Martyn to the rescue

Damien Martyn stroked his third Test century to lead yet another Australian lower order fightback as the home team emerged on top after day two of the first Test against South Africa.

Martyn, who remained unbeaten on 124 not out, was involved in partnerships of 86 and 77 for the seventh and eighth wickets with Shane Warne and Brett Lee respectively as Australia recovered the ground its middle order lost to post a commanding total of 439. Glenn McGrath then prised out the wickets of the Kirsten and Dippenaar in the last session as South Africa finished on 101/2.

One day, Australia’s lower order will not save them when required, and 250/6 will become 280 all out rather than 400. For now, though, they had to do it again.

Pollock and Hayward began with a ball just six overs old and Warne, in the batting form of his career, greeted them with typical boisterous aggression. Hayward, with his varied length, was the easier of the two to hit, but not for Martyn. With a standing cover drive that is pure timing, Martyn was able to stroke Pollock away a couple of times in a gloriously dismissive fashion reminiscent of VVS Laxman at his best.

Pollock probed away on off stump and Hayward tried to blast out wickets, with Warne showing an inclination to hook both. Martyn was mostly assured and studied in defence, playing the bowling on its merits and encouraging Warne to do likewise. Warne could have been run out half an hour in when he was rightly sent back looking for a single to square leg, but Dippenaar’s throw missed. Although he lived dangerously, Warne’s aggression made it Australia’s morning and gave them the advantage again.

Warne took full toll of Hayward when the blonde quickie strayed, cracking three consecutive fours by pulling, thrashing through cover and then pulling again. With his accurate bouncer, Pollock was much harder to hook, but Warne went for him anyway, with one shot falling just out of reach of a superb diving effort by Hayward running around from fine leg.

Klusener replaced Hayward and like day one, South Africa began to exercise more control upon his introduction. Klusener had a driving Warne dropped at second slip by Kallis, who got both hands to the ball in a tough chance diving to his right that didn’t stick. Pollock also went close to dismissing Warne but just could not find an edge to a fielder, and the frustration showed.

When things don’t go well for South Africa, they start bowling wider of off stump and fortify the off side field until composure is regained. After 60 runs were scored in the first hour, that’s what Klusener and Kallis did, and it worked, though the breakthrough was not a result of that tactic.

Klusener struck first over after drinks, bowling Warne for 41 with a sharp off-cutter from wide of the crease. The delivery jagged back off the pitch and beat Warne for pace as he fell over, taking out middle stump to snap a valuable partnership of 86 for the seventh wicket; Australia 332/7. Warne’s cameo in conjunction with Martyn meant Australia had recovered sufficiently to again ensure they felt comfortable with their position on a pitch playing the occasional trick.

Kallis and Klusener proved testing for the batsmen, but examined their patience more than anything else. Lee, who with Warne has given Australia’s tail some sting of its own, was in prime form, but most of his well-struck shots only found the containing field and the scoring rate slowed. Kallis and Klusener pursued a fairly one-dimensional line just outside off stump to both, which for Martyn presented very few difficulties and he was happy to accumulate.

South Africa’s third bowling combination, Henderson and Ntini, was a little more demanding, as Henderson forced the batsmen to decide whether or not to attack him, which mostly they were unable to do against his clever flight and protective field. Ntini started erratically before finding his range and at lunch Australia were 363/7, with Martyn 77 and Lee 11. The session saw 91 runs scored for only the loss of Warne, as Australia positioned themselves nicely.

With Ntini and Henderson continuing, Lee appeared fortunate not to be given out caught behind off the bottom edge playing a late cut against the spinner. Boucher and the South Africans went up instinctively but umpire Venkat said no, which the TV gadgetry confirmed as correct.

Martyn and Lee were able to continue in a positive vein, as Henderson was a little too short outside off. Lee, with his deft footwork against Henderson and accomplished strokeplay by No. 9 standards, complemented Martyn well as the latter seemingly did his best to fall short of a hundred. On 90, Martyn sent a slashing cut off Ntini just above Pollock at gully, then on 95 did not get it so high, dropped by Pollock to his right as he played another airborne cut.

With those jitters behind him, Martyn duly raised his century (184 balls, 6 x 4) by glancing Henderson fine for two, his first on Australian soil. After being dropped as a young player following a much-scrutinised failure against South Africa in Sydney in 1994, Martyn’s career has turned full circle.

Lee’s competent cameo ended on 32, scooping a yorker-length Hayward slower ball to McKenzie at mid off. Lee added a valuable 77 with Martyn for the eighth wicket, departing with Australia in command at 409/8. Martyn then hit out, striking three fours off one Henderson over including two swept to mid wicket, as a humbled South Africa let the game drift and awaited mistakes.

Jason Gillespie provided one after making 3, skying a top edge trying to sweep Henderson to the boundary which a nervy Boucher held after a late adjustment. Glenn McGrath began like it was he and not his partner who was 100 not out, a few sweeps getting him to five. He was similarly ambitious against Hayward before a word of caution from Martyn, only to be bowled next ball playing over a Hayward slower ball on off stump.

Gillespie and McGrath let Martyn down somewhat, leaving him stranded on 124 not out, but Australia nevertheless had recovered in familiar fashion to an imposing total of 439.

Interestingly, South Africa only have three batsmen who average above 40, and with the unproven Dippenaar listed at five followed by the all-rounders, there is something of a question mark over their batting below the top four. Much depends on the top three with the 40+ averages – Gibbs, Kirsten and Kallis – which lead to a testing period for the openers prior to tea.

Steve Waugh made an unexpected move by introducing Shane Warne after just three overs, and the leg-spinner nearly made an instant impact when Kirsten edged his first delivery just past the fingers of Mark Waugh at slip as he drove square. Surviving that moment of alarm, Gibbs and Kirsten saw the tourists through to 16/0.

Warne and Gillespie resumed after tea, with Gibbs and Kirsten confident in their ability to handle both. Gillespie gradually built up pace but generated no lateral movement and posed few problems for the batsmen. Kirsten scored more freely than his partner as the Australians restricted Gibbs by denying him freedom outside off, but apart from two ambitious pulls that failed to connect, Gibbs and Kirsten were both comfortable.

Despite changing the bowlers, there was a general lack of intensity in the Australian attack, as if they realised there was a lot of bowling ahead. Gibbs and Kirsten steadily built their partnership and were rarely beaten, with the only semblance of a chance arriving more than an hour into the session. Gibbs sought a run to backward point and was belatedly sent back by Kirsten, but Lee’s shot was off target.

McGrath, who had claimed he was bowling well and that his unproductive series against New Zealand was an aberration, seemed to lack a sharp edge despite bowling economically. Employing the same policy as the New Zealanders, Kirsten and Gibbs took no risks against him, leaving as much as they could and thus denying McGrath his productive edges.

With the batsmen having settled in for the long haul, it took a bizarre piece of cricket to produce a wicket against the run of play. From around the wicket, McGrath slipped out an inadvertent full toss which Kirsten failed to sight, turning his head away as if expecting a beamer only to be struck on the flap of the pad by the ball angling towards leg. Height was not an issue and with Kirsten marginally in front of his crease it would have taken the stumps, leaving South Africa 87/1 with Kirsten gone for 47.

It was Boeta Dippenaar rather than Kallis who entered at No. 3, and after getting off the mark with a square driven boundary, fell to a sensational momentum-shifting catch by Ricky Ponting at gully.

Dippenaar launched into a cracking back cut against McGrath and Ponting reacted instinctively, barely having time to fling out his left arm to clutch the catch of the season in one hand. The effort is best appreciated in real time, so you can see just how quickly Ponting reacted, with the fielders not having had time to finish yelling “catch!” by the time Ponting had pouched it. Considering the chances South Africa let slip, including off Ponting himself, it could make a telling difference.

Claude Henderson entered as nightwatchman and nearly departed first ball after barely clamping down on a reverse-swinging McGrath yorker. McGrath could not replicate the delivery and neither could Lee in the last over of the day, as South Africa went in two down, Gibbs 42 not out, and trailing by 338. Australia will likely need to create and seize more moments of opportunism if they are to achieve a significant first innings lead.

Match report: Day 1
Scorecard: Australian 1st innings | South African 1st innings
Images: Day 1 | Day 2

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