Hayden fails, Australia struggles

South Africa celebrates the dismissal of Matthew Hayden.

Scoreboard at tea on the fourth day of the second Test between Australia and South Africa at Melbourne Cricket Ground today.

Australia 1st innings 394
South Africa 1st innings 459

Australia 2nd Innings Mins Balls 4s 6s

M HAYDEN c Duminy b Steyn 23 47 28 3 0

S KATICH c Boucher b Steyn 15 56 40 2 0

R PONTING not out 87 184 138 7 0

M HUSSEY c Amla b Morkel 2 13 8 0 0

M CLARKE c McKenzie b Steyn 29 101 79 4 0

A SYMONDS c Kallis b Steyn 0 2 5 0 0

B HADDIN c Kallis b Ntini 10 31 35 0 1

B LEE b Kallis 8 20
Sundries (3lb 3nb) 6

Seven wickets for 180

Fall: 37 (Hayden), 40 (Katich), 49 (Hussey), 145 (Clarke), 145 (Symonds), 165 (Haddin), 180 (Lee).

Bowling: D Steyn 14-3-46-4 (1nb), M Ntini 12-1-24-1, M Morkel 11-2-35-1 (2nb), P Harris 13-0-30-0, J Kallis 8.3-1-42-1.

Batting time: 234 mins. Overs: 58.3.

Umpires: Aleem Dar (PAK), Billy Doctrove (WIN).

Match Referee: Ranjan Madugalle (SRI).

Third Umpire: Bruce Oxenford (AUS).

AUSTRALIA's hopes of keeping the series alive and Matthew Hayden's fading career took another hit when South Africa instigated a dramatic top order collapse on the fourth morning of the Boxing Day Test.

But it was the controversial dismissal of Michael Hussey that caused Australia most heartache.

Towering paceman Morne Morkel produced a nasty bouncer that reared up off the pitch and appeared to strike Hussey on the helmet, before ballooning up to Hashim Amla at mid-wicket.

The stony look on the faces of Hussey and his batting partner Ricky Ponting told the story after the West Australian batsman was given out for 2 by umpire Aleem Dar despite the ball missing both his bat and gloves.

The poor decision added to the catalogue of disasters for Australia and Hussey in this Test. Hussey made a duck in the first innings and on Sunday panicked underneath a high catch that was lost in the sun.

After Australia resumed at 0-4, still 61 runs behind South Africa following the day three heroics of JP Duminy and the Proteas tail, Hayden made an encouraging start, playing a nice drive before he popped a simple catch up to short extra cover for 23.

Australia lost three wickets before wiping out the deficit, after Simon Katich was caught behind chasing a wide ball off Dale Steyn, who has seven wickets for the match.

After a frenetic start to the session, Ponting and his deputy Michael Clarke restored some calm and guided Australia to 3-86 at lunch.