South Africa v Australia, Fourth Test

Kingsmead, Durban

SAF: Richards, *Goddard, Mitchell, RG Pollock, AD Nourse, Rhodes, +Waite, Procter, Tayfield, Heine, Adcock.

AUS: Woodfull, Taylor, Harvey, GS Chappell, McCabe, Border, +Healy, *Benaud, Davidson, Lillee, Johnston.

As the series moved on to Durban, Australia welcomed Stan McCabe into their ranks as replacement for the incapacitated Bradman and Miller, with Bradman himself requesting McCabe's call-up, the hope being that his inclusion would bolster Australia's defences against South Africa's unremitting pace attack. Ironically, the hosts omitted one of their pacemen, Peter Pollock, in favour of Jonty Rhodes, who would make his ATG debut on his home ground, but it was still the same old story once Australia began batting after Benaud won his second consecutive toss.

Neil Adcock reduced the tourists to 7-2 within the first four overs as both he and Procter enjoyed bowling on a fast-paced Kingsmead strip, and Mark Taylor only clung on through a mixture of grim determination and plain good luck as Australia tottered to a score of 64-2 by lunch. Conditions eased in the afternoon, and Chappell purred his way to fifty before once again getting out when set, lbw to Goddard for 56 on this occasion, but with Taylor completing a gutsy 50 of his own he and McCabe took the score to a more healthy 156-3, at which stage the game took a dramatic turn in South Africa's favour.

McCabe had moved through the gears nicely in compiling his 34, but when Tayfield beat him in the flight and bowled him shortly after tea, the rot set in once again for Australia. Border, batting with McCabe as a runner after turning his ankle, was victim of a poor call from Taylor and run out for 9, from which point Hugh Tayfield ran through the remainder of the innings in an incredible passage of play. Tayfield was finding unexpected turn bowling from the Umgeni End, and a succession of Australian batsmen failed to cope with his irresistible combination of flight and guile.

A late flurry from Davidson and Lillee apart, Tayfield exercised complete control, finishing with figures of 6-68 as Australia were bowled out for 246, their seventh consecutive total in the 200s over the course of the series. Eleven half-centuries have led to just one individual hundred for Australia, and this failure to capitalise on a number of starts was punished once again by a ruthless South Africa on day two.

Richards and Goddard started circumspectly, but when Richards was momentarily felled by a bumper from Johnston, the innings was sparked into life in amazing fashion. In front of his home crowd, Richards now set about slaughtering Australia's weary looking attack, leading the Springboks to a score of 91-0 at lunch and then powering them to 246-0 at tea, equalling Australia's total without the loss of a single wicket.

Richards' share at this stage was 163, his first hundred for two seasons, and Australia had no answers. Benaud found it impossible to replicate Tayfield's feats of just a day ago, and with the phlegmatic Goddard providing the perfect foil for Richards exuberance, any number of records appeared under threat. As it was, the partnership was broken on 292, South Africa's second highest stand for any wicket, when Goddard finally fell lbw to Benaud for 93, and this actually precipitated a mini-collapse, with three further wickets falling in quick succession before bad light brought an early halt to the day's proceedings.

One of those wickets was that of Richards, also lbw to Benaud as he tried to sweep a well-flighted delivery for the single that would have raised his double century. Instead, he had to settle for 199 (288 minutes, 208 balls; 28x4, 1x6), but the ovation he received would have been no greater had he managed to collect that final single. His innings had ensured that South Africa had once more dominated the early part of the Test, and in what has been the story of the series, Australia are already on the back foot with little prospect of that elusive victory.

Close of Play, Day 2
AUS 1st Inns 246 (Taylor 73, Chappell 56; Tayfield 6-68)
SAF 1st Inns 311-4 (Richards 199, Goddard 93)