Johnson wrecks SA

Australian left-armer Mitchell Johnson took seven wickets to destroy South Africa on the second day of the first Test at the WACA in Perth yesterday.Photo: File Photo

Mitchell Johnson ruined South Africa's brave pushes for safety with a dramatic seven-wicket haul that included five late breakthroughs as the visitors spluttered to 243 for eight at stumps on the second day of the first Test against Australia at the WACA on Thursday.
Jacques Kallis and AB de Villiers had almost put South Africa in a comfortable position when Johnson surged to career-best figures and put Australia, who posted 375, on top during another fascinating arm-wrestle for ascendancy.
In an incredible finish to the day Johnson grabbed 5 for 2 in 20 balls to wow his new home crowd and stun the visitors, who were happy until he arrived to deliver five venomous overs. De Villiers and Kallis had both raised half-centuries and thoughts had turned to the size of South Africa's lead. Johnson stopped all that with 42 for 7 off 18 overs and ensured it was Australia who finished the second day of a gripping contest on top.
South Africa were 234 for 3, following a 124-run stand between de Villiers and Kallis, but they both departed to edges to Brad Haddin in consecutive overs to start the nail biting in the visiting dressing room. Soon there were uncontrollable shakes as the debutant JP Duminy was unlucky to be ruled caught behind off his arm and Morne Morkel and Paul Harris fell to takes by Jason Krejza. This is a game that changes as quickly as a child's mind.
The South Africans have had dreams like this before, where they walk into gardens of success and don't notice the only cliff. How they recover from these brutal blows will determine how successful they are for the remainder of the series. They were not the only ones who were shocked.
Perth is a fitting venue for a performance like this. It was Dennis Lillee, the WACA hero and association president, who spotted Johnson as a teenager in Townsville and started his representative journey. They spoke before the match about how to bowl on the surface and Johnson listened. In the off-season Johnson, a Queenslander, moved to Western Australia so he could be closer to his girlfriend. Now the ground has another hero of speed.
He was operating well above 140kph, gaining bounce and tricking the right-handers with his subtle arc away. De Villiers and Kallis both fell for that, while the fending Duminy was undone by speed. Showing he wasn't all brawn, Johnson used a slower ball to Morkel that was popped to Krejza and then forced Harris to clip to leg gully. Exhausted by his effort, he needed the trainer for some muscle problems, but his body was probably overwhelmed by such instant success.
Once again the day swayed like a swing, with Australia starting and finishing with whoops of joy. In between South Africa were the ones having most fun, especially with de Villiers and Kallis combining so well. Following the loss of Graeme Smith and Hashim Amla in nine deliveries, which cut South Africa to 3 for 110, the middle-order pair first hit back before tea, and then consolidated after the break.
Johnson's first dismissal, of Neil McKenzie, relied on a horrible error and an ugly pull, but South Africa moved forward with confidence. Smith and Amla seemed to be setting the perfect platform until the trend of the opening day repeated when Australia hit back with two wickets before lunch. Krejza provided the speed bump to the 90-run partnership when Amla tried to turn a well-flighted, spinning delivery to the legside and was bowled for a breezy 47 from 67 balls.
In the next over Smith, who was battling a nagging left elbow problem, was attempting to continue his acceleration by driving at a wider delivery from Johnson, but he played on to his leg stump for 48. Both settled batsmen departed in quick succession, something that de Villiers and Kallis copied.
The pair went in the same way for the same score of 63. Separating de Villiers and Kallis was difficult as they played similar innings, mixing solid defence with punishment of loose balls. While they appeared subdued at times, they were always managing to switch the strike in a combination that looked unbreakable until Johnson intervened.