A disciplined bowling performance saw Australia take day one honours at Port Elizabeth yesterday, containing South Africa to 5-214 on a lifeless pitch.
The Aussies were forced to work hard for their wickets on a deck which offered nothing to the quicks or the spinners, making life easy for the Proteas’ batsmen.
Australia have the second new ball available to take at the start of tomorrow’s play, giving them an opportunity to get into South Africa’s tail in the first session.
On a pitch which suggests a score of around 360-370 would be par, Australia are a strong chance of holding the Proteas’ to a substandard total.
Debate of the day: Have the Aussies already broken South African skipper Graeme Smith?
The hardnosed men from down under crushed England skipper Alastair Cook over the course of the back-to-back Ashes series, disintegrating first his form and later his team.
Smith in between Tests was at pains to claim he and his side were not concerned by the marauding Mitch Johnson after his 12 wickets in Australia’s thumping win at Centurion.
The veteran Proteas batsman had twice been embarrassed by the Australian spearhead in that match.
Johnson emasculated him in the first dig with a vicious short ball which Smith desperately fended away from in front of his skull.
After being physically overpowered he was then out thought by his opponents in the second innings when he fell into the most obvious of traps.
The man known as “Biff” among his team mates clipped the ball off his pads straight to Alex Doolan who had been positioned at short backward square for just that shot.
The disbelieving look on Smith’s face suggested he had been unlucky.
But he surely later will have realised the folly of playing such a stroke.
Smith, who slammed the Australia’s confident talk in the media pre-series, went on his own offensive in the press this week claiming his side would learn from their mistakes.
It was not so for Smith.
He was, yet again, comprehensively out thought by his more cerebral counterpart Michael Clarke.
When the Proteas’ skipper took strike to Ryan Harris yesterday he spied two men in catching positions at mid wicket flanked by a straight mid on.
Once again, a trap had been set.
Once again, Smith waddled right into it.
Upon receiving a Ryan Harris delivery bound for off stump Smith did exactly as the bowler and Clarke hoped, closing the face of his blade in an attempt to deflect it square of those fielders.
Not surprisingly, this risky technique failed and he was caught dead in front.
Smith likes to lead by example.
So far he has survived just 37 balls over his three innings.
The Aussies have got under his skin and inside his head.
Can he avoided being completely cooked and, if not, can this South African side still find a way to fight back into this series?
Key performer: Even after his wonderful Ashes series, Nathan Lyon still had scores of doubters
He didn’t have enough variety, some claimed.
He was getting cheap wickets because batsmen were scared to face Mitch Johnson, others blustered.
He would be found out in South Africa, yet more chirped.
Yesterday, Lyon presented understated yet resounding evidence of his maturation into a world-class Test spinner.
He encountered challenging circumstances.
The first day Port Elizabeth pitch offered him little in the way of encouragement.
Australia’s quicks were not making the frequent breakthroughs which had become so commonplace in recent times.
The Proteas’ batsmen, Smith and Hashim Amla aside, were showcasing levels of determination and resilience hereto unseen.
AB de Villiers, the best batsman in the world, was in no mood to be contained by a slow bowler.
Yet, despite all these obstacles, Lyon emerged as a key player once again.
First he was rewarded for his unerring patience when he got a delivery to bite, turn and catch the inside edge of Faf du Plessis’ blade, lobbing to Steve Smith at short leg.
Du Plessis had looked set to construct one of his trademark marathon innings.
Lyon then utilised his deceptive flight to repeatedly beat de Villiers whenever South Africa’s kingpin attempted to skip down the wicket.
It was through similar deception that he earned the crucial wicket of opener Dean Elgar, who had resembled an immovable object for almost five hours.
These breakthroughs continued the pattern Lyon created in the Ashes of dislodging batsmen at critical moments.
Test spinners typically earn their keep in the second innings as the pitch breaks up.
Boasting a tweaker who can influence a match from day one is something to which every side aspires.
Australia have just that.
Lyon is quickly becoming a star.
Dave
Guest
At least its honest. Do you really think home teams and groundsmen dont communicate elsewhere. Besides the PE pitch is always low and slow
Dave
Guest
And you concluded this how? Because it suits a conspiracy theory? PE has always been slow esp late in the season I started watching cricket in 1975.. it was slow. Its slow now and was slow in between. Cape Town next ... I will be there. It will be much quicker and will seam. Not as much as it would in January but still good. Our pitches are pretty consistent
Bearfax
Guest
South Africa all out for 423. Watson, the game is afoot
Warren
Guest
AR I share your pain. However Johnno has improved a bit. His earlier posts were page-long stream of consciousness things with no punctuation, CAPS liberally spread and no paragraphing. Made the eyes bleed!
a punter
Guest
I was baffled by Warner bowling mediums as well. I thought he had relatively good control of his leg spinners considering he was part timer. I think Clarke should ask him to bowl his leggies. Leg spin could be one of few effective strategies in this lifeless wicket. Smith got a couple to rip last night.
jason8
Guest
I think it was exactly what the doctor ordered for SA... bat slowly, grind it out, frustrate and tire out the Aus bowlers, real pity that de Kock threw away his wicket as i would loved to have seen him push for the opening berth. All test batsmen should learn to keep it along the ground until you get a 100 after that have a crack by all means !
a punter
Guest
Did they prepare a lifeless pitch in order to neutralize Johnson? I'll give them the benefit of the doubt but many would be forgiven to ask this question given Johnson's dominance and this unusually lifeless pitch even by Port Elizabeth standards. I think we could potentially see a lot more pitch doctoring to combat Johnson.
Ronan O'Connell
Expert
This is now the biggest challenge the Aussies have been set since the Ashes in England. If they bat with patience their batsmen shouldn't have much trouble putting up a good total as this pitch nullifies every type of bowler. But whether they can bide their time like that is an unknown.
Ronan O'Connell
Expert
I thought Morkel was clearly SA's most consistent bowler last Aussie summer while Philander and Steyn struggled massively at times.
Ronan O'Connell
Expert
Agree completely, Clarke has to step up in this Test big time. On a deck this flat Clarke should be taking control and making a big score to first see Australia to a position of safety and then perhaps to a position of strength.
Gav
Guest
Ronan, I'm struggling to think of a time when Australia didn't have Graham Smiths measure. He seems to feel that he has to engage in 'big talk' in the press and on he field and what makes me laugh is that it's never worked for him with us. If anything I think his one of those guys who seems to perform worse when engaging in banter. As for Lyon, you wrote an article saying we should calm down about Muirheads prospects......i think you were right people still have that strange obsession about re creating Warne. What they are failing to appreciate is what's developing with Lyon right under their nose! It won't surprise me at all if by the end of this series, we have a new level of confidence in the amount and quality of bowling we can get out of Lyon.....add that with limited overs from Warner and Smith......suddenly Watson may not seem so necessary. If Doolan and Marsh have good series it could be bye bye Watto Almost seems to me like Lehman and Clarke are hoping......planning.......
Bearfax
Guest
thanks.
Christ
Guest
I don't usually like making predictions during the match, but I still think many people are totally overestimating the Saffirs. Yes, they've been the best side of recent years, and they are a very good team, but they're not the Windies of 78-91 or Aus of 93-07 as some people make out. AB and Steyne I get, absolutely top draw, ditto DuPlessis, but I think the likes of Smith and Amla have been a bit flattered by the average bowling of recent years, and the team makeup is wonky post Kallis (as you'd expect losing such a champ). And I don't consider Philander one of the top 2 bowlers in the world, rather a good bowler who is deadly in helpful conditions, a la many English seamers over the years. Morkel is a huge under performer for his talent. And no spinner of any note. And people still underestimate out batting big time. It's not perfect by any means but has shored up a lot. Smith improved massively, Rogers seems to be written off after 1 poor test, Doolan looks promising, Clarke will bounce back at some point. Never understood the negativity, you have down periods, then you bounce back. So many of those that totally wrote off Johnson still want to think the worst in whichever way they can
Blaze
Guest
Tests just aren't the same without checking comments on here during overs..
Blaze
Guest
I think the Aussies have a very different mindset after doing the poms... The self belief is strong right now, and they seem to have matured under boof and are able to adapt to the conditions... I reckon the Aussies have this.... Or atleast, come the time to decide, be able to draw easily.... Hell, at the rate it's going we may only get 3 innings all up in five days, cause I don't see the staff as setting up us a run chase to win.... I really don't think this pitch will break up dramatically enough to become an issue.... But what would I know, I'm just a construction worker... Lol
Nick Richardson
Roar Guru
Blaze, you would hope so. If you are naturally Left-Handed it is almost a given you have to bowl part time offies. As your offies are going to be more effective than a right hand version.
Nudge
Guest
Ease up mate. When I say no hope I'm exaggerating a little bit. What I should say is it will be tough to win. Last time Australia chased runs was at the MCG a few months back against a team that were on there knees before a ball had been bowled. They made 240 odd and Australia were 9-150 until Haddin and Lyon as well as Cook put on 50 more. And that wasn't a terrible wicket and this SA attack is a lot better than England's. then the first test in England, England all out 215 odd Australia 9-115 in response. There is enough proof in our recent times that anything over 250 will be difficult even on a good wicket. While this wicket is tough for the bowlers its also tough to score runs because its slow. So to make 350 you might have to bat for a day and a session, and that aint easy against a Steyn and co coming off a quiet game. Don't get me wrong here I hope to high heaven you can, can me for these comments in a couple of days
specks
Guest
I didnt check the SA press at the time, but i felt the aussie press were death riding ponting for a year before his retirement... back to the article, ronan was making comparisons between Captains Cook and Smith, entirely justifiable ones based on smiths words and deeds so far. You might not like reading it, that doesn't make it not so ;) perhaps if the SA press was a little more pointed in their articles, we might see a stadium fill for a day(of one test).
Passionate_Aussie
Roar Rookie
Spot on!
Passionate_Aussie
Roar Rookie
If he doesn't score over 200 runs for this series then he really needs to be looked at. He currently averages 37.13 and there are players trying to knock down the door for his spot. When you get to his age, you can't sit and twiddle your thumbs for too long. I don't usually agree with the age argument and I go with form, but he's heading towards 37 and with the small amount of time he's afforded, it is perform or that's it.