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Craig HillAustralia First Test Against South Africa Day One
February 27th 2009 05:22
An unbroken 72-run partnership between Brad Haddin and debutant Marcus North helped Australia reach 5-254 when bad light and rain ended day one of the first Test against South Africa at the Wanderers.
It capped a good fightback in Johannesburg from the tourists, who earlier had captain Ricky Ponting and his deputy Michael Clarke to thank for instigating the recovery.
Half-centuries from Ponting and Clarke had helped the team recover from the loss of three early wickets - two of which came from the impressive Dale Steyn - to reach 3-151.
Australia was in more trouble after the pair departed within a short space of time, leaving it at 182 with half the team out shortly before tea, but North (47 not out) looked at home in his first match at the highest level and together with Haddin (37 not out) took the tourists team to the close without any further damage.
Earlier, Steyn's burst set Australia firmly on the back foot as he struck with the fourth delivery of the day to remove another debutant, Phil Hughes, for a duck, before a stunning catch from Neil McKenzie helped him dismiss Simon Katich for three in the ninth over.
Ponting had won the toss and his side decided to go with the all-round ability of Andrew McDonald, while the team also featured three debutants in Hughes, North and Ben Hilfenhaus.
That made it the first time since 1985 against India that three Australia players had been awarded their first caps in the same game.
But Hughes found himself in a tangle first up when he tried to lift a rising Steyn delivery over the slips and only succeeded in under-edging a simple chance to wicketkeeper Boucher.
Ponting was in next and took the score to 18 with Katich, who was next to go when he tried to steer another Steyn delivery to third man and was snapped by a brilliant diving catch by McKenzie at gully - the South African batsman was horizontal to the ground when he took the catch to his right with an outstretched hand.
Michael Hussey followed not long after when he edged Morne Morkel to Jacques Kallis at second slip for four, leaving the Australians reeling at 3-38.
It could have been four down at lunch, but in Steyn's final over home captain Graeme Smith could not hold a simple chance at first slip that would have had his opposite number Ponting out for 40.
It was 3-78 at the interval and Ponting brought up his fifty in the second over after lunch.
Ponting and Clarke tucked in to Steyn and Makhaya Ntini by putting on 58 in the first hour - including 36 in five overs off the two pacemen.
Ponting survived some close shaves along the way and, after being dropped by Smith, he was again deemed not out when South Africa used the first of its two television appeals when he was on 70.
Morkel was the bowler delivering another sharp-moving delivery, there was a nick from somewhere and Boucher took the catch, but after being referred the ball was clearly shown to have brushed Ponting's thigh pad rather than his bat.
The experienced pair then brought up their century stand in just under 25 overs, but just as Ponting was looking odds on for a century, he uncharacteristically misjudged an inswinging Ntini delivery, which cut back in and brushed his pads en route to taking the stumps for 83.
Clarke and North added 31 for the fourth wicket, before the former found it hard to resist a wide delivery from Steyn and edged an easy catch to Boucher for 68.
North and Haddin remained firm though, taking the score to 194 at tea, and then negotiated the shortened 75-minute final session without further damage.
Steyn was the pick of the bowlers, picking up 3-82 in 19 overs, while Morkel with 1-65 and Ntini with 1-53 claimed the other two wickets.
It capped a good fightback in Johannesburg from the tourists, who earlier had captain Ricky Ponting and his deputy Michael Clarke to thank for instigating the recovery.
Half-centuries from Ponting and Clarke had helped the team recover from the loss of three early wickets - two of which came from the impressive Dale Steyn - to reach 3-151.
Australia was in more trouble after the pair departed within a short space of time, leaving it at 182 with half the team out shortly before tea, but North (47 not out) looked at home in his first match at the highest level and together with Haddin (37 not out) took the tourists team to the close without any further damage.
Marcus North
Earlier, Steyn's burst set Australia firmly on the back foot as he struck with the fourth delivery of the day to remove another debutant, Phil Hughes, for a duck, before a stunning catch from Neil McKenzie helped him dismiss Simon Katich for three in the ninth over.
Ponting had won the toss and his side decided to go with the all-round ability of Andrew McDonald, while the team also featured three debutants in Hughes, North and Ben Hilfenhaus.
That made it the first time since 1985 against India that three Australia players had been awarded their first caps in the same game.
But Hughes found himself in a tangle first up when he tried to lift a rising Steyn delivery over the slips and only succeeded in under-edging a simple chance to wicketkeeper Boucher.
Ponting was in next and took the score to 18 with Katich, who was next to go when he tried to steer another Steyn delivery to third man and was snapped by a brilliant diving catch by McKenzie at gully - the South African batsman was horizontal to the ground when he took the catch to his right with an outstretched hand.
Michael Hussey followed not long after when he edged Morne Morkel to Jacques Kallis at second slip for four, leaving the Australians reeling at 3-38.
It could have been four down at lunch, but in Steyn's final over home captain Graeme Smith could not hold a simple chance at first slip that would have had his opposite number Ponting out for 40.
It was 3-78 at the interval and Ponting brought up his fifty in the second over after lunch.
Ponting and Clarke tucked in to Steyn and Makhaya Ntini by putting on 58 in the first hour - including 36 in five overs off the two pacemen.
Ponting survived some close shaves along the way and, after being dropped by Smith, he was again deemed not out when South Africa used the first of its two television appeals when he was on 70.
Morkel was the bowler delivering another sharp-moving delivery, there was a nick from somewhere and Boucher took the catch, but after being referred the ball was clearly shown to have brushed Ponting's thigh pad rather than his bat.
The experienced pair then brought up their century stand in just under 25 overs, but just as Ponting was looking odds on for a century, he uncharacteristically misjudged an inswinging Ntini delivery, which cut back in and brushed his pads en route to taking the stumps for 83.
Clarke and North added 31 for the fourth wicket, before the former found it hard to resist a wide delivery from Steyn and edged an easy catch to Boucher for 68.
North and Haddin remained firm though, taking the score to 194 at tea, and then negotiated the shortened 75-minute final session without further damage.
Steyn was the pick of the bowlers, picking up 3-82 in 19 overs, while Morkel with 1-65 and Ntini with 1-53 claimed the other two wickets.
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