Hayden falls late to leave match evenly poised
2nd Test - Day 2 - CW Oval
Cricket Web XI batted well enough for a lead of 62 on first innings, and then Mike Wilson took the wicket of Matthew Hayden late in the day to keep the game balanced. By stumps Australia had advanced their lead to 40 with 9 wickets still intact. Much of their hopes rest on Simon Katich on day three, as he will begin with 39 to his name. Night-watchman Stuart Clark will give him company.
The morning session proved a tight tussle between bat and ball. Both overnight batsmen looked in reasonable nick, but neither got on top of the bowling nor crossed 50. First to go was Pete Young, padding up unwisely to Michael Clarke and lbw for 31. Cloete then followed a delivery from the Australian vice-captain and presented Haddin with a thin edge. Two wickets in the bag, Clarke threatened to unravel the innings with the continuation of his good bowling series. Will Kerr returned to the crease for his third Test innings, having amounted 1 run from his first two, and he was obviously under pressure.
Cloete was caught behind for 49 (AP Photo)
But unlike his debut he looked more positive and clipped his third ball away to midwicket for four, then swept Clarke fine for 3 runs. Butler was much less certain, dropped on 9, but he was there with Kerr at lunch at 204-4. Soon after lunch Butler offered another chance, attempting to play against the spin of McGain. He survived on 17 and put his head down once more. With every stride forward Kerr looked in greater and greater touch and his confidence grew. But it was to come his undoing. He ill-advisedly attempted to take on Lee with a hook shot, and surrendered his wicket for 35. Wilson joined Butler with the game back in the balance and helped push CW XI into the first innings lead with a knock of 30.
A loose shot saw him bowled by Clarke and Nick Borcich was caught at slip for 8 soon after. It was the fourth wicket for the left-arm spinner, and Butler had only the tail for company. By then he was seeing the ball much better and took his opportunity and responsibility seriously. With a firm push down the ground he reached his half-century, and then hit a couple more boundaries on his way to 69. And on that score he experienced a moment of madness and accounted for his downfall with a poor call, run out by Symonds. Lee wrapped up the innings with his third wicket and limited the Australian deficit to 62. The game was clearly still on, so the openers motored along with typical aggression. They never took any great risks, but managed to score in excess of 5 per over through a partnership of 78. Hayden was undone by a Wilson slower ball on the score and Clark arrived to usher the close with Katich.
Australia 1st Innings 266 all out (64 overs)
BJ Haddin 68, MEK Hussey 49, MJ Clarke 47
TJ Demeza 4-82, GM Thomas 3-58
Cricket Web XI 1st Innings 328 all out (90.4 overs)
CR Butler 69, T Mamesh 53, AP Cloete 49
MJ Clarke 4-60, B Lee 3-93
Australia 2nd Innings 102-1 (21 overs)
ML Hayden 47, SM Katich 39*, SR Clark 6*
Australia lead by 40 runs with 9 second innings wickets remaining.