T2 Day3: Hughes' Double Tons Leave South Africa On A Limb

The nails appeared to be hammered deeper into the coffin as far as the hosts were concerned. Battered, bruised and belittled, Graeme Smith’s men were plunged further by a twenty year old who is on a roll.
Australia literally left the field in bloodshed. After young opener Phil Hughes, who replaced the retired Matthew Hayden for this series, and opening partner Simon Katich drove South Africa’s hopes of an early breakthrough on day one, Australia inflicted painful blows, literally, to leave South Africa’s batting frail and their hopes frailer still.
Hughes’ flamboyant maiden century to go with a resolute one from Katich made things harder on the hosts, looking to bounce after an embarrassing victory in the first Test at the Wanderers, in Johannesburg. But the unusual Durban pitch combined with a rather wayward bowling attack once again gave Graeme Smith more reasons to despair, and nullified the coach Mickey Arthur’s assurances before the match that the bowlers would bounce back and the team would fight better.
Overcast weather conditions though ensured that Australia would not build further the stress on the South African bowlers, folding for 392. But South Africa could take little heart from their bowling efforts of the morning as Mitchell Johnson led with a decisive, destructive spell that South Africa could not recover from. His partner in crime was unusual in that Andrew MacDonald bowled timid deliveries with nagging line and length to draw out the already second guessing South Africans.
Johnson removed Neil McKenzie before a single run was scored and followed it up with another prize wicket, that of Hashim Amla, and South Africa had still not scored a run!
The horror of the first over had barely subsided when Smith suffered another injury, in what must be the season of injuries interspersed with magical innings, Johnson who inflicted a blow to Smith’s left hand in Australia was once again the culprit. Smith now was left to nurse a fractured right hand, South Africa feeling the fracture as well!
Another man who retired hurt was South Africa’s other power house, Jacques Kallis, who was hit on the jaw but luckily missed dislocating it and got away with a few stitches on his chin. But South Africa were rattled and played right into the hands of Australia, looking decimated and shattered at 138 for seven, and effectively eight down.
Peter Siddle completed the formalities on the morning of day three. But it was Phillip Hughes who piled on the agony.
The youngest man to score two centuries in a single match, Hughes showed a more determined knock in the second innings compared to his blitzkrieg in the first innings. It still meant that Australia had plugged the syndrome where they lost the early wicket regularly in Australia and it has certainly paid rich dividends in this match thus far as South Africa face an enormous target of 500 and then some!