Australia makes decisive move in first cricket Test

By Vic Mills

MELBOURNE (JP): For the second day running, Australia made a decisive move in the final session of play to remain in control of this first cricket Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

At stumps South Africa was four for 94 after Australia had earlier been bowled out for 309.

Having turned the Australian innings around yesterday, Steve Waugh (96) fell just short of what would have been his 15th Test century.

Dropped in the final over last night, there was to be no further reprieve, although Daryll Cullinan did his best to drop the catch by juggling it several times at third slip off the persevering Allan Donald.

Undaunted by the loss of Waugh, Ricky Ponting continued on in imperious fashion favoring equally the drive, cut and pull.

Reinstated for the Test series, wicketkeeper, Ian Healy (16) provided valuable support until he failed to get into position for a backward defensive shot and played a delivery onto his stumps to leave Australia six for 250.

With two wickets under his belt, Donald now turned his attention to Ponting, testing the young Tasmanian with several short-pitched deliveries.

Equal to the challenge, Ponting answered with a savage pull shot.

Donald eventually took his sweater with figures of 2-33 from 11 probing overs in the morning session.

Ponting duly reached his first Test century on home soil five minutes before lunch when he turned Shaun Pollock to the square leg boundary. His hundred - in 263 minutes off 199 balls with fourteen fours - was his second in Test cricket following 127 at Leeds during the recent Ashes tour.

Yet no sooner had the crowd of 31,367 stood to applaud than Ponting (105) was on his way back to the pavilion having been bowled offering no shot to big off break from Pat Symcox in the last over before lunch.

The innings folded shortly after the break with the last three wickets amassing just 7 runs. Paul Reiffel (27) was deceived in the flight by Symcox; Shane Warne (1) hit a return catch to Pollock; and Michael Kasprowicz (0) was snapped up at short leg again off Symcox to leave Australia 309 all out.

Fightback

A creditable fightback, although one aided to a degree by Hansie Cronje's failure to be more positive either side of yesterday's tea interval. This not withstanding, the Proteas stuck manfully to their task with Symcox 4-69 and Donald 3-71 the pick of their bowlers.

South African began in similar fashion to that of Australia with Adam Bacher and Gary Kirsten tied down by a tight new ball spell from Paul McGrath and Reiffel.

Having struggled for almost an hour, it was no surprise when Bacher (3) fell caught behind by Healy off a mistimed hook in Kasprowicz's first over.

Mark Taylor introduced Warne just before the interval and the champion leg spinner, targeting the rough from the bowlers footmarks, turned enough deliveries to suggest an interesting final session as South Africa went to tea at one for 41.

And so it proved as Jacques Kallis (15), having moved the score on to 62, fell to a McGrath delivery that seamed back from outside the off stump, took an inside edge, and had the agile Healy diving wide to his left to take the catch.

The game took what may prove to be a vital turn 13 runs later as two wickets fell for the addition of just a single. Cullinan (5) was the first to go as, slow in setting off for a sharply called Kirsten single, he was run out by a direct hit from Ponting at extra cover.

South Africa slumped to four for 76 soon after as Cronje (0) changed his mind in mid-shot to a flighted delivery from Warne and succeeded only in pushing a simple catch to Greg Blewett at short leg.

There were no further disasters as Kirsten (61) and Brain McMillan (6) took South Africa to stumps at four to 94. With South Africa 215 in arrears and set to bat last on a turning wicket, Australia already appear to have a firm grip on this first Test.