Don Bradman on Friday. George Headley on Sunday. It’s a shame Test matches don’t span three innings per team or Phillip Hughes could have tried to knock off Garfield Sobers on Tuesday
Brydon Coverdale in Durban08-Mar-2009
Phillip Hughes’ family has a banana farm and he even looked slightly banana-shaped when he bent back to miss a couple of fizzing Dale Steyn bouncers © AFP
Don Bradman on Friday. George Headley on Sunday. It’s a shame Testmatches don’t span three innings per team or Phillip Hughes could havetried to knock off Garfield Sobers on Tuesday. But his Test career is only eight days old. He’s got to leave himself some challenges for thefuture.Hughes closed the third day at Kingsmead unbeaten on 136. Two daysafter he slotted in above Bradman on the list of Australia’s youngestTest centurions, he became the youngest man to score a century in eachinnings of a Test, beating the previous record-holder Headley, who was20 years and 267 days old when he destroyed England at Georgetown in1930.”It’s very exciting,” Hughes said after stumps, his voice soft andrespectful. “I didn’t actually know about that record until I walkedinto the sheds and a couple of guys mentioned it but it was one veryspecial moment.”Hughes has been so composed in the opening stages of his internationalcareer that it is hard to believe that four months ago he was ateenager. A healthy Simon Katich-like stubble adds to the impressionthat he is older than his 20 years and 98 days, as does his insistencethat he is Phillip, not Phil. But more than anything it’s his maturecricketing outlook that creates a deceptive air of experience.Apart from the aberration of his ugly and nervy fourth-ball duck inthe first innings at the Wanderers, Hughes has proven to be completelyunintimidated by what should have been a fearsome fast-bowling attackof Dale Steyn, Makhaya Ntini and Morne Morkel. And just for goodmeasure, the quick and bouncy Kingsmead pitch made his job less thansimple in the second innings.It was pleasing for Australia that Hughes adapted to the harderconditions after being blessed with a beautiful batting surface on thefirst morning. Whereas Hughes’ first Test century came at awonderfully entertaining strike-rate of 76, that figure dropped to 45for his second hundred as greater concentration was required.”Today I thought [Paul] Harris bowled beautifully into the rough, afew balls spitting here and there, and going everywhere really,”Hughes said. “I knew if I just kept going and batting there was a bigone for the taking. I had to be very patient and just a few overs hereand there sit on him and go from there.”Sit on Harris he did. And on the other bowlers. Hughes took 169deliveries to go from 50 to 100 as he toughed it and was nearlyovertaken by his captain Ricky Ponting, who had given Hughes a 24-runheadstart. Hughes still played his shots and cut and drove withprecision but there was none of the flashiness of racing through thenineties in four balls, as he had done on Friday.This time he spent 28 deliveries getting from 90 to triple-figures,defending the good balls and patiently waiting for a chance to pounce.When it came with a slash over the cordon off Morne Morkel, Hughes andhis partner Michael Hussey high-fived as they took off for a run.Australia’s coach Tim Nielsen said after Hughes’ second-innings 75 inJohannesburg that he was a young man who learnt “by the minute” and itwas a statement that will frighten opposition teams considering thehigh base from which he has started. His quick adaptation was ondisplay in Durban, where he appeared far more in control against shortstuff from Steyn and Morkel compared to the Wanderers, where he lookedto be backing away when balls were aimed at his head.His family has a banana farm and Hughes even looked slightlybanana-shaped when he bent back to miss a couple of fizzing Steynbouncers. Importantly, his feet were often planted and never did heback down. It was exactly what was expected by those who know Hughesbest, including his parents Greg and Virginia, who saw their son makea forgettable duck at the Wanderers before flying home to Macksvillein northern New South Wales.It’s a town with a population of just over 2000 and it’s fair to sayHughes is the king of Macksville. After his efforts over the pastthree days he can also lay claim to being Prince Phillip of Kingsmead.
