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Tea South Africa 225 and 0 for 24 lead Australia 163 (Wade 68, Hastings 32, Steyn 4-40, Peterson 3-44) by 86 runs
Ricky Ponting was lbw for 4 © Getty Images
Ricky Ponting's rapid exit was a sombre subplot as South Africa's bowlers clambered all over Australia on the second day of the third Test in Perth. Granted an opening by David Warner's poor stroke to Dale Steyn's first ball of the day, the visitors produced bowling of the highest quality on a WACA ground pitch that had quickened overnight to rumble Australia for 163. Graeme Smith and Alviro Petersen then extended the lead to 86 by tea, their possession of the Test No. 1 ranking growing more secure with every run.
Quieter than usual for most of this series, Steyn pounced on what may come to be remembered as this series' most pivotal day, moving the ball at high pace and conjuring arguably the ball of the series to find the outside edge of Australia's captain and batting cornerstone Michael Clarke. Vernon Philander contributed the wicket of Ponting, his skidding trajectory winning a second lbw of the innings on a surface not lending itself to such dismissals with its steep bounce.
Australia's only consolations were stirring rearguards by the wicketkeeper Matthew Wade, who showed plenty of well-directed aggression and shot selection to scamper past 50 while the rest fell away, and John Hastings. Wade's innings featured a trio of sixes, one a striking pull shot from Philander, before he later advanced twice to deposit Robin Peterson into the crowd at wide long-on.
Peterson extracted a measure of revenge by defeating Wade after lunch, and the left-arm spinner added the wickets of Mitchell Johnson and Hastings to round up the innings and more than justify his selection.
Resuming at 2 for 33, Warner and the nightwatchman Nathan Lyon were charged with setting a foundation for Ponting and others. Warner kicked his commission away however with a flat-footed swish at his first sight of Steyn, an edge clearly audible though the opener compounded his error by calling haltingly for a review. With no strongly contradicting evidence available on replays, Richard Kettleborough's finger was raised a second time.
Ponting nearly shovelled his first ball to midwicket, but found a sharp single to get off the mark in his penultimate Test innings. That brought Lyon on strike to face Steyn, and first ball he was turned around by a well-pitched outswinger and the snick was held in the gully.
Willed on by a capacity crowd and countless television watchers, Ponting swivelled into one pull shot from Philander, the stroke looking attractive but not timed with the precision of his younger days. It was to be his only signature moment, as Philander whirred one down the line of middle and off to pin Ponting lbw. For what seemed reasons as much emotional as tactical, Clarke unwisely allowed Ponting to refer the decision, which confirmed the right call had been made, thus stripping the hosts of their remaining review.
Dominant as he has been this year, an outstanding delivery was required to dismiss Clarke, and Steyn duly provided it. Angling into the stumps before bending away treacherously late, Clarke did well to edge it, and South Africa rejoiced at Australia's punch-drunk tally of 6 for 45. Wade and Hussey resisted for a time, the wicketkeeper taking the attacker's role while the senior batsman tried to weather a hostile spell from Morne Morkel.
Wade's innings showed that runs could most certainly be scored, but he lost Hussey not long before lunch as he pushed indeterminately at a Morkel delivery from around the wicket and presented a slips catch to Smith. Hastings fought out the remaining minutes of the morning, and after lunch gave Wade some stout company.
The stand was worth 40 when Wade miscalculated against Peterson, ending an innings that might have tilted the match had it been allowed to continue for another hour. Johnson's defeat was the result of subtle variations in flight from Peterson and a not-so-subtle response from the batsman, while Hastings was last out when Petersen took a steepling chance and then regathered it after stepping momentarily over the boundary rope at long-off.
The opening overs of South Africa's innings featured a couple of nervy moments for Smith in particular, but all 10 wickets remained intact when tea was called. There was no question about which team would enjoy a happier round of refreshments.
Ricky Ponting was lbw for 4 © Getty Images
Ricky Ponting's rapid exit was a sombre subplot as South Africa's bowlers clambered all over Australia on the second day of the third Test in Perth. Granted an opening by David Warner's poor stroke to Dale Steyn's first ball of the day, the visitors produced bowling of the highest quality on a WACA ground pitch that had quickened overnight to rumble Australia for 163. Graeme Smith and Alviro Petersen then extended the lead to 86 by tea, their possession of the Test No. 1 ranking growing more secure with every run.
Quieter than usual for most of this series, Steyn pounced on what may come to be remembered as this series' most pivotal day, moving the ball at high pace and conjuring arguably the ball of the series to find the outside edge of Australia's captain and batting cornerstone Michael Clarke. Vernon Philander contributed the wicket of Ponting, his skidding trajectory winning a second lbw of the innings on a surface not lending itself to such dismissals with its steep bounce.
Australia's only consolations were stirring rearguards by the wicketkeeper Matthew Wade, who showed plenty of well-directed aggression and shot selection to scamper past 50 while the rest fell away, and John Hastings. Wade's innings featured a trio of sixes, one a striking pull shot from Philander, before he later advanced twice to deposit Robin Peterson into the crowd at wide long-on.
Peterson extracted a measure of revenge by defeating Wade after lunch, and the left-arm spinner added the wickets of Mitchell Johnson and Hastings to round up the innings and more than justify his selection.
Resuming at 2 for 33, Warner and the nightwatchman Nathan Lyon were charged with setting a foundation for Ponting and others. Warner kicked his commission away however with a flat-footed swish at his first sight of Steyn, an edge clearly audible though the opener compounded his error by calling haltingly for a review. With no strongly contradicting evidence available on replays, Richard Kettleborough's finger was raised a second time.
Ponting nearly shovelled his first ball to midwicket, but found a sharp single to get off the mark in his penultimate Test innings. That brought Lyon on strike to face Steyn, and first ball he was turned around by a well-pitched outswinger and the snick was held in the gully.
Willed on by a capacity crowd and countless television watchers, Ponting swivelled into one pull shot from Philander, the stroke looking attractive but not timed with the precision of his younger days. It was to be his only signature moment, as Philander whirred one down the line of middle and off to pin Ponting lbw. For what seemed reasons as much emotional as tactical, Clarke unwisely allowed Ponting to refer the decision, which confirmed the right call had been made, thus stripping the hosts of their remaining review.
Dominant as he has been this year, an outstanding delivery was required to dismiss Clarke, and Steyn duly provided it. Angling into the stumps before bending away treacherously late, Clarke did well to edge it, and South Africa rejoiced at Australia's punch-drunk tally of 6 for 45. Wade and Hussey resisted for a time, the wicketkeeper taking the attacker's role while the senior batsman tried to weather a hostile spell from Morne Morkel.
Wade's innings showed that runs could most certainly be scored, but he lost Hussey not long before lunch as he pushed indeterminately at a Morkel delivery from around the wicket and presented a slips catch to Smith. Hastings fought out the remaining minutes of the morning, and after lunch gave Wade some stout company.
The stand was worth 40 when Wade miscalculated against Peterson, ending an innings that might have tilted the match had it been allowed to continue for another hour. Johnson's defeat was the result of subtle variations in flight from Peterson and a not-so-subtle response from the batsman, while Hastings was last out when Petersen took a steepling chance and then regathered it after stepping momentarily over the boundary rope at long-off.
The opening overs of South Africa's innings featured a couple of nervy moments for Smith in particular, but all 10 wickets remained intact when tea was called. There was no question about which team would enjoy a happier round of refreshments.