Proteas Need To Take A Leaf Out Of Hodge's Tome

Sydney Morning Herald

Tuesday December 20, 2005

Trevor Marshallsea

JOCKEY-SIZED Brad Hodge stood like an immovable monolith during South Africa's two days in the field, and has ensured the visitors face an unwinnable challenge with the bat in the first Test in Perth.

Hodge, the unassuming, almost shy 30-year-old who spent more than a decade in first-class cricket waiting for the chance to one day score a Test century, turned his first such milestone into a marathon by reaching an unbeaten 203 on day four.

Having arrived with Australia delicately poised at three wickets down and 91 runs in front, he was still there when the declaration came and the lead was 490.

The Australians will have to hope the licence Ricky Ponting granted Hodge to pursue his double century - delaying their declaration until soon before tea at a luxurious 8-528 - does not help cost them victory. South Africa went to stumps at 2-85.

Hodge, a dab hand as Australia's new bat-pad fieldsman as well as their new No.4 batsman, caught AB de Villiers off Shane Warne for 12 before Nathan Bracken removed Graeme Smith for the second time in the match, lbw for a 100-minute 30.

The tourists will have survival on their minds when Herschelle Gibbs and Jacques Rudolph resume today. They were helped last night by the loss of six overs to bad light, called by the umpires after paceman Brett Lee had been bowling with Warne, which prompted another of Ponting's remonstrations with the officials.

The Proteas will be praying the weather helps them again. Morning showers are forecast but are tipped to clear by the afternoon, leaving the South Africans to try to survive with the in-form Warne circling.

Injured South African Jacques Kallis, expected to recover from tennis elbow to play in the second Test, said his teammates had not given up despite their lack of experience. He provides an example, having made a painstaking 101 - his maiden century - to help South Africa draw with seven wickets down in Melbourne eight years ago in only his seventh Test.

"Everyone's going to have to stand up. It's probably going to be one of the biggest innings the guys play," Kallis said. "It's a matter of the guys having a game plan and sticking to [it]."

Hodge said the Australians knew there was still work to do. "But with Warney in the form he's in, he's a great asset to have in any side," Hodge said. "I'm sure he'll be no different tomorrow."

Whatever happens, this match will be remembered for Hodge's epic of just less than eight hours, which made him only the fifth Australian to make his first Test century a double, a feat achieved by luminaries including Bob Simpson and Sid Barnes.

Hodge, whose Test chance was widely felt to have passed by a few months ago, came to Perth after his first two Tests with a poor interstate record at the ground for Victoria, prompting questions about his ability to handle short bowling here.

He answered them emphatically, making South Africa pay dearly for Justin Kemp dropping him in the slips on just 13. While he had to be patient on a pitch of variable bounce in reaching stumps on Sunday on 91, yesterday Hodge was in control, adding 112 off 148 balls and finishing with 22 boundaries, many off his favoured cut shot.

So soon after the slumps of Simon Katich and Michael Clarke, Australia's middle order is looking healthier. While Hodge takes the headlines, Australia were set up by his 132-run fifth-wicket partnership with Michael Hussey, which took the lead from 146 to a formidable 278 when Hussey fell for 58.

After their bowlers toiled hard in the first two sessions of Sunday before Hodge and Hussey's stand, the Proteas offered meek resistance yesterday, though Pollock again bowled with great heart.

Pollock raised his side's hopes in yesterday's second over, extracting lift from a difficult length to Hussey to gain a thin edge to the keeper. But Hodge and Andrew Symonds then embarked on a 61-run partnership to take the lead to a prohibitive 339.

Hodge survived a loud lbw shout from Pollock on 98, but in the same over the Victorian whipped a ball to the on-side for four to raise his century.

It was not all good for Australia, with Symonds's woes continuing. He had begun to look more settled in reaching 25, but again squandered a promising start by pushing forward to a Charl Langeveldt ball perhaps too short for the purpose, edging a catch held by Herschelle Gibbs at a wide slip.

Australia were heartened that Adam Gilchrist returned to some sort of form with 44 off 58 balls, before holing out to deep square leg as Australia built towards a declaration. Bracken then showed his handy tail-end batting in making 14 of an unbroken 77-run partnership with Hodge.

© 2005 Sydney Morning Herald

Back to News Index | Back to Home