Australia Draw Against President's XI In South Africa
February 23rd 2009 10:45
Marcus North did his chances of a Test debut no harm by claiming six wickets and a half-century as Australia's warm-up for Thursday's series opener against South Africa ended in a draw.
The tourists began the final day of their match against a President's XI in Potchefstroom by declaring on their overnight score of 4-360, before dismissing the hosts for 182 in their second innings.
It came after several below-par performances in recent months and on the back of a first-innings pasting by the home batsmen, who totalled 7-403 declared in just over a day.
But Ricky Ponting and the Australian selectors will now have plenty of positives to take into the first Test at the Wanderers with North showing encouraging form with both bat and ball.
After the middle-order batsman hit an unbeaten 52 in the first innings, he claimed a career-best 6-69 and then led his side's pursuit of 226 with another half-century, before it ended with 2-171 as the game laboured to a draw.
The day started with Australia putting its opposition back in to bat and it had them in all sorts of trouble from the start with first-innings centurion Imraan Khan trapped leg before by Mitchell Johnson for six with the score on 15.
Another player pushing for a Test place, Doug Bollinger, then picked up the first of his three wickets when Blake Snijman's attempted pull was mistimed straight to Johnson at mid-on for 11, before Vaughan van Jaarsveld was cleaned up for a duck.
Captain Alviro Petersen (36) became North's first victim when he was bowled after a 53-run stand with Gulam Bodi, who was next to fall when he edged behind to Brad Haddin for 29 - the score then was 121.
The off-spinner then had David Wiese (18) caught by Bollinger at mid-off, Roelof van der Merwe (one) snapped by Johnson at long-on, Imran Tahir (16) claimed at mid-wicket by Mike Hussey and Heino Kuhn (47) holing out in the same manner, before Craig Alexander was yorked by Bollinger for a duck.
North was then thrown in to lead the chase of 226 as he and Phillip Hughes made a positive beginning putting on 105 for the first wicket, before the 20-year-old opener (53) retired, followed by his partner (50) two runs later as the Australians looked to give the rest of the team a bat.
All-rounder Andrew McDonald and Haddin were sent in putting on 30, but Tahir struck 30 runs later when he had the wicketkeeper (13) caught by Bodi at mid-off.
Johnson (21) was next in and when he was caught at second slip by Petersen, the two captains decided to call the draw with McDonald unbeaten on 29.
South Africa Board President XI 2nd Innings
Khan lbw b Johnson 6
Snijman c Johnson b Bollinger 11
Petersen b North 36
van Jaarsveld b Bollinger 0
Bodi c Haddin b North 29
Kuhn c M Hussey (sub) b North 47
Wiese c Bollinger b North 18
van der Merwe c Johnson b North 1
Tahir c M Hussey b North 16
Mbhalati not out 0
Alexander b Bollinger 0
Extras: 18 (b 8, lb 5, nb 5)
Total: (All out; 182; 41.1 overs)
FoW: 1-15 (Khan, 6.5 ov), 2-35 (Snijman, 12.1 ov), 3-35 (van Jaarsveld, 12.3 ov), 4-88 (Petersen, 22.3 ov), 5-121 (Bodi, 30.2 ov), 6-157 (Wiese, 36.1 ov), 7-159 (van der Merwe, 36.4 ov), 8-177 (Imran Tahir, 38.5 ov), 9-182 (Kuhn, 40.6 ov), 10-182 (Alexander, 41.1 ov)
Bowling
Johnson 10-3-27-1
Hilfenhaus 6-1-22-0 (2nb)
Bollinger 8.1-2-29-3 (2nb)
McDonald 6-1-22-0 (1nb)
North 11-0-69-6
Australia 2nd Innings
Hughes retired hurt 53
North retired hurt 50
McDonald not out 29
Haddin c Bodi b Tahir 13
Johnson c Petersen b Tahir 21
Extras: 5 (lb 5)
Total: (2 wickets; 171; 40.4 overs)
FoW: 0-105* (Hughes, retired not out, 26.6 ov), 0-107* (North, retired not out, 27.6 ov), 1-137 (Haddin, 34.1 ov), 2-171 (Johnson, 40.4 ov)
Did not bat: Ponting, Siddle, Katich, McGain, Hilfenhaus, Bollinger
Bowling
Mbhalati 6-1-24-0
Alexander 7-2-24-0
Wiese 4-0-19-0
van der Merwe 13-1-59-0
Tahir 7.4-0-25-2
Bodi 3-0-15-0
The tourists began the final day of their match against a President's XI in Potchefstroom by declaring on their overnight score of 4-360, before dismissing the hosts for 182 in their second innings.
It came after several below-par performances in recent months and on the back of a first-innings pasting by the home batsmen, who totalled 7-403 declared in just over a day.
But Ricky Ponting and the Australian selectors will now have plenty of positives to take into the first Test at the Wanderers with North showing encouraging form with both bat and ball.
After the middle-order batsman hit an unbeaten 52 in the first innings, he claimed a career-best 6-69 and then led his side's pursuit of 226 with another half-century, before it ended with 2-171 as the game laboured to a draw.
The day started with Australia putting its opposition back in to bat and it had them in all sorts of trouble from the start with first-innings centurion Imraan Khan trapped leg before by Mitchell Johnson for six with the score on 15.
Another player pushing for a Test place, Doug Bollinger, then picked up the first of his three wickets when Blake Snijman's attempted pull was mistimed straight to Johnson at mid-on for 11, before Vaughan van Jaarsveld was cleaned up for a duck.
Captain Alviro Petersen (36) became North's first victim when he was bowled after a 53-run stand with Gulam Bodi, who was next to fall when he edged behind to Brad Haddin for 29 - the score then was 121.
The off-spinner then had David Wiese (18) caught by Bollinger at mid-off, Roelof van der Merwe (one) snapped by Johnson at long-on, Imran Tahir (16) claimed at mid-wicket by Mike Hussey and Heino Kuhn (47) holing out in the same manner, before Craig Alexander was yorked by Bollinger for a duck.
North was then thrown in to lead the chase of 226 as he and Phillip Hughes made a positive beginning putting on 105 for the first wicket, before the 20-year-old opener (53) retired, followed by his partner (50) two runs later as the Australians looked to give the rest of the team a bat.
All-rounder Andrew McDonald and Haddin were sent in putting on 30, but Tahir struck 30 runs later when he had the wicketkeeper (13) caught by Bodi at mid-off.
Johnson (21) was next in and when he was caught at second slip by Petersen, the two captains decided to call the draw with McDonald unbeaten on 29.
South Africa Board President XI 2nd Innings
Khan lbw b Johnson 6
Snijman c Johnson b Bollinger 11
Petersen b North 36
van Jaarsveld b Bollinger 0
Bodi c Haddin b North 29
Kuhn c M Hussey (sub) b North 47
Wiese c Bollinger b North 18
van der Merwe c Johnson b North 1
Tahir c M Hussey b North 16
Mbhalati not out 0
Alexander b Bollinger 0
Extras: 18 (b 8, lb 5, nb 5)
Total: (All out; 182; 41.1 overs)
FoW: 1-15 (Khan, 6.5 ov), 2-35 (Snijman, 12.1 ov), 3-35 (van Jaarsveld, 12.3 ov), 4-88 (Petersen, 22.3 ov), 5-121 (Bodi, 30.2 ov), 6-157 (Wiese, 36.1 ov), 7-159 (van der Merwe, 36.4 ov), 8-177 (Imran Tahir, 38.5 ov), 9-182 (Kuhn, 40.6 ov), 10-182 (Alexander, 41.1 ov)
Bowling
Johnson 10-3-27-1
Hilfenhaus 6-1-22-0 (2nb)
Bollinger 8.1-2-29-3 (2nb)
McDonald 6-1-22-0 (1nb)
North 11-0-69-6
Australia 2nd Innings
Hughes retired hurt 53
North retired hurt 50
McDonald not out 29
Haddin c Bodi b Tahir 13
Johnson c Petersen b Tahir 21
Extras: 5 (lb 5)
Total: (2 wickets; 171; 40.4 overs)
FoW: 0-105* (Hughes, retired not out, 26.6 ov), 0-107* (North, retired not out, 27.6 ov), 1-137 (Haddin, 34.1 ov), 2-171 (Johnson, 40.4 ov)
Did not bat: Ponting, Siddle, Katich, McGain, Hilfenhaus, Bollinger
Bowling
Mbhalati 6-1-24-0
Alexander 7-2-24-0
Wiese 4-0-19-0
van der Merwe 13-1-59-0
Tahir 7.4-0-25-2
Bodi 3-0-15-0
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