West Indies make captain's ODI series prediction look shaky

Now that the Pakistan tour is over with the visitors failing to win a match, though they came close in the T20 International, the West Indies have returned for the short form leg of their visit.

Chris Gayle's prediction of a 4-1 ODI series result to his team looks shaky, very shaky, after a professional Australia won ODI#1 by 113 runs in Melbourne: 8/256 from 50 ov v 143 from only 34.2 ov . West Indies seem to lack the depth to be able to challenge the home team for more than a few overs. Of course many of us thought the same after the First Test.

There has been some media comment about the small crowd of 25,000 or so, and comparisons have been drawn wirth the 60,000 who attended the T20 game v Pakistan on Friday. Yes, a big difference, but a good total, and in any event what do you expect when two internationals are scheduled at the same ground a day apart?

It will be interesting to see how many turn up here in Adelaide tomorrow for ODI#2: it's a working day and hot weather is forecast.

One interesting drawn Test & several other high scoring games

At Napier New Zealand drew with Sri Lanka after rain intervened on the last day when the Black Caps were on track for victory. From what I saw of the series (quite a lot, as it was shown on Foxtel) a 1-1 result was a reasonable result. Both sides will be playing against Australia later this season: Pakistan here soon and NZ at home later. I can't see either of them causing much trouble unless several players, not just the superstars of this match (Daniel Vettori backing himself at no6 and delivering a century or Danish Kaneria with 7 wickets in the NZ innings), punch above their weight.

Elsewhere a high scoring ODI saw India 7/414 just hold off SrI Lanka 8/411. Who said the ODI was dying?

While I was posting this I watched South Australia beat Victoria in a high scoring Ford Ranger Cup ODD at the MCG. Mark Cosgrove and Chris Rogers, two players who are apparently not on the Australian selectors' shortlist for any form of the game, scored centuries for their respective teams. This match followed hard on the heels of the Sheffield Shield fixture where Victoria lost only 4 wickets chasing down 384 . South Australia once again omitted legspinner Cullen Bailey: he might have made the Bushrangers fight harder.

Another recent Sheffield Shield match worth noting was Tasmania's one wicket win over WA from the last ball of the match The Tigers scored 9/351 thanks to 152 from Ed Cowan, who is having a prolific, though barely acknowledged on the mainland, first class season.

And one more, this time from the New Zealand domestic comp, where Central Districts notched 1/445, thanks to a second innings opening partnership of 428 ( a NZ record) to beat Wellington by 9 wickets.

South Africa on course for match and series win despite lone hand from Ponting : Second Test Day 4

South Africa 459 and 0/30 need a further 153 runs to defeat Australia 394 and 247 (R Ponting 99, D Steyn 5/67): Second Test Day 4 at Melbourne Cricket Ground.

At the start of today's play Mark Nicholas, introducing proceedings on Channel 9, got the series sponsor's name wrong (it's not nPower). He corrected himself quickly, which was more than the Australian team, apart from the captain and a couple of others, was able to do.

The movement of the match out of Australia's reach continued in the first hour when the score went from 0/4 via 0/37 to 3/49. Matthew Hayden seemed to be finding some touch when he drove Dale Steyn to short extra cover for a not entirely convincing 23; Simon Katich played himself in then snicked a wide one to the keeper; Mike Hussey was given out caught when the ball touched his helmet (and nothing else).

Ricky Ponting and Michael Clarke steadied things, not without some awkward moments until, and then beyond, lunch. But Clarke, in contrast to the first innings, surrendered his wicket cheaply to a poor ball from Steyn. Andrew Symonds, Brad Haddin and Brett Lee all failed (the last two after showing some brief promise) making Australia 7/180.

Mitchell Johnson dug in and supported the captain who, conscious of his team's predicament, became more introspective as he moved towards his second century of the match. He was caught at short extra cover for 99/169b (7x4). While this was not a flawless innings, Ponting had worked hard enough to earn his second century of the match, but it wasn;t to be.

The last two wickets, thanks to Johnson's 43 no/ 85b (5x4) added 35, leaving South Africa to amke 183 to win.

Brett Lee, determined as ever, opened the bowling, and bowled Neil McKenzie off a no ball. At the other end Graeme Smith was in ominously good touch, scoring 25 of his team's 0/30 at stumps.

Rain is forecast for Melbourne tomorrow. If it prevents a South African victory that will be a greater injustice than Ponting's dismissal for 99, unless, and this is a very big unless, Australia can rise like a phoenix from the ashes of their burnt expectations. Not likely I think, notwithstanding the other reversals of fortune in this series so far.

Scorecard

Duminy and tail turn tables on Australia: Second Test Day 3

Australia 394 and 0/4 trail South Africa 459 ( J-P Duminy 166, D Steyn 73, G Smith 62, P Siddle 4/81) by 61 runs with 10 wickets in hand: Second Test Day 3 at Melbourne Cricket Ground.

I was wrong. Again. What a turnaround!

South Africa went from a shaky 7/198 to 459 all out as Jean-Paul Duminy compiled an authoritative and almost nerveless 166/340b (18x4). As these stats indicate, this was an innings demonstrating great concentration and a mature judgment of when to attack.

He was supported first by Paul Harris's 39/67b (4x4), then by Dale Steyn's confident and, given his batting record, surprisingly fluent 76/191b (9x4,1x6).

The Australian attack, which was missing the injured Brett Lee and lacking a fully fi Andrew Symonds, moved from innocuous to inept, with moments bordering on farcical. Mike Hussey made the breakthrough, taking his first wicket in Test cricket after 53 runs had been added. From 8/251 Duminy and Steyn added 180 for the 9th wicket while Duminy and Makhaya Ntini rubbed salt into the wounds with a 28 run partnership for the 10th.

The Australian fielding didn't help. Hussey's failure to get near a lofted shot which he couldn't pick up in the sun was captured by the TV cameras and replayed many times. It looked ugly, especially for these days of limited overs cricket, and would have boosted further the confidence of the Proteas as well as diminishing that of the Australians.

Matthew Hayden and Simon Katich survived 3 overs at the end of the day. While a 58 run deficit may not seem many it's hard to see Australia, so many of whose shortcomings have been exposed in this series already, recovering enough to win the mach. To do so they'll have to play like South Africans.

Scorecard

Ponting century keeps Australia in game: Second Test Day 1

Australia 6/280 (R Ponting 101, S Katich 54, B Haddin 40) v South Africa: Second Test Day 1 at Melbourne Cricket Ground

Australia were once again indebted to Ricky Ponting for a superb 101/126b (10x4 1 x6) to keep them in the game against a persistent and frequently menacing South African attack. While Simon Katich, Brad Haddin and an out of sorts Michael Clarke gave handy support Matthew Hayden and Michael Hussey failed again.

350 may be a good score on this MCG wicket. It is still within Australia's reach but tomorrow Clarke will need to build on today's scratchy 36 no/157b (only 1x4) and muster the lower order.

Scorecard