Hayden, Ponting put Australia on top in 2nd test

By Staff
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Google Oneindia News

DURBAN, South Africa, Mar 27 (Reuters) Matthew Hayden and Ricky Ponting kept Australia in the driving seat in the second test against South Africa today.

Australia were 216 for one in their second innings at lunch on the fourth day, a lead of 318 runs. South Africa were dismissed for 267 in reply to Australia's first innings of 369.

Hayden and Ponting shared a stand of 167 for the unbroken second wicket, opener Hayden scoring his 83 not out off 191 balls with 10 fours.

Ponting hit nine fours and two sixes, one of them pulled sumptuously off a delivery from seamer Shaun Pollock, in his unbeaten 87 off 145 balls.

The Australian pair were in commanding form against a South African attack that never looked like taking a wicket on a pitch that remained sound.

The session yielded 91 runs from 28 overs.

South African captain Graeme Smith employed all of his frontline bowlers to no avail, and as the runs mounted he set increasingly defensive fields.

The floodlights were turned on at the start of the day's play because of heavy clouds moving in from the west, which frequently bring long spells of rain, but were turned off in the second hour.

Durban has a 30 percent chance of rain for Monday and a 10 percent chance of showers predicted for Tuesday.

REUTERS PM PC1627

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