Australia thrash West Indies in very onesided Test: T1D4

Australia 4/583d (Voges 269*, S Marsh 182) beat West Indies 223 (70ov, Bravo 108/177b/20x4, Roach 31, Hazlewood 18-5-45-4, Lyon 3/43 & 148 (36.3ov, Brathwaite 94/122b/1x6 13x4, Pattinson 8-0-27-5, Hazlewood 3/33) by an innings & 212 runs: T1/3 D3/5 at Hobart. Australia lead series 1-0. Player of the Match: Adam Voges.

West Indies followed on and folded lamely yet again, this time principally due James Pattinson, who'd looked underdone on the previous day. Apart from Darren Bravo in their first innings and Kraigg Brathwaite in their second, the team lacked the desire and perhaps the guts to stand up to a proficient but by no means (except on the scoreboard here) outstanding Australia side.  

Can the visitors improve? Hard to see how with the current talent pool. I know that I predicted a similar fate for the New Zealanders a few weeks ago and that they proved me wrong, but I just can't see how the West Indies can lift themselves. No one expects them to win but tighter contests would at least keep some interest in the cricket following public for the remaining two Tests. It's's all very well to criticise the modest turnout at Hobart, but who (including Cricket Australia who must have seen this fiasco coming) expects anything like the huge numbers we've come to expect to show up at the MCG on Boxing Day, or watch on TV? IMO 40,000 would be a very good crowd. And a blow to the reputation of Test cricket and cricket in general.

Scorecard

Voges & Marsh pile on runs, then WI top order leave Bravo to restore modicum of self respect: T1D3

West Indies 6/207 (65ov, Bravo 94*/159b/17x4, Roach 31*/89b/3x4)  trail Australia 4/583d (114ov, Voges 269*/285b/33x4, S Marsh 182/266b/1x6 15x4, Warner 64, Warrican 28-1-158-3) by 376 runs: T1/3 D2/5 at Hobart.

Adam Voges and Shaun Marsh continued to dominate a lacklustre West Indies team, adding a further 132 - 449 in total - and breaking many more records before they were parted. 

When West Indies batted there were a few flickers, and one pillar - Dwayne Bravo- of resistance against a generally tight (if James Pattinson looked a tad underdone) Australia attack. Nathan Lyon bowled particularly well (and took a great return catch) before Bravo and Kemar Roach showed a bit of backbone and began to restore a little self respect to their team. 

6/119 ( the last a wrong but unreviewed lbw decision against Jason Holder) looked like unconditional surrender; 6/207 may save some WI face but is unlikely to prevent an Australian victory.

Australia 3/438 dominate West Indies on first day of series: T1D1

Australia 3/438 (89ov, Voges 174*/204b/19x4, S Marsh 139*/205b/12x4, Warner 64/61b/11x4) v West Indies: T1/3 D1/5 at Hobart. Toss: Australia.

West Indies were competitive until lunch, when they had Australia 3/121, including Steve Smith and David Warner. Thereafter Adam Voges aggressively and Shaun Marsh more methodically exposed the limitations of  the West Indies attack in an unbroken 316 4th wicket partnership which has set the Test on course, as many including me have predicted, for a crushing home win.

Yes, New Zealand, who also amassed 400+ today at home to Sri Lanka) regrouped after their First Test drubbing. I didn't think their revival here was possible, and predicted as much, but I don't think that the lacklustre West Indies can revive, so I'll predict - for the second time this season - a 3-0 Australia series win. Yet even I would be pleased to see more evidence of guts and determination that we saw from them today. Otherwise Test cricket will be effectively over this season.

Scorecard

Reflections on Australia's 2-0 series win v NZ

Australia 224 (Nevill 66, Smith 53) & 7/187 (S Marsh 49, Boult 5/60) def New Zealand 202 (Latham 50)  & 208 (Santner 45, Hazlewood 6/70) by 3wkts with 2 days to spare: T3/3 D3/5 at Adelaide Oval. Australia won Trans Tasman series 2-0. Player of the match: Josh Hazlewood, Player of the series: David Warner.

A low scoring Test concluded, unusually (perhaps unprecedently for Adelaide) in 3 days. Australia made relatively hard work of securing victory after having NZ 6/116 just after play began on D3. The Black Caps tail, marshalled by Mitchell Santner on debut, fought hard against an Australia attack minus injured Mitchell Starc, but in the face of Josh Hazlewood's skill and persistence were unable to set the 200+ target which might have stretched Australia's relatively thin-looking batting against the pink ball under lights. Trent Boult belatedly showed what a good bowler he is but Shaun Marsh, supported by his brother Mitchell in a crucial 5th wicket partnership, guided Australia to a victory which, if not particularly convincing, was (as two wickets fell close to the target) more comfortable than it appeared. 

Only once did NZ hold the initiative: in Australia's first innings when the home team were 8/116 and had a DRS review turned down by the 3rd umpire in the face of a lot of evidence which would have made the score 9/118. Yes, it was galling for everyone at the ground and watching on TV (where the audio revealed even more of umpire Llong's uncertainty), to wait what seemed like an eternity (perhaps 5 mins) for the decision. But NZ should have refocused and got on with it. By persisting with mostly spin when the pace bowlers had shown themselves (notwithstanding 2 wickets in an over from Mark Craig) more penetrative, they let Peter Nevill with support from Nathan Lyon and Starc (on one good leg) lead Australia to what in Adelaide Test terms still looked inadequate, but turned out to be the highest total of the match.

Pink ball, pink sky:Australia grasp initiative after bowlers destroy early NZ resistance in first day/night Test: T3 D1

Australia 2/54 (22ov, Smith 24*) trail New Zealand 202 (65.2ov, Latham 50/103b/7x4), Santner 31, Watling 29, Williamson 22, Taylor 21) by 148 runs with 8 1st inns wkts in hand: T3/3 D1/5 at Adelaide. NZ won toss and chose to bat. 

In many ways this was an island of traditional Test cricket in an ocean of change. 12 wickets for 256 runs in a day seems more like 1950 than 2015, but Test cricket under lights, and with a pink ball to boot, would have been inconceivable in the midC20.

I want to write more, but I'm tired after a long day at the cricket, so will leave sketchy summary for now, and return to the topic when I'm refreshed.

Johnson bows out as Test fizzles out in draw: T2 D5

Australia 9/559 dec & 7/385 dec (103ov, Smith 138/185b/18x4, Voges 119/240b/16x4, Nevill 35, Johnson 29, Starc 28*, Warner 24, Southee 25-4-97-4, Boult 2/77) drew with New Zealand 624 & 2/104 (28ov, Taylor 36*, Williamson 32*, Johnson 2/20): T2/3 D5/5 at the WACA, Perth. Australia lead series 1-0. Player of the match: Ross Taylor.

Steve Smith and Adam Voges batted Australia to a comfortable position before Peter Nevill and Mitchells Johnson and Starc took them to safety. New Zealand had little chance of chasing down 321 in 48 overs, so the players went through the motions until rain interrupted and then, after Johnson's two wicket last hurrah, bad light ended the Test.

After their mauling at the Gabba New Zealand would have been very pleased with their revival, and satisfied with a drawing a match thanks largely to Ross Taylor and Kane Williamson's batting. Australia will need to make changes for Adelaide because of Johnson's retirement (a pity we won't see him here) and Usman Khawaja's injury: there is debate about who the replacements should be (I think Peter  Siddle should be one of them). The Kiwis should, if they wish, be able to field an unchanged side, but their attack remains weak and the tail long, and they may not have the underpinning of big innings from 

Taylor, Williamson or perhaps Brendon McCullum to keep them competitive.

Taylor 290 takes NZ to lead before Smith & Voges punch back with tons: T2 D4

Australia 9/559dec & 2/258 (63ov, Smith 131*/170b/17x4, Voges 101*/180b/15x4) lead New Zealand 624 (153.5 ov, Taylor 290/374b/43x4, Richardson 166, Starc 37-7-119-4 , Lyon 3/107) by 193 runs with 8 2nd inns wkts in hand: T2/3 D4/5 at the WACA, Perth.

Another high scoring day saw Steve Smith and Adam Voges regain the initiative for Australia after Ross Taylor's magnificent 290 took New Zealand to a 65 run 1st innings lead. 

The pitch has deteriorated little and the bowlers of both sides struggled, though Mitchell Starc less so than the others, to cut through. Yet this shouldn't detract from Taylor's achievement: a quality innings which brought his team back into the Test and series and which showed Australians just how good a batter he is. He deserved to make 300 (and might have reached it had Tim Southee and Trent Boult been able to give him more of the strike).

As Smith, especially, and Voges became more assured against an at best steady NZ attack my thoughts turned once again to whether either side can win from here. Much as I'd like to see a close finish, I can't see it happening here unless Australia set the Black Caps a tempting target which their aggressive batsmen can chase down or fail in the attempt as the home bowlers combine to cut through them. I'll venture to predict a draw.

Australia maintain dominance despite brief NZ resistance T1D2

New Zealand 5/157 (45ov, Williamson 55*/70b/9x4, Latham 47/93b/3x4, Starc 2/30, Johnson 2/52) trail Australia 4/556 dec,( 130.2 ov, Khawaja 174/239b, 2x6 16x4, Warner 163,Voges 83*/127b/11x4, Burns 71, Smith 48/78b/,8x4) by 399 runs with 5 1st inns wkts in hand:) T21/3D2/5 at the Gabba .

Another very. good day for Australia, for whom Usman Khawaja and Adam Voges batted on freely before Steve Smith declared. The top three in the New Zealand order showed some fortitude, but only Kane Williamson survived until stumps as Mitchells Johnson and Starc got their second winds  and took two wickets apiece, regaining whatever initiative Australia might have lost.

Australia batted imperiously, and took the New Zealand attack apart. Trent Boult bowled better today, but he could hardly have bowled any worse than he did on D1. Tim Southee, the pick of a poor bunch, is now injured, Doug Bracewell was at best steady, while Mark Craig was unable to bowl a consistent line and length to optimise the turn he sometimes extracted from the pitch.

Ross Taylor and Brendon McCullum looked more like lower order debutants than NZ's most experienced batters. They both, especially Taylor, were all at sea against Johnson, who removed them in short order at a time when Richardson was in desperate need of support. 

NZ are now 399 in arrears, with most of their batting gone, and their confidence undoubtedly dented. 

The best they can hope for is a draw, and that will require assistance from the weather not to mention much more second innings resolution from all the batters. Unlikely.

Scorecard

Australia pummel lightweight NZ attsack: T1 D1

Australia 2/389 (88ov, Warner 163/224b/1x6 19x4, Khawaja 102*/133b/2x6 10x4, Burns 71/120b/12x4/Smith 41*/54b/7x4) v New Zealand: T1/3 D1/5 at the Gabba, Brisbane. Toss: Australia.

Australia powered ahead after winning the toss at the Gabba and batting on a good wicket in conditions which the New Zealand attack was unable to use as effectively as some had predicted.

David Warner and Joe Burns played watchfully in the opening overs, where Tim Southee bowled tightly without beating the bat much, then accelerated as the other bowlers proved unable to sustain a consistent line and length.

At lunch Australia were 0/100 and such was the quality of Warner and Burns's batting I was tempted to call the match, and perhaps even the series, to Australia then.

Not much happened thereafter to change my mind. Burns was out for an aggressively fluent 71, Warner sailed past his century and 150, and looked set for many more when out of the blue he was well caught at slip by Ross Taylor.

Then Usman Khawaja. He'd been tried in the Test team before but had never broken through to cement a place. Today he confirmed, that he ia a hugely talented batsman with an unbroken century scvored at a rate marginallyfaster than the dashers Warner and Steve Smith, whose appearance at 2/311 was an ideal situation for him to deply his talent to build the Australan innings furthe.

So, is it too early to csll match and series to Australias? Perhaps, but New Zealand cannot afford another day remotely approaching the shambles that was today.

Footnote

November is now a popular month in which to play Test matches. Today, which is also my birthday, three were in progress; this one at the Gabba, Pakistan v Engalnd at Shrjah (won bythe "home" team) and day 1 of  what looks to be, judging by a few minutes' TV viewing, an intriguing Inda v South Africa fixture.

England surge to comprehensive win over Australia with day to spare : T1D4

England 430 & 289 beat Australia 308 & 242 (70.3ov, Johnson 77/94b/2x6 9x4, Warner 52/86b/1x6 6x4, Smith 33, Broad 14-3-39-3, Moeen Ali 16.3-4-59-3, Root2/28, Wood 2/53) by 169 runs T1/5 D4/5 at Cardiff> England lead series 1-0. Player of match: J Root

Australia made a pretty good fist of chasing the improbable until on the cusp of lunch David Warner, who had looked to have negotiated the best Stuart Broad could deliver to him - and there were some beauties in his opening spell - was lbw to Moeen Ali, who Alistair Cook had restored to the attack after his first two overs had gone for 22. 2/97 became 3/101, then in short order 4/106, 5/106 and 6/122. Shane Watson and Mitchell Johnson kept a candle of hope flickering before Watson, as many  expected, was lbw (to Mark Wood for 19): 7/151. With all due respect to Johnson, who reminded us that he possesses considerable batting talent, it was all over bar some slogging. England cruised to a comfortable victory, and thus a 1-0 series lead, with a day to spare. Broad bowled magnificently.

England showed many of the qualities that are often associated with Australia (and which the latter's supporters would have hoped to see demonstrated more often in this match). The scorecard reveals a lot about the weakness of Australia's middle order batting, the pitch maps about the prodigality of the quick bowling, and TV replays the susceptibility of Watson to lbws (and his propensity to review such decisions) not to mention Brad Haddin's major blunder behind the stumps (and some other less costly fumbles).

It looks as if Mitchell Starc, Australia's best bowler (of a moderate lot) in this match, will miss the Lord's Test starting in 4 days because of injury. It is widely assumed that Peter Siddle will replace him. In my opinion Siddle is Hobson's choice, as Pat Cummins hasn't had much red ball bowling for some time. I also fear that Siddle has passed his peak: he last appeared in a Test here v India and only took two tailender wickets. Isn't there another young Australian quick bowler without a history of injury and with experience of English conditions  who can be drafted into the squad? If not, why not?

As for the batting and wicketkeeping, I need to think about them for a day or so. Watch this space....

Well done, England!


Scorecard

Ashes 2015 begin with Root, Ballance and Stokes leading England fightback

England 7/343 (88ov, Root 134/166b/17x4, Ballance 61/149b/8x4, Stokes 52/78b/2x6 6x4, Starc 3/84, Hazlewood 3/70) v Australia T1/5 D1/5 at Cardiff. Toss: England.

Once play got under way, after a brief drizzle and a lengthy opening ceremony strongly padded with Welsh windbaggery, England initially faltered to 3/46, then Joe Root, dropped before he'd scored, led a counterattack which, despite Australia's bowling regrouping later in the day, left his team with the better of the day's play.

Not much better perhaps, but enough to keep the spotlight on the successes of Root, Gary Ballance and Ben Stokes as well as on Brad Haddin's failure to catch Root - a little more than a regulation catch yet considerably less than a difficult one. This allowed Alistair Cook's modest and Ian Bell's poor efforts with the bat to avoid much scrutiny.

Root deserves abundant praise for his innings, not just its total but also its quality. His driving along the ground was as crisp and well timed as I've seen for a long time: worth stating awake to watch (pity Channel 9 aren't showing Foxtel - or any- type highlights at a more congenial hour).

Australia's attack was a mixed bag. Mitchell Starc was at times brilliant, at other times all over the place; Mitchell Johnson was out of sorts; Josh Hazlewood was steady with occasional nip (as when he had Adam Lyth sharply caught in the gully); while Nathan Lyon, after being brought on early and dismissing Cook ( a good catch by Haddin) didn't do much thereafter.

From my armchair the two Mitchells looked inaccurate, too often bowling wide of the off stump mark. Glenn McGrath on the radio cut Johnson some slack, on the grounds that the Cardiff pitch didn't suit him. I'll defer to the great man's opinion though would be less confident about the accuracy of his prediction that (unspecified) pitches later in the series will be more to MJ's liking. If they haven't already done so after hearing this England officials will be issuing instructions to the pitch preparation people at each of the other four Test venues.

 The pitch looks OK by UK Test standards for the moment, but could be trickier later in the Test. Australia will, unless they collapse abysmally in their first innings, have last use of it,which should motivate everyone in the eleven to think about how they can improve on their D1 performance and at least keep in touch with England (read as first innings lead) when they bat.

Scorecard

Richie Benaud

Richie's death came as a surprise rather than a shock. 

Many cricket followers would have been aware that he was unwell, but not that the skin cancer which has claimed his life was so far advanced.

He was an excellent commentator and a very good cricketer. I'm old enough to to remember him playing, not only for his abilities in all three departments of the game, but also for his often flamboyant presence. His shirt was often ( especially in Australia) unbuttoned lower than those of his contemporaries; he was good at motivating his players when they looked to be flagging (he could always get another over or two out of Alan Davidson, a great left arm fast bowler who sometimes developed a niggle when fortune went against him); and he was generous to his opponents (I recall him during an Adelaide Test detouring on his way to the crease to congratulate Brian Statham, who had just taken a wicket which set a new record).

Apart from seeing him live on the field and, though not often live in those low tech days, on TV I also saw him in the flesh many years ago (it was probably during a Sheffield Shield match) at the piecart which used to be near the Adelaide GPO. I was so surprised that I didn't say anything. (I vaguely recall him mentioning the piecart favourably in one of his books).

His TV career far exceeded his playing one and it is this for which he will be most remembered, especially, but by no means only, for his laconic comments. His last public comment on cricket was as the voiceover for the big screen tribute to Phillip Hughes before play began in this just completed season's Adelaide Test v India.

He was also an incisive writer of articles for a range of newspapers as well as books. In time, as memories of his TV commentaries fade (but in the YouTube age are unlikely to disappear) his written words may become the cornerstone of his reputation.

Vale, Richie.

Vijay leads India to ascendancy: T2 D1

India 4/311 (83ov, Vijay 144/213b/22x4, Rahane 75*/122b/7x4, Hazlewood 2/44) v Australia: T2/4 D1/5 at Brisbane.

Steve Smith, who I think is the best person to captain Australia in the  current circumstances, didn't have a great first day in charge. He lost the toss and, at different times, several of his bowlers. Mitchell Marsh took his first Test wicket but was sidelined with an apparent hamstring injury. Josh Hazlewood,on debut, took his first and second Test wickets yet both he and Mitchell Starc spent time off the field trying to deal with injuries and the Brisbane heat. 

Australia rested Ryan Harris ("soreness" was the official explanation) and omitted Peter Siddle from the winning T1 team. Siddle ended up spending a lot of time sub fielding for Mitchell Marsh, Hazlewood and Starc, but I doubt whether, even if he was in the eleven,  he would have made much difference on a Gabba wicket which perplexed even Mitchell Johnson and, until late in the day, Nathan Lyon. The heat also took its toll - the Channel 9 cameras captured some great images of sweat pouring out of bowlers running in.

For the first half of the day the match was, allowing for the fluctuation which always follows the fall of a wicket, evenly poised, or maybe slightly in Australia's favour, as India declined to 3/137. The third wicket was that of the star of the Adelaide Test - Virat  Kohli - caught behind from a modest stroke for a modest, but efficiently compiled 19, which may have encouraged the Australians to think that it was downhill all the way from there.

It wasn't, as Murali Vijay showed. He accumulated assiduously until he passed 90 when, casting out the demons of his Adelaide befuddlement which led to his dismissal for 99, he hit out, moving to his century, and beyond, in the twinkling of an eye. 

Ajinkya Rahane supported him well in a fourth wicket partnership of 124, which was broken by the persistent Nathan Lyon who, after going as he'd done at Adelaide for many, induced Vijay to jump wildly down the pitch and be adjudged caught behind (he was also stumped). Then Rahane and Rohit Sharma continued to take advantage of a depleted home attack, Hobson's choice Shane Watson sharing the second new ball when Hazlewood limped off injured. 

Even with the extra half hour - ie six and a half hours play-  Australia could only bowl 83 overs. Injuries and heat notwithstanding this is unacceptable. India took advantage of the longer last session and the Australian injuries to bat themselves into a strong position which, unless wickets fall quickly on D2, become increasingly impregnable.

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Rain falls in Adelaide, but doesn't disrupt Aussie parade: T 1 D 2

Rains in Adelaide, but not on Australia's parade as Clarke recovers & Smith continues to build big total: T1/4, D2/5 at Acelaide Oval.

Australia 7/517 (120ov, Smith 162*/231b/21x4, Warner 145/163b/19x4, Clarke 128/163b/18x4) v India: T1/4 D2/5 at Adelaide Oval.

This was definitely not a quintessential Adelaide summer's day in weather terms,  but it was a superb day for Australian cricket as Michael Clarke and Steve Smith in between rain interruptions knocked the stuffing out of the Indian bowling and, to a degree, the fielding.

Clarke's appearance on the field after he'd hobbled off on D1 was, to put it mildly, unexpected. As was  the quality of his batting: he made the most of his limitations, treating the Indian bowlers with disdain (as they mostly deserved) and combining with Smith to repair the fissures which the second new ball had opened late on D1.

All this was achieved amid showers, mostly light but sufficient to send the players scurrying off the

Oval (behind the umpires) several times. Not at all Adelaide in December, but batting of the highest order.

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Warner powers Australia to good position despite late India fightback: T1D1

Australia 6/354 (89.2 ov, Warner 145/163b/19x4, Smith 72*/130b/9x4, Clarke 72 ret hurt 60*/84b/9x4, Marsh 41) v India T1/4 D1/5 at Adelaide Oval. Australia won toss and chose to bat.

On a quintessential Adelaide summer's day - clear blue sky, temperature in low 30s and a true Adelaide Oval first day wicket - and after a moving pre-match tribute to Philip Hughes David Warner batted magnificently....yet again. 

He attacked from the outset, making the India opening attack look toothless as 40 runs - 35 off his bat - came from the first 4 overs, before Ishant, one of three Sharmas in the Indian team, bowled a maiden to Warner, which slowed his progress temporarily,

Wickets fell and a promising partnership with Michael Clarke was truncated by injury to the skipper, leaving Australia effectively if not strictly accurately (despite what the scoreboard recorded) 3/206.

When Warner was eventually out at 258, Steven Smith and Mitchell Marsh continued to accumulate runs. India made it easier for them by using (over using?) spin in an attempt to improve a very slow over rate, 

This strategy appeared to have failed as the total approached  350, but against the run of play, three late wickets fell to the second new ball, leaving Smith to muster the lower order tomorrow.

With Clarke unlikely to bat, or perhaps even to play any further part in the match, the Test is more evenly poised than the scores might suggest. Well as Mohammed Shami and Varun Aaron bowled at the last half hour, I thought that Ishant Sharma's economy in the first half of the day's play kept India, if not in the game, at least not quite out of it.

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Tests resume after itinerary reshuffle

Test cricket resumes tomorrow here at the now completely upgraded Adelaide Oval.

As recent Australia v India contests have been decided - usually emphatically - by the home ground advantage, so on that line of reasoning Australia will start favourites. 

But, setting aside the unknown consequences of Phillip Hughes's death the week before last, Australia's Test record has been uneven. A recent 0-2 drubbing by Pakistan in the UAE after a 2-1 win in South Africa earlier in the year ( and of course last season's trouncing of England here) suggests some wobbles in Australia's performance.

And this is where its weakness may lie: have several of the selected team passed their best, or just temporarily lost form? I'm talking about Peter Siddle and Nathan Lyon, each of whom underperformed in the UAE and South Africa, and thinking about Brad Haddin, whose Ashes batting form deserted him

there. Had there not been a cloud over Michael Clarke's fitness, which has now we are told lifted, and the consequent need to have a safe pair of hands (not Shane Watson) as deputy/ understudy, he might 

Not have been named in the team.

India's main shortcomings are inexperience and their record of poor performance away from home. Three years ago the batting was packed with greats - Tendulkar, Dravid, Laxman and Sehwag - but the team still lost 4-0. Only Virat Kohli, who will lead the team tomorrow in the absence of an injured MS Dhoni, enhanced his reputation then. 

I watched some of the two two day warm up matches played here and didn't learn much. The opposition - scratch teams of fringe first class players and promising juniors - didn't, with a couple of exceptions, extend the Indians much. Tomorrow is forecast to be fine and sunny (max 32C) but there may be rain the day after. India would be happy with a draw, whereas Australia will be going all out for victory.

 

Australia hit brick walls as South Africa counterattack with bat and ball: T2D2

Australia 4/112 (25ov, Warner 65*/67b/10x4, Parnell 6-2-19-2, Philander 6-0-26-2) trail South Africa 423 (150.5ov, Duminy 123/231b/14x4, deVilliers 116/232b/1x6 14x4, Lyon 46-7-130-5) by 311 runs with 6 1st inns KR's in hand; T2/3 D/5 at Port Elizabeth.

It wasn't surprising to see AB deVilliers go on to make a century, but it was to see JP Duminy, whose place in the team has looked less than cemented, do the same. The pair stayed together for the entire first session adding 109 which, made Sourh Africa more secure, if not yet in a commanding position. 

Australia's  quick bowlers looked ordinary against high quality batting. Duminy took the early lead with some pugnacious strokes but deVilliers, looking very much the no 1 ranked batsman in the world, played for the most part with cultivated restraint, hitting out every so often. He was a delight to watch, not that I was disappointed to a see him, early in the afternoon session, hit a return catch to Nathan Lyon who, if he hadn't exactly troubled AB, had kept him on a shorter leash than the quicker bowlers.

JP  continued  after AB's departure, accumulating steadily without cutting loose. The 31 overs bowled in the session produced 3/90, and took the total past 400, which seemed enough given that South Africa need to force a win to remain in the series. Yet Graeme Smith seemed to want to wear the Australians, who had already bowled 148 overs before tea, down (and out). In any event the innings only lasted a further 15 balls, Lyon taking a fifth wicket from his 46 overs of hard slog (and some spin).

At that point fatigue overcame me and I fell asleep. 

It was a rude awakening later in the morning  to learn that Australia had slumped to 4/112 from the 25 overs they faced. Watching the Foxtel highlights it became clear that they were lucky not to have lost more wickets. Once again David Warner benefited from being dropped while Lyon (why was he sent in as night watchman after bowling so many overs?) was fortunate that the Proteas opted not to review what hotspot indicated was a thin edge off Dale Steyn to the wicketkeeper. 

Steyn went wicketless but was hostile, as in their different ways were the other quicks. Vernon Philander and, a real eye opener, Wayne Parnell each took a brace of wickets but the four of them showed Australia a thing or three about how to bowl on a relatively lifeless wicket,

We've seen so e impressive Australian batting recoveries in the last few Tests, but it's asking a lot for yet another one here. This Test looks lost.

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South Africa revive then falter in face of dogged Australia bowling: T2 D1.

South Africa 5/214 (83ov, Elgar 83/193b/2x6 9x4, duPlessis 55/126b/1x6 5x4, deVilliers 51*/126b/7x4, Lyon 23-6-47-2, Harris 18-5-36-1, Johnson 15-2-44-1, Siddle 21-6-61-0, Smith 4-0-18-1) v Australia; T2/3 D1/5 at Port Elizabeth. South Africa won toss and choose to bat.South 

At 2/11, with Graeme Smith, who had at least made a good decision to bat after winning his second toss in a row, and Hashim Amla, both out lbw, South Africa were in strife. But help came from an unexpected source - Dean Elgar - who, pressed into service as an opener, gutsed out 83 before yielding to Nathan Lyon's pressure.

 Not surprisingly Faf duPlessis and, as expected, AB deVilliers, did their bit to give South Africa grounds to hope for a competitive total on a pitch which, after the shine had worn off the new ball, played very slowly. What a competitive total might be remains to be seen. At 2/11 it looked like 150 or so; now it looks like more than 350.

A few balls at the start excepted, the conditions didn't assist Mitchell Johnson, who therefore sensibly dropped his pace a little (but not too much). All the frontline Australian bowlers bowled quite well in the circumstances, with Lyon particularly effective, and Steve Smith, not yet in the frontline category, taking the bonus wicket of  debutant Quinton de Kock, who looked what he has hitherto been: a short form specialist.

On paper Australia look to have the upper hand, but if you factor in a not out deVilliers and a pitch where runs can be scored, albeit not easily, the Test looks more evenly poised after bad light curtailed the first day. 

There may not be much in the away of fireworks in prospect on his wicket, but a tight struggle (which deserves a better crowd than on D1)   should continue. 

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Johnson again leads Australia to convincing win as S Africa fold on crumbling pitch: T1 D4

Australia 397 & 4/290 dec (72.2ov, Warner 115, Doolan 89, Marsh 44) def South Africa    206 & 200 (59.4ov, deVilliers 48, Amla 35, Johnson 16-3-59-5, Harris 2/35, Siddle 2/55) by 281 runs; T1/3 D4/5 at Centurion. Australia lead series 1-0.

It didn't take Michael Clarke long to decide that the pitch was continuing to deteriorate and therefore that Australia's lead was big enough. After 21 deliveries, 2 runs (a wide and a leg bye) and Shaun Marsh's wicket he declared, setting South Africa an unlikely 482 to win. While there's been a very recent example of this happening - Queensland chasing down 470 to beat South Australia by 5 wickets in a Sheffied Shield fixture- the state of the Centurion wicket, not to mention the quality of the Australia bowling (and fielding) consigned any such hope to the realm of dreams.

Yes, Australia bowled and caught well, with Mitchell Johnson again outstanding, but South Africa had no chance as the ball came through at varying heights. Faf duPlessis was lbw to a grubber then Hashim Amla and AB deVilliers toughed it out for a time, and there was some resistance from the lower order,but any result other than a win to the visitors never looked likely. If anything South Africa, after losing early wickets, did well to reach 200. 

So, a huge victory to Australia. How much was it magnified by Graeme Smith's decision to field first? He clearly misjudged the wicket's staying power, but in his decision there may have been an element of hubris, of we're much better than England, we're playing at home so we'll put the Aussies back in their box.  

The old cliche "a good toss to lose" certainly applied here, but the Proteas underperformed in spades. Some like duPlessis were unlucky in their dismissals but the bowling was below par - and that standard is now set by Australia.

So where to from here? It's hard to see Australia having another cushy victory such as this, and yet South Africa may be rattled after this crushing, and unexpected, loss. If Shane Watson is fit it will create a dilemma for the selectors, but I think he should play to provide a fifth bowling option, something which wasn't required at Centurion, is always handy against a team with batsmen of the stature of deVilliers and Amla.

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199* Marsh-Smith partnership revives Australia after early wobble: T1D1

Australia 4/197 (90ov, Marsh 122*/132b/12x4, Smith 91*/179b/12x4): T1/3 D1/5 at Centurion.

South Africa won toss and sent Australia in.

The series started well for South Africa, whose pace attack, not unexpectedly given their collective and individual reputations,shone in the first session and a bit before Shaun Marsh and Steve Smith wrested the initiative with a very impressive partnership. Australia are in a good position with runs on the board, wickets in hand,  and Brad Haddin still to bat.

Before the match started Foxtel showed extended highlights of the 2009 SAf - Aust series. What I saw there reinforced my opinion that Phil Hughes should be included in the XI. What I saw live told me that I'd underestimated  Marsh - he showed that he's no yesterday's man. Smith also impressed, but then over the last few Tests he'd shown a lot of evidence of maturing as a Test batter.

Well as Marsh and Smith batted against good pace bowling on a wicket  eased as the day went on, the South African spinners Robin Peterson and J-P Duminy looked ordinary. It will be interesting to see how Nathan Lyon fares when his turn comes.

Question: Why were there so few spectators? 

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