- Video
-
Club Roar
Captured a great grassroots sporting moment? We want to see it!Content Collections
The Roar Community
- Join
- Login
Matthew Wade was delusional to think he could take Australian paceman Ben Hilfenhaus over the stumps just to keep South African Faf du Plessis in his crease.
The Australian keeper’s glovework isn’t all that flash at the best of times.
But this decision proved a disaster that effectively cost Australia the second Test at Adelaide.
With the second last ball before tea, du Plessis nicked Hilfenhaus and Wade spilled it.
du Plessis had already batted three sessions at that stage, and was the real thorn in the side of the weakened Australian attack without the injured James Pattinson.
du Plessis rubbed salt into the Wade wounds by still being there at stumps after four sessions at the crease, leading the charge for the South Africans to salvage the most honourable of honourable draws against all odds.
du Plessis became only the fourth South African to score a Test ton on debut after Andrew Hudson’s 163 against the Windies in 1992, Jacques Rudolf’s unbeaten 222 in 2004, and Alviro Petersen’s neat 100 in 2010.
But it was his marathon batting and extreme concentration that earned du Plessis man-of-the-match.
In compiling 78 and 110*, he batted for a total of 670 minues, almost two days play and faced 435 deliveries, just over 72 overs.
Not bad for a fill-in for JP Duminy who tore his Achilles in the first Test at the Gabba.
But du Plessis wasn’t the only marathon man in the city of churches,
Colleagues AB de Villiers, and Jacques Kallis, along with Australian bowlers Nathan Lyon, Peter Siddle, and Hilfenhaus, wore themselves to the bone to make it a memorable Test match.
* de Villiers posted the second slowest 30-plus in Test cricket history. He faced 220 deliveries for his 33, at a strike rate of 15. Only Englishman Chris Tavare’s 35 off 240, with a strike rate of 14.58, has been slower.
* Kallis did a hammie on the first morning, but batted twice on one leg down the order for his 58 and 46, occupying the crease for 260 minutes, facing 203 deliveries.
* Lyon bowled 94 overs with 38 maidens to capture 3-140, and in the process became the youngest Australian offie at 25 years 5 days to reach 50 Test wickets.
* Siddle sent down 63.5 overs with 21 maidens for his 6-185.
* And Hilfenhaus 53.3 overs, 26 maidens, taking 4-114.
Adelaide was the first time Australia and South Africa had played consecutive draws since 1921, as both weary teams head for Perth for the decider that starts on Friday.
Australian selectors have added three pacemen – Josh Hazlewood, John Hastings, and Mitchell Johnson – to the Perth squad, leaving out the hapless Rob Quiney after his pair.
Shane Watson is a certainty to play in a straight swap with Quiney, so it all depends how Siddle and Hilfenhaus scrub up after Adelaide in terms of how the balance of the side pans out.
South Africa only has to draw in Perth to remain the wold’s top-ranked Test side, Australia will assume that exalted postion if they win.