da winzada777： A dazzling century from AB de Villiers – his eighth, in his 50th Test -entertained the faithful on Fanatical Fans Day, but it was Australia that continued to dominate the opening Test at the Wanderers
The Bulletin by Dileep Premachandran28-Feb-2009
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out
AB de Villiers’ century wasn’t enough to prevent Australia from taking a 246-run first-innings lead © Getty Images
A dazzling century from AB de Villiers – his eighth, in his 50th Test -entertained the faithful on Fanatical Fans Day, but it was Australia that continued to dominate the opening Test at the Wanderers. Having bowled South Africa out for just 220, they decidednot to enforce the follow-on, and had added a further 51 for the loss ofSimon Katich before bad light ended play with 30.3 overs still to bebowled in the day.Katich was flummoxed by a nasty delivery from Morne Morkel that he couldonly nick behind, but with Phillip Hughes playing some classy cuts anddrives interspersed with moments of acute discomfort against the shortball, the lead swelled before the light became too poor to continue. SouthAfrica could have had him just before the tea break when Morkel got him tofend one behind off the glove. With the umpire unsure, Graeme Smithdecided not to go for the referral.South Africa started the day poorly and never really recovered. The keywickets were those of Neil McKenzie and JP Duminy. McKenzie’s 125-ballvigil fetched him just 36, but he had managed to glue together anindifferent top-order performance. Peter Siddle angled one in to strikehim low on the pad and Steve Bucknor had no doubt at all. McKenziereckoned he might have got an inside-edge, but TV replays suggestednothing of the sort.That ended a 44-run partnership, and reunited two of the heroes of thePerth victory that was the springboard for South African success inAustralia. An appeal for a catch down the leg side off Duminy couldn’t bereferred because the appropriate replay couldn’t be found, and theAustralian mood got worse when Ricky Ponting put down a chance to hisright at second slip after Duminy edged an away-going delivery fromMitchell Johnson.It had been hard going for South Africa, with Siddle generating livelypace and Ben Hilfenhaus giving them nothing whatsoever to hit. When deVilliers struck gorgeous off and cover drives from successive Hilfenhausdeliveries, it seemed that the shackles might be broken, but it proved tobe the cruellest of false dawns.Duminy had repeatedly been targeted with the short ball, and when Johnsondirected one at the body, the fend only found Brad Haddin’s gloves downthe leg side. Moments later, the controversy. A beautiful delivery angledacross Mark Boucher and squared him up completely. Billy Bowden’s fingerwent up almost as soon as the keeper and slips did, but Boucher wasconvinced he hadn’t hit it.Another referral, and yet more disappointment for South Africa. With theimages inconclusive, Asad Rauf, the third umpire, had no option but touphold Bowden’s decision. Off trudged Boucher, leaving de Villiers withsole responsibility for resurrecting the innings. He got to his 50 from122 balls, and then said hello to Marcus North with a superb heave overmidwicket, but it was all going awry at the other end.Morkel decided to stand and deliver against Siddle, and the top-edge waseasily taken by the bowler himself and when Paul Harris was given out legbefore to North despite the ball striking his toe outside the line, thefollow-on was imminent. The Australian lead would have been even healthierbut for another fielding lapse. Siddle induced a nick from de Villiers,then on 64, and Haddin dived across in front of first slip and spilled it.Steyn was peppered with bouncers, and when one was fended off awkwardly,Marcus North couldn’t back-peddle quickly enough from first slip to takethe catch. De Villiers continued to work the ball around and swung Northto the midwicket boundary to move into the 90s. Andrew McDonald wasperhaps unlucky not to have him leg before for 92, but the third umpiredidn’t see enough to reverse Bowden’s decision after Australia opted for areferral.Steyn eventually edged McDonald to first slip, but an emphatic pull forfour off Hilfenhaus took de Villiers to a richly deserved century. Just intime too, because Ntini didn’t last very long. The series may only havebeen three days old, but suddenly, all the talk of South Africa and theNo.1 ranking was looking a little premature.