Ponting fails as South Africa fight back

Ricky Ponting was out for a duck as a fiery South Africa attack fought back to reduce Australia to 220 for four at tea on the second day of the second test at the Wanderers on Friday.

Ponting erred in thrusting his front leg across his stumps and then driving to the on-side, Dale Steyn’s in-swinger hitting the pad and trapping the former Australian captain lbw after just three balls at the crease.

The dismissal was the third of a session which South Africa totally dominated after openers Phil Hughes (88) and Shane Watson (88) had lit up the morning as the visitors replied to South Africa’s first innings of 266 all out. The runs have dried up recently for Ponting, who has scored just 245 runs in 15 innings in the last year, with just one half century.

Seamer Vernon Philander, playing in just his second test, was the most consistent of the South African bowlers and he led the way after lunch, bowling five overs for seven runs and picking up the wicket of Hughes, with the help of a sharp catch at first slip by AB de Villiers.

Watson, who had gone fluently to 76 not out in the morning session, lost his flow after lunch and added just 12 more runs to his score in 12 overs before pulling Jacques Kallis to the midwicket boundary, where Imran Tahir dived to take a fine catch.

Ponting’s troubles continued when he fell to Steyn in the next over and his successor as captain, Michael Clarke, was out 15 minutes before tea for 11.

He tried to slash Morne Morkel off the back foot, the tall fast bowler getting extra bounce from the pitch and finding the edge of the bat, De Villiers taking his second catch at first slip. Johannesburg, Friday, Reuters