ADELAIDE MICHAEL CLARKE continued his Bradman-like year, producing his fourth 200- plus innings of 2012 to guide Australia to 482-5 at stumps in a remarkable opening day against a depleted South Africa attack in the second test.
The Australia captain became the first batsman to score four double centuries in a calendar year when he took a single off Imran Tahir late in the third session Thursday at the Adelaide Oval. His 200 came off 226 balls and featured 35 boundaries and a six.
He was unbeaten on 224 when Mike Hussey (103) chopped a Dale Steyn delivery onto his stumps to end their 272-run fifth-wicket stand on the last ball of the day.
It was Australia’s highest first-day total in a test match since the 494-6 scored against South Africa in 1910.
David Warner belted 119 from 112 balls on a day dominated by the batsmen, apart from a stumble in the first session when the Australians lost three wickets for 12 runs and slipped to 55-3 against the top-ranked South Africans.
“There’s certainly no secret, a lot of luck goes a long way, that’s for sure,” Clarke said of the make-orbreak batting style he and Warner deployed. “I think the one thing that Dave and I spoke about during the week was our intent. We wanted to be positive.
“Again I use the words of (Shane Warne) that he told me a long time ago, that the better the bowling the more positive you’ve got to be. I think we probably both took that approach today and not worry too much about the result.” Clarke, who finished unbeaten on 259 and got Australia into a position to push for a win late in the drawn first test in Brisbane last week, said he was more concerned about formulating a plan to win the second test than reflect on his latest big knock.
“We just made 480 in a day. Now I’m trying to work out what we’ve got to do tomorrow to set up this game to have a crack at winning,” he said. “Look, it’s really nice to be making runs. I want to make the most of the good days ... I feel like when I’m getting in, I’m trying to cash in because I know there will be some tough days around the corner again.” The momentum swung wildly back to Australia after 37-year-old allrounder Jacques Kallis limped off the field in the 17th with an injured right hamstring after dismissing Ed Cowan (10) and Ricky Ponting (4) in his opening 3.3-over spell. He went for MRI scans and didn’t return to the field, compounding the pressure on the South African attack after Vernon Philander was ruled out just hours before the match started with a bad back. The South Africans were still awaiting results of the scans to determine if Kallis can field again or bat in Adelaide.
Kallis had 2-19 and Morne Morkel’s figures blew out to 2-128 after he was forced to shoulder a heavier workload with Kallis out and Steyn hampered by a tight left hamstring in the evening session.
Tahir, who was overlooked for the first test, conceded 159 runs in 21 overs as his leg breaks were hit to all parts of the ground.
Warner plundered South Africa’s depleted bowling from the start, clobbering four sixes and 16 boundaries in his third test century, which included a 155-run stand with Clarke after Kallis had dismissed Cowan in his first over and added the wicket of Ponting after Morkel removed Rob Quiney (0) in South Africa’s best period of the day.
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