Cricket-South Africa consolidate advantage the day the music died
* South Africa 153 for two at tea
* Home side trail Australia first innings by 90 runs
* Elgar (57) and Amla (54) have unbeaten half-centuries (adds details at tea)
PORT ELIZABETH, March 10 (Reuters) - Dean Elgar and Hashim Amla recorded patient unbeaten half-centuries as South Africa crawled to 153 for two at tea on day two of the second test against Australia at St George’s Park on Saturday.
South Africa trail the tourists by 90 runs with Elgar (57 from 191 balls) and Amla (54 from 144) posting 86 runs for the third wicket, and will seek to up the tempo in the evening session on what looks a docile wicket.
The home side added just 43 runs in 26 overs in the afternoon, unable to break the shackles on a slow wicket and against a soft ball, allowing Australia to stay in the game.
The only wicket to fall in the two sessions was that of nightwatchman Kagiso Rabada (29) when he played onto his stumps from a Pat Cummins (2-27) delivery.
One of the elements that livened up a slow day out in the middle, the brass band that has been a popular fixture at St George’s Park for two decades, was asked to stop playing by umpires Kumar Dharmasena and Sundaram Ravi. That left large sections of the crowd chanting their displeasure.
Amla had some luck, given out twice leg before wicket, only to have both decisions overturned on review – the first because he got outside the line to a Cummins delivery and the second due to a massive inside edge off Josh Hazlewood.
Australia otherwise battled to create opportunities to take wickets, not helped by South Africa going into their shell and playing risk-free cricket, though spinner Nathan Lyon did find good turn off the wicket and was difficult to score off.
Rabada did take the attack to the Australians in the morning session with six fours in his innings, proving an irritation with the bat following his excellent 5-96 with the ball on the first day.
His further participation in the series is in doubt though after he was charged with a Level Two offence by the International Cricket Council. The hearing will take place on Sunday.
He was originally scheduled to hear his fate after play on day two, but one of the standing umpires from Friday, New Zealander Chris Gaffaney, was not fit to sit in on the process due to health issues.
Should Rabada be found guilty, he will receive a minimum of three demerit points, which would take him to a total of eight in the last 24 months. This will trigger an automatic two-match suspension and hence exclude him from the rest of the series.
Australia lead the series 1-0 after winning the opening test by 118 runs. (Reporting By Nick Said Editing by Amlan Chakraborty and Pritha Sarkar)
