South Africans fail to weather Australian onslaught

There was not much in the way of further rain on the second day of the Second Test between Australia and South Africa in Melbourne today. But a grim outlook still emerged for the South Africans as ambitions of a series revival were seriously undermined by a paceman who hasn't played a Test for 12 months.

Andy Bichel (3/44) has been considered surplus to the needs of Australia's attack for exactly a year now. Yet the wholehearted Queenslander didn't exactly look out of place as he snared three wickets, held two fine catches, and inspired a run out to bring crashing down the South Africans' hopes of reaching any more than a modest total of 277 in their first innings.

On a pitch playing in far more benign fashion than expected, it was enough to leave the tourists courting serious trouble.

And, as if to clarify the error of their opponents' ways, openers Justin Langer (67*) and Matthew Hayden (55*) then forged another century stand to leave the Australians powerfully placed at 0/126 by the time that stumps were drawn.

The South Africans started the day well enough but a dubious umpiring decision, and a failure to build a succession of solid partnerships, came to haunt them.

After a compelling duel through the opening 75 minutes of a 150 minute-long opening session, it was Bichel who tilted matters the home team's way by claiming the wickets of Jacques Kallis (38) and Lance Klusener (0) with successive balls.

Also significant, though, was a controversial piece of adjudication.

West Indian Eddie Nicholls was the man on the spot as Kallis fenced at a rising delivery that cut away sharply off the pitch. Wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist didn't appeal for the potential caught behind verdict, and the shouts of both Bichel and Shane Warne at first slip seemed to owe more to curiosity than conviction. Television replays later suggested why, indicating that both bat and gloves had remained well inside the line of the ball.

Kallis and Neil McKenzie (67) had added a doughty 72 runs for the fourth wicket by then, but the effect of their resistance was quickly compromised.

The sadly out-of-form Klusener fell to the very next delivery - offering Bichel the chance to snare a brilliant one-handed caught and bowled to his left - and further calamities awaited the Proteas after lunch.

Mark Boucher (43), having fought hard alongside McKenzie, drove a wide delivery from part-time off spinner Mark Waugh (1/19) to Bichel at mid off. McKenzie was trapped palpably lbw by a fine delivery from Brett Lee (3/77). Man-of-the-moment Bichel ran Claude Henderson (5) out with a brilliant pick-up and direct-hit throw from cover. And Allan Donald (0), disconcerted by another fiery assault upon a number ten batsman by Lee, then presented Ricky Ponting with catching practice at third slip.

Aside from the spirit shown in a last wicket partnership of 44 between Shaun Pollock (42*) and Nantie Hayward (14), even small fightbacks continued to represent a struggle.

Though rain fell through the opening five minutes of the Australian reply - to offer the tourists hope that the pitch might reveal more life - the home team was swiftly presented with a chance to ram home its advantage.

Both literally and metaphorically, it is just the sort of thing that Australian sides do for a living these days.

Duly, neither Langer nor Hayden was about to waste the opportunity. Each produced a series of fine strokes as another 126 runs were added to a run scoring resume that had already yielded 697 runs from just seven innings together.

Moreover, they offered few hints of a way through to an attack that laboured for the most part.

The combination of bad light and further rain ultimately caused play to be called off eight overs before the scheduled end. But, as the teams returned to their hotels early, there was not even a need for any more Australian memos to be slipped under the wrong doors by then.

Sadly, the South Africans' confidence was already looking shot.