Key events
83rd over: Australia 355-5 (Sutherland 105, Gardner 49) Klaas is just repeating the previous over, bowling too wide of off stump and being whacked through the off side by Sutherland. There’s shape on the ball but it doesn’t help when it’s so far off the stumps. Down to two slips already.
82nd over: Australia 351-5 (Sutherland 101, Gardner 49) A leg bye for Gardner, then Sutherland pulls to fine leg for a run from Hlubi.
Century! Annabel Sutherland 100 from 149 balls
81st over: Australia 349-5 (Sutherland 100, Gardner 49) No surprises that Masabata Klaas takes the new Kookaburra, given the way she got the new ball to swing yesterday. Starts too wide of Sutherland’s off peg. Three slips and a gully waiting. Wide second ball too, but Sutherland chases it, short of a length and she misses the cut, nearly feathers it. Can’t help chasing the third ball either! Steps across to it, anticipating the line, and throws her hands. Top edge over the gap between slip and gully. But her shot it out of the middle of the bat to raise the hundred, not quite as short and struck in front of point, skidding away across the grass.
Test ton #2 in her fifth outing. Ellyse Perry has two in 13. Klaas hasn’t used the new ball well, bowled much too short and wide.
80th over: Australia 341-5 (Sutherland 92, Gardner 49) Tryon with the last over of the old ball, a couple of runs for Gardner flicked to leg. The lead is 265.
79th over: Australia 339-5 (Sutherland 92, Gardner 47) Sutherland closes on her second Test century. A couple through square, then another one from Tucker. The second new ball is approaching too.
78th over: Australia 335-5 (Sutherland 89, Gardner 46) Quiet start from Tryon, a couple of singles as she bowls left-arm spin around the wicket, cramping them for room. Decent work.
77th over: Australia 333-5 (Sutherland 88, Gardner 45) Mowed through midwicket, first ball of Tucker’s over to Gardner. Seven from the over. Chloe Tryon is going to bowl next. Wolvaardt has not been quick with the bowling changes today.
76th over: Australia 326-5 (Sutherland 86, Gardner 40) Mlaba continues, the singles coming quite easily now, three of them.
75th over: Australia 323-5 (Sutherland 85, Gardner 38) Another bad review for South Africa. Gardner shuffles at Tucker, hit on the pad but the ball has turned a fair bit and the batter is a step down the pitch. Missing leg stump by miles. They haven’t had many opportunities, so they lunged at that mirage. Gardner survives, Sutherland ends the over by punting four over mid on.
74th over: Australia 318-5 (Sutherland 81, Gardner 37) Picking off Mlaba with ones and twos in this over, the lead keeps building.
73rd over: Australia 314-5 (Sutherland 80, Gardner 34) Delmi Tucker on to bowl, the off-spinner. Did well last evening before the close. There’s a captaincy blue from the first ball though! Three fielders behind square. An unusual no-ball.
72nd over: Australia 310-5 (Sutherland 78, Gardner 33) Mlaba bowls a few good ones then makes a single mistake. Short. Gardner cracks the cut through cover. Adds a couple of extras off the pad.
Australia have added 52 in the first hour. That lead up to 227. It’s already more than enough, I’d suggest, but they’ll let these two keep batting.
71st over: Australia 303-5 (Sutherland 77, Gardner 29) After a reasonably quick start, Gardner has slowed down a lot. Pulls de Klerk for a boundary here to change things up, but still, that’s her ninth scoring shot compared to 47 dot balls. Drinks.
70th over: Australia 299-5 (Sutherland 77, Gardner 25) Testing length from Mlaba this over, looping the ball up from around the wicket, making them wait. Then gets one to turn! Past Gardner’s edge as the blade comes from off to leg to end up inside the line. Now, they’ve sent that upstairs! Very little response on the field at the time, Mlaba barely asked the question. Her skipper speaks to her. Not sure who is pushing this idea. Replay shows plenty of daylight. Gardner follows this by raising the 50 stand with a single.
69th over: Australia 298-5 (Sutherland 77, Gardner 24) Can’t beat the field through most of this over, Sutherland, driving a couple firmly to roadblocks, then inside edging de Klerk onto her thigh, but gets away after five balls, driving the sixth down the ground for two.
68th over: Australia 296-5 (Sutherland 75, Gardner 24) Mlaba bowling too short, gets nudged on side of the wicket and cut the other. Partnership up to 47.
67th over: Australia 293-5 (Sutherland 74, Gardner 22) Winding up to crash de Klerk through the leg side, Sutherland mistimes on two different occasions, lifting a shot for two before getting a single halfway back at midwicket.
66th over: Australia 290-5 (Sutherland 71, Gardner 22) Spin time. Nonkululeko Mlaba with her left-arm othordox, the hope of turning the ball away from the right-handers. It doesn’t get much of a chance to turn though, as she loops in straight balls at the stumps from around the wicket. Gardner advances to drive a low full toss, but it’s well stopped at short cover.
65th over: Australia 290-5 (Sutherland 71, Gardner 22) Bowling change. Nadine de Klerk starts well, not much swing but maybe a hint of shape even with the old ball. She hits a good line, tight on the off stump after a couple of early straight ones that allow Sutherland a clip for two.
64th over: Australia 288-5 (Sutherland 69, Gardner 22) Boundaries keep coming for Gardner, this time an off drive first ball of Hlubi’s over. She’s willing to leave some deliveries to follow though, just that scoring shot from the over.
63rd over: Australia 284-5 (Sutherland 69, Gardner 18) I think that was deliberate from Gardner. Through the cordon for four, but along the ground, just pushes at the line of the ball gently but keeps it down. Not so with the next one, edged into the gully but on the bounce, just survives being squared up. Then more luck as a dive at deep backward square can’t save Gardner’s pull shot, another four, followed by a single on the same stroke. The lead is 208.
62nd over: Australia 275-5 (Sutherland 69, Gardner 9) Runs on offer from Hlubi though, too full and Sutherland pushes hands through the line and takes four through mid off.
61st over: Australia 271-5 (Sutherland 65, Gardner 9) Beaten on the pull shot this time is Gardner, as Klaas puts together a good set of six that doesn’t concede a run. Goes past the outside edge with another ball. Quality spell, no reward yet.
60th over: Australia 271-5 (Sutherland 65, Gardner 9) Hlbui keeps offering that width, allowing Sutherland three runs and Gardner one through point. They’ve added 20 in pretty good time this morning.
59th over: Australia 267-5 (Sutherland 62, Gardner 8) Miscued pull shot, but Gardner gets four. Klaas bangs it in, the WACA pitch responds, and Gardner mistimes her pull. It hangs in the air for a while but has enough power to clear mid on, and trickles into the rope.
58th over: Australia 263-5 (Sutherland 62, Gardner 4) Ayanda Hlubi from the other end, the 19-year-old fast bowler, who doesn’t start with control. Too much width to Sutherland, who is able to square drive a boundary, then play the next one down through the cordon on the bounce for another.
57th over: Australia 255-5 (Sutherland 54, Gardner 4) Klaas to start the day, who bowled so well to start with yesterday in taking the first three wickets in no time. Hits a pretty good length this over too, except for one overpitched ball that Gardner immediately drives through mid off for four.
Here’s the wires report on yesterday’s play.
“No real plan,” says Healy. “We’ve just to get through this first half hour. We’re going to have to work hard in this little session to earn the right to set the game up.”
Well, yes. But if they get through the first half hour safely, you would think they could put the foot down until lunch, and even if they’re bowled out they’ll be miles ahead and in a good position for an innings win. No point wasting time in a four-day game.
Preamble
Geoff Lemon
Hello. it’s day two. Yesterday we had a match that began in fast forward – eight South African wickets fell before lunch at the WACA, the innings wrapped up quickly after the first break, then three Australian batters fell equally quickly. Litchfield, Perry, McGrath all went and Australia were in trouble, but Mooney and Healy stopped the trouble and they built to a strong lead before both were out late in the day.
What does today hold? It’s much cooler than day one – currently around the 24C mark, with a high expected of just 27C.
Annabel Sutherland (54 not out) and Ash Gardner (yet to score) will take to the crease shortly to resume Australia’s innings, already 175 in front and entirely in control of this match. Let’s get into it.