Monday, Mar 25, 2002
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Cricket
PRETORIA, MARCH 24. Australia continued its domination of South Africa this summer with a comprehensive victory in the second one-day match of the seven-game series at Centurion on Sunday. The tourists won by 45 runs when South Africa was bowled out for 181 in 46.2 overs chasing Australia's modest 226 for 8 for victory. It was another poor batting performance by a side which is successful and well credentialled against every other team in the world. In the first match on Friday they lost by 19 runs chasing Australia's seemingly inadequate 223 for 8 despite a blazing 83 from Klusener and today any hope of an unlikely victory was left to him again when captain Shaun Pollock was run out to leave his side 110 for 7. Klusener went on to score 59 from just 59 balls with three fours and four sixes but once again he batted too low. On Friday it was No.8 and today it was No.7 behind wicketkeeper Mark Boucher, who battled to 16 from 43 balls. Klusener was second last man out caught at deep mid-wicket from a occasional left arm spin of Darren Lehmann, a clever ploy used against the brutal batsman to take the pace off the ball. South Africa would have lost by considerably more had new captain Ricky Pointing not dropped Boje diving at cover and McGrath not missed a mighty thump off Lance Klusener on the boundary at straight hit next ball, which went for Klusener's second six. Both chances were off impressive young off-spinner Nathan Hauritz. Australia's pace attack set up the game again, with Glenn McGrath and Jason Gillespie claiming two early wickets each as South Africa collapsed to 45 for 4. It was an excellent win by Australia given that allrounder Shane Watson, 20, was on debut, Hauritz, 20, was playing just his second match and Jimmy Maher, 28, was in just his third one-day international. More than four years after the brief and forgettable start to his international career Maher made a triumphant return to the Australian side with a well compiled 95. Maher, 28, sacrificed a century in pursuit of quick runs late in Australia's innings. The heavy injury toll taken on Australia's cricketers has proved an unexpected blessing for the national selectors, who have blooded more new players to enhance next year's World Cup preparation. This allowed Watson to play yesterday after Ian Harvey withdrew with a minor shoulder problem. However Watson (2) did not have the same success as Maher, clipping a catch to mid-wicket from just his third ball attempting to lift the run rate in the 46th over. After a tidy first spell of five overs for eight runs Klusener smashed successive sixes off full tosses from Watson in his next over back. Batting for 150 balls, Maher hit 10 fours and a six. He will cause wonderfully embarrassing selection problems when Bevan returns from a minor hamstring strain later in the seven- match tournament. The one-day batting line-up has performed only moderately this summer. Maher was playing his first game since an unsuccessful two-match stint during the Carlton & United Series against New Zealand and South Africa in 1997-98, when he scored eight and 13. He became the second Queenslander in three days to make the most of opportunities through injury. Shane Warne's absence from the first two games with a minor hamstring strain gave Hauritz the chance to play an outstanding opening game for his country. He retained his place yesterday but after being hit for two sixes by Klusener finished with the expensive figures of 1-46 off eight overs. On Friday he bowled beautifully to claim 2-31 from his 10 overs. Adam Gilchrist's difficult one-day summer continued when he holed out to mid-on in the third over for seven and his new opening partner, Matthew Hayden, again failed to push on following a solid start. After adding 85 in a partnership dominated by fellow left-handed Queenslander Maher, Hayden chipped the third ball of Boje's first over straight to Jonty Rhodes at mid-wicket, departing for 38 scored in 60 balls. Worse followed immediately when Ponting went caught and bowled by Boje. If it is any consolation to Ponting, who has scores of 14 and 0 as skipper, Steve Waugh's first six innings as a replacement for Mark Taylor at the helm of the one-day side netted 1, 7, 0, 0, 4 and 0. Damien Martyn (42 from 50 balls with two fours and a six) made his highest score in six innings on tour after a poor end to the Test series and a struggling 22 at Wanderers last Friday. He combined in a 93-run partnership from 110 balls with Maher.
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