28 December, 2008

A maiden Test century to Jean-Paul Duminy and a record-breaking ninth-wicket partnership has seen South Africa snatch the ascendancy from Australia on a remarkable third day of the second Test at the MCG.

Duminy made a chanceless 166 while Dale Steyn, gifted three reprieves, made a career-best 76 to allow South Africa to reach 459 - a total which seemed fanciful at the start of the day.

Thankfully for the home side, Matthew Hayden, fighting for his career, and Simon Katich survived a testing two-over spell prior to stumps to push Australia to 0-4, a deficit of 61.

It took Australia, missing paceman Brett Lee all day due to a foot injury, until 20 minutes prior to stumps to claim the last of four wickets it needed to end South Africa's innings.

After a comeback not dissimilar to those led by VVS Laxman and Rahul Dravid in Kolkata in 2001 and Adelaide in 2003, the Proteas, who resumed on 7-198, are dreaming of a stunning victory just 24 hours after staring at a heavy defeat.

And they have second-gamer Duminy, Steyn - whose previous Test best was 33 - and some uncharacteristic poor fielding from the Australians to thank for the stunning turnaround.

Duminy had shared stands of 43 with Morne Morkel late on day two and added 67 with Paul Harris before uniting with Steyn.

The pair's epic 180-run stand was the highest ninth-wicket partnership in Tests between the two countries and the third-highest overall - only 15 short of the previous mark set by Mark Boucher and Pat Symcox in 1998.

Duminy, who last week kept the Australians at bay with a nerveless half-century on debut, was again a thorn in the side of Ricky Ponting's men.

Batting with the maturity of a veteran, Duminy, the last man out, stamped himself as a future Test star with an innings of pure class.

It was only late in his 448-minute stay when he was well into triple figures that the Australians found the edge of the 24-year-old's bat, though he momentarily lost rhythm after lunch when, with Steyn dominating strike, Nathan Hauritz kept him pinned.

But he pushed through that lull and, upon reaching the 90s, was handed a priceless five from four overthrows by the tiring Australian fieldsmen.

He recorded his century with a glorious cut shot and, after rubbing salt into the wounds by edging Mitchell Johnson for consecutive boundaries, posted his 150 with an exquisite on-drive which found the rope.

Despite batting with a maligned tail, Duminy's faith in his partners did not waver until he was joined by No.11 Makhaya Ntini, and they repaid him in spades.

Harris was the first to prosper, hitting a brisk 39 before the part-time medium pace of Michael Hussey brought his downfall.

That wicket fell at 11.12am and it was not until 4.20pm - when No.10 Steyn was eventually dismissed - that the Australians would huddle again in joy.


Steyn was spared on 32 by Ponting, who grassed a relatively simple chance at second slip from the bowling of Johnson, and a run later by Hussey, who failed to even lay a finger on a high ball after losing it in the sun.

Hauritz, the victim of the second chance, then had nobody to blame but himself when he failed to complete a return catch from Steyn on 57.

Three minutes shy of four hours at the crease, Steyn lost concentration, and his wicket, when he was bowled by Peter Siddle, the pick of Australia's bowlers with 4-81.

Duminy fell to a tired shot - caught by substitute fieldsman Shane Watson, whose bowling Ponting would dearly loved to have at his disposal - but not before adding another 28 with Ntini.