Ponting's Century Gives Hosts Hope But South Africa Claim Late Wicket

Ricky Ponting's 37th Test century gave Australia a marginal advantage on the first day of a fiercely contested second Test between Australia and South Africa at the MCG, which finished with the home side on 280-6 having chosen to bat first on a flat pitch.

Ponting started scratchily and took advantage of a straightforward drop by Neil McKenzie at third slip on 24 but improved dramatically between lunch and tea to display a dominance as imperious as any period in his career with 74 runs in the session.

Having accepted the applause and adulation of the crowd just minutes before tea, the Australia captain became tentative as he steeled himself for the huge hundred he knew his country needed and the result was a careless inside edge to short leg against the persevering left spin of Paul Harris.

Ponting was devastated and looked as disappointed with 101 as he would have been with one; given the trueness of the pitch and the lack of bite in his bowling attack, the hosts will need a huge total beyond 400 to have serious hopes of leveling the series following the tourists' famous win in Perth last week.

Ponting's disappointment will have been more than matched by 37-year-old Matthew Hayden, who played an awful shot against Makhaya Ntini to be caught at cover for just eight. The veteran opener is under more pressure than ever before in his career and calls are mounting for him to jump before his wonderful career is ended for him.

Mike Hussey, having recorded back-to-back scores in single figures for the first time in his career in Perth, added a second duck in three innings when he edged an attempted leave against Dale Steyn to wicketkeeper Mark Boucher.

Steyn collected a second wicket when Andrew Symonds ill-advisedly slashed a wide delivery to a diving Jacques Kallis at slip but it was Ntini who made South Africa believe the day had ended evenly with his second wicket in the penultimate over of the day.

Brad Haddin, having rebuilt things from a shaky 223-5 with a stand of 54 alongside the painstakingly patient Michael Clarke (36* from 157 balls), edged a leg cutter to Graeme Smith who held yet another fine catch at slip. McKenzie's error was the first the tourists have made in the field so far in the series.

The wicket was Ntini's 376th in Tests, level with his childhood hero, the late Malcolm Marshall. "I hope he would have been proud of me. I never got the chance to play with him, but every time I saw him on TV I knew that I wanted to be like him," Ntini said.

"Of course Australia make it hard work for the bowlers, they are the best team in the world. Nobody would give an inch but that last wicket felt like a good inch for us because, otherwise, we would have started the second day with two batsmen well set. Now, one of them is new and the ball is still new so we have a chance to put them under pressure," Ntini added.