and Nantie Hayward (14), even small fightbacks continued to represent a struggle.

Though rain fell through the opening five minutes of the Australian reply - to offer the tourists hope that the pitch might reveal more life - the home team was swiftly presented with a chance to ram home its advantage.

Both literally and metaphorically, it is just the sort of thing that Australian sides do for a living these days.

Duly, neither Langer nor Hayden was about to waste the opportunity. Each produced a series of fine strokes as another 126 runs were added to a run scoring resume that had already yielded 697 runs from just seven innings together.

Moreover, they offered few hints of a way through to an attack that laboured for the most part.

The combination of bad light and further rain ultimately caused play to be called off eight overs before the scheduled end. But, as the teams returned to their hotels early, there was not even a need for any more Australian memos to be slipped under the wrong doors by then.

Sadly, the South Africans' confidence was already looking shot. ::Drinks - Day 2::Australia 1st innings::Australian openers forge fine start Australian openers Justin Langer (42*) and Matthew Hayden (26*) are mounting another ominously good stand at the top of the order as the second day of the Second Test against South Africa draws toward its close in Melbourne today. Halfway through the day's final session, the home team is at 0/71 as it sets out after the tourists' moderate total of 277.

The Australian innings began in ugly weather conditions upon the players' return from tea. Rain was even falling again as their exhibition commenced, providing the hope for new ball bowlers Allan Donald (0/20) and Shaun Pollock (0/25) that a freshened pitch might have offered considerable early life.

As it transpired, there was little menace evident and the rain's main effect was to instead soften the ball and make it more difficult than normal to grip. The tourists duly appeared to suffer from the problem badly as five half-volleys were bowled during the first two overs.

Langer was immediately into his stride, driving a Donald delivery imperiously to the long off boundary in the initial over of the innings. Hayden was even more swiftly into gear, thumping the very first ball he faced - from Pollock - powerfully back past the bowler for four.

A number of fine drives and cross-batted strokes have followed.

Fresh from partnerships of 158, 224, 223, 3, 1, 80 and 8 in their brief but dazzling association together in Test cricket to date, they have rarely been troubled to this stage of the innings.

Langer has mistimed hooks more than once; might well have outside edged a catch to wicketkeeper Mark Boucher on 18 but for the fact that Pollock had already overstepped the crease; and was strongly tested as Jacques Kallis (0/3) was introduced into the attack in the twelfth over of the innings.

But, as yet, there has been no way through for the tourists.

The skies remain about as grey as they have done all day, and the mood of the South African bowlers might begin to become equally gloomy if they can't make inroads in the closing 75 minutes of the day.

LAST WICKET STAND BOOSTS PROTEAS BEFORE BICHEL STRIKES AGAIN

A brave last wicket partnership of 44 has significantly boosted South Africa's score, but Australia's pacemen have continued to maintain the upper hand for their team nonetheless on the second day of the Second Test in Melbourne today. The Proteas, undone largely by Andy Bichel, were eventually dismissed for a total of 277 five minutes before the scheduled time of the tea interval.

The South Africans had resumed at 5/190 after lunch, with Neil McKenzie (67) and Mark Boucher (43) then in the midst of a defiant union of 67 runs for the sixth wicket.

While they continued to take the challenge back to the bowlers with purpose as play re-commenced, though, the Proteas' position quickly began to be undermined again.

With the total at 198, Boucher was enticed into driving at a flighted, but wide, delivery from part-time off spinner Mark Waugh (1/19) and duly planted a catch in the hands of Andy Bichel at mid off.

It set the tone for a mini-procession.

Brett Lee (3/77) and Glenn McGrath (2/70) were quickly summoned back into the attack as the second new ball became due, and the former gained his second wicket of the innings when he trapped a slightly-shuffling McKenzie straight in front of off and middle stumps.

Man-of-the-moment Bichel was then back into the action again, enjoying involvement in a dismissal for the fourth time of the day when a brilliant pick-up and direct-hit throw from cover beat Claude Henderson (5) to the striker's end after he had been called through for an urgent single by Shaun Pollock (42*).

'Tailend warfare' became the theme again as Lee then indulged in his new-found ploy of attempting to unsettle a number ten batsman - this time, Allan Donald (0) - with a mix of yorkers and angry bouncers. It worked too: disconcerted by two balls aimed at his chin earlier in the over, the veteran backed marginally away and pushed a catch to Ricky Ponting at third slip.

Lee and McGrath weren't nearly so successful, though, as number eleven, Nantie Hayward (14), replaced his fellow pace bowler at the crease. A record South African tenth wicket stand in Tests at Melbourne followed between Pollock and Hayward as metronomic line and length were surrendered amid the excitement of trying to blast the lower order away.

Pollock took advantage of a spread field to collect runs at will, and to farm the majority of the bowling. Hayward also showed great spirit, stoutly defending anything on the line of the stumps and refusing to be intimidated by anything aimed elsewhere.

There was probably something predictable about the fact that it should have been with the re-introduction to the attack of Bichel (3/44) - and an edge to second slip from Hayward off a ball of perfect length - that the innings was finally wrapped up.

BICHEL'S DOUBLE STRIKE COMPROMISES PROTEAS' RECOVERY PLANS

Redoubtable fast bowler Andy Bichel has struck twice in successive deliveries to continue to hand Australia the early advantage over South Africa in the Second Test in Melbourne today. By lunch on the second day, Bichel's double strike had reduced the tourists to a first innings score of 5/190 under more grey skies in Melbourne.

After a compelling duel through the opening 75 minutes of the 150 minute-long session, it was the Queenslander who tilted the honours decisively the home team's way with an over that featured the removal of both Jacques Kallis (38) and Lance Klusener (0).

But, for as well as Bichel (2/37) - who has waited 12 months to play his sixth Test match - performed during the morning session, the South Africans' position was also gravely compromised by a controversial umpiring decision just beyond the halfway mark of an extended morning session.

West Indian Eddie Nicholls was the man on the spot as Kallis fenced at a rising delivery that cut away sharply off the pitch. Wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist did not appeal for the potential caught behind verdict, and the shouts of both Bichel and Shane Warne at first slip seemed borne more of curiosity than conviction. Television replays later suggested why, indicating that both bat and gloves had remained inside the line of the ball, but Nicholls - after a few seconds of thought - chose to raise the index finger to end another defiant stay from Kallis.

Klusener was also unlucky, though there was no doubt about the nature of his dismissal. Desperately in search of a big score after a lean run on tour, and in Test cricket over the last 12 months, the left hander was the victim of a stunning one-handed caught and bowled as he dragged a full delivery back to Bichel's left.

The potential Bichel hat-trick was averted as Mark Boucher (37*) drove stylishly through the covers, but the session then remained a stern test of the Proteas' resolve. In alternating between defence and attack, Boucher struggled initially against the leg spin of Warne (0/31), and then - on 19 - watched from a pace down the pitch as a hot caught and bowled chance was dropped from the first ball delivered by Mark Waugh (0/8).

Neil McKenzie (53*) continued to defy the bowlers well at the other end all the while. He wasn't always in command - and he went desperately close to being caught by mid on fieldsman Glenn McGrath as he swung hard at a Warne leg break to raise his half century. But he hit some typically delightful shots, and is likely to remain the rock around which the South Africans will hope to build a big total when play resumes.

KALLIS, MCKENZIE ADD STARCH TO PROTEAS' INNINGS

Play has resumed in the Second Test between Australia and South Africa at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. And, mercifully, there have so far been no weather stoppages during a morning session extended by half an hour to compensate for the loss of more than three hours of cricket to rain yesterday.

At the scheduled midway point of the 150-minute session that marks the start of the second day of the match, the South Africans are stationed at a scoreline of 3/128.

That position represents a good reward for some staunch batting in the main from middle order players Jacques Kallis (38*) and Neil McKenzie (33*) this morning. Having resumed with the total at 3/89, the pair adopted a vigilant approach as play began at 10:30am in dull and overcast conditions.

Only eight runs were added in the opening 36 minutes as a good battle between bat and ball predominated.

Probing bowling from Glenn McGrath (2/43) at the Members End and searing pace at times from Brett Lee (1/57) at the Great Southern Stand End had the South Africans responding almost exclusively with steadfast defence.

Kallis was content to push the ball defensively into the off side on a regular basis while McKenzie wasn't afraid to take life into his own hands by frequently shouldering arms - just as he did in losing his wicket to the same bowler in the First Test in Adelaide - at McGrath.

The run scoring shackles were eventually broken when McGrath's 29th delivery of the day became the first from which any scoring was done against him - McKenzie producing a sumptuously off driven boundary to reverse the pre-existing pattern.

The stylish right hander celebrated with a cracking cut stroke in the next over, then hit further boundaries from successive Lee deliveries shortly thereafter.

Kallis, for his part, has still been troubled at different moments by rising deliveries - occasionally fending them away with uncertainty - and has sparred and missed at balls from Lee and Andy Bichel (0/16). A French cut at McGrath on 32 also took the ball perilously close to leg stump at one point.

But, under lights again switched on to offset the effect of murky skies, the Proteas would still be very satisfied with the overall extent of their progress this morning.