The Hindu : Gilchrist, Martyn explode

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Feb 24, 2002

Sport

Sport - Cricket

Gilchrist, Martyn explode
By Malcolm Conn

Adam Gilchrist, Damien Martyn

JOHANNESBURG, FEB. 23. Adam Gilchrist scored the fastest double century in the history of Test cricket as Australia broke South Africa's back on the second day of the first Test at the Wanderers on Saturday. The wicket-keeper reached 200 in just 212 balls, beating the previous record of 220 balls set by Ian Botham against India at The Oval in 1982.

Gilchrist finished unbeaten on 204 from just 213 balls with 19 fours and eight sixes when Steve Waugh declared Australia's innings closed at 652-7, an over after tea.

By stumps South Africa was in disarray at 111-4 in reply with Jacques Kallis the third man out for three in what must be his most miserable Test of his distinguished career.

Having missed a relatively simple chance in the second over of the match off Matthew Hayden before he had scored then watched him make 122, Kallis on Saturday dropped a difficult catch at second slip off Gilchrist when he was just 35.

The one bright spot for South Africa was the performance of debutant Ashwell Prince. Rushed in as a late replacement for the injured Justin Ontong, Prince scored an enterprising, unbeaten 47.

During his brutal innings, Gilchrist almost struck gold, literally, when a six almost struck the sign of a sponsor offering an ingot worth $100,000 to any batsman who could achieve the feat.

Down on one knee, the left-hander swung a delivery from occasional medium-pacer Neil McKenzie high over square leg. Much to Gilchrist's dismay, he hit the ball too well and it disappeared out of the ground, forcing the umpires to call for a replacement.

So destructive was Gilchrist's fifth century and first double-century in 29 Tests that he forced the umpires to replace the ball three times. The first was when he charged Jacques Kallis and hit a delivery back over the bowlers' head which bounced into a puddle on some covers and became saturated. On the other two occassions, the ball simply disappeared out of the ground.Gilchrist's explosive batting overshadowed another fine century from Damien Martyn, who combined with his fellow West Australian for a sixth-wicket partnership of 317 in six hours and 13 minutes from 379 balls with 32 fours and six sixes.

South Africa was in trouble almost immediately when Gary Kirsten (1) failed to withdraw his bat far enough and presented a simple catch to Shane Warne at first slip off Glenn McGrath.

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