Batting stand from Hashim Amla puts South Africa in charge in second Test

MITCHELL Johnson may have continued Graeme Smith’s poor series but a seamless innings from Hashim Amla has left South Africa in charge of the second Test.
The South African captain was bowled for just 14 in the second innings on day three to go with scores of 9, 4 and 10, however Amla glided to 93 not out, taking his team to 4-192 at stumps on the third day, an overall lead of 369.
The best run chase ever achieved in 22 Tests at Port Elizabeth was when Australia last played at St George’s Park 17 years ago. Mark Waugh made an imposing century on a difficult pitch, guiding Australia to 8-271 and a most improbable two-wicket victory.
Australia’s best hope appears to be a forecast deluge on the last day Monday but even then the batting will need to improve significantly on an embarrassing first innings to take the match into a fifth day.
Bowled out in just 57 over for 246, only David Warner (70) reached a half century, although Steve Smith was unlucky to be fired for an enterprising 49.
One of the few Australians to flourish during a generally insipid display, Smith was given out caught behind by video umpire Aleem Dar when there was no obvious evidence to overturn the not out decision of onfield umpire Richard Illingworth.
Smith played at a fine leg-cutter from Morne Morkel and appeared to miss it. Replays suggested he had hit his back pad with his bat. This was obviously the sound that Dar apparently heard because there was nothing on hot spot or snicko to suggest contact between bat and ball.
Dar was one of the umpires who had a poor Ashes series in England last year, most notably when he failed to give Stuart Broad out slashing a ball from spinner Ashton Agar into the gloves of Brad Haddin before it flew to Michael Clarke at first slip.
The DRS caused ongoing controversy in England not because the technology was poor but because the umpires could not use it properly.
Had it not been for South Africa’s poor catching, with four dropped in all, and a groin injury to left arm paceman Wayne Parnell, playing his first Test in four years, Australia would have been in even worse trouble.

It is remarkable that Australia batted so poorly on a pitch whether their fast bowler have failed to make an impression.
At least Mitchell Johnson (2-48) and Peter Siddle (2-53) were better rewarded than the first innings, when Australia’s pace trio of Johnson, Siddle and Ryan Harris claimed just 2-229 between them from 86 overs, and both those wickets came in the first half an hour of the match