Aussies underline difference
in quality

Australia underlined the difference in quality between themselves and the rest of the world by thrashing nearest rivals South Africa in the second Test by nine wickets inside four days. The victory, which sees Australia win the series 2-0 with one to play, also ensures they maintain top position on the ICC Test championship table over South Africa.

South Africa needed only a draw in either of this season’s three-Test home and away series against Australia to usurp the Aussies as the No. 1 team on the ICC table. Now they can only do so at home, though both sides have claimed they are viewing the battle for supremacy as a six-Test series.

Australia comprehensively outplayed South Africa on the fourth day, with only a valiant 99 by Jacques Kallis denying them an innings victory. Kallis was tragically run out attempting the run which would have given him his century as South Africa were bowled out for 219 approximately an hour before scheduled stumps, leaving Australia an academic 10 for victory.

After Langer was caught off Pollock, Matthew Hayden fittingly hit the winning runs by driving Donald through mid off.

At the start of play, Australia did not add to its overnight lead of 210. Gilchrist never got a chance to add quick runs, as Pollock trapped McGrath lbw with the last ball of the first over of the day, propping half-forward and playing down the wrong line. From the run-out of Waugh, Australia lost their last six wickets for 58 runs, the tail for once failing to wag after consistent contributions from the top seven.

With a deficit of 210 and the primary objective to bat through the day, one would have thought South Africa’s intention would be to make a safe start and assess the situation thereafter. Yet, in a thoroughly bemusing cameo, Herschelle Gibbs batted as if South Africa were 210 ahead, not behind, and were looking to slap the bowling around in advance of a declaration.

The majority of deliveries Gibbs faced seemed to come off the outer edge of the bat into the slips cordon, and those that didn’t went through to the keeper as he swished outside off or heaved across the line. His cavalier approach had a negative effect on Gary Kirsten, who was caught at third slip by Ponting for 10 driving at Lee outside off. Reaching for the ball slightly as he aimed to drive, the away movement accounted for the edge and South Africa were 24/1.

Gibbs rode his luck for 21 but his dismissal while playing in that fashion was inevitable, as he was caught behind off an under edge trying to thrash Lee through the covers. It was one reckless shot too many in an irresponsible innings, the ball cutting back to take the edge for Gilchrist to hold diving to his left. Lee’s double strike left South Africa 37/2.

South Africa persisted with Boeta Dippenaar’s baptism of fire at No. 3, with Kallis joining him at four to steady the Proteas' ship. Playing safely, the pair dug in solidly, seeing off McGrath’s 9-over spell in which Kallis was tested again by the rising ball at his body.

On the fourth-day pitch there was some turn for Warne, who thought he had Kallis caught behind from a leg-break delivered around the wicket. The Australians all went up spontaneously, convinced Kallis had edged it, but umpire Nicholls was unmoved. Kallis just shook his head and replays vindicated Nicholls, who has proved he is not influenced by the intensity of appeals. Kallis clipped his pad rather than the ball, which Nicholls bravely affirmed after his much-criticised mistake in giving Kallis out in the first innings.

Dippenaar has made two starts in this match yet cannot buy a break. In contrast, Hayden can do no wrong. On 23, Dippenaar went back to a leg stump ball from Warne and whipped it off his pads to short leg, directly into the body of Hayden, who stayed upright and managed to cling onto the ball to complete a freakish dismissal. After falling to one of the catches of the season in the gully by the same fielder in the first innings, Dippenaar won't be hitting the ball anywhere near Hayden in the future!

The unlucky dismissal left South Africa 74/3, which Kallis and McKenzie advanced to 97/3 by lunch.

Lee and McGrath resumed post-lunch and Kallis and McKenzie played them watchfully, but with a willingness to hook when the ball was in the right zone. Against the disciplined batting, Australia's fielding was also of the highest quality, saving every possible run to ensure maximum pressure was applied.

Ten runs had been added in half an hour when Warne was introduced, striking with the first ball of his spell. Warne delivered a fractionally shorter length ball to McKenzie which turned and importantly bounced, with McKenzie (12) following it defensively for the edge behind. The classic Warne dismissal gave Australia the psychological stranglehold, if they did not already have it, with South Africa 107/4.

Klusener, on a king pair, broke his run of ducks, but did not look any more secure than in recent innings. On 7, he was trapped lbw by a full ball from McGrath on leg stump, which he played around trying to flick to leg. McGrath was convinced he had the lbw and after an unusually long deliberation umpire Nicholls rightly gave it out; South Africa 120/5.

Continuing to turn up the intensity, Warne held a discussion with Waugh before bowling to Boucher. He then tossed up a well-flighted delivery outside off, Boucher was enticed into driving, and the turn took the edge for a catch to Mark Waugh at slip. Boucher was gone for a duck, and at 121/6, South Africa could only hope to avert an innings defeat.

As he did in the second innings of the first Test, Kallis stood tall amidst the wreckage, calmly handling all bowlers and in particular Warne. Against the around the wicket line which Warne adopted to him, Kallis was confident of which balls to play and which to pad away, while collecting runs at his usual steady rate.

Pollock was fortunate not be leg-before to McGrath early on, the ball perhaps passing over the stumps, and was later dropped by a leaping Ponting at third slip slashing at Lee. But just when it seemed Kallis and Pollock would reach the sanctuary of the tea break, a superb piece of opportunism by Martyn saw Pollock run out for 18. Playing to cover, Kallis made a poor call and Pollock was slow to respond, with Martyn's pick up and direct hit a microcosm of Australia’s outstanding fielding in the match, irrespective of some difficult dropped catches.

61 runs were scored in the session for the loss of four wickets, a commanding display by Australia with the ball and in the field.

Claude Henderson, at No. 9, showed greater resolve than a couple of the batsmen, pressing on resolutely in support of Kallis. Seeking to wrap up the innings, McGrath was brought on after almost an hour, and had Henderson caught at second slip for 16 driving at a wide ball. It made South Africa 192/8, with the remaining interest whether South Africa could avoid innings defeat and if Kallis could reach his hundred.

Lee dropped a Donald leading edge at mid on, spilling the ball as he hit the ground, as Kallis was prepared to take singles and collect every run he could. With a cracking square cut off Bichel, Kallis forced Australia to bat again.

Kallis was still five short of a century when Bichel bowled Donald at the end of an over for 7, a low full toss taking middle and off. With Kallis on strike to McGrath, Waugh pushed the field back, and Kallis swung for the boundary without connecting. When the field came up after four balls, Kallis hooked for 2, then superbly glided the ball off his chest over the keeper’s head for a single to keep strike on 98.

Sadly, he was not to reach a deserved century. Cutting to deep point, Kallis suicidally opted to charge back for a second run. After sprinting in to collect the ball, Martyn's throw to Gilchrist was always going to be too good, and Kallis joined the 99 club.

Needing 10, Australia lost Langer for 7, caught by Henderson at point driving for the winning boundary. It did not matter, Hayden scored the runs next over, and Australia completed the second Test rout to claim the series.

Scorecards: SA 1st inns | Aus 1st inns | SA 2nd inns | Aus 2nd inns
Images: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4
Match report: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3