Australia vs South Africa, Second Test, day two as Australia leads by 197 runs
Despite only 79 overs of play across three rain-free sessions (plus the bonus half-hour) there was no shortage of incident at the MCG. In fierce heat, Australia put South Africa to the sword, advancing from 45-1 to 386-3, a lead of 197.
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But that doesn’t scratch the surface of David Warner’s remarkable performance, advancing quickly to 50, then battling to an emotional century, before bludgeoning his way to 150 and an agonising double-ton. The occasion of his 200th run brought about a guttural roar as the veteran sank to his knees, a yell that signified not only the vanquishing of his own poor form – and critics of it – but of actual agony. Wracked with cramps that rendered him barely able to leave the field of play, the Australian opener retired hurt on 200* in his 100th Test.
Later, Warner would be joined on an asterisk by Cameron Green, the allrounder done in by an Anrich Nortje lifter that left his right index finger a bloody mess. They, along with the already damaged Mitchell Starc have made for a costly couple of days that have otherwise proven a cakewalk.
Helping Warner through his milestones was Steve Smith. He fell for 85 after riding his luck through a testing morning session that featured some high class fast bowling from Nortje and Marco Jansen.
Unfortunately for the speedsters they received little support in the field with dropped catches, poor captaincy, and tame support from the rest of the attack hindering their impact.
With Travis Head set, Australia will look to pile even more misery on the tourists tomorrow as temperatures cool and storm clouds roll in to provide more favourable bowling conditions. Geoff and I will return to guide you through all the action.
