South Africa were left to rue the loss of cheap wickets after battling to 214 for five on the opening day of the second Test against Australia on Thursday. Bad light brought a premature end to the day after 83 overs bowled with AB de Villiers not out on 51 and JP Duminy on two at the close.
De Villiers passed 7,000 test runs and became the first player in history to score half-centuries in 12 tests in a row. It might well have been a better day for the hosts after they won the toss and elected to bat, but Dean Elgar (83) and debutant Quinton de Kock (7) gave their wickets away with rash shots. The pitch did not have the devil of Pretoria and rendered Mitchell Johnson less effective as South Africa batsmen played him with relative comfort.
BRIEF SCORES:
SA 214/5 (Elgar 83, de Villiers 51*) vs Australia.
De Villiers passed 7,000 test runs and became the first player in history to score half-centuries in 12 tests in a row. It might well have been a better day for the hosts after they won the toss and elected to bat, but Dean Elgar (83) and debutant Quinton de Kock (7) gave their wickets away with rash shots. The pitch did not have the devil of Pretoria and rendered Mitchell Johnson less effective as South Africa batsmen played him with relative comfort.
BRIEF SCORES:
SA 214/5 (Elgar 83, de Villiers 51*) vs Australia.