South Africa holds whip hand after Australia collapses: T3D2

South Africa 225 & 2/230 (38 ov, Amla 99*; Smith 84) lead Australia 163 (53.1 ov, Wade 68, Steyn 4/40, R Peterson 3/44) by 292runs with 8 second inns wickets in hand.. T3/3 D2/5 at WACA Ground, Perth.

After only two days' play the Test and the series, not to mention the no1 Test nation ranking, have been decided.

South Africa at last played up to their pre-series form with both ball and bat. Australia just fell to pieces, losing 4/12 (including David Warner to a windy woof, Ricky Ponting plumb lbw - confirmed by DRS - and Michael Clarke caught behind) at the start of play to impressively hostile bowling from Dale Steyn and Vernon Philander.

From the depths of 6/45 Matthew Wade 68/102 (3x6, 7x4) hit out while Mike Hussey did his (on this occasion below par). best to support him. Wade, John Hastings, a handy 32, and Mitchell Johnson all lent some respectability to Robin Peterson's figures by not choosing the right ball to hit, so the Australian revival was less significant than the South African one had been.

163 was a feeble response and South Africa knew it. Expected consequence: positive batting; unexpected consequences: (1) weak Australian bowling and (2) South African lead of 292 with three days to play.

Take nothing away from Hashim Amla 99*/84b (10x4) and Graeme Smith 84/100b (13x4). They have rubbed salt into the wounds inflicted by their bowlers and turned the match and series on its head.

A black day for Australian cricket.

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Harris & Johnson put England out of misery and level series: T3D4

Australia 268 & 309 def England 187 & 123 (37ov. R Harris 6/47, M Johnson 3/44) by 267 runs: T3 D4 at WACA ground, Perth. 5 match series level 1 all.

It didn't take long for Ryan Harris and Mitchell Johnson to scythe through the 5 remaining England wickets, including those of Ian Bell and Matt Prior, and complete a comprehensive victory for Australia over England, one which looked unlikely after the first day.

Johnson was named Man of the Match for his 9 match wickets and team reviving first innings 62, but several others , especially Hussey and Harris in both innings, Shane Watson in the second and Brad Haddin in the first, made vital contributions which papered over the cracks in Australia's batting.

We'll wait to see whether the crack in Ricky Ponting's little finger prevents him from playing in Melbourne. Even though he's not delivered when it matters and age is creeping up on him (the win is a great present for his 36th birhtday today) IMO he is still capable of making runs and moreover is due for some after an unlucky dismissal in the second innings (and he was out to a great catch in the first).

England don't seem to have as many problems, though it's doubtful whether their team structure with only four frontline bowlers will suffice to dismiss Australia twice more for low-to-middling scores
if, as must surely happen, more than two of its top order batters fire.

Another variable unknown factor will be the MCG wicket. Will it play more like the relatively (pace) bowler friendly Perth than Adelaide or the Gabba, or will it be its own thing? These and other matters will be the subject of much speculation over the next week.

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England on ropes as batting crumbles after Watson & Hussey set up big target: T3D3

England 187 & 5/81 (27 ov) need 310 more runs with 5 wickets in hand to defeat Australia 268 & 309 (86 ov, M Hussey 116, S Watson 95, C Tremlett 5/87) T3 D3 at WACA ground, Perth.

At the start of play I was hoping that Australia would be able to set England a reasonable target, by lunch hope had become expectation, which the subsequent loss of 6/57 only slightly changed. I didn't even contemplate the prospect of England losing 5 wickets before stumps...I hoped (with fingers crossed) for two or three, but couldn't see the England batting lineup, which in the first two Tests had carried all before it, crumbling on a pitch which while not quite a flat track wasn't a bowler's paradise either.

But it did, and Australia stand on the threshold of a remarkable victory which looked out of the question after Day1 .

Today's heroes were the four quick bowlers, who justified the selectors' decision not to play a specialist spinner, and Mike Hussey and Shane Watson who with their bats fashioned a silk purse out of what could have been a sow's ear.

Watson, perhaps because he hadn't had to bowl in England's first innings, looked on top of his game until, not for the first time, he approached his century when Chris Tremlett had him lbw for 95/174b (11x4). Hussey continued as the England attack, especially Tremlett, regrouped and was last out for a masterly116/172b (11x4). Remember all the calls for his sacking before the series began?

As in they'd done in the first innings, Andrew Strauss and Alistair Cook started well, but they only put on 23 before Ryan Harris broke through. Then it was Mitchell Johnson's turn , then Ben Hilfenhaus' (Kevin Pietersen a well deserved wicket caught at slip for 3), then Johnson and Harris each had a second bite of the cherry as the lineup which recovered from a poor start at the Gabba to look invincible at Adelaide fell apart.

The series has been re-ignited. The last rites of this match should be completed early tomorrow.

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Fox Sports report

Johnson's 6/38 revives Australia's fortunes: T3D2

Australia 268 & 3/119 (33ov, S Watson 61*) lead England 187 (62.3 ov, I Bell 53, A Strauss 52, M Johnson 6/38) by 200 runs with 7 2nd innings wkts in hand: T3D2 at WACA ground, Perth.

A fascinating day's cricket began with Alistair Cook and Andrew Strauss continuing from where they'd left off on D1, before Mitchell Johnson ripped through the England top order (much as England has done to Australia this series) to give the home team an unexpected 81 run first innings lead, which it then tenuously bonuilt upon.

An early incident, where Strauss snicked a ball in the air between the keeper and first slip, neither of whom did much to intercept it, seemed to presage another day's struggle for the home team. But at 78, when Johnson had Cook caught in the gully, the match began to change course sharply.

Johnson moved the ball, dismissing (with the aid of some umpire decision reviews) Jonathan Trott, Kevin Pietersen and Paul Collingwood lbw for a total of 9 runs. Ryan Harris chipped in with Strauss' wicket, caught behind for 52/102b (8x4). At lunch England were at 5/119: a situation more familiar to Australia of late.

But there was no Australian style revival. Ian Bell fought pugnaciously for 53/90b (6x4) but he didn't get much support as the four Australian quicks kept the pressure on (only Ben Hilfenhaus, who Johnson singled out for special praise for supporting him, went wicketless ) and worked their way through the lower order.

Australia wobbled again in its second innings, losing Phil Hughes, Ricky Ponting and Michael Clarke cheaply before Mike Hussey and Shane Watson added 55 to leave the match, with the pitch still playing pretty true, fairly evenly poised.

But it was Johnson's day, as 17.3 - 5 - 38 - 6 attests. Yet he would have mixed memories of another occasion at Perth when his great bowling didn't produce an Australian win.

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Another Ashes Test, another Australian collapse: T3D1

England 0/29 (12 ov) trail Australia 268 (76ov, M Johnson 62, M Hussey 61, B Haddin 53) by 239 runs on 1st innings: T3/5 D1/5 at WACA Ground, Perth.

The Third Test began in much the same way as the Second, with an Australian batting collapse against tenacious bowling supported by high quality fielding, followed by a revival of sorts, though not enough to deny England the upper hand at stumps.

But there were some significant differences, notably (1) Andrew Strauss won the toss (2) he sent Australia in. and (3) Australia selected four specialist quick bowlers. Obviously both captains (Ricky Ponting said that he'd have done the same to England if he'd won) felt that, unlike Adelaide, the wicket favoured the bowlers.

As it did, though a generous measure of assistance from several upper order Australian batsmen including the out-of-sorts captain and vice captain contributed to a shaky 5/69 shortly after lunch as the England attack, with Tim Tremlett stepping effectively into the role of the injured Stuart Broad, kept things on a pretty tight leash.

Fortunately for Australia Mike Hussey and Brad Haddin yet again staunched the bleeding (a little) as the pitch eased under the Perth sun, adding 68 for the 6th wkt before Hussey fell (via review of the umpire's not out decision) for a combative yet, because he didn't go on with it, disappointing 61/139b (1x6, 9x4). Haddin went on to make 53/80b (1x6, 6x4), some of it with Mitchell Johnson whose 62/93b (1x6, 8x4) showed a welcome return to batting form, while Peter Siddle and Ben Hilfenhaus biffed some late runs which, welcome as they were, couldn't conceal that Australia's performance, to return to the comparisons with the second Test, put England well on the road to victory.

This impression was not dispelled during England's12 overs at the crease late in the day when Strauss and Alistair Cook batted more or less comfortably (apart from a sharp chance offered by the captain) against some honest Australian pace bowling.

Where the next 10, let alone 20, wickets will come from is hard to tell. There are other issues, such as Ponting's form. which will also be discussed at great length in the coming days.


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Fox Sports report with link to video highlights.

Still no joy for Pakistan despite good showing by U19s

At Perth Australia won ODI#4 by 135 runs 8/277 to 142, rubbing salt into Pakistan's already considerable wounds and taking a 4-0 lead in the series with one match to play.

Ryan Harris, playing only his third ODI, bettered his 5/43 on Tuesday with an outstanding 5/19 from 9.5 overs. Not surprisingly he won another Player of the Match award and reminded me of how foolish South Australia were to let him go off to Queensland.

It was a much closer game at Lincoln New Zealand where Australia won the Under 19 World Cup by 25 runs 9/207 to 182. Both teams fielded several players with first class experience, eg Josh Hazelwood of NSW, who took 4/30. One of the Australians also sported a haircut reminiscent of Andrew Symonds at an earlier stage of his career.

West Indies fight back and make Australia turn up tomorrow ...

West Indies 312 & 308/9 (91 ov) need another 51 runs with 1 wicket remaining to defeat Australia 520/7d & 150 (51.3 ov): T3 D4 at Perth

Neither Chris Gayle (21) nor Travis Dowlin (22) nor Ramnaresh Sarwan (11) nor Dwayne Bravo (1) contributed much to the West Indies second innings, but Narsingh Deonarine (82/171b,2x6,10x4) and Brendan Nash (65/183b, 7x4) did, and in doing so gave Australia cause for concern by batting resolutely (perhaps, in Nash's case it could be said, too resolutely) through the afternoon session and beyond.

It was a great struggle - I say was because nobody in their right mind would believe that nos 10 and 11 can score another 51 runs against a refreshed attack tomorrow. Even surviving today, which the Australians extended by an extra half hour to try to claim a victory, will gain the Windies a few points with cricket followers and give the home team cause to reflect. There is no doubt which side has improved the most since the first day of the series.

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Bowlers' turn

Australia 7/520 dec @ 8/137 (47ov) lead West Indies 312 (81 ov, C Gayle 102, T Dowlin 55, D Bollinger 5/70) by 345 runs with 2 second inns wkts in hand: T3 D3 at Perth.

On the first two days 9 wickets fell for 634 runs. Day 3 was bowlers' day for both teams as 16 went down for 235 (WI losing 8/98, Aust 8/137).

The West Indies batting collapse was reminiscent of the First Test so didn't come entirely out of the blue. The pitch played a few tricks, and will probably get worse, but the batting after Chris Gayle's dismissal lacked the technique and apparently (Brendan Nash excepted) the determination to tough it out. Which made their revival with the ball, pitch assistance notwithstanding, all the more surprising. All the bowlers performed with the livewire Dwayne Bravo 3/34 from 15 overs outstanding and Sulieman Benn 2/26 from 9 .

What about Australia? Doug Bollinger deserved his 5 wickets, while Nathan Hauritz persisted well. he didn't extract as much spin as did Benn but his accuracy and variation were better. Of the batting the less said the better, though I will say how troubled Ricky Ponting looked when he came to the crease at no9 with the total 125. His elbow injury must be serious for him to hold himself back so far: it was the heart rather than the head which influenced this decision, just as it was the head which made him decide against enforcing the follow on.

Good as it was to see the Windies revival I think that when several factors, including the condition of the pitch and the inconsistency of their batting, are weighed up Australia should be able to win from here. Of course if there was another blinder from Gayle...or solid knocks from a few others...


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Gayle's quickfire century ruffles Australian bowlers' feathers as Windies chase big total

West Indies 2/214 (46 ov, C Gayle 102, T Dowlin 55) trail Australia 7/520 dec (130.4 ov, S Katich 99, Watson 89, Haddin 88, Hussey 82, North 68) by 306 runs on first innings with 8 wickets in hand: T3 D2 at Perth.

Watch as much of Chris Gayle's 102/70b (6x6, 9x4) as you can on TV or YouTube (where he already features prominently, though mostly in coloured clothing ). The six with which he brought up his century (the fifth fastest in Test cricket in terms of recorded balls faced) by driving Nathan Hauritz onto the roof of the Lillee-Marsh Stand was the most memorable of many strokes and, deservedly, the one most likely to be replayed.

For the second successive Test Gayle has energised his team, keeping them competitive in the face of a large Australian total, albeit one which did not include either a century or substantial contributions from the captain and vice-captain. Today it was Mike Hussey, Brad Haddin and Marcus North who couldn't reach three figures. Hussey, who probably didn't sleep too well overnight, was caught behind off the diligent Ravi Rampaul for 82/176b (9x4), Haddin drove well for 88/91b (2x6, 11x4) which might have been the day's batting highlight but for Gayle, while North hit a slow full toss back to the bowler when looking well set on 68/117b (8x4). This was as soft a dismissal as you're likely to see in any form of cricket.

The Australian bowling wasn't as bad as Gayle and Travis Dowling made it look. Doug Bollinger, Nathan Hauritz (who had Gayle dropped at slip) and Clint McKay had their moments while Mitchell Johnson, as so often happens with him, had one when he enticed Dowling to hit a catch to gully for an assured 55/116b.

The West Indies have made a bold start by batting positively and, at least for a while, ruffling the Australian attack's feathers. Toward the end Ramnaresh Sarwan looked in good nick but they are still a long way behind. Still, 6/395 in a day's play gave the spectators their money's worth and may even deflect some media attention from an on field incident .

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Still no century but Australia comfortable after D1

Australia 3/339 (90ov, S Katich 99, S Watson 89, M Hussey 81*) v West Indies T3 D1 at WACA Ground Perth

Simon Katich and Shane Watson again got Australia off to a cracking start, but as here in Adelaide neither was able to notch a century. Watson was caught behind for a belligerent 89/130b (15x4) while Katich, for the second time in Tests was dismissed for 99, on this occasion caught at square leg from 177b (10x4), Nevertheless their contributions, and that of Mike Hussey who looked much better than at Adelaide in making 81*/155b (10x4), offset the cheap dismissal of Michael Clarke and the retirement of Ricky Ponting with an injured elbow.

Much has been said about injuries to key players on each side. Shiv Chanderpaul and Adrian Barath couldn't take the field for the Windies whereas Australia only lost Peter Siddle from their Adelaide XI. With relative unknown Clint McKay making his debut Australia's attack is far from its strongest though the loss of two top order opposition batsmen should make their collective task easier.

The West Indies attack was, not surprisingly on a first day WACA wicket, more steady than penetrative. Gavin Tonge who'd been talked up (and not only by his own side) as a quick bowling prospect was disappointing on his Test debut though Kemar Roach continued to look good.

Key question for D2, or session one thereof: will Mike Hussey make a century?

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South Africa triumph against the odds and my opinion: First Test Day 5

South Africa 281 and 4/414 ( G Smith 108, A B de Villiers 106 no, J Kallis 57, H Amla 53, J-P Duminy 50 no, M Johnson 3/98) defeated Australia 375 and 319 by 6 wickets: First Test Day 5 at Perth .

I was wrong . I thought the South Africans would choke. Not one batsman today buckled under the pressure applied by what was only an intermittently hostile Australian attack (Mitchell Johnson an exception). A B de Villiers's innings of 106 no/ 186b, 9x4 was the highlight of today's play, but he was well supported by Jacques Kallis and Jean-Paul Duminy who all bjuilt on the platform erected yesterday by Graeme Smith and Hashim Amla.

This result will rattle Australia. Will they improve? They can't get much worse, but why Andrew Symonds didn't bowl is beyond me. This is not an excuse: well done South Africa.

Any suggestions as to an appropriate recipient for the $100.00 I promised if South Africa won? Perhaps one that operates in the Republic (preferably not a politician's re-election fund).

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Cricinfo coverage

South Africa keep fighting but still look likely to lose: Second Test Day 3

Australia 375 and 7/228 (B Haddin 39 no,J Kallis 2/19) lead South Africa 281 (M Johnson 8/61) by 322 runs with 3 second innings wickets in hand: Second Test Day 3 at Perth.

South Africa were able to refocus after the previous day's late collapse, but the damage which Mitchell Johnson did then looks too much to prevent an Australian victory. Johnson took one of the two wickets on offer today as Mark Boucher and nos 10 and 11 showed more guts and determination than some of their teammates had to add a further 38 runs. Johnson finished with 8/61 from 24 overs, one of the best ever bowling performances by an Australian (and achieved against good opposition).

Australia's second innings began better than its first did, even though Matthew Hayden (given out caught by the umpire when replays showed he hadn't hit the ball) and Mike Hussey failed again. Brett Lee also failed to reach double figures, but each of the other six made between 25 and 39. Not good scores but enough, together with the 94 first innings lead, to put Australia well in front.

The South African bowlers kept plugging away. Jacques Kallis (2/19 from 11 overs), Dale Steyn and Paul Harris each took 2 wickets. Graeme Smith kept the pressure on, but I felt that he could have bowled Morne Morkel for more than 11 economical overs. Once again A B deVilliers was outstanding in the field: his slip catch of Lee off Kallis was unbelievable (look for it on YouTube). At the end of today the Proteas could hold their heads higher than yesterday, but it will take an even greater improvement, including at least one century, if they are to win from here.

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Johnson rips through South Africa: First Test Day 2

Australia 375 (S Katich 83, M Clarke 62, A Symonds 57, M Ntini 4/72) v South Africa 8/243 (J Kallis 63, A B de Villiers 63, G Smith 48, H Amla 47, M Johnson 7/42) : First Test Day 2 at Perth.

Mitchell Johnson's spell of 5/2 (yes, that's 5 wickets for 2 runs) from 20 balls near the close of play put Australia well on top after South Africa had looked quite good chasing 375 (a total augmented by a cocky 34 run last wicket partnership).

Only Neil McKenzie of the top five failed in the strict sense, as the other four all reached the forties (Graham Smith's 48 being his highest score in a Test here). Yet none was able to go beyond 63. Solid as both Jacques Kallis and AB deVilliers were (and Kallis needed a score after modest performances elsewhere this year) their dismissals, each caught behind off Johnson for identical scores within 3 runs of each other were the crucial ones setting the Proteas on the slide from a promisingly comfortable 3/234 to a feeble 8/243.

Johnson always looked dangerous, though perhaps only he believed that he could produce that burst of 5/2. Jason Krejza's 1/102 from 25 overs was a mixed bag: a great ball to bowl Hashim Amla and break a menacing 90 run stand for the 2nd wicket, many others which were flighted well into the breeze then turned and bounced, and some rank bad deliveries.

South Africa may be rattled after their collapse, and if they can't regroup quickly they'll probably lose the match by a large margin. Judging by their performances against England and India earlier this year they should be able to do better, but whether Australia now has the wood on* them is a question which may be answered on Day 3.

* = an Australian colloquial phrase meaning "to have an advantage over someone" (source Australian National Dictionary)

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