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 | |  Thursday, 27 December, 2001, 08:26 GMT Aussies seize control  Langer tries to evade a Jacques Kallis bouncer Second Test, Melbourne, day two: South Africa 1st innings 277; Australia 1st innings 126-0 (at close) Openers Justin Langer and Matthew Hayden shared an unbroken century stand to put Australia in a dominant position at the MCG. They scored at a rate of almost four runs an over against a below-par South African attack before rain halted play early. Recalled pace bowler Andy Bichel had played the lead role in undermining the tourists' first innings by taking three wickets, a catch and running out Claude Henderson. It was a tremendous effort by the Queenslander, who has not played Test cricket for 12 months. Bichel needed assistance from umpire Eddie Nichols to achieve the initial breakthrough after South Africa had begun the day on 89 for three. Jacques Kallis and Neil McKenzie began in cautious fashion, scoring only eight runs in the first half hour, but they took the score to 131 before Kallis was adjudged caught behind off Bichel for 38.
TV replays suggested, however, that Nichols had erred with the ball apparently failing to touch the edge of his bat. Bichel was buoyed by his success and struck again by taking a stunning one-handed return catch to remove out-of-form Lance Klusener first ball. South Africa were in danger of the innings going into freefall but McKenzie and vice-captain Mark Boucher launched a counter attack. They added 67 for the sixth wicket before Boucher, who had been dropped on 19, hit part-time spinner Mark Waugh to Bichel after making 43. Donald in firing line McKenzie confirmed the good impression he made by scoring 87 in the first Test in Adelaide and went to his second fifty of the series off 117 balls. He batted for almost four hours to make 67 before Brett Lee trapped him lbw with the second new ball with the score on 220, and Henderson followed for five when he was run out by Bichel's direct hit. Allan Donald was caught by Ricky Ponting off Lee for nought after the paceman had softened him up with three short-pitched deliveries directed at the body. But South Africa still had plenty of fight left and Nantie Hayward helped skipper Shaun Pollock add 44 vital runs for the last wicket.
The end came when Bichel had Hayward caught by Waugh for 14, giving him figures of three for 44, and leaving Pollock 42 not out. It was a disappointing total by the tourists on a blameless surface, a fact underlined by the Australian openers. Langer drove the fourth ball of their reply to the cover fence and both he and partner Hayden were quick to put away anything off-line or dropped short. Hayward, in particular, proved expensive, conceding 33 in his five overs and the batsmen collected 14 boundaries between them. Hayden went past 1,300 runs in 2001 as he reached 55 not out, while Langer ended the day on 67, with his sights set on a fifth century in six Tests. Australia: Matthew Hayden, Justin Langer, Ricky Ponting, Mark Waugh, Steve Waugh (captain), Damien Martyn, Adam Gilchrist, Shane Warne, Brett Lee, Andy Bichel, Glenn McGrath. South Africa: Gary Kirsten, Herschelle Gibbs, Jacques Kallis, Neil McKenzie, Boeta Dippenaar, Lance Klusener, Mark Boucher, Shaun Pollock (captain), Claude Henderson, Nantie Hayward, Allan Donald. Umpires: Eddie Nichols, West Indies, and Darrell Hair, Australia. Match referee: Ranjan Madugalle, Sri Lanka. | |
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