South Africa Land A Heavy Blow Just Before The Bell

Sydney Morning Herald

Saturday December 27, 2008

Chloe Saltau

RICKY PONTING'S body language was defiant and his batting imperious, but a South African fightback kept the Australian captain from inspiring a similar revival in all of his senior teammates as another classic contest developed on Boxing Day.

Having taken responsibility for Australia's defeat in Perth and called on his senior colleagues to stand up alongside him, the Australian captain responded to the cascade of personal criticism with a resounding century, the 37th of his great career. Ponting made the Proteas pay for dropping a dolly of a catch on 24 when Neil McKenzie messed up a chance at third slip in the over before lunch, two balls after he was squared up by Dale Steyn.

It was the South Africans' first catching lapse for the series and the superstitious McKenzie was only there because Jacques Kallis, who later pulled off a blinder in the same position, was off the field with a jarred knee.

After lunch Ponting unfurled a succession of straight drives from the top drawer of his repertoire, accelerating after he reached 50 and launching a defiant celebration to all parts of the MCG when he raised his century from a mere 119 balls.

"It's always nice to have a bit of luck. I was just a little bit half-hearted before the lunch break, I was not knowing whether to play or whether to defend or to be aggressive," Ponting said. "As you saw after the lunch break I came out and decided to be a bit more positive. I got a few more drives away down the ground and got some momentum going my way and the team's way.

"It was time for a lot of our senior guys to stand up a little bit, I guess. As I've said all week, I take a bit of responsibility for what happened [in Perth]. As far as the batting group is concerned, it was important someone made a hundred."

Ponting's dismissal on the stroke of tea, an inside edge onto the pad and into the hands of Hashim Amla at short leg off the left-arm spin of Paul Harris, changed the tone of a compelling opening day of a Melbourne Test in which Australia are fighting to keep the series alive.

After Brad Haddin fell to Makhaya Ntini for 40 just before stumps, Australia were 6-280 last night with vice-captain Michael Clarke at the crease with Brett Lee.

Clarke scrapped hard for his 36 runs, taking 157 balls to accumulate them, and can offer his captain the ultimate support by batting on with the lower order today.

Ponting's determination was matched only by Simon Katich and Clarke and the well-balanced South African attack was able to land regular blows, none more telling than the dismissal of Andrew Symonds for 27.

Symonds played like a caged lion for almost an hour, fighting his instincts as first Steyn and then Harris built pressure from one end. When Morne Morkel tempted him with a short, wide ball from the other end, the Queenslander lashed out and was brilliantly caught by Kallis lunging to his right at third slip.

Symonds was preferred to Shane Watson despite carrying a knee injury that rules him out of bowling seamers and having failed in his capacity as a specialist No.6 batsman, he may come under scrutiny if he cannot muster a better performance in the second innings.

Ponting, who was criticised for his overt expressions of frustration as South Africa's epic run chase unfolded in the first Test, was again summoned to the crease before the new ball had lost its lustre, and again it was Matthew Hayden who departed before a platform had been built.

With every outing Hayden loses a little control over his destiny and his case to stave off retirement will not have been helped by his loose slice off Ntini, who now has claimed his scalp nine times in Test cricket.

This time he had him caught at point for eight. Though all in the Australian camp have been staunch in their support for the veteran, Tim Nielsen has remarked on the pressure his ongoing struggles have placed on his middle-order teammates.

However, Ponting and Katich did not allow a top-order collapse to unfold as it did in Perth, and the pair put on 107 before the improving Steyn manufactured a wicket out of the blue.

Katich, whose rising stocks over the past six months have contrasted sharply with the decline of his opening partner, was struck a fierce blow on the shoulder blade by Steyn but batted on with a succession of emphatic strokes until he knocked a ball onto his stumps on 54. In fact, all three left-handers at the top of the order fell to South Africans steaming in from around the wicket.

Michael Hussey's lean run since the India series continued when he tried to leave a ball from Steyn and was caught behind for his third duck in four matches.

The H bombs - Page 42

© 2008 Sydney Morning Herald

Back to News Index | Back to Home