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| December 16, 2001 | Sunday | Ramazan 30, 1422 |
McGrath, Martyn put Aussies in control
ADELAIDE, Dec 15: Glenn McGrath took two wickets in as many overs after his team mate Damien Martyn scored a century to put Australia in a strong position after the second day of the first Test against South Africa Saturday.
McGrath removed Gary Kirsten for 47 and Boeta Dippenaar for four to reduce the South Africans to 101 for two at the close of play, still 338 runs behind Australia’s 439.
“Those wickets were vital because they were cruising along and doing it pretty easily,” said Martyn, who scored a career-high 124 not out to steer the Australians towards their massive first-innings total after they had resumed at 272 for six with the match still delicately poised.
Martyn was given a life on 95 when he was dropped by South African captain Shaun Pollock but he did not play another false stroke as he registered his first Test century on home soil after two hundreds in England.
Shane Warne chipped in with 41 and Brett Lee made 32 after they were also dropped by the South African fielders before Martyn eventually ran out of partners on a perfect batting strip at Adelaide Oval.
“It’s special to score a first century at home, it means an awful lot,” Martyn said.
“It was also important given the build-up to this Test series — they’re a good side so it was good for us to get runs on the board in the first innings.”
The South Africans began their run chase well, with Kirsten and Herschelle Gibbs putting on 87 for the opening wicket until McGrath struck, trapping Kirsten lbw with a slow full toss that dipped late and hit him above the knee roll.
Dippenaar joined Kirsten back in the pavilion when he departed in McGrath’s next over after Ricky Ponting held an amazing one-handed catch diving to his left at gully.
Gibbs had a scare on 31 when he almost cut a ball from Warne back on to his stumps but survived to finish the day unbeaten on 42 with nightwatchman Claude Henderson on three.
Henderson, playing in just his third Test, was the best of the South African bowlers, taking four for 116 with his left-arm finger spinners.
Martyn added 88 to his overnight total of 36, cleverly rotating the strike with his lower order batsmen, sharing partnerships of 84 with Warne and 77 with Lee.
He breathed a sigh of relief when Pollock failed to hold a head-high slips catch when he was on 95 then brought up his hundred in the next over, reaching the milestone with a legside glance off Henderson.
Martyn batted 294 balls, faced 210 balls and hit nine boundaries to put Australia back in control of the match after the middle order collapsed late on the first day to undo the brilliance of Justin Langer’s 116.
Martyn’s century also helped to exorcise some of the demons from his only previous match against South Africa in Sydney eight years ago when Australia lost by five runs in one of the closest matches in Test cricket history.
Chasing 117 for victory, Martyn was the last recognised batsmen left but made just six runs in two hours at the crease. When he went, Australia needed just seven to win but managed only one more and Martyn did not play for Australia again for another six years.
“I can look back now and reflect on that but it wasn’t in my mind as I went out to bat,” he said.
“That was in the first part of my career and I’m just enjoying the second part.”
Scoreboard
AUSTRALIA (1st Innings, overnight 272-6):
J.L. Langer c Pollock b H’derson 116
M.L. Hayden c Ntini b Pollock 31
R.T. Ponting run out 54
M.E. Waugh c Boucher b Hayward 2
S.R. Waugh c McKenzie b H’derson 8
D.R. Martyn not out 124
A.C. Gilchrist c H’ward b H’derson 7
S.K. Warne b Klusener 41
B. Lee c McKenzie b Hayward 32
J.N. Gillespie c Boucher b H’derson 3
G.D. McGrath b Hayward 5
EXTRAS (LB-6, NB-10) 16
TOTAL (all out, 141 overs) 439
FALL OF WKTS: 1-80, 2-182, 3-199, 4-211, 5-238, 6-248, 7-332, 8-409, 9-434.
BOWLING Pollock 28-8-64-0 (6nb); Hayward 31-5-108-3 (4nb); Ntini 19-7-64-0; Kallis 16-1-37-0; Klusener 14-4-44-2; Henderson 33-4-116-4.
SOUTH AFRICA (1st Innings):
H.H. Gibbs not out 42
G. Kirsten lbw b McGrath 47
H.H. Dippenaar c Ponting b McGrath 4
C.J. Henderson not out 3
EXTRAS (LB-2, NB-3) 5
TOTAL (for two wkts, 39 overs) 101
FALL OF WKTS: 1-87, 2-93.
TO BAT: J.H. Kallis, N.D. McKenzie, L. Klusener, M.V. Boucher, S.M. Pollock, M. Ntini, M. Hayward.
BOWLING (to-date): McGrath 13-5-24-2 (1nb); Gillespie 6-1-13-0; Warne 13-0-43-0; Lee 5-0-19-0 (2nb).—Reuters
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