Australia v South Africa - First Test

The Adelaide Oval

Australia: WM Woodfull, WM Lawry, DG Bradman, AR Border, SJ McCabe, KR Miller, +IA Healy, *R Benaud, AK Davidson, DK Lillee, JR Thomson.
South Africa: BA Richards, *TL Goddard, WJ Cronje, RG Pollock, AD Nourse, BM McMillan, +DJ Richardson, PM Pollock, HJ Tayfield, AA Donald, PS Heine.

Debuts: SAF - WJ Cronje, BM McMillan & DJ Richardson
Umpires: DR Shepherd (ENG) & RS Dunne (NZL)
Toss: Australia

Recent form makes Australia favourites in this series, but a South African side fielding three debutants enjoyed an excellent start in Adelaide, reducing their hosts to 128-5 shortly after tea on the first day. Lawry, McCabe and Miller all departed for ducks but, crucially, Bradman was not one of the early victims, and by the close he had powered on to an unbeaten 145 out of a total of 223-6. Bradman's innings was a truly wonderful effort, and it continued his remarkable run at the Adelaide Oval; in four previous ATG Tests here his scores have been 46, 162*, 180, 98*, 176, 44 and 113.

Bradman played on to Donald's third ball of a rain-hit second morning, but Benaud carried on the salvage act with his first fifty for 26 Tests, and with South Africa's pacemen dropping too short too often, Australia were able to total a respectable 354, both Davidson (24) and Lillee (25) giving Benaud vital support down the order. South Africa's reply centred around an excellent fourth wicket stand of 134 between Graeme Pollock and Dudley Nourse, but both were dismissed in the 70s by the excellent Davidson on the third morning, and wickets fell at regular intervals thereafter as Benaud's bowling changes always seemed to bring the breakthroughs when they were needed.

Three dropped catches, including Woodfull's grassing of Nourse off Thomson when Nourse was on 17, would have irked Benaud though, as would an annoying last wicket stand of 48 between Tayfield and Heine, but as it was South Africa's final total of 313 gave Australia a handy 41 run lead, and an unbroken 53 run opening stand between Woodfull and Lawry on the third evening extended their advantage still further. Donald removed both Lawry (20) and Bradman in the first over of day four - Bradman went lbw first ball to put a blemish in his exemplary Adelaide copybook - but a patient century stand between Woodfull (76) and Border (88) re-established Australia's dominant position in the match.

Woodfull's four hour innings was ended by a stunning slip catch from McMillan off Goddard, and a devastating new ball spell from Donald - who passed 100 career wickets and recorded his best ever innings figures - on the fourth evening gave the Proteas a glimmer of hope, but Australia extended their innings into the fifth day, and a total of 302 set South Africa a target of 344 off a minimum of 86 overs. Richards gave the tourists' chase a rocket start with 30 off 23 balls, but wickets fell too quickly and by lunch South Africa were in distinct trouble at 66-4, with Nourse the only specialist batsman remaining.

McMillan, a hobbling Richardson, and Peter Pollock all dug in to give Nourse support, and with the umpires turning down numerous Australian appeals South Africa entered the final session on 164-6 and still hopeful of saving the game. Pollock held on for almost two hours, but with 13 overs remaining he was well held by Border in the slips off Lillee for 23 to make the score 222-7, and Australia had the breakthrough they wanted.

Nourse remained defiant though, and with eight overs left the draw looked the most likely result, but Benaud would not be denied, and his dismissal of Tayfield and Donald in consecutive deliveries swung the pendulum back in Australia's favour. Nourse couldn't keep the strike, and off the third ball of Benaud's next over Healy pulled off a brilliant leg side stumping to dismiss Heine and hand Australia a hard earned victory with 33 balls remaining of what had been an enthralling, see-sawing Test match. The admirable Nourse was left stranded on 95*, but Benaud's spell of 3-0 in 9 balls had been decisive, and a 1-0 lead in what is just a three Test series now gives Australia an excellent chance to record their first ever series win over South Africa.

Scores
Australia 1st Inns 354 (Bradman 145, Benaud 77)
South Africa 1st Inns 313 (RG Pollock 74, Nourse 72, Tayfield 47*; Davidson 4-50)
Australia 2nd Inns 302 (Border 88, Woodfull 76; Donald 6-55)
South Africa 2nd Inns 243 (Nourse 95*)

AUSTRALIA WON BY 100 RUNS


Man of the Match: DG Bradman