Warne and Symonds bowl Australia to brink of victory
Australia dominated Day 3 yesterday to take a slight upper hand and today, they continued to dominate day 4 to take a stranglehold off the 2nd Test against South Africa. The first session passed reasonably quietly as Australia looked to preserve wickets. Once they got past lunch, the middle session was a slugfest as Matt Hayden and Andrew Symonds smashed a glut of belligerent sixes and fours. Symonds got off a potential pair with a six over long off. He went on to hit 6 sixes over his innings, the highlight being a flat straight hit that struck the sightscreen on the full and bounced halfway back to the bowler. He brought up his 50 off just 40 balls with a clubbed six of Andre Nel (who still managed to mutter a characteristic sledge) and ended up scoring 72 from 54 balls (so Dan Darwin's prediction of 80 at a run a ball wasn't too far off).
Matt Hayden was also in cracking form - driving on the up, pulling in front of square and dominating the bowling - it was like 2001 again. Since the Ashes, Hayden has been scoring an obscene amount of runs (a bit late, Matty!!) and his only recent hiccup was in Perth. You get the impression in the 1st Test, he was almost experimenting with a return to his bludgeoning ways but when it failed, he want back to building an innings rather than blasting one. Huzzah, the penny has finally dropped!
Ponting's declaration before tea was well timed and it was probably a good thing Symonds was dismissed for 72 - Ponting most likely would've delayed the declaration if Symonds had a sniff of a century. The commentators say he declared too late in Perth but were saying at tea today that he declared too early today. South Africa had a sniff of victory with a target of 365 to win. When South Africa were 0 for 39, nervous Australian fans were starting to think 365 was not quite the total we needed. But suddenly a clatter of wickets fell in a rush and we all realised in hindsight, maybe Ponting knew what he was doing (for a change). The early declaration may have had the South African batsmen in two minds. In Perth, all they could do was play for a draw and they applied themselves to it fiercely. Today, the batsmen were torn between survival and attacking for a win. Once the wickets started to fall, all the momentum was with Australia and the middle-order collapsed.
Shane Warne was on fire in the last session, taking wickets and creating chances in every over. In fact, his bowling was so aggressive, the umpire tired of the incessant appealing and at the end of one over stood hands on hips, with a glare at Warne that Andre Nel would be proud of. At tea, the match looked to go deep into a 5th day. As the wickets fell after tea, there was a danger it wouldn't even get past the 4th day. But Ashwell Prince managed to outlast all his more credentialed top order batsmen and make it to stumps with Shaun Pollock. Australia still have 4 wickets to take but I can't see the match making it much further than lunch tomorrow. South Africa must now be rueing their dropped chances that cost them 195 first innings runs - an amount likely to be close to Australia's winning margin.
| Posted by JC on Thu 29 Dec |  19 comments |
Selectors must now decide whether to cater for Symonds inconsistencies or find someone more reliable but less dynamic. An in-form Adam Gilchrist would make it easier to keep Symonds in the side as a regular.
Reckon that Warnie's ball to get rid of Gibbs must rate up there with the best of them. Beautiful strategy and superb execution. And after Gibbs was quoted in the press as saying that spin would have little bearing on the outcome of the Test!
Finally, things got a bit ugly on the field between Warne and the new umpire. Don't know what was said but at one stage even Ponting and Gilchrist got involved. Word of advice to the umpire- you invite controversy and discord on the field by feeling the need to explain your every decision. Just give it and walk away; discuss things at close of play if you wish but not in the heat of battle. He's had a good game decision-wise.
Posted by Dan Darwin on 2005-12-29 02:19:17
Reckon that Warnie's ball to get rid of Gibbs must rate up there with the best of them. Beautiful strategy and superb execution. And after Gibbs was quoted in the press as saying that spin would have little bearing on the outcome of the Test!
Finally, things got a bit ugly on the field between Warne and the new umpire. Don't know what was said but at one stage even Ponting and Gilchrist got involved. Word of advice to the umpire- you invite controversy and discord on the field by feeling the need to explain your every decision. Just give it and walk away; discuss things at close of play if you wish but not in the heat of battle. He's had a good game decision-wise.
Posted by Dan Darwin on 2005-12-29 02:19:17
Yes, I've wondered whether it's Gilchrist's lack of form that's made the selectors wary of having 5 bowlers. That was very weird with Warne and the umpire - he's a funny guy. So tiny yet really combatative. He reminds me of NRL referees that get all tough and over-strict because they're intimidated and afraid of losing control of a game.
Posted by JC on 2005-12-29 02:58:47
Posted by JC on 2005-12-29 02:58:47
I hang my head in shame. I think credit for the Aussie lead (and I second you here JC) must go to Ponting - for an inspired declaration and trusting an on-form Symonds with the ball.
Oh yeah, what was that saying again, something about "catches win matches"??
Never a truer word spoken. AAAARGH!!!
Posted by Mike SA on 2005-12-29 06:48:54
Oh yeah, what was that saying again, something about "catches win matches"??
Never a truer word spoken. AAAARGH!!!
Posted by Mike SA on 2005-12-29 06:48:54
Ponting has had a good game as a captain - he's also rotated his bowlers a lot better this match - something he's been criticised about in the past. Promising signs.
Posted by JC on 2005-12-29 13:02:27
Posted by JC on 2005-12-29 13:02:27
Well, good on ya Dan, excellent prediction about Symonds which I mentally poo-pooed at the time. Have you read the script or something?
Posted by virtualgaz on 2005-12-29 13:45:43
Posted by virtualgaz on 2005-12-29 13:45:43
Nah. Just thought he was due, and the couple of wickets he took the day before would have given him some confidence. Helped that he was batting with his buddy Hayden too.
Must say I was surprised at the man of the match being Hussey; I'd have given it to Hayden. He scored a gutsy 60 odd in the first dig when the going was tough, then a terrific ton in the second. Mind you, wasn't much wrong with Hussey's innings was there. Perhaps it could have gone to Nel or Kallis for those dropped catches. Very valuable contributions, for Australia!!!
Posted by Dan Darwin on 2005-12-29 23:49:08
Must say I was surprised at the man of the match being Hussey; I'd have given it to Hayden. He scored a gutsy 60 odd in the first dig when the going was tough, then a terrific ton in the second. Mind you, wasn't much wrong with Hussey's innings was there. Perhaps it could have gone to Nel or Kallis for those dropped catches. Very valuable contributions, for Australia!!!
Posted by Dan Darwin on 2005-12-29 23:49:08
LOL to Nel & Kallis as MOM from an Australian perspective. Symonds did make a significant impact but I wouldn't give it to him just out of principle. So Hussey or Hayden - I'd go Hussey as his innings was a turning point in the match.
Posted by JC on 2005-12-30 00:18:33
Posted by JC on 2005-12-30 00:18:33
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