Kallis and de Villiers restore pride

The Australians set South African a massive 545 for victory in the second Castle Test match.

With Smith sitting in the changing room Neil McKenzie and Amla opened the batting, they did well to see off the new ball but they both got out just as they were settling in. We have to ask if that will be the last time we’ll see Neil McKenzie play for South Africa, he’s scored one half century in his last 17 innings.

Enter Jacques Kallis, dropped first ball by North at slip off Siddle. Could that be the mistake that South Africa needed to get out of jail? Kallis went on to score 84 from 161 deliveries and in doing so went past Graeme Pollock as South Africa’s highest run-scorer in Tests against Australia.

AB de Villiers played well for his 68 from 166 deliveries to see South Africa end the day on 244-2, the best batting position that South Africa has found themselves in this series. There is still a mountain to climb, we’ll know by lunch what the result is going to be, the new ball has done the work every time that it’s come into play and I’m sure tomorrow will be no different.

The pride in South African cricket has been saved, now for the series

1. 

   Phillip Gibb says:

   March 9, 2009 at 6:12 pm

   You go Kallis and AB!!!!
   3 more runs and it would have been perfect

   But tomorrow is going to be interesting – Ponting obviously believes that the new ball will wrap us up, so the first hour will be important.

   I think we can do it.