Date-stamped : 02 Jan94 - 02:28 South Africa vs Australia. 2nd Test, SCG, Sydney, 02-06 Jan 1994 Match Report ====> Day 1, 02 Jan 1994 RSA 169 all out, Aus 20/1. Warne, 7/56 Comments: This is what happened to New Zealand. Played a first test in which the perceived threat of Warne was nullified on a wicket that didn`t suit him. Substitute Bellerive for the SCG and the rest of it is an action replay - almost. The wicket was similar, being a little two paced. The quicks got a bit of bounce off the green patches. There was a bit of turn there. The turn for the off spin was a regulation amount; that for Warne was prodigious. In the past, Sydney has turned LESS as the game has proceeded but, in the current game, we`ll just have to wait and see. In the first session there was no hint of what was to come. Hud- son had a dubious lbw decision go against him (it was a bit high) which may have been something of a catch up for an earlier one in the same over against Kirsten which looked more out than Hudson`s. With Cronje at the wicket there were no further losses in the first session although the going was slow. Kirsten played in fits and starts. An attacking patch here, liv- ing dangerously there, mostly very watchful, above all trying very hard for his team. He has not had a very happy tour to date, but a scan of his recent 1st class record shows a 192 in a Currie (sorry, CASTLE) Cup game. So he is a pretty capable player. Cronje really has developed his game in the last year. He played Warne better than anyone and kept him wicketless for 12 overs. Warne today came on as FIRST CHANGE. Things they are a`changin! And, if I may say so, most definitely for the better. It was after lunch that the floodgates opened, but it wasn`t Warne that made the initial breach. McDermott, who was the best of the attack up till then, induced a uppish back foot shot from Cronje and he was well taken by Waugh in the gully. That was just as well since Waugh missed an earlier one at slip - not even going for a fend-off that came off the glove. He also put down another one at slip off McDermott that the umpire merci- fully called "no ball" to. Enter Warne. His first THREE wickets - all top order players - were taken with his flipper. Cullinan was bowled after Warne had given him a couple to hit. Rhodes was lbw - a typical one that kept low as well as hurrying on. Kirsten was stumped stretching way forward to one outside the off stump. After that, it was pretty basic stuff. Two brilliant slip catches by Taylor off orthodox leg breaks to get rid of Richardson and Matthews. The almost regulation "bowled around the legs" (Symcox), and a very feeble c&b from Kepler Wessels who was wasted at no.6. So, 7 wickets in all with his figures AFTER the 12th over reading 15- 4-28-7. It was just a total annihilation. He`s an arrogant so & so, but hopefully he`ll mellow as he gets on a bit. The beauty of a leg spin strike bowler is that there is nowhere to which the batsman can run. With the quicks, they will eventu- ally tire (given a fair over rate) and the ball will get old. So the later batsmen have a chance to prosper. Not so with Warne. There is nobody better at troubling the middle order and cleaning up the tail. But he couldn`t clean up 10 and jack today to claim 8. De Villiers played sensibly and got 18 with a mixture of good defence and sensible stroke play. He eventually went, as Cronje before him, caught in the gully off McDermott. Australia had time for a bat, time enough to lose Taylor who was caught at the wicket of Donald - a typical left-hander`s dismis- sal. All three bowlers used bowled some good ones, but there was a bit of wayward stuff as well. Donald, once again, showed his ability to bowl a very hostile and very straight bouncer. He was within an ace of removing Boon as well at one stage. A plug for David Richardson. Donald bowled one almost into the middle of the adjacent strip, but somehow Richardson made ground to, and dived to, his left to prevent any byes. Arguably the best keeper in the world today. Tomorrow, South Africa will need to bowl and field very well to keep in the game. Even if they do, it may still not be enough. Australia will try to consolidate - forget the state of the match and try to grind out as many as possible in 5 sessions. If South Africa can get out of this, they should find Adelaide a bit easier. Contributed by Geoff.Bethell (srlnser@*gns.cri.nz) ============> Day 2, 03 Jan 1994 ============> This was much more typical of test cricket than yesterday, and predictably so. The wicket played as it did yesterday - two paced, a bit of unpredictable bounce, and quite a bit of turn - sometimes with bounce. The batsmen are never quite "in" on it. South Africa had to bowl well today and did. They also had to field well today but never really achieved that. Australia didn`t want to throw away yesterday`s advantage and didn`t, even though they might have hoped for better. Most of all, South Africa didn`t have Warne. In other words, a war of attrition. The bald facts were that only 180 runs were scored in 90 overs. South Africa, despite 34 overs of spin, only got to 86 overs by scheduled stumps and had to go into overtime. But it was a very interesting day`s play. In general Wessels had to both keep it tight AND get wickets. He erred on the side of keeping it tight. A few times, chances didn`t go to hand close in because no field- er was there. South Africa got a couple of reasonably early wickets. Boon played on for the second test running. This time it was a very poor shot played neither with a straight bat nor close to his pad. There was not the slightest chance of it being played into his pads. He looks a bit out of touch to me. When Symcox came on, he showed an ability to get quite a bit of turn. He lacks a bit of variety, preferring to push it through more, but bowls a good length. One or two really fizzed. If he could develop a loop as well it would enhance his wicket taking ability. It was quite a while before he was given the sort of leg side field normal on a turning pitch. But before that, he got Mark Waugh lbw with an orthodox off break pitched on a tantalis- ing length just outside off stump. Waugh went back and was caught plumb after it turned. In the middle of the afternoon session he and de Villiers had Slater and Border becalmed for about 30 minutes. They looked very likely to get one or both out at that stage, especially Slater who was getting very frustrated, but they eventually broke the shackles. Symcox should have had Border`s wicket later when Richardson put him down off a lowish one. It would not have been the first time left-hander Border had got out to an offie. That partnership of exactly 100 between Slater and Border saved Australia. Border was hit over the eye at one stage from a ball ex-Symcox which popped up off his pad. He was able to continue, but will need stitches. He eventually went having a go at a wide short one from de Villiers. Richardson took a one handed catch high in the air. Slater played a very typical innings, except that this time few of his all round the wicket shots went for boundaries (5 to be precise). But that in itself was typical of the wicket. Slater has a bit of a temperament problem. He gutted it out well today, but I`d say that was despite, not because of, his temperament. A couple of times now he has got out in the 90s in tests. When he got to 100 against NZ he played a couple of overs as if he hadn`t a care in the world and wanted to get out. Today, he very nearly gave it away when becalmed on 63. It`s not that he can`t concen- trate, more that he lets situations get to him. But he has more than enough talent to get by, and should overcome this problem with experience. Quite apart from Symcox, the rest of the South Afican attack bowled well, if not lethally. Matthews always does just that lit- tle bit either way and needs watching. He got a few to really fizz today but, for once, had no luck. De Villiers is a very stout-hearted player who can probably bowl all day if necessary. Donald got Slater today, after taking the new ball, with one of the few he pitched up. It swung in a fraction, may possibly have taken the edge, and bowled him. Slater was playing straight on the drive, but down the wrong line. Last, but not least if only for novelty value, Jonty Rhodes misfielded a ball at mid-wicket. He failed to get down to one that looked pretty com- fortable (in slow motion!). Tomorrow, the ball is still only 17 overs old. South Africa must clean up the last five wickets very quickly to have any show at all. Contributed by Geoff.Bethell (srnlser@*gns.cri.nz) =====> Day 3 , 04 Jan 1994 ====> Slowly but surely South Africa are clawing this back. They were never going to get that first day back in one fell swoop, but they did well yesterday and also today. Despite that, they are still well behind the eight ball. Tomorrow they will lose outright if they don`t do well again. They had a few little vic- tories today. They took 5-92, not brilliant but accept- able. In their innings, they prevented Warne getting a wicket in 18 overs. May hasn`t yet taken a wicket in the match. They caused Border to switch the spinners round. Kirsten and Cronje, given the state of the wicket, each got a good double. Wessels was undefeated at the end even with a broken finger and an in- jured knee. But Australia had its share of little victories too. Damien Mar- tyn got up to 59 before edging one from de Villiers to the keeper. He was under very great pressure, not so much from the South African bowlers but more from other players after his place in the side. He came through with an attacking innings that should keep him as first reserve should any of the regular side be injured, or lose form. He may even have a chance of retaining his place. All the tail fought hard. None, not even McGrath, gave it away, and all got some valuable runs. In the South African innings, Craig McDermott kept his side ahead when the spinners, for once, failed to get amongst the wickets. Hudson failed to get in line with one just outside off stump and edged a regulation catch to Healy, whilst he had success against Kirsten (lefty) by going round the wicket. Kirsten left just a minute gap and had the top of his bails clipped. Australia needed McDermott to get that wicket at that stage. He was the pick of the attack today, whilst Warne bowled well without finding the edge. Andrew Hudson is peculiar. He seems to be a good stroke player when he gets going, but gets an awful lot of very small single figure scores. He is vulnerable early on because he doesn`t get behind the line well enough. This has nothing to do with courage - it is just a technical thing. In the previous test, his 64 re- tired hurt made liars of those of us who said he couldn`t play spin. Yet in the WC he couldn`t take a trick against a spinner. Strange. The wicket is not getting any easier. A bit of turn (as at Bel- lerive) is fine, but this one has far too much variable bounce. It makes the occasional one from the spinners unplayable, and the occasional one from the quicks downright dangerous. Yet the bats- man has to guard against the Warne flipper keeping low. The keeper and slips really have no idea where to stand. It is very much a lottery. Nevertheless, even though it may be said not to be a good test pitch, it has produced a fascinating game of cricket. Contributed by Geoff.Bethell (srnlser@*gns.cri.nz) ====> Day 4, 05 Jan 1994 ======> Well, this one is still tense. Australia needs a further 54 to win. With 6 wickets left they should do it comfortably but that is reckoning without one F.de Villiers. In that final session he carried the South African attack, keeping his head well up when some of those around him did not. Donald for example. He had further problems with the footmarks and failed to put the ball on the spot. To compound his agony, he put down a dolly c&b off Boon. He was fortunate that the Australian batsmen had attack furthest from their minds. But the groundsman can take much of the blame. Donald may even have an ankle injury as a result. He was certainly nursing it in the outfield. There is plenty of grass on the field but not where it might help to bind the soil around the crease areas. Symcox tended to bowl half volleys - not a good ploy on this pitch; it gives the ball little chance to turn. With Australia needing 117 to win, de Villiers opened and claimed the wicket of Slater early on. Slater was bowled again, this time from one that left him a shade and went past the outside edge taking off stump. In his second spell de Villiers showed that he hadn`t given up even though Australia had got to 1-50 by then. He had Boon taken close in on the leg side - Kirsten finally getting one to stick. May, sent in as night watchman, lasted just the one delivery, lbw coming only half forward and playing the wrong line. Waugh averted the hat-trick rather easily, but de Villiers got Taylor as well, not long after, and South Africa was back in with a chance again. This one was angled across him and possibly left him as well. But Waugh and Border were untroubled in the fi- nal four overs. Earlier, South Africa`s middle order failed to score enough runs. It was as simple as that. A 72 run partnership by Rhodes and Richardson threatened for a long while, but the last five wickets went down for 57. It would have been far worse but for Donald at no.11 giving Rhodes some support. They put on 36 before Donald was out caught at the wicket off an orthodox leg break from Warne. The Rhodes - Richardson partnership was a constant struggle. It was played out almost entirely against spin and almost all the scoring shots against the good ones were behind or square on the leg side. The occasional full toss went down the ground. Despite the struggle, Border took the new ball as soon as it became available. The change of pace did the trick and Richardson was adjudged lbw to McGrath in the 2nd over. All the time, Rhodes was getting more confident, and he ended up with a great unbeaten 76. A look at his overall run chart showed most of his runs coming down the ground - in complete contrast to the early part of his innings against Warne and May. Warne got 5 wickets in the innings, and therefore 12 wickets in the match, but the pick of the bowlers today, as yesterday, was McDermott. It was he who shifted Cronje early on today (unluckily bowled through a very small gate) and gave Warne the middle order and the tail to bowl at. Which he did very successfully. He had two more lbws with flippers (including Cullinan of course). He had Wessels bowled with one that pitched well outside off, turned sharply, and hit leg stump high up. Finally, he had Matthews with one that he played towards square leg but which caught the lead- ing edge and was brilliantly caught by Waugh at silly point. So, once again, Warne showed that there is nobody better than he for removing the tail quickly. True, this is a turning wicket which is generally thought to be substandard, but contrast Warne to the two off spinners in the match who have so far taken only two wickets between them in 80-90 overs. Contributed by Geoff.Bethell (srnlser@*gns.cri.nz) ====> Day 5, 06 Jan 1994 ======> In what was obviously going to be a day for the bravest of the brave, the stand out players weren't very difficult to pick. The match lasted until right on lunch, and Fanie De Villiers bowled unchanged all morning. For Australia, the man of the hour was not Border, but the next most likely, Craig McDermott. It's all about not letting the situation get on top of you and yet playing above yourself. Damien Martyn played his heart out for Australia today. He tried like hell actually. But he was not able to lift his game out of the strokeless rut he got himself into. When Australia had wickets in hand he couldn't make contact outside the off stump and therefore the pressure stayed on. At the end, when McDermott demonstrated that HE could do the job, Martyn played freely and uppishly into the covers where he was taken by a grateful Alan Hudson. Just that crucial "not quite" when the chips were down. On the other hand, Border, Waugh, and Healy didn't do the job ei- ther, but they gave us less excuse to criticise simply because they hung around less. Shane Warne was run out. It was his call and he might well have made it except that Cronje at mid off fielded, turned, and threw all in the one movement. The throw was a direct hit and Warne was out by a couple of feet. Is it coincidence that it was Cronje? Allan Donald had a bad evening yesterday. Today he came back. He had Border bowled in the first over of the day with one that pitched on off stump and held its line. Border shouldered arms and couldn't believe it when Richardson started waving his arms around. In the same spell, at 72, he had Waugh lbw with an insw- inging yorker that had him in a complete footwork tangle. He tired a little, had a short spell, then came back to take that Martyn wicket. Border, Waugh, and Martyn - it was these wickets that really mattered today. Fanie de Villiers anchored the whole thing today with his movement in off the pitch. It was one of those which bowled Hea- ly. Fittingly, he took the final wicket with a c&b to end up with a 6 w/i, a 10 w/m, AND the man of the match award. South Afri- ca could not have won but for his solo performance the previ- ous evening. Basically the South African performance can best be described as "mind over matter." My God, they really wanted to win. You have to feel sorry for the losers in this type of close game. Australia's contribution was just as great. They had one great day, whilst South Africa had four in which they just shaded the honours. Spare a thought also for Andrew Hudson and Darryl Cullinan. They were on the winning side today, but could they really enjoy that as much as the other nine players, all of whom contributed a great deal? Yet you can't help thinking Australia lulled themselves into a false sense of security. When reality slowly became apparent at the end of yesterday, they weren't able to lift themselves. But they won't make that mistake at Adelaide. Contributed by Geoff.Bethell (srg3lib@*grace.cri.nz)