South Africa bats out of order

Following the batting failures in the first Test and the introduction of another new face in the second, South Africa had an opportunity to finally correct its ailing batting line-up. The combinations used against Australia to date, with the least experienced players sent in at the pivotal No. 3 position and Kallis used lower down at four, has not produced results.

Obviously, the nature of South Africa's losses have rendered minutiae such as the order of the batsmen largely irrelevant, as more spirited performances are required irrespective of position. Still, South Africa has not been getting the most of the resources at its disposal, and one of the reasons for that has been the ineffective way they've lined up against the Aussies.

As ever, it starts with the openers. Herschelle Gibbs has been opening for South Africa since 1998/'99 and his record at the top is a very respectable 46.13. A naturally attacking player, in theory he should complement Kirsten' s more traditional defensive style, especially since aggressive batsmen have usually been the most successful against Australia. But while Gibbs has made starts, he's also shown an impulsiveness and lack of discipline, costly against the likes of McGrath and Warne. It showed again on day one when, less than twenty minutes in and with the pitch still seaming, Gibbs followed two controlled fours against Gillespie by attempting to hit another one, caught at second slip as he tried to drive. With little to lose at 1-0 down, a move to the middle order might be beneficial.

Then there is the crux position, No. 3. For some reason, South Africa have been intent on exposing their rookies in this slot against Australia, compounded by a failure to then persist with those who have been instated.

First it was the inexperienced Boeta Dippenaar in Australia, who fell to three superb catches in his first four innings but by the last innings of the third Test had just started to settle in with 74. By the first Test in South Africa, he was down at six, made 2 and 1, and was dropped. Debutant Ashwell Prince was thrust into the fire at No. 3 instead, and actually made an encouraging start by scoring 49 and 28. Yet in the first innings of the second Test, he was also lowered to six, and debutant Graeme Smith introduced at three.

This experimentation has only occurred because Jacques Kallis, South Africa' s premiere batsman, wants to bat at four, ostensibly to ease his workload due to the demands on him as a bowler. But given the poor starts South Africa have made without Kallis at three, how much of a difference can there really be between him batting at three or four? He's hardly receiving any more rest. Besides, his returns as a bowler through four Tests batting one position lower have been 6 wickets at 64.

Returning to three should be inconsequential to the amount of strain on Kallis, with the benefit to South Africa being stopping the haemorrhaging earlier rather than waiting for a second wicket to fall. If Smith opened (which he did in the two tour matches against Australia anyway) with his Western Province partner Kirsten, Gibbs could have moved to four with Prince and McKenzie lining up at five or six. Such a line-up would have provided a more secure impression on paper if not in fact, but it was not to be.

With the pressure the hosts were under, Steve Waugh was reportedly contemplating sending the Proteas in despite predictions of turn later in the game. Mark Boucher's decision to bat first made that redundant and in helpful early conditions, McGrath, Gillespie and Lee reduced South Africa to 25/3 inside an hour, the top three all falling to edges into the slips cordon. There was surely a sense of déjà vu for all concerned.

With South Africa two down, Lee received his opportunity after just eight overs, with McGrath removed from the attack after a first spell of 4-1-5-1 for probably the first and last time in his career. The intention might have been to intimidate Kallis, as Lee got him with a brutal short ball in the first Test, but it was Kirsten he dismissed with his fourth delivery instead, the opener's back foot moving away to leg as he edged tentatively to second slip.

It was what Lee did later in the spell, however, that was truly impressive. While he did not capture another wicket, Lee's 8-over spell up to lunch was the fastest in recent history. With two successive balls, Lee sent down a pair of record-breaking thunderbolts to McKenzie and Kallis: the first 157.3k, the second 157.4 - the fastest deliveries ever recorded with a speed gun in match conditions, topping Shoaib Akhtar's 157.2. The Rawalpindi Express again has some work to do!

That spell highlighted the first part of a day of two fairly distinct halves, with first ball then bat prevailing. From 92/6, debutant all-rounder Andrew Hall resuscitated South Africa with a lively 70, forming innings-high partnerships with first Boucher for the seventh wicket then Paul Adams for the eighth as the Australian bowling lost its earlier edge.

Before that, Neil McKenzie presented Warne with an extraordinary gift wicket in his 100th Test. To an earlier delivery, McKenzie had dangerously played inside the line and let it spin past off, a precursor to his subsequent bamboozlement. To a ball pitching outside leg, McKenzie put his foot towards it, left stumps unprotected, and virtually tucked the bat behind his pad. The ball turned only marginally, but that was all it needed to do to crash into middle and leg.

Kallis and Prince followed, both edging behind off McGrath, as it appeared South Africa might be played totally out of the match by being rolled for less than 150. But as promised, Andrew Hall had fighting spirit, pulling and sweeping confidently as he and Boucher provided a somewhat belated even contest. Even though Hall was aggressive, judgement was the key, as he was still prepared to leave McGrath outside off.

The wicket Australia did get during this period wasn't really deserved, as Boucher slashed at a wide ball from Lee and Gilchrist, stealing Warne's glory for the second time in the innings, held a superb diving catch in front of first slip. Tellingly, Australia missed nothing behind the wicket, with Lee's diving effort in the shadows of long on the only dropped catch for the day.

The strokeplay of Hall and Adams should have embarrassed the top order, as it showed what could have been accomplished had they made it through more than a session and a half. There is something in Adams' attitude that riles the Australians, and his cheeky and unorthodox batting - highlighted by a neat clip to square leg when McGrath, picking up the ball on his follow through, tried to throw down the stumps - injected further spirit.

Adams eventually fell steering a catch to slip, the 69-run partnership for the eighth wicket the highest of the innings. Hall's focus also finally wavered, edging behind to a persevering Gillespie, but the 80 overs he partly helped South Africa use up were many more than would otherwise have been the case.

It was just as well, for Langer and Hayden did not so much see off the remaining eight overs as chase them furiously away, a frenzied Langer taking four fours off one Pretorius over. South Africa's 239 already looks at least 150 too few.

Full scorecard: South Africa: 239 all out | Australia: 46/0