Gritty Faf du Plessis Scores A Ton - South Africa vs Australia - 2nd April, 2018
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00:00You
00:30saw the issue with Bancroft earlier on in the series.
00:35Something he's going to have to work on, Renshaw.
00:41End of the 13th. 21 for 1.
01:00Oh, that's a mis-dumping.
01:03Turned some distance but past the gloves of Tempain.
01:06That's gone for 4.
01:10Must have been a bit of bat on it.
01:15This continues the frustration for Nathan Lyon.
01:19He's bowled a lot of overs, a lot of overs on the trot.
01:24Right.
01:26That's away in front of square on the offside and that's gone for 4.
01:30Nice shot from Faf du Plessis.
01:34And the lead goes past 400.
01:39This has been the world of good. Du Plessis has been struggling.
01:43And the time of the crease really helps.
01:47Short delivery and that's beautifully played.
01:52That's a good shot from Faf du Plessis.
01:55Early on day 4.
01:58I don't know if that was an attempted bounce.
02:00Maybe just a drag down in length.
02:02But pulled away beautifully by Faf.
02:05Nathan Lyon at short.
02:07Didn't see it at all.
02:12Tremendous hammer.
02:15He loves to fight, this guy.
02:18He knows he's in one. It's 1.47 for 3.
02:23Something positive.
02:25They've been fighting it out.
02:27A lot of defensive play.
02:31Du Plessis goes off the one.
02:33Does it well.
02:36He hasn't had that many bad balls.
02:38But he figured that was wide.
02:40So he could throw the bat at it.
02:42And he found the gap.
03:12That's a good swing, captain.
03:19Goes again.
03:21Smashes it.
03:24It's good to see some intensity come into the game.
03:28It's not so much that South Africa have been batting on.
03:30It's just the way they've been batting.
03:32I think that brings the game to a standstill.
03:34But Du Plessis in the last three overs.
03:36We've seen a cover drive over.
03:38Extra cover.
03:40Faf's making a real message.
03:44He's almost printing it out for Australia to read.
03:47We're crushing you, is what it says.
03:56Very unusual.
03:58You won't see Faf Du Plessis doing that sort of a thing.
04:01To even medium pacers.
04:06This time, Faf Du Plessis misses the short leg.
04:08And it makes its way to the boundary.
04:121-6-9 for three.
04:19Deciding the attack is the best form of defence.
04:22Faf Du Plessis.
04:24Hitting with the spin.
04:26Which is always the best way.
04:28Just finding the gap.
04:30There's two men in the deep.
04:32That's dissected them perfectly.
04:38That's beautifully punched off the back.
04:40That'll be a boundary for Faf Du Plessis.
04:42Take him into the 70s.
04:46Since he got whacked on the finger.
04:48He's just sprung to life, hasn't he?
04:50Played quite superbly.
04:52He probably thought, I can either stand you and get the odd one that misbehaves.
04:55Or I can put the pedal down.
04:57And he's done exactly that.
04:59That's as good as it gets.
05:01We haven't seen much of this from Faf.
05:04Sweeps that one.
05:06Gone the whole way.
05:08That'll be 6 for Faf Du Plessis.
05:12Brings up the 204 South Africa.
05:16Men in the deep.
05:18But it's a fairly short boundary.
05:20To that corner of the ground.
05:24A little bit top edge-ish.
05:26But it's flying away.
05:28Made it easily.
05:30Man in the deep had no chance.
05:32Young fellow missed his opportunity there, didn't he?
05:34Yeah, the man on the bank.
05:36The young kid on the bank.
05:38He had plenty of chance to take it.
05:42It's a quicker delivery from Nathan Lyon.
05:44That's gone for 4 in the end.
05:5088 now for Faf Du Plessis.
05:58He's cracked that.
06:00He's got that away for 4.
06:02Into the 90s.
06:04Moves to 92 now.
06:06Faf Du Plessis, a bit of aggression.
06:08215 for 3.
06:14He hasn't missed out when he's gone to play the big shots.
06:16Hitting with the spin.
06:22It's a beauty.
06:24That really is a magnificent shot from Faf Du Plessis.
06:26Takes him now to 96.
06:28Just about the best of the innings.
06:32He's 96.
06:34But this is as good as he's played.
06:36He's played a lot of good shots.
06:38This is my pick.
06:42He's got an edge.
06:44And it's gone down.
06:46There it is.
06:48What a performance from Faf Du Plessis.
06:50That is some 100.
06:52He has struggled against Australia up until now.
06:54Didn't last long in the first innings.
06:56But he can be really proud of this knock.
07:00That's innings to savour.
07:02Faf Du Plessis.
07:04You can see the immense pride in his face.
07:06It's been a long time.
07:08Crowd supporting him.
07:10That's his wife.
07:12And little kid.
07:14They love it.
07:18There's a man back who could
07:20watch it sail over for 6.
07:22Not many strokes hit for 6.
07:24Backward point off the front foot.
07:26Not many off the back foot either.
07:28But the front foot.
07:30That is remarkable.
07:32OK, we are at high altitude.
07:34Yes, I understand all that.
07:36But that went a long, long way.
07:38Off the front foot.
07:40Just opening the face of the bat.
07:44We are accustomed to seeing Vivian Richards
07:46giving himself room to hit
07:48over extra cover.
07:52Well, that sums up
07:54what I was about to say.
07:56This innings has highlighted
07:58his range and power of stroke.
08:002.59 to 3.
08:223.59 to 3.59