RESULT
1st Test, Johannesburg, February 26 - March 02, 2009, Australia tour of South Africa
466 & 207
(T:454) 220 & 291

Australia won by 162 runs

Player Of The Match
96*, 4/25 & 4/112
mitchell-johnson
New
SA 2nd Innings
Full commentary

Australia win by 162 runs and lead the series 1-0. A remarkable win after they were 38 for 3 on the opening day. The match see-sawed a bit yesterday after they collapsed in the second innings but Australia always had a grip on the match. SA made steady progress to the target yesterday but the Australian bowlers didn't allow too many free runs today and earned their wickets. Johnson rounds off an excellent match with eight wickets to back his unbeaten 96.

SA will lay the blame on their first-innings effort, rather the lack of it, save for de Villiers's century. For the third straight season, they've lost the first Test of a series. They've struggled to shake off the rustiness and that is something they will have to address. Let's not forget that when cornered, they can bite back hard. They recorded come-from-behind victories against India and West Indies after losing the opening Test. So Australia better watch out. Stay with us for the presentation.

Smith: "Aus performed well through the five days. We played some good cricket in the back end but credit to Australia. We know we're a lot better than how we performed over the last couple of days. We just let ourselves down."

Ponting: "All three debutantes stood up. The selections have been justified, a real team effort. This team is bouncing back. Lot of different personalities in the group. We had the worst of the batting conditions in the first day but we did well. The new guys will know the words to the team song."

Johnson is the Man of the Match: "I just try and do the same thing everytime. I don't mind batting at No.8, don't mind batting at 9."

Kallis gets the Diamond Award for scoring 10,000 Test runs. "Nice milestone but sad it had to come in a defeat."

That's it from all of us here. Thanks for the mails. The second Test at Durban starts March 6. On behalf of Jamie Alter, this is Kanishkaa signing off. Cheers!

119.2
W
Johnson to Steyn, OUT

Johnson hits the timber! Steyn makes a lot of room to drive and Johnson follows him and fires it on the stumps, the ball goes through straight and hits the middle stump, the stumps are upright and the bails go flying

Dale Steyn b Johnson 6 (12b 0x4 0x6 18m) SR: 50
119.1
2
Johnson to Steyn, 2 runs

clips it to the on side

end of over 119Wicket maiden
SA: 289/9CRR: 2.42 
Dale Steyn4 (10b)
Peter Siddle 25-8-46-3
Mitchell Johnson 34-2-110-3
118.6
W
Siddle to Harris, OUT

Siddle pitches it short of a length outside off and gets Harris hopping on the backfoot to fend it off, the ball lobs towards short leg and Katich juggles with the ball before tacking it cleanly

Paul Harris c Katich b Siddle 8 (35b 0x4 0x6 42m) SR: 22.85
118.5
Siddle to Harris, no run
118.4
Siddle to Harris, no run

lands it on a good length on middle and leg and he clips it back to the bowler

118.3
Siddle to Harris, no run

comes over the wicket and he shoulders arms outside the offstump

118.2
Siddle to Harris, no run

gets behind the line to a good length ball and defends

118.1
Siddle to Harris, no run

Siddle thuds it short from round the wicket, Harris tries to fend it off and the ball clips his arm guard, Haddin appeals for the catch, Bowden shakes his head

The batsmen walk out. Brydon: "It's looking just a fraction gloomier than before the break ... nowhere near bad enough for the light to be an issue yet. But Australia will want to get these last two wickets sooner rather than later."

end of over 1182 runs
SA: 289/8CRR: 2.44 
Dale Steyn4 (10b)
Paul Harris8 (29b)
Mitchell Johnson 34-2-110-3
Ben Hilfenhaus 31-7-68-2

Australia are just two wickets away from a remarkable win. South Africa labored through the session and struggled to put the runs on the board. All the specialist batsmen are back in the pavilion and Australia will look to mop up the tail quickly before the dark clouds set in. As of now, the weather's perfect.

117.6
Johnson to Steyn, no run

and an action replay of the previous ball, teasing line and Steyn can't resist a poke and that's tea

117.5
Johnson to Steyn, no run

the ball holds its line on the offstump and he nearly edges it on the drive

117.4
Johnson to Steyn, no run

hits a good length on the offstump and he defends

117.3
2
Johnson to Steyn, 2 runs

gets a nasty lifter and the ball balloons off the handle and just clears the slips

117.2
Johnson to Steyn, no run

lets another bouncer sail past him

117.1
Johnson to Steyn, no run

comes over and hits the deck hard, he allows the bouncer sail over his head

end of over 1171 run
SA: 287/8CRR: 2.45 
Paul Harris8 (29b)
Dale Steyn2 (4b)
Ben Hilfenhaus 31-7-68-2
Mitchell Johnson 33-2-108-3
116.6
Hilfenhaus to Harris, no run

he ducks under the bouncer

116.5
Hilfenhaus to Harris, no run

shuffles and nearly gloves a short ball to leg slip

Ponting's employing leg theory here. There's a silly mid-on, leg slip and short square leg plus a short leg

116.4
Hilfenhaus to Harris, no run

gets behind the line and pushes it to the off side

116.3
Hilfenhaus to Harris, no run

walks across his stumps and squeezes it back to the bowler

116.2
1
Hilfenhaus to Steyn, 1 run

makes a bit of room and he tucks it towards square leg for a single

116.1
Hilfenhaus to Steyn, no run

bangs it in short and he bends backwards to evade the bouncer

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