da leao： A magnificent 162 from Jacques Kallis lifted South Africa from a dicey 116for 6 at the midpoint of their innings, to give them control of the second Test at Kingsmead
da gbg bet： Andrew Miller27-Dec-2004
Jacques Kallis on his 162: ‘It’s definitely up there with the best’© Getty Images
A magnificent 162 from Jacques Kallis lifted South Africa from a dicey 116 for 6 at the midpoint of their innings, to give them control of the second Test at Kingsmead and leave England with everything to do if they are to preserve their unbeaten record in 2004. Afterwards, Kallis agreed that hisperformance was one of the finest of his career.”It’s definitely up there with the best,” said a contented Kallis, whostill maintained that his maiden Test century, against Australia in1997-98 was his all-time favourite. “England are right up thereat the moment and it’s good to perform against the best.”Even so, Kallis could not have turned South Africa’s innings around had itnot been for a concerted effort from the tail, and he was quick to sharethe praise, in particular with Shaun Pollock who made 43 in a vital 87-runstand for the seventh wicket. “You can’t buy that sort of experience atthe supermarket,” said Kallis. “But the bowlers did their bit as well.There were a lot of bumpers flying around, but they stayed in line, showeda lot of guts and determination, and we can be proud of ourselves.”Though the conditions eased up as the day progressed, it was tough goingearly on, as England made three quick breakthroughs to put the match backin the balance. “It did do a little this morning,” said Kallis. “Our planwas to come out this morning and not lose too many, but unfortunately thatdidn’t happen. But Shaun was magnificent and tomorrow’s early session willbe crucial.”Kallis acknowledged that England had been badly hampered by the loss ofAshley Giles, who tweaked his back while batting and took no part in theday’s play. “It’s aways hard when you lose a bowler,” he admitted. “It washard on them and they tired towards the end of day, which was why themorning was crucial. But we stuck to our task well.”It was hugely important to bounce back after Port Elizabeth,” addedKallis. “To go 2-0 down was not an option – it would have been the seriesover. Maybe we let ourselves down a bit this evening by not quite landingenough balls in the right area, but it could be the wake-up call weneeded. If we get a few wickets tomorrow, we could make our lives easier.”It has been a stellar year for Kallis’s batting. He has made 1278 runs at85.20 in 11 Tests, a South African record, including five centuries. “I’veworked hard on the technical side of my game, and mentally off the fieldas well, because I don’t premeditate so much now, and play all balls ontheir merits.”And also, following a traumatic 2003 in which he suffered the death of hisfather, Kallis admitted the enjoyment of the game had returned as well.”Last year was tough, but I learned a lot and matured a lot as well, whichwas maybe what I needed.”Matthew Hoggard, by contrast, was a drained man at the close, after beinggiven a long hard day in the field. “That wasn’t a 139 wicket, or a 116for 6 wicket,” Hoggard admitted, “but Kallis was tremendous. He’s aworld-class player at the top of his game.The England bowlers came in for some criticism for their consistentshort-pitched approach, but Hoggard insisted that it was a deliberatetactic. “The short balls were difficult to play, because you didn’t knowif they were going to come through or stick in the wicket, so that make itdifficult to duck and difficult to hook. Obviously, we didn’t get anywickets that way until the last one, but I thought with a spinner down, westuck to our task well.”Giles’s absence was crucial, seeing as he would have bowled a good 20overs, but Hoggard was hopeful he might yet play a part in the secondinnings. “Ashley’s standing up straight again which is an improvement.He’s been on the physio’s table all day, so with a good night’s rest,he’ll have a chance of bowling in the second innings.”
