Clarke continues to lead Australia from front before rain stops play: T3D2

Australia 7/494 (127.4ov, Clarke 161*/301b/17x4, Warner 135/152b/1x6 12x4, Smith 84/155b/3x6 9x4, Watson 40/32b/3x6 1x4, Duminy 17-0-73-4) v South Africa: T3/3 D2/5 at Newlands, Cape Town.

Australia's didn't have things all their own way, yet they won all the major segments of the half day's play that was possible before rain, propelled by high winds, halted proceedings.

First Michael Clarke reached his century after a long time on 99, mainly because of a superb spell of tight bowling from Kyle Abbott, whom I yesterday damned with faint praise. Unfortunately for the Proteas there as nobody to sustain the pressure at the other end: Dale Steyn was off the field injured, Morne Morkel on the field but out of his captain's bowling plans for the first hour ( another Graeme Smith blunder?), Vernon Philander was just off his game, having what must have been, considering his international ranking, one of his worst days of Test cricket.

Clarke was able to take his time reaching his century partly because Steve Smith, batting with the mature belligerence which he's developed over the past year, kept the score ticking over at the other end. He looked set for a century before he unexpectedly played (more accurately pulled) on to Dean Elgar, the makeshift second spinner. 

The makeshift first spinner, JP Duminy, actually bowled reasonably well, though his four wickets flattered him. If there was assistance for him in the wicket he was unable to extract it, though he varied his flight and seemed to take stoically the inevitable punishment from Smith, Clarke post century and, in a brief cameo just right for the situation, Shane Watson. We'll need to wait another day (or innings) to see if he completes his hat trick, and to compare him with Nathan Lyon.

The half day lost to the weather was obviously South Africa's. The pitch appears to be playing well, there are 20 South Africa wickets to be taken in three days, minus whatever time may be required for another Australia innings (or the rest of the current one), and a Steyn less South Africa look down on bowling confidence. But they do bat deep on paper and can be resolute in playing for a draw.

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South Africa continue on road to victory as Amla shines: T2D3

South Africa 423 & 4/192 (47ov, Amla 93*/126b/12x4, Johnson 2/48, Siddle 2/53) lead Australia 246 (57ov, Warner 70/76b/10x4, Smith 49/72b/8x4, Johnson 27, Harris 26, Morkel 3/63, Philander 3/68, Parnell 2/31) by 369 runs with 6 2nd inns wkts in hand; T2/3 D3/5 at Port Elizabeth.

South Africa continued to dominate,  with the quick bowlers maintaining the pressure on a brittle Australia batting lineup. David Warner fell early, Nathan Lyon soon after: at 6/128 all looked lost. P

Even after Steve Smith (given out by a third umpire blunder) rallied the lower order (Brad Haddin excepted) the 118 added for the last four wickets avoided the prospect of the follow on but did little to change the impression that Australia are heading for a comprehensive beating.

South Africa's second innings batting reinforced  this. While Graeme Smith failed again Hashim Amla made up for his first Test shortcomings with a scintillating knock which blunted Australia's attack. Smith will probably allow Amla, 93* overnight, to complete a well deserved century before declaring.

Australia has no chance of winning:  its best hope of a draw is that the weather forecast of 35mm of rain on D5 is accurate. If that happens we can count ourselves very lucky. 

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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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