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Vernon Philander continued to work on his rather dismal bowling figures in Australia with his first five-for in the country on day one of South Africa’s second test in Hobart today.
Having got 5/15 on debut when the Baggy Greens were shot out for 47 by the Proteas in Cape Town in 2011, the right arm seamer always expected to do well the day he went to Australia thanks to the similarity in conditions.
But a paltry haul of just four wickets at the generous average of 49.75 in his first visit in 2012 meant he came back with his tail between his legs.
This series, which started with the Proteas’ 177-run win in Perth last week, has seen Philander determined to right those wrongs.
First he took five wickets in the Perth test before doubling that tally up with his 5/21 off 10.1 overs as Australia were dismissed for 85 on a chilly and gloomy day one at the Blundstone Arena, their third-lowest total against South Africa in tests.
Philander now tops the bowling figures in the series with 10 scalps at 13.20.
Today’s performance helped the Proteas to a strong position in the penultimate test after they finished on 171/5, an 86-run lead with Quinton de Kock and Temba Bavuma not out in a day in which a whopping 15 wickets fell.
While he may have only bowled a typical bowler’s allotment in a one-day international, Philander’s figures were achieved in three spells.
Having started by bowling either side of the wicket, he was lucky to be gifted with David Warner’s wicket when the left-hander chased a wide one for De Kock to complete the dismissal.
But then rain, which was as big a talking point in the build-up to the game, but would only disrupt play once, suspended proceedings after 6.1 overs.
This seemed give Philander time to get his radar sorted as he came back with a blowtorch examination for the Aussie batsmen’s techniques.
Usman Khawaja nicked off to Hashim Amla at first slip before poor Adam Voges got the ball of the match, one that was pitched on off and moved a fraction to take the edge for a golden duck.
With Philander in his element by getting the ball to nip either way, he was involved in a massive collision with Australian captain Steve Smith, who was taking a run while the bowler was appealing extravagantly while running backwards at the same time.
The clash took Philander off the field with a shoulder injury, which sent ripples down a South African team that already lost Dale Steyn for the series to a similar injury last week.
But he came back after lunch and promptly bowled pesky debutant Joe Mennie, who had hung in there with his defiant captain, and wrapped up the innings when Nathan Lyon guided one to De Kock.
The day was yet another nod at Faf du Plessis’ crafty leadership. On a wicket in which everyone said would be a good batting deck, Du Plessis opted to bowl and was rewarded by both his bowlers and his fielders for the decision.
The bowlers exploited the moisture in the wicket and the overcast conditions, with Kyle Abbott picking up three of the wickets and Kagiso Rabada taking one.
The fielders came to the party in massive style, with Philander’s replacement on the field, Dane Vilas, recovering from a clumsy misfield to remove greedy debutant Callum Ferguson with a direct hit, while JP Duminy and De Kock took blinding catches each at gully and behind the stumps respectively to remove Mitchell Starc and Lyon.
Du Plessis was also bold with his reviewing, as was evidenced by his appealing the not out LBW decision against Peter Nevill when Rabada was bowling.
The Aussies, who only had Smith’s 48 not out to show for any kind of defiance, hit back by taking five of the Proteas’ wickets, with Starc taking three of those to account for South Africa’s top order in a fast and probing spell after tea.
