Cricket: Boon relieves the pain

AUSTRALIA'S batsmen, as generous to their opponents in the first Test as they were merciless in England last summer, were more like their old selves in Cape Town yesterday, steering their side towards a first-innings lead in the second Test against South Africa.

Following Allan Border's demand for 'more sensible' attitudes in the wake of that 197-run defeat in Johannesburg, painstaking knocks from David Boon and the captain himself, allied to a brisk unbeaten half-century from Steve Waugh, guided Australia to 336 for five in reply to South Africa's 361 in front of a record Newlands crowd of 18,236.

Boon, who fell four short of his 19th Test century when he was caught behind chasing a wide ball from Fanie de Villiers, was in occupation for 354 minutes and Border 274 minutes for his 45, the pair capitalising on the foundations dug by the opener Mark Taylor, who fell for 70 shortly after Australia resumed on 112 for one.

Only 51 runs came in the morning session against tight bowling from the South African seamers, de Villiers ending the second-wicket partnership of 105 when Taylor edged a reckless drive to wicketkeeper Dave Richardson. Mark Waugh had made only seven when he cracked Brian McMillan's first ball of the day out on the off side, only to see Peter Kirsten take a stunning catch at gully.