South Africa vs Australia
Sahara Stadium, Kingsmead, Durban
7:00pm AEDT, 6 March to 10 March 2009
Sahara Stadium, Kingsmead, Durban
7:00pm AEDT, 6 March to 10 March 2009
South Africa find themselves on the back foot against a revitalised Australian outfit that played up to its official number one world ranking in the first test. Now the two sides are set to clash for the fifth time this summer at Kingsmead, Durban.
Last match
Australia unleashed some new moves in Johannesburg and it caught the Proteas on the hop. The Aussie debutantes all played well; North and Hughes stood up with the bat while Hilfenhaus showed great promise and took some important wickets. Overall Australia’s bowling was tight and the batsmen did enough, with the exception of one horrendous session on day four.
However South Africa are not test cricket’s number one contender without merit. After being outclassed for over two days, it took them little over two hours to claw their way right back into the first test, and they will be hoping to carry that sort of form into this match. They’ve also been somewhat slow starters in test series in recent times (with the exception of their Australian visit), so don’t be surprised to see them step up a notch.
About the ground
Widely regarded as a seamer’s wicket, the typically humid weather at Kingsmead could provide assistance to the pacemen.
Ricky Ponting will be relishing a return to a ground where he led Australia to a test win in 2006 with a century in each innings. For the hosts, Jaques Kallis has scored 4 centuries at the ground, while Makhaya Ntini has taken 40 wickets in 5 tests here.
Australia holds the overall advantage at the ground 4-3 in test matches, with two draws.
Teams
One day representative Albie Morkel replaces Lonwabo Tsotsobe in the South African 12, who has injured his right knee. South Africa have not played a specialist spinner in their most recent two Tests at Kingsmead, and therefore could choose to leave Paul Harris out of the 11, which would hand Morkel a test debut.
Injuries have once again cursed the Australian bowling line-up… and then they cursed some more. Tasmanian Brett Geeves was flown in as cover after Doug Bollinger succumbed to an abdominal strain, and then the selectors went back to the well and brought WA’s Steve Magoffin over when both Peter Siddle and Ben Hilfenhaus pulled up sore.
Before the injuries it seemed an unchanged line-up was likely. Ricky Ponting commented on Tuesday that it would be hard to change a winning team, but he may have no choice if his fast men keep forgetting to take their lucky charms with them to training. Siddle and Hilfenhaus were rested from Wednesday’s training and will be assessed on Thursday.
South Africa XII:
*Graeme Smith
Neil McKenzie
Hashim Amla
Jacques Kallis
AB de Villiers
JP Duminy
+Mark Boucher
Paul Harris
Morne Morkel
Makhaya Ntini
Dale Steyn
Albie Morkel
In:
Albie Morkel
Out:
Lonwabo Tsotsobe (injured)
Australia (from):
Phil Hughes
Simon Katich
*Ricky Ponting
Michael Hussey
Michael Clarke
Marcus North
+Brad Haddin
Andrew McDonald
Mitchell Johnson
Peter Siddle
Ben Hilfenhaus
Bryce McGain
Nathan Hauritz
Brett Geeves
Steve Magoffin
In:
Brett Geeves
Steve Magoffin
Out:
Doug Bollinger (injured)
Quotes
Graeme Smith
“We probably haven't always started at our best in South Africa. It's an unfortunate thing and it's tough to put our finger on why it happens. We know what we are capable of and if we play to that level we can win the Durban Test match.”
Ricky Ponting
“This side played really well over five days. There have been really valuable contributions from everyone when they needed to do it, and when I asked them to do it. That's a sign of a good, hungry team of players willing to do whatever it takes to win a game for you.”
Micky Arthur
"It is likely that we will play the spinner. We've played a spinner throughout our last successful period of 18 months. I think our spinner has been quite an integral part of our attack. If all things are equal I'm pretty sure we'll play the spinner."
Prediction
Two evenly matched sides that don’t like to mess about on the field means a result is highly likely. I predict another five-day encounter, with an improved South Africa leveling the series at 1-1.
Umpires:
Steve Bucknor (Jamaica)
Billy Bowden (New Zealand)
Asad Rauf (Pakistan)
Recent History:
2008-09 in Australia
South Africa won 2-1
MOTS: Graeme Smith
2005-06 in South Africa
Australia won 3-0
MOTS: Stuart Clark
including March 24, 2006 @ Durban
Australia won by 112 runs
Australia 369
Ponting 103
Hussey 75
Ntini 3/81
South Africa 267
Kallis 114
de Villiers 50
Lee 5/69
Australia 4(dec)/307
Ponting 116
Hayden 102
Boje 2/87
South Africa 297
Boucher 51*
Boje 48
Warne 6/86 MOTM
2005-06 in Australia
Australia won 2-0
MOTS: Ricky Ponting
2001-02 in South Africa
Australia won 2-1
MOTS: Adam Gilchrist
including March 15, 2002 @ Durban
South Africa won by 5 wickets
Australia 315
Ponting 89
Gilchrist 91
Adams 2/37
South Africa 167
Gibbs 51 MOTM
Lee 4/82
Warne 4/33
Australia 186
S Waugh 42
Ponting 34
Kallis 3/29
South Africa 5/340
Gibbs 104
Kirsten 64
M Waugh 2/43
2001-02 in Australia
Australia won 3-0
MOTS: Matthew Hayden
1997-98 in Australia
Australia won 1-0
MOTS: Shane Warne
1996-97 in South Africa
Australia won 2-1
MOTS: Steve Waugh
1993-94 in South Africa
Series drawn 1-1
MOTS: Steve Waugh
including 25 March, 1994 @ Durban
Match drawn
Australia 269
S Waugh 64
Healy 55
Matthews 4/65
South Africa 422
McMillan 84
Rhodes 78
Warne 4/92
Australia 4(dec)/297
M Waugh 113 MOTM
Slater 95
Donald 3/66
1993-94 in Australia
Series drawn 1-1
MOTS: Steve Waugh
Weather:
The extended forecast says mid to high 20’s every day, with some cloud cover.
Session Times (AEDT)
First session: 7:30-9:30pm
Second session: 10:10pm-12:10am
Third session: 12:30-2:30am
Coverage:
Fox sports 3: Live from 7:30pm AEDT
ABC radio: Live from 7:25pm AEDT nightly
Cricinfo
Cricket Australia
