South Africa out for 96. Oh and...

Submitted by Rick Eyre on November 11 2011, 6:33 pm

Some critics have described Day Two at Newlands as one of Australia's worst ever days of Test cricket. It's not even close. We bowled out the opposition for 96, after the captain played a classic leader's knock of 151. And have we forgotten those long long long days in the field bowling to the Poms less than a year ago?

But nor is it every day that an Australian Test team is bowled out for 47. Especially not after losing their first nine wickets for 21 runs. Eighteen overs worthy of the Pantheon of the Hideous utterly ruined what was otherwise a top day for Australia.

And what can be said of Michael Clarke's superb first innings 151, when no one follows the leader? If there's any Australian captain's knock that it recalls, it is that of Graham Yallop's 121 out of 198 in the Sixth Test of the 1978-79 Ashes, which Australia lost.

Can Australia come back from the crazy aberrations of Thursday to cut off South Africa's fourth innings pursuit of 236? Before the start of play I'd rate them slight favourites. Either way, the big losers will be Cricket South Africa, who scheduled a Test match to start on Wednesday only to see it almost certainly conclude two days early, before the start of the weekend.

And it seems that not everyone in Australia is upset about the Test team's performance. This on Twitter this morning Sydney time, from public relations company Liquid Ideas:

"Cricket fans turn off tv,its just ugly in saf and Head down to the SCG at 9am this Sunday to meet stars of @SixersBBL. Saviours of #cricket."

Yes, Test cricket's misfortune is deemed to be Twenty20's gain.