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The opening day of the second Test between Australia and South Africa was a very old-fashioned grind, in which South Africa battled hard to remain at the crease and the Aussies struggled to get assistance from the Port Elizabeth wicket.
The opening burst from Harris and Johnson definitely a highlight, with the powerful quicks nabbing the key wickets of the captain Graeme Smith and number three Hashim Amla, both LBW.
But a 112-run partnership between new men Dean Elgar, newly promoted from down the order, and a familiar face to Australians Faf du Plessis, put a halt to any early Australian momentum.
The man who is seemingly always under pressure and always undervalued, Nathan Lyon, who made the crucial break throughs.
He dismissed Du Plessis just after he had pased the half century mark, and got rid of Elgar for a fighting 83 from 193 balls. Both knocks were extremely valuable, and the concentration showed by Elgar was fierce, especially after copping a couple of bouncer barrages, including a knock to the elbow.
It was great to see a starchy performance after last week’s capitulation, although a slow and steady wicket certainly helped their cause. While the wicket was green, it didn’t seem to be carrying through nearly as well as the pitch in Centurion, with a couple of edges even falling short of the cordon.
Both sides will be pleased with the position they find themselves in. Good batting from AB de Villiers (51 not out) and JP Duminy could see the Proteas push well over 300, while a good spell from one of the Aussie bowlers could see them batting just before or after lunch.
The match is very evenly poised, and that’s what we love to see.
A decisive factor will be how the Australian quicks use the new ball that is coming up. A big spell from Harris or Johnson could expose the tail quickly.
On the other hand, if Duminy and De Villiers can survive, you would think a score of over 400 isn’t yet out of the question.
Join us for scores and banter from 7:20 AEDT.
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