Close Australia 272 for 6 (Langer 115, Ponting 54, Henderson 3-55)
scorecard

Australia, buttressed by yet another century from Justin Langer, built a good position in the first Test at Adelaide in the series that will decide the Test Championship – but a familiar middle-order collapse after tea left honours roughly even at the end of the first day. One consolation for the Australians was the turn and bounce which South Africa's raw left-arm spinner Claude Henderson extracted from a patchy pitch. One of the not-out batsmen at the end of the day, SK Warne, was certainly watching with interest.

Henderson, who was playing in only his third Test, took the eye with his generous flight and languid loop. He shrugged off the indignity of being belted for six over midwicket by Langer – the blow that brought up his century – and later turned one enough to find Langer's edge and have him caught at slip for a splendid 115.

Langer's innings dominated the early part of the day. He started in businesslike fashion, offdriving Shaun Pollock for three in the first over to pass 3000 Test runs, and carried on peppering the cover fielders. Three fours rasped through there from Makhaya Ntini's first three balls. In all Langer batted for 332 minutes, and hit 15 fours and that six. It was his 11th Test century, on his debut against South Africa, and his fourth hundred in the last five Tests. He rarely looked in trouble, cutting and gliding as well as punching out those off-drives.

Langer and Matthew Hayden continued their great run of form since being thrown together at the top of the order, until Hayden chipped Lance Klusener casually to mid-off (80 for 1).

This brought in Ricky Ponting, who had an eventful start. He was dropped by Gary Kirsten in the gully at 6 - a straightforward chance which Kirsten failed to lay a hand on – and at 28 he was caught by Boeta Dippenaar at midwicket off a hairline no-ball from Pollock. Ponting also aggravated a back injury, requiring onfield treatment and pain-killers. Despite all that he was just beginning to hit top form, sweeping to 50 with a peachy off-drive off Henderson, before Langer called for a quick single into the covers. The handicapped Ponting was well beaten by Dippenaar's deft return (181 for 2).

The Waugh twins had received identical silver salvers before the game to commemorate their 100th Test together, but they managed only ten runs between them as the sort of middle-order dip that characterised the recent New Zealand series set in. Mark had made only 2 when he flashed at Nantie Hayward and was caught behind (199 for 3). At tea it was 203 for 3, and soon afterwards Steve was given out caught at silly point, although the TV replays suggested that the ball bounced up off his pad and through his arms without touching them or the bat (211 for 4).

Steve Waugh's dismissal came in the middle of a period when the Australians were having trouble steering the ball off the square. There were only 17 runs in the first hour after tea, and 23 in the first 20 overs. The brakes were applied by Pollock, who nonetheless went wicketless through the day, and the impressive Henderson, who followed up his Waughmongering with an important double strike.

First Langer's long vigil ended when he edged to slip, where Pollock took a good catch (238 for 5). Then, just as Adam Gilchrist started to threaten his usual Action Man antics, he heaved one straight to Hayward at midwicket (248 for 6).

Damien Martyn (37) and Shane Warne (7) survived to the close of an absorbing day to set before the 19,000 crowd. The Test Championship eliminator is well and truly under way, and it's hard to tell who's ahead on points.

Teams
Australia 1 Matthew Hayden, 2 Justin Langer, 3 Ricky Ponting, 4 Mark Waugh, 5 Steve Waugh (capt), 6 Damien Martyn, 7 Adam Gilchrist (wk), 8 Shane Warne, 9 Brett Lee, 10 Jason Gillespie, 11 Glenn McGrath.

South Africa 1 Gary Kirsten, 2 Herschelle Gibbs, 3 Jacques Kallis, 4 Neil McKenzie, 5 Boeta Dippenaar, 6 Mark Boucher (wk), 7 Lance Klusener, 8 Shaun Pollock (capt), 9 Claude Henderson, 10 Makhaya Ntini, 11 Nantie Hayward.

Steven Lynch will be sending exclusive bulletins on the play from Australia for Wisden.com throughout the series against South Africa. And Ian Healy, the former Australian wicketkeeper, will be delivering his authoritative Session by Session reports at lunch, tea and the close on each day of the series.

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