Petersen hundred gives South Africa A early advantage
South Africa A finished the first day of the second Test against India A at a strong 264 for 4
Cricinfo staff
19-Sep-2007
South Africa A rode on a century from Alviro Petersen to end the first day on a strong 264 for 4 at the HPCA Stadium in Dharamsala. India A's poor fielding did not help their cause on a day when the bowlers looked out of sorts.
After they had capitulated to the Indian spinners in the previous match at Delhi, the South Africans needed to take the initiative to level the two-match series. Morne van Wyk, the wicketkeeper, got their innings off to a bright start with two fours in the first over. The next over, though, he missed a ball that nipped in from Ishant Sharma and was trapped in front.
Petersen and Hamish Amla then put together a century partnership to ensure there was no repeat of the collapses at Delhi. The Indians were left to rue their fielding lapses - they dropped Petersen on 23 and gave Amla two reprieves early in his knock.
The batsmen kept up their aggression and even the introduction of left-arm-spinner Pragyan Ojha as early as the seventh over did not stem the flow of runs. The South Africans dealt in boundaries and Petersen brought up his half-century with his eleventh four.
Amla started slowly but opened up against the spinners and was dismissed when an edge off Ojha's bowling was held in the slips by Kaif on the second attempt. That didn't stop Petersen, who rattled off 14 runs in Ojha's next over, including a lofted six over long-off.
Boeta Dippenaar, the South African captain, joined Petersen and kept the boundaries flowing; his first 32 runs containing seven fours. Meanwhile, Petersen brought up his century in 133 balls with a slash over third man. A six off Mishra followed but he was stumped soon after, beaten attempting a slog off Ojha.
The South Africans had maintained a rate of four runs an over till that point but fell rapidly, eleven runs coming off the next seven overs. Dippenaar missed out on a half-century, falling on 49 when a googly from Mishra rapped his pads. Justin Ontong and Ashwell Prince then ensured there were no further setbacks in the day.
