Australia ended the third day of the second Castle Lager Test at Kingsmead on Sunday very much in control of the situation, after a Brett Lee blitz saw South Africa slump to 267 all out. At close of play, Australia had 125 for one, for an overall lead of 227 runs.
Australia had the best of the second day of the second Castle Lager Test against South Africa at Kingsmead on Saturday although Jacques Kallis and AB de Villiers fought back well in the last session of the day with a partnership of 130. At close of play, South Africa had 140 for two — still trailing Australia by 229 runs.
South Africa were in a good position at close of play on the first day of the second Castle Lager Test at Kingsmead on Friday, when they snatched three late wickets to have Australia on 228-5 at stumps. Ricky Ponting won the toss and chose to bat first. South Africa struck an early blow in the second over, when Matthew Hayden was safely caught by AB de Villiers.
South Africa’s leading strike-bowler Shaun Pollock has passed a fitness test and will be in the team for the second Castle Lager Test against Australia, which starts at Kingsmead on Friday. Pollock missed the first Test after spraining a ligament in his sacroiliac joint during the fourth one-day international in Durban two weeks ago.
The mystery of the watered pitch at Newlands continues, but former South African and Transvaal opening batsman Jimmy Cook said on Monday that it was the prerogative of the home side to prepare pitches that suited them. ”It’s not clear whether South Africa asked for the pitch to be watered, but apparently it looked very dry when they arrived in Cape Town,” he said.
The South African captain Graeme Smith said on Saturday that he did not expect any major changes to the South African side after their seven-wicket defeat by Australia on the third day of the first Castle Lager Test at Newlands. ”Obviously to have Polly [Shaun Pollock] back would be a huge boost for us,” he said. ”He would have been deadly on this wicket.”
Australia dominated the first day of the first Castle Lager Test at Newlands on Thursday. They dismissed the home team for 205 forty minutes after tea, and at the close were 63-1 in reply. Australia seam bowler Stuart Clark started his Test career in the best possible way, with a five-wicket haul.
Australia vice-captain Adam Gilchrist said on Tuesday that Australia had much to take out of Sunday’s defeat by South Africa in the final Standard Bank one-day international at the Wanderers. ”We have a lot that we can be proud of,” he said. ”We all know that we took part in something unique.”
South Africa’s one-wicket victory over Australia in the fifth Standard Bank one-day international on Sunday was the main topic of conversation throughout the country on Monday. ”The best marketing team in the world couldn’t have sold the game of cricket as effectively,” said United Cricket Board chief executive Gerald Majola.
Australia levelled the Standard Bank one-day international series against South Africa with a close-fought one-wicket victory at Kingsmead on Friday night, thanks largely to a magnificent knock by all-rounder Andrew Symonds, who made 76 off 71 balls. Chasing a modest target of 247 to win, Australia got off to a flying start.