I watched the second half of the day's play and didn't see a wicket fall.
This was because I arrived at the Oval just as Michael Klinger and Phil Hughes began chasing WA's 434/132.2 ov, a larger total than looked looked likely at 6/200. But once again an opposition lower order confounded the Redbacks as Ashton Agar 93/146b and Sam Whiteman 65/147b added 147 for the 7th, and others chipped in, showing that the drop in wicket is a good one to bat on.
Spinners Johan Botha 4/120 and Adam Zampa 3/93 had the best figures. In this season's two home matches the quicks have not delivered wickets. A flat pitch only partly explains why.
The play that I did see intriguing viewing chiefly for connoisseurs of long form cricket. Hughes took to Nathan Coulter-Nile's first over, but then dropped a couple of gears to accumulate 63*/156b, mostly on the off side (though thankfully not through the slips). Klinger 76*/193b was also watchful but played shots to more points of the compass. Coulter-Nile after his first over bowled zipping, the other five used were steady and rarely troubled the batsmen.
Well as Klinger and Hughes have batted thus far, everyone knows that they have only given SA a fighting chance of perhaps a draw. If they could take the total beyond 200 that would give supporters more hope, but there are not many big scorers to come.
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