Hayden runs South Africa ragged

Close to 362 days will pass before the matter formally requires resolution. But, after hitting a second successive century to guide Australia into a commanding position on the third day of the Second Test in Melbourne today, it's safe to assume that Matthew Hayden has already been excised from South African cricket's Christmas card list.

Hayden (138) batted with the authority of a headmaster today, devastating the tourists' attack with an innings that helped him create a new statistical feat alongside Justin Langer (85) at the top of the order and to shatter even more records upon his opening partner's departure.

By stumps, the strongly-built Queenslander's assault had not only yielded for him the greatest number of Test runs scored by an Australian in the course of a calendar year. Nor simply permitted him, in concert with Langer, the chance to own the three highest opening partnerships in Test history by a pair of left handers. Not merely granted him 1000 first-class runs for the Australian domestic season either.

Instead, it had also laid the foundation for yet more Australian domination, leading the home team's ascent to a total of 9/487 - and a lead of 210 runs - by the end of another extended day.

Not even Melbourne's previously-sullen skyline remained in sympathy with the South Africans' position as a 202-run opening blitz was followed by substantial innings from Steve Waugh (90) and Damien Martyn (52) besides. That Waugh was dropped twice - at 24 and 39 - by short leg fieldsman Boeta Dippenaar only compounded the sense of frustration.

It was as well for the Proteas that Waugh was eventually run out for 90 - a world-record tenth experience of finishing a Test innings within 10 runs of a century. And that they claimed a number of wickets in bursts, foremost among them those of Ricky Ponting (22) and Hayden in the space of five deliveries on either side of lunch.

To their undying credit, the tourists showed great heart through the two closing sessions as their best two bowlers, Allan Donald (3/103) and Nantie Hayward (2/109), blunted Australia's charge. Hayward was especially impressive, vengefully unsettling several members of the Australian middle order with the sort of short-pitched bowling to which he has already been subjected himself in this series. Donald, the unlucky man both times as Dippenaar's attempts at diving catches were grassed, also performed stoutly in the face of adversity.

Like Langer, who perished to a mistimed hook at Donald only 15 runs short of another century of his own, Hayden ultimately became the victim of aggression as he launched a delivery from spinner Claude Henderson (1/108) to deep mid on.

Yet his progression to a total of 1388 runs for the calendar year (equal third-most by any Test player in history and seven more than the tally that had made Bob Simpson's haul in 1964 the previous best by an Australian) had already set the tone for the day by then.

And, from a team that generally embodies all the qualities of Ebernezer Scrooge once it establishes command, there were to be few concessions thereafter.

Not even umpire Darrell Hair's controversial decision to send Waugh reluctantly on his way - after wicketkeeper Mark Boucher had appeared to disturb the stumps before a ball thrown in superbly by Herschelle Gibbs at cover point did the same - could really alter the balance.

More than a double century of runs behind already, and again about to be confronted with the task of defying a rested Australian attack for a considerable period, South Africa's fate is unenviable.