SA’s chances gone with the rain

Times Media - March 3 2014

TELFORD VICE, Cape Town

Seven seagulls strayed, flag-high, over Newlands soon after a squall ended play an hour before tea on the second day of the third test between SA and Australia yesterday. By then, Table Mountain had disappeared behind a wall of cloud and rain.

The birds had as much chance of winning the match as did SA, whose opportunity to claim their first home series against the Aussies in 44 years was as out of sight as Cape Town’s famous sandstone landmark.

With Australia on 494/7, there is no way back into this match for SA. The best they can hope for is not to be dismissed in a hurry on a pitch that could deteriorate more rapidly than usual. If they achieve that - twice - they will earn a share of the spoils in both the match and the rubber.

Not that the SA dressingroom had given up hope of winning. “As soon as you start thinking about a draw things go backwards,” Kyle Abbott said yesterday.

Whether or not SA survive what will be a searching, Michael Clarke has already made this match his own.

Australia’s captain resumed yesterday on 92 not out, took 25 deliveries to go from 99 to 100, and was undefeated on 161 when the rain had him scurrying for the dressingroom.

Clarke’s innings already rivals Mitchell Johnson’s 12/127 in the first test as the signature performance of the series. If it helps his team win this match, that debate will be settled.

Clarke took guard in the sixth over after lunch on Friday. By the time he repaired to the dressingroom on the first evening, several ice-packs soothed wounds inflicted by Morne Morkel.

“I’ve been hit plenty of times, but maybe not as many times in one spell,” Clarke said yesterday.

“I had plenty of ice and plenty of treatment, and without the physio and the doc I wouldn’t have got out there today.”

Clarke needed nine balls to reach 99. Then he faced three consecutive maidens from a miserly Abbott in which he left the ball immaculately and SA fielded tigerishly.

While Clarke was in his personal Zen garden, Steve Smith smashed Vernon Philander back over his head for six and put Morkel into the cover crowd for another hastily hit half-dozen.

Finally, Clarke clicked over to three figures with a drive through the covers for four off Philander. He laid a kiss on each of his bruised arms and another on the badge on his helmet.

It had been a century every inch as good as the 151 Clarke made in Australia’s last Newlands test - in November 2011 when the next highest score was Shaun Marsh’s 44 - but significantly more valuable to the cause.

Eight overs later, when Smith dragged a long hop from Dean Elgar onto his stumps, the stand was ended at 184. Smith had laboured in the shadows for his 84.

Philander’s figures of 1/116 are the worst of his test career, but in what became the second last over of the day JP Duminy removed Brad Haddin and Mitchell Johnson with consecutive deliveries to take four wickets for the first time in a test.

Today, when the sun is expected to return, Duminy could get the chance to complete his hat-trick. More importantly, SA will hope to have Dale Steyn back from the hamstring injury he sustained on Friday.