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Dean Elgar’s series so far: two gloved down the leg side, one self-inflicted run out, one lbw that was umpire’s call for height. #AusvSA
— Geoff Lemon Sport (@GeoffLemonSport) December 28, 2022
WICKET! Elgar c Carey b Cummins 0 (South Africa 0-1)
Oh dear. That is disastrous for South Africa. Dean Elgar gloves his third delivery from Pat Cummins down the legside and Alex Carey completes a smart catch. The South African skipper is enduring a miserable tour.
Australia are adamant Pat Cummins has Dean Elgar caught down the legside. The umpires have sent the decision upstairs, the soft signal is out…
1st over: South Africa 0-0 (Erwee 0, Elgar 0) Starc shows no signs of discomfort as he bounds in over the wicket and hits a lovely line and length, shaping the first three deliveries away from the left-handed Erwee. The next couple leak down the legside before a sighter outside off completes the maiden.
There was a curio at the start of the innings as Australia were instructed to remove the sub fielder who took the field in place of Cameron Green. He was not one of the designated substitutes, so Marcus Harris had to come on in his place. Of course, JB immediately brings up Gary Pratt within earshot of Ricky Ponting.
Sarel Erwee is at the crease, Dean Elgar at the non-striker’s end. The floodlights are casting shadows across the pitch as the MCG is shrouded in dark clouds. This is not going to be a fun couple of hours for the Proteas.
And he moves briskly to the top of his mark as the players stride out for the final session of the day. His bowling hand is not taped. He is good to go, for now at least.
Mitchell Starc is out warming up between innings, putting his mallet finger through its paces.
It’s on the longlist, but nowhere close to England’s 702 run advantage over Australia at The Oval in 1938.
Tea on day three
The change of innings also heralds tea.
Australia declare on 575-8 (a lead of 386)
Starc’s helmet change prompts Pat Cummins to bring his players into the pavilion. A superb innings from Australia, led by David Warner’s double-century and Alex Carey’s record breaking 111.
Can South Africa compete for seven sessions and save the match?
145th over: Australia 575-8 (Green 51, Starc 10) A hold up in play while Starc gets his helmet changed after being sconed by a Jansen bouncer that was too quick for the attempted hook. There’s a suggestion on Channel Seven that Australia wouldn’t mind Starc failing a concussion test so that they could legitimately substitute the paceman out of the game. We already know his broken finger will make it difficult for him to contribute in South Africa’s second innings.
Meanwhile…
144th over: Australia 573-8 (Green 50, Starc 9) Australia have now eased into the all-time top-ten innings hauls at the MCG, but they’re not finished yet. Starc brings the crowd to life by hooking a Nortje bouncer over the fine-leg fence for six!
50 to Cameron Green (172 balls)
143rd over: Australia 564-8 (Green 50, Starc 0) The darkness has birthed drizzle, but play continues, allowing Cameron Green to rock back and uppercut Jansen over point for a thrilling four to complete a not-so thrilling half-century. It might not have been brisk, but it has shown the character of the man, playing with a damaged finger. Combined with his first-innings five-for, this has been a coming-of-age match for the young allrounder.
142nd over: Australia 560-8 (Green 46, Starc 0) As the sky darkens over the MCG and the floodlights take full effect South Africa recall Anrich Nortje to the attack to pepper this pair’s damaged hands. Green handles him with aplomb and Starc isn’t forced to play.
“Sitting here writing my novel while the cricket is on,” emails Don Linke. “I was casting about for some outrageous character names. How about Cameron Green as a dashing hero, and Theunis de Bruyn as the wicked villain and Anrich Nortje as his nefarious sidekick. Playing SA is the gift that just keeps giving. Maybe you have some others for me?”
Colin de Grandhomme could be a puffed up nobleman who doesn’t realise he’s been cuckolded; Roston Chase the cad doing the dirty.
141st over: Australia 557-8 (Green 42, Starc 0) Australia now have two batters at the crease with dodgy digits. Starc’s gloves are immediately targeted, and after a back-foot defensive stroke he removes his protection and grimaces.
WICKET! Carey c&b Jansen 111 (Australia 557-8)
Alex Carey receives a standing ovation as he heads down the race at the MCG with the highest Test score by an Australian wicket-keeper at the venue. He has to leave after skying a return catch to Marco Jansen. He was caught between a pull and a leave and managed only to loop an awkward leading edge back to the bowler.
140th over: Australia 555-7 (Carey 110, Green 42) Five easily accumulated runs from Maharaj’s 42nd wicketless over.
139th over: Australia 550-7 (Carey 107, Green 40) Carey pulls Jansen for an early single. Green defends or leaves five further deliveries.
Here’s some niche AFL-cricket overlap content. For those who don’t know, Alex Carey used to play professional Australian Football for the GWS Giants.
Alex Carey (106*) now has a higher score than GWS has ever managed at the MCG (103)
— Ethan (@ethanmeldrum_) December 28, 2022
138th over: Australia 549-7 (Carey 106, Green 40) Carey has reverse-swept Maharaj well all innings and he executes the stroke again for a couple of runs. We are now deep into #DeclarationSpeculation. The game has drifted somewhat since Carey’s ton.
137th over: Australia 546-7 (Carey 103, Green 40) A rare boundary for Green, nicking Jansen with soft hands through gully.
Some Carey stats for you:
– First century by an Australian WK since Brad Haddin in 2013.
– Carey just the seventh Australian WK to ever score a ton.
– Of the 32 Test centuries by Australian WKs, 17 were by Adam Gilchrist.
136th over: Australia 542-7 (Carey 103, Green 36) Green dabs away another Maharaj maiden. Australia must now only be playing for time, otherwise it’s hard to understand why Green is still out there.
135th over: Australia 541-7 (Carey 102, Green 36) A single apiece from Jansen’s latest over. Both batters have now faced at least 137 balls. Carey is striking at three-times Green’s rate.
It’s overcast, but the rain radar is clear for a significant distance around the MCG. There might be a light sprinkle at some point, but there’s no significant band of rain nearby.
134th over: Australia 539-7 (Carey 101, Green 35) I was expecting some tonk now that Carey has scaled his Everest, but Green has really laboured this innings and he again plays conservatively against Maharaj, dabbing away a maiden.
Johnny Gavigan “can’t understand why Australia are batting on. Green is just aggravating his finger injury. Utter madness!”. Perhaps, but with Green and Starc possibly out of the attack, they don’t want to heap too much work on the three fit bowlers, especially with so much time left in the match.
133rd over: Australia 539-7 (Carey 101, Green 35) Marco Jansen was brought on after drinks and Carey initially played and missed outside his off stump before driving a similar delivery through the covers for three. The centurion, and his batting partner, beamed all 66 yards as the crowd stood in applause. Lovely moment for Australian cricket.
100 to Alex Carey (133 balls)
Alex Carey joins Rod Marsh as the only Australian wicket-keepers to make Test centuries at the MCG. That’s Carey’s maiden Test ton in his 14th Test.
Jonathan Howcroft
Thanks GL. It’s great to be with you all this arvo, especially you fellas: JB, BJ, JL, June, Terry, Tubs, Sylvain Sylvain, and all the other ripper blokes at this mighty colosseum, the home of sport in the whole bloody world if you ask me. How good!? Leg speed, just quietly.
That’s actually harder to keep up than it looks. I don’t know how they all manage it for so long.
I may have had too much hot sauce during lunch. Keep me sane by sending me an email, or, if you haven’t yet abandoned the big bird app, tweet me @JPHowcroft.
Geoff Lemon
That is the drinks break. A bit later than usual, I’m going to guess that’s because our session times were shifted about by the morning rain. But here we are, with Carey on the brink of a first Test ton, and Green pushing through. I’m out for the day, next in is Jonathan Philharmonic Howcroft.
132nd over: Australia 535-7 (Carey 98, Green 34) Another single to Carey, he’s doing it Wilfred Rhodes style. (Apocryphally.)
James Seddon is another who suggests Jack Russell. I’ll tell you what: I’ve compiled the full list by matches played. Philip Salom’s hunch was right, there have been very few overall, certainly very few long-termers. Here you go.
131st over: Australia 534-7 (Carey 97, Green 34) Only a single for Carey, not rushing. Green carves again through the cordon, on the bounce this time past slip. Ngidi bowling wide a lot today.
Andrew Harrison tweets in that Jack Russell was a left-handed wicketkeeper. I assume he means 1980s Jack Russell, not 1920s Jack Russell.
130th over: Australia 529-7 (Carey 96, Green 30) Reverse sweep for one, then gets the strike back. How does Carey play this on 95? Any chance he looks for a big one? Yes. Has a gallop at Maharaj, yorks himself, defends. Decides against that ploy and flicks a single square. Within a boundary.
129th over: Australia 526-7 (Carey 94, Green 29) Down to fine leg, and that’s Carey’s new top score in Tests. Now to make double figures into triple. Green throws the bat at Ngidi outside off stump, no contact.
128th over: Australia 525-7 (Carey 93, Green 29) The sore finger is bothering Green. He goes back to Maharaj and cuts hard for no run, then walks away shaking that hand. That must be why he doesn’t want to play any big shots.
127th over: Australia 524-7 (Carey 92, Green 29) Top shot from Carey. Gets across to Ngidi, inside the link, and plays a flicking pull shot behind square, splitting the boundary riders expertly for four. Hello, 90s. To party appropriately, he reaches for a very wide ball and carves it off the top edge over gully, for a moment scaring the crowd who see Bavuma lurking in the deep. But it doesn’t carry for a catch, just for a run. Zondo fields well to stop a well struck clip from Green at square leg, then Ngidi hits his pad but going down. They’re still trying, the South Africans. The last ball of the over jags again, cutting between inside edge and pad, but over the stumps.
126th over: Australia 519-7 (Carey 87, Green 29) Another stretch of Green blocking Maharaj. I wonder what his IPL team would have paid if they had seen a montage of his 29 from 106.
125th over: Australia 518-7 (Carey 86, Green 29) Rabada is spent. Ngidi comes on. Carey keeps collecting runs without fuss.
124th over: Australia 515-7 (Carey 83, Green 29) Three singles from Maharaj, whose bowling contribution is becoming increasingly token.
“Good to be reading you on cricket, as always,” Philip Salom writes. Thank you, good to hear from you. “Question: have there been a significant number of (Test) wicket-keepers who are left-handed?”
First it depends whether we mean those who batted left-handed, or are left-handed in broader life, because quite a lot of left-handed batters are right-handed for everything else (like Mike Hussey), just as right-hand bats can be lefties for the rest (like Michael Clarke or Travis Head).
If we mean left-handed bats, off the top of my head… Kumar Sangakkara and Adam Gilchrist would be pride of place. Quinton de Kock a recent South African one. Matthew Wade and Rishabh Pant, in this era. Andy Flower, Rod Marsh, in earlier ones. That’s all I can think of. Anyone else?
123rd over: Australia 512-7 (Carey 81, Green 28) Edged by Green! Fine of gully and away for four. More frustration for Rabada. A big plonky front-foot push at that ball. Wonder how that will play in England next year. Rabada bounces him, he ducks, and signals for fresh gloves.
122nd over: Australia 508-7 (Carey 81, Green 24) Carey went past 600 career runs with that last boundary, and has his average above 40. Good going in 19 innings. The wind is picking up out there, it’s very cloudy now with the lights coming on, and the temperature has dropped a lot. Down to 20 degrees now. One run from Maharaj.
121st over: Australia 507-7 (Carey 81, Green 23) The 500 comes up. Smooth from Carey, he swivels on a short ball and deflects it over fine leg. Takes his eyes off it at the last minute but had the bat in place. Then reaches for the next ball, also short, and flips it over first slip. Very rude to Rabada, who decks one in and hits the pad, but high and going down leg. Nobody else supports the appeal.
120th over: Australia 497-7 (Carey 72, Green 22) I’m seeing some more declaration chat flying around. Honestly – why would they declare? There is literally no advantage to Australia. It is day three of five. Let your players who have lacked time in the middle bat for as long as they want. Get so far ahead that South Africa have no hope of getting back in the game. Wear them out in the field and let your own team rest so that your undermanned bowling attack has its best chance of getting through them quickly when the time comes.
119th over: Australia 494-7 (Carey 71, Green 20) Rabada continues, Green happy to play a couple of pull shots. He only gets onto one, scores a couple more runs. Still, he’s growing into this innings. The lead is 305.
118th over: Australia 491-7 (Carey 70, Green 18) More singles from the spinner.
117th over: Australia 489-7 (Carey 69, Green 17) Down the ground goes Carey, a lofted off drive from Rabada for four. Nice shot, it takes him to his second highest score in Tests. His best so far is 93.
116th over: Australia 485-7 (Carey 65, Green 17) Carey keeps trying to work Maharaj to the leg side and eventually succeeds, driving off the back foot wide of mid on.
115th over: Australia 484-7 (Carey 64, Green 17) The injury has taken us back to Cam Green Mach 1, the batter who would just endure at the crease. Tucks a couple of runs away from Rabada and goes to 17 from 70 balls.
114th over: Australia 481-7 (Carey 63, Green 15) Maharaj to carry on his pre-lunch spell, not Nortje as it was at this time yesterday. The left-armer is bowling around the wicket to Green, who is using his long stride to get forward and smother the ball. Six times in a row, a rare scoreless over. How rare? The sixth in this innings. Ngidi has bowled two, everyone else one.
113th over: Australia 481-7 (Carey 63, Green 15) Rabada with the first volley, whipping through with decent pace and taking Carey’s inside edge into pad. A couple of singles from the over. Mitchell Starc is padded up in the dressing room, so he will bat despite that damaged finger on his left hand. He hurt it while trying to take a catch on day one.
Lunch is done, a big bowl of painkillers and milk for Cameron Green, presumably, and the players are returning to the field.
Lunch – Australia 479 for 7
Australia’s session again, even though it was South Africa’s start. Nortje smashed straight through Head and Warner in consecutive balls, removing two vastly dangerous players, but Carey can be one of those as well. First he had a breezy stand of 40 with Lyon, then with Green returning despite his broken finger, the two have taken control. A partnership of 34 might not sound huge, but it’s the way they have done it with barely a whisper of a problem.
Australia lead by 290, and might as well just carry on. It’s only day three.
112th over: Australia 479-7 (Carey 62, Green 14) Last shot before lunch goes to Maharaj. Has not threatened at all in this match. He’s trying to give the ball a bit of air time, make the batters overthink, but it doesn’t work. Lunch.
111th over: Australia 478-7 (Carey 61, Green 14) Nortje battles on, but they’re finding ways to score singles from him now. Carey drives him to deep cover for three, although Green stumbles while turning for the second. Bowling speed in this over is more like 140 than 150. Green keeps handling the length bowled at his body.
110th over: Australia 473-7 (Carey 57, Green 13) Spin time. Or, all of our fast bowlers are tired time. Maharaj comes on with ten minutes until lunch. Green gets some running repairs from the medicos before the over. Carey tries a reverse sweep and misses it, dicey for a moment as the ball deflects off pad to slip. Tries the other kind of sweep and gets a run, then gets his reverse right once Green gives him back the strike.
109th over: Australia 470-7 (Carey 55, Green 12) Have to give credit to Green, he is handling Nortje well. Even drives a couple of runs through cover and happily returns for the second. Nortje tries coming around the wicket to bowl at Green’s body, but the batter stays in behind each ball and defends it away.
108th over: Australia 468-7 (Carey 55, Green 10) Jansen tries bouncing Green, who pulls, bottom edge into the ground near his feet and they rush a single. One slip and one gully for Carey, two out on the hook along with a very fine deep third and a deep backward point. Not an inspiring field, and Jansen’s short stuff keeps looping down the leg side anyway.
The aptly named Yum must be a gastronome. “Sending SA in and bowling them out cheaply was a nice entree, baking them all day and finishing with a double ton from Warner in his 100th was a delicious main course, these late order runs are a tasty dessert and the hat trick of 4s from Carey was an after-dinner mint.”
107th over: Australia 465-7 (Carey 53, Green 9) On cue, here is Nortje. Another switch of ends, back to the southern approach, and I’m not sure about Carey’s decision to take a single first ball. Block or bash might have been the better approach. Not that Green looks fazed. He anticipates the length at his gloves and keeps them high to play over the top of the ball. Then for some reach Nortje pitches fuller, not yorker length, and Green gets his first runs since retirement yesterday, driving three down the round.
A cracking first 30 mins has drifted a bit here @GeoffLemonSport. Need Carey to go T20 and liven things up with a quickfire ton.
— John Allen ? (@moist4life) December 28, 2022
Plenty of time left in the match, John! If Carey knows that the other end is solid, he can keep scoring quickly enough.
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