Morkel shines in the first session:
Australia, at the start of Day 2, would have hoped to post a total in excess of 600. But their hopes took a beating as Morkel came up with a fine spell and which led to Australia losing their last five wickets for 68 runs. Clarke, who resumed at 224, added only 6 runs to his overnight score before Morkel got through his defence to end a splendid innings. Clarke's knock of 230 came off just 257 balls and included 40 boundaries. Matthew Wade, who started the day with Clarke, struck a confident drive off Dale Steyn to the cover boundary to get off the mark. However, when he tried to repeat that off Morkel he ended up edging the ball to AB de Villiers behind the stumps and departed on 6. Rory Kleinveld performance in the series so far left a lot to be desired and the bowler was still in search of his first wicket in Test cricket. He finally got that when Peter Siddle (6) nicked him to Smith first slip even as Australia crossed the 500 run mark. Australia were soon left nine down when Ben Hilfenhaus (0) tried to hook Morkel but top-edged it to Dale Steyn at deep backward square leg to give the lanky pacer his maiden five wicket haul against Australia.
While four wickets went down in quick succession, South Africa had to wait a bit for the final wicket as James Pattinson decided to take the attack to the Proteas. The left-handed number 9 dealt in boundaries at a regular rate, flaying a quick-fire 42 off 35 which included 4 fours and 2 sixes. His knock finally came to an end when he edged Steyn to Smith at first slip who took the catch on the second attempt as Australia ended their first essay 25 minutes before the lunch break. The South African openers Smith and Alviro Petersen kept the Aussie bowlers at bay to take the score to 3/0 at the first interval.
South African openers find the going easy:
Smith and Petersen, on resumption of play, started building a partnership to help South Africa forward. The runs came at a good rate for the pair as they kept the boundaries coming regularly. The openers to a liking to Pattinson, who went for quite a few in his first spell after lunch. Smith started off with three fours off the left-handed pacer in the 6th over - one included a edge to third man. Petersen then hit Hilfenhaus for a four through cover and followed it up with a couple of boundaries off Pattinson. The introduction of Nathan Lyon slowed things down a bit, but the opening pair ensured that no wickets were lost as they took South Africa past 50 before the drinks break.
Smith and Petersen continued adding runs on a wicket that was not providing the bowlers any assistance. With a couple of fours off Hilfenhaus, the South African skipper entered the forties when he given a reprieve as Wade missed a stumping chance off Clarke's bowling. Smith made use of the opportunity to go past fifty and stayed unbeaten with Petersen to take South Africa to 117/0 at tea.
Smith firm as South Africa reply strongly:
Petersen, who had hit a well-compiled 64 in the first innings of the first Test at Brisbane, went on to bring up his second half-century of the series in the post tea session. Smith and Petersen, who had registered the first century stand for the opening wicket, extended their partnership and looked good to add more until Petersen's abrupt departure. Lazy running resulted in the run-out of Petersen, after a direct hit from Michael Hussey found him short of the crease at the bowler's end. There was more action in the post tea session as the Aussies went up in unison when Pattinson thought Smith had nicked him to the keeper. The umpire Richard Kettleborough too thought there was an edge and ruled it in Pattinson's favour. However, Smith decided to opt for the DRS immediately and the hot-spot suggested that there was no contact between the bat and the ball and the umpire had to reverse his decision.
Seeing that the regular bowlers were not making any impact, Clarke decided to introduce David Warner into the attack. The move paid off immediately as the bowler got the important wicket of Hashim Amla. The right-hander skipped down the track and playing down the wrong line, ended up missing the ball. Wade fumbled again, but managed to whip the bails off in time to send back Amla on 11. Warner then rapped Smith on the pads and appealed for leg-before. The ball appeared to have struck the batsman outside off and umpire Kettleborough also thought the same and turned down the appeal. Australia though decided to review the decision and ended up disappointed as replays proved that the on-field umpire was right. Meanwhile, Smith made steady progress as he entered the nineties and was given good company by Jacques Rudolph, who was promoted to number 4. The skipper went on to bring up his 26th hundred with a cut to deep backward point for a four. Smith and Rudolph ensured there were no further wickets lost in the day as they took their partnership to 48.
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