Australia took two key early wickets as South Africa slipped to 40-2 at tea on Sunday, chasing a record 430 to win the second cricket test.
Michael Clarke declared Australia’s second innings at 267-8 midway through the middle session on day four, with tailenders James Pattinson unbeaten on 29 and Ben Hilfenhaus not out 18 after a rapid 47-run stand.
South Africa has lost two of its best batsmen, but still has depth in its batting order and form in the same situation against Australia on its last tour.
The two highest fourth innings totals to win tests have come against Australia- the West Indies scored 418-7 to win at St. John’s in 2003 and South Africa made 414-4 in Perth in 2008. To do it again, they’ll have to eclipse a record at the Adelaide Oval, where the highest successful fourth-innings chase was 6-315 by Australia against England in 1901-02.
Australia resumed its second innings at 111-5 on Sunday and added 156 for the loss of three wickets before Clarke declared, conscious of having enough time to try to bowl South Africa out.
Clarke was the first wicket to fall for the day, scoring 38 before he was trapped lbw by Dale Steyn to end a 70-run sixth-wicket stand Mike Hussey (54). Hussey was out in the over before lunch when he spooned a leading edge off Morne Morkel to Steyn at mid-wicket.
Clarke and Hussey’s partnership arrested a batting collapse after Australia lost 5-26 late on day three and was the third time in as many innings the pair joined with their team in trouble.
Clarke scored 230 in the first innings and shared a 272-run partnership with Hussey as Australia opened the Adelaide match with a big total of 550. Clarke scored an unbeaten 259 in the drawn first test in Brisbane, where Hussey also scored 100.
Clarke had a series of close calls while amassing 527 runs, but didn’t get any reprieves in his second innings at Adelaide.
Morkel and Rory Kleinveldt ended with three wickets apiece, while Steyn had 2-50. Legspinner Imran Tahir had 0-80 in the second innings, giving him 0-260 from 37 overs in the match, among the worst figures in test history for bowlers not taking a wicket.
The South African attack had to make do without injured allrounder Jacques Kallis, who couldn’t bowl but is expected to bat in Adelaide. He is likely to be ruled out of the third test in Perth due to a hamstring strain.
Australia also will have to reshuffle its bowling combination. Pattinson, who left the field on day three after bowling just seven balls and only returned to bat Sunday because Australia needed the runs, was later ruled out of the next four test matches after scans revealed damage to his lower left ribs.
Scoreboard:
David Warner c du Plessis b Kleinveldt 41
Ed Cowan b Kleinveldt 29
Rob Quiney c de Villiers b Kleinveldt 0
Ricky Ponting b Steyn 16
Michael Clarke lbw b Steyn 38
Peter Siddle c de Villiers b Morkel 1
Mike Hussey c Steyn b Morkel 54
Matthew Wade c de Villiers b Morkel 18
James Pattinson not out 29
Ben Hilfenhaus not out 18
Extras (4b,10lb,9nb) 23
Total - (for eight wickets, declared) 267
Overs - 70.
Fall of wickets - 1—77, 2—77, 3—91, 4—98, 5—103, 6—173, 7—206, 8—220.
Did not bat - Nathan Lyon.
Bowling - Dale Steyn 17—5—50—2 (1nb), Morne Morkel 19—4—50—2 (1nb), Imran Tahir 14—1—80—0 (2nb), Rory Kleinveldt 19—2—65—3 (5nb), Faf du Plessis 1—0—8—0.
Alviro Petersen not out 20
Graeme Smith c Ponting b Hilfenhaus 0
Jacques Rudolph not out 2
Extras - (1nb) 1
Total - (for two wickets) 40
Overs - 13. Batting time- 54 minutes.
Fall of wickets - 1—3, 2—36.
Still to bat - AB de Villiers, Faf du Plessis, Jacques Kallis, Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel, Rory Kleinveldt, Imran Tahir.
Bowling - Ben Hilfenhaus 4—0—20—1, Peter Siddle 5—2—15—0 (1nb), Michael Clarke 2—1—2—0, Nathan Lyon 2—0—3—1.
Toss - won by Australia.
Umpires - Billy Bowden, New Zealand, and Richard Kettleborough, England.
TV Umpire - Asad Rauf, Pakistan. Match Referee- Ranjan Madugalle, Sri Lanka.
via The Hindu Newspaper http://www.thehindu.com/sport/cricket/south-africa-402-chasing-430-set-by-australia/article4132892.ece
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