WTC Final: Ball dance continues on Day 2 but Oz hold upper hand
TEST cricket's biennial showpiece careened towards a sensational and lightning finish after both batting units folded in the face of some tight and accurate bowling either side of tea. Even if the scores may suggest that the pitch may come under scrutiny, the Lord's curator could escape censure. Ben Jones of CricViz posted that '... all the tracking data for this Test is normal, in some areas less movement than is typical for Lord's' (CricViz is a data solutions company who supply data to sporting bodies including ICC).
The broadcaster's own graphics backed up that assertion there was nothing alarming about the average seam or swing movement over the first two days. It was just good bowling vs not so good batting. That perfect storm set-up resulted in a loss of 14 wickets in the day, including 13 after lunch on Thursday. As the players walked off the field, Australia will perhaps rightly believe they have their noses in front as they lead by 218, with two second innings wickets in hand.
More than four hours earlier, at lunch, the Proteas had counterpunched their way to 5/121 after Temba Bavuma, David Bedingham and Kyle Verrreynne had showed a mix of fight and imagination.
The trio added added 70 runs to get within striking distance before Pat Cummins did what he does best. Strangle the batting unit while keeping both edges as well as the stumps in play.
Just as the alliance was beginning to bloom between the pair of Bavuma and Bedingham, Cummins got himself on. He did concede a six but across two spells separated by lunch, he picked up five wickets for 14 runs. There was genteel movement but that was enough to leave the batters scrambling.
If it was Cummins who starred with the ball before tea to give the holders a big chance, the Proteas' all sorts pace combination got in on the act soon after to totally light the blue touchpaper and set the stage for an early finish.
A lead of 74 is gold in game with low scores and it had ballooned to over a 100 as the beleaguered Marnus Labuschagne and Usman Khawaja put on 28 for the first wicket. The floodgates, though, opened in the 11th over thanks to Kagiso Rabada. He got the ball to straighten a touch and the southpaw nicked it to the keeper.
Cameron Green came and went without adding to the score. An uncomfortable position turned perilous after Steve Smith missed a rather straight delivery off Lungi Ngidi. Ngidi also played a big role to play in Australia losing wickets in a cluster, a welcome return to form after a wayward first innings outing where he conceded none for 45 off just eight overs.
The wickets started to tumble and the mode of dismissals was similar to the first 150 overs or so — keeping the edges in play and bringing the stumps into play with whatever deviation off the surface. Each of the next four wickets were either bowled or leg-before. When they weren't getting bowled or being trapped in front, they were getting beaten.
It's why the innings Alex Carey played before being dismissed could yet be the one that gives Australia its second mace. The southpaw is known for his firefighting abilities and he once again displayed his class with a nerveless 50-ball 43.
On Friday, with the weather expected to be largely clear, South Africa have the chance to do something special, a first men's ICC title this side of 2000. Can they do it?
Brief scores: Australia 212 and 144/8 in 40 ovs (Carey 43, Rabada 3/44, Ngidi 3/35) vs South Africa 138 in 57.1 ovs (Bavuma 36, Bedingham 45, Cummins 6/28, Starc 2/41))
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