A collapse months in the waiting
Geoff Lemon, writing for the Guardian, believes that it was only a matter of time before Australia's wobbly top order would dragged the rest of the team down
25-Feb-2014
Geoff Lemon, writing for the Guardian, believes that it was only a matter of time before Australia's wobbly top order dragged the rest of the team down.
The first innings at Port Elizabeth started with a familiar pattern. Five of the usual top seven scored a combined 41 runs. Smith, though, batted beautifully on a pitch that no one else had been able to gauge. It looked for all the world like another escape, until suddenly something changed. In every previous episode, Australia's rescuers had a decent wedge of luck. Reprieves were offered by bowlers, fieldsmen or umpires. This time, with Smith on 49, a caught-behind appeal was reviewed, and a squiggle that didn't have the sound signature of a nick appeared on the snickometer. The third umpire gave it out anyway. The rescue was aborted, Australia falling 177 behind.