I know I wrote recently about the success of South Africa's fast bowlers over the past 20 years but today's crazy events at Newlands must have surprised everybody. It wasn't just the home team's attack which prospered but with 23 wickets falling in one day, surely something must have been awry with the pitch?
Not according to those observing the match. Sure, the track offered bowlers a bit of bounce and movement but there was apparently no uneven bounce which is what batsmen fear the most and can make a mockery of cricket, Instead it was just fast bowling, coupled with some poor shots.
In the morning, Michael Clarke was last out in Australia's first innings, having made a quite magnificent 155 out of 284. His efforts were made to look even more sensational by the dramatic fall of wickets which followed. The entire SA first and Aussie second innings combined didn't match Clarke's own score! The home team collapsed from 49-1 to 96 all out, with Shane Watson taking 5-17 and Ryan Harris 4-33. Surely it was the visitors' match for the taking? Not while Messrs Steyn Philander and Morkel were bowling.
After a confident boundary, Watson was trapped lbw, then Ponting went for a duck. Not even Clarke could issue a challenge second time around and the Australian batsmen fell like dominos. 18-6 looked grim but when three wickets fell at 21, it looked on for the side to suffer the humiliation of Test cricket's worst ever score. New Zealand's 26 all out against England in 1955 was all set to be beaten. Even in that infamous total, the Kiwis had been 26-8, not 21-9! The unlikely last wicket pairing of Siddle and Nathan Lyon managed to steer Australia to the dizzy heights of 47 before Lyon chipped a catch to de Villiers, having top-scored with a mighty 14! Even so, this was the nation's fourth lowest Test innings total in their history and their worst for 109 years!!
Suddenly Graeme Smith's men were miraculously back on top and, despite a scare of losing Jacques Rudolph at 27, the skipper and Amla pushed on briskly to close at 81-1, still requiring another 155. Who knows what will happen on day 3? One thing's for certain: only bad weather will take it into a fourth day. It'll certainly be a debut to remember for Vernon Philander, with eight wickets for 78 in all, and a day to last long in the memory for all those present or watching on TV.
