Symonds: Yeah, I can bat

2005-12-29 15:28

John Pye

Melbourne - Andrew Symonds looked his critics squarely in the eyes, just as he'd done with the South Africans before he'd clubbed their bowling all around the MCG.

"Yeah, I can bat," the Australian allrounder told a media conference on Thursday after blazing a ground-record six sixes as he scored 72 runs from 54 balls on day four of the second cricket Test.

He took two wickets for six runs in the evening session as Australia moved within four wickets of victory in Melbourne and a 1-0 series lead going into the third and final Test starting Monday in Sydney.

Symonds had scored an aggregate of only 101 runs halfway through his sixth Test at an average of 11.2 and was coming off a first-ball duck in the first innings here.

His Test career appeared all but over because he hadn't been able to unleash the dynamic batting that he's consistently produced in the last two years in limited-overs internationals.

But he said he was more confident with the bat after capturing career-best bowling figures of 3-50 in South Africa's first innings

"I was more relaxed. I felt ready to take up the challenge and wasn't nervous," said Symonds, who joined Matt Hayden at the crease with Australia at 193-4 in its second innings, a lead of 237 runs.

A bit more aggressive

He got off the mark with mighty six straight back over Graeme Smith's head and reached his maiden Test 50 - 39 balls later - in similar fashion off Andre Nel's bowling.

"My idea was to be a bit more aggressive - play, ideally a situation like one-day cricket. It was well set up."

The Queensland pair put on 124 runs in 66 minutes. Hayden was out for 137 in the 83rd over and Symonds was out two balls later - both trying to hit Jacques Kallis out of the ground.

"Hopefully that can kick-start me into this Test cricket caper."

Australia set South Africa 366 to win and the tourists were 99-6 with 90 overs remaining.

Symonds said he hadn't been able to properly compare his Test innings with his breakthrough innings in one-day cricket, a critical 143 not out against Pakistan to start Australia's defense in the 2003 World Cup.

"I was just trying to enjoy the actual moment," he said. "To have my first bit of proper success with the bat, I was just trying to soak it up."

Symonds said he'd probably let his guard down sometime on Friday.

"If we win this Test match, my emotions probably will flow," he said. "At the moment, I feel slightly relieved and happy I've contributed to the cause.

"I'll lift my guard completely when that last wicket, hopefully, is taken and I can sit down and try and draw some positive things out of it - hopefully for another Test match."

- SAPA