The yeoman and the prince

The second Test started late and finished early. The tardy beginning was because of the curse of Melbourne's Boxing Day, which was again abjectly rainy. The abrupt end was because of Australia's sustained brilliance, before which South Africa's dream of lifting the world Test championship wilted and died.

Australia dominated in all disciplines and Steve Waugh spoke later of a cumulative effect where one virtuoso performance inspired another. Matthew Hayden and Justin Langer rattled up their third 200-plus opening stand for the summer. For perspective, previous double-century opening partnerships for Australia had come once every 10 years. Hayden and Langer had only been thrown together as a makeshift pair in August, which shows that for all the science in sport now, chance plays as big a part as ever. Theirs is a union that has grown greater than the sum of its parts.

Hayden made, with barely a false stroke, his fifth century of 2001, and surpassed Bob Simpson as Australia's leading run-maker in a calendar year. For eight years, he was thought to be too limited for Test cricket. He bided his time, making small modifications to his technique, neither complaining nor slackening in his run-scoring. Now at age 30, he rules the world.

Steve Waugh, out of form all summer and staring down cricketing mortality, was welcomed to the crease by a jolting spell of short bowling from Nantie Hayward, which he survived as much by luck as good management. When Shaun Pollock inexplicably decommissioned Hayward after four torrid overs, Waugh settled down to play with his old, crisp authority, until at 90 he came to an end that was as messy as his beginning. Diving to beat Herschelle Gibbs's direct hit from cover point, Waugh did not see that Darrell Hair had given him out without reference to the third umpire. Twenty seconds of confusion ensued before Waugh understood and left, for which delay he was cited for dissent and fined half his match fee by referee Ranjan Madugalle. Waugh was unlucky to be punished, for his mistake was plausibly innocent.

The Australian bowling was even and unrelenting, twice restricting South Africa to inadequate scores. Brett Lee took five wickets, Glenn McGrath and Andy Bichel four each, Shane Warne three and Mark Waugh one. With Jason Gillespie injured, Lee, out of sorts in Adelaide, rose to new-ball responsibilities in Melbourne and bowled consistently fast. McGrath was at his metronomic best, Bichel cost Australia nothing as Gillespie's substitute and Warne, bowling on an unfavourable pitch, opened up old cracks in South Africa's psyche.

South Africa batted with some conviction after being sent in by Waugh. Neil McKenzie made another capable half-century; Jacques Kallis, Mark Boucher and Pollock all scored runs and much-scorned No. 11 Hayward played an hour's worth of passably straight bat to put on 44 with Pollock. But in the second innings, from the early falls of Gary Kirsten and the irresponsibly reckless Gibbs, South Africa played like a beaten team.

Only Kallis added to his reputation. He had been ridiculed pre-series for saying he meant to bat as if no one could dismiss him. Here he was as good as his word. Despite some awkwardness against the short ball in the first innings, he looked to have weathered the storm, when he was given out caught behind, though bowler Bichel showed only belated interest and wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist none at all. In the second innings, Kallis stood tall, straight and still for nearly five hours while his team-mates crumbled. Finally, not trusting Hayward, he called for a risky two, stumbled as he turned, and was run out by Damien Martyn's long throw for 99.

South Africa were grim in disposition and tactically obtuse. There was a yeoman quality about their game in the first two Tests that was unlikely to trouble princely Australia. South Africa had come with powerful pretensions to the world championship, but had not threatened as much they had on their two previous tours of Australia, nor even as much as feisty New Zealand had, earlier in the year. Australia, said by some at summer's beginning to be an empire about to fall, still ruled handsomely.