Phil Hughes hit a thrilling maiden Test century as Australia put South Africa’s bowlers to the sword on the first day of the second Test at Kingsmead on Friday.
Playing in his second Test, Hughes made 115 as Australia reached 218 for two at tea. He and fellow left-hander Simon Katich (84 not out) put on 184 for the first wicket.
Hughes (20) announced himself as a new star of international cricket, thrashing 19 fours and two sixes in a 151-ball innings.
He reached his century with two successive sixes off left-arm spinner Paul Harris to become Australia’s youngest Test century maker since Doug Walters, who was eight days short of his 20th birthday when he made 155 against England in Brisbane in 1965/66.
South Africa claimed to have made plans to counter Hughes after his second innings 75 in the first Test last weekend — he made a duck in the first innings — but Hughes unleashed a dazzling array of strokes against some wayward bowling.
South Africa, seeking to draw level in the three-match series, bowled poorly on a good batting pitch, dropped two catches and used up both their referrals to the television umpire.
Katich was dropped on 55 by Hashim Amla at midwicket off Dale Steyn, while Hughes was put down by a diving Jacques Kallis at slip off Morne Morkel when he had 114. He added only one more before slashing Kallis to gully where Neil McKenzie held a sharp chance.
South Africa wasted their first referral when Harris appealed for leg before wicket against Hughes when the batsman was on 81. Not only did television umpire Steve Bucknor uphold Asad Rauf’s decision but he awarded Hughes a run because the ball had gone off a bottom edge. Rauf had signaled a leg bye.
The South Africans seemed convinced Katich had been caught behind off an inside edge off Morkel when he had 63. It was the first use of ”hot spot” technology, designed to show where a ball made contact, but the picture was inconclusive and Bucknor upheld Billy Bowden’s not out decision. — AFP
