The Pretty Project: Day 55

someone asked me what animal I most resembled I would respond “Rattlesnake;” I think it goes without saying that a reptile of any kind is a frightening

The Pretty Project: Day 55

Aussies crash despite Johnson ton

South Africa completed an innings victory over Australia on day four of the third Test in Cape Town, despite a fine century from Mitchell Johnson.

Johnson finished on 123 not out from just 103 balls as Australia made 422 in their second innings, just 20 runs short of making South Africa bat again.

Paul Harris took a career-best 6-127 in the innings and 9-161 in the match, while Dale Steyn finished with 3-96.

The result means the three-Test series finished 2-1 to Australia.

“Obviously, any time you lose it really hurts, but this has been really poor,” said captain Ricky Ponting, after Australia were condemned to their first innings defeat since India beat them in Calcutta in 1998.

“The first two Tests were as good as we have played, while the first two days here were as bad as we have ever played. It shows if you’re not quite there in terms of your best then results are not going to go your way.

 

We can take the momentum from this match into our series with England  Stand-in South Africa captain Jacques Kallis

“Bringing along a new generation of Australian players we’ve played some really good cricket. The Ashes series will be another opportunity for them.” 

South African stand-in captain Jacques Kallis said the triumph had provided the team with a major boost before their next Test series against England next winter.

“Obviously we’re elated, it was huge to turn around our fortunes after the last two Tests. We’ve gained in confidence from this game and we can take the momentum from this match into our series with England,” Kallis said.

Harris, the slow left-armer, was named man of the match at Newlands, but the day belonged to Johnson in notching his maiden first-class ton from just 86 balls.

He was given superb support from Andrew McDonald, who made 68 to share a 163-run partnership for the seventh wicket.

Scoring at one run per hour

Mitchell’s déjà vu
In Johannesburg, Mitchell Johnson was stranded on 96 as he lost Peter Siddle and Ben Hilfenhaus in consecutive deliveries and there was a moment of horror for Johnson as the same thing threatened to happen again in Cape Town. Johnson was on 95 and at the non-striker’s end when once more two wickets fell in a row. Andrew McDonald and Siddle were both caught at silly point off inside-edges onto their pads against Paul Harris and with two balls left in the over and two batsmen to come, Johnson must have been panicking. But Bryce McGain did the right thing and blocked out the last two balls and Johnson brought up his first Test century next over with a six smashed over midwicket off Dale Steyn.

1rph
One run per hour. That’s the rate at which Simon Katich was travelling at drinks in the morning session. He began the day on 44 and by the time the first hour was up he had progressed to 45. His only run for that first hour came when he scampered through for a single when he was dropped by Harris at gully off the bowling of Steyn and rarely did Katich look like adding any further runs. He was looking exhausted at the end of a long tour and with Michael Hussey hardly racing at the other end, the pair did their best to put the “dead” back in dead rubber.

Harris gets heated
There has been a distinct lack of on-field nastiness in this series so it was a surprise to see Harris and Michael Clarke engage in a verbal stoush as the dead rubber came to a close. Harris has picked up Clarke four times over these six Tests and the pair exchanged words as Clarke ticked through the 30s without looking entirely convincing against Harris. It was the South Africans who ended up on the wrong end of the banter. At the finish of the over in question, Harris had a loud lbw shout against McDonald and he talked a clearly unconvinced Jacques Kallis into asking for the referral. The ball was clearly sliding down leg and it was impossible not to think that Harris’ judgment had been clouded by the tension leading up to it.