Australia's claim to be the best Test nation on the planet, already undermined by a 2-0 series defeat away to India in November and their loss last week to South Africa in Perth, was again weakened on the first day of the second Test in Melbourne when they slipped to 280 for six despite Ricky Ponting making his 37th Test hundred.

Ponting passed 1,000 runs in a calendar year for the fifth time and became Australia's most prolific run scorer against South Africa, beating Neil Harvey's 50-year-old record, but having been dropped on 24 by Neil McKenzie in the over before lunch, he failed to make it to a second interval, caught on 101 by Hashim Amla at short leg off Paul Harris in the over before tea.

It was South Africa's third wicket of the session. Ponting had put on 107 for the second wicket with Simon Katich, who also made his 1,000th run of 2008, but Katich was bowled by Dale Steyn on 54 and the same bowler enticed Mike Hussey to edge behind without scoring.

Matthew Hayden's miserable time with the bat continues. Having made 282 runs in 13 innings before this Test, questions were being asked about whether his impressive career had run out of steam. The 37-year-old said on Wednesday that he would assess his position after this series and having been caught at point for eight yesterday a retirement spent writing cookbooks - he already has two to his name - may have moved a shade closer.

Michael Clarke added 39 with Andrew Symonds and 54 with Brad Haddin but South Africa kept breaking partnerships and Clarke, 36 not out overnight, must now eke some runs from the tail if Australia are to register a competitive total. They have won their past nine Tests at the MCG, eight of them by heavy margins, but South Africa must be confident of halting that sequence and sealing a series win.

Sri Lanka were in greater trouble on the first day of their first Test against Bangladesh in Dhaka yesterday. More than 30 overs were lost to bad light but Bangladesh had time to reduce the visiting side to 172 for six.

History was made in Auckland when West Indies became the first team to win a Twenty20 international on a “Super Over”. The method for breaking a tied match was introduced for the Stanford Super Series in October, replacing the shootout of teams bowling at stumps, and was called into play after West Indies and New Zealand each made 155.

Chris Gayle, who made 67 in the match itself, hit 25 off Daniel Vettori's Super Over, including three sixes, to set New Zealand a testing target. Jacob Oram hit Sulieman Benn's first ball for six but was caught off the third and when Ross Taylor was bowled off the fourth, the match was over.