Ntini proud to equal Marshall

Proteas seamer Makhaya Ntini has Ian Botham's wicket tally firmly in his own sights

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South Africa pace bowler Makhaya Ntini is poised to pass his hero Malcolm Marshall's mark for Test wickets when play resumes in the second Test against Australia at the MCG.

After taking opener Matthew Hayden's wicket for the ninth time in his career, Ntini got Brad Haddin too - to draw level with the West Indies great on 376 wickets in 12th place on the all-time list - late on a first day which finished with the hosts on 280 for six.

"As a bowler if you equal your hero it makes a huge difference, and then at least it shows you are someone," said Ntini.

"Then you become one of those heroes as well. Whoever comes behind you has to pass your name. Those are the kinds of things you have to enjoy."

Ntini could also move past Ian Botham (383) by the end of this series and set his sights on chasing Shaun Pollock (421) - who is the leading South Africa wicket-taker of all time.

First, though, he has his eyes on winning this Test and the series for South Africa.

"We've done very well not to let them pass 300 in the first day," he said.

"If you say to every team you can be in the same position as we are, you'd be very delighted."

Matthew Hayden is struggling for runs and is now a concern for Australia

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Australia captain Ricky Ponting, meanwhile, has conceded Hayden's poor run is starting to be a worry.

Ponting hit a ton in response to the criticism his team faced following the opening-Test defeat in Perth, but Hayden had only himself to blame when he drove a fullish delivery from Ntini straight to point.

The dismissal has left the 37-year-old with just 290 runs at an average of 22.3 since opening 2008 with back-to-back tons in Sydney and Adelaide.

"He hasn't got the runs that he would have hoped for and that we would have hoped for - but we've had a pretty good day still," said Ponting.

"He'll get another opportunity in the second innings, and we hope he can grab hold of that one with both hands and make a big score."

Ntini, meanwhile, is refusing to write off the veteran opener.

"Cricket has got a way of 'paying' you," he believes. "It's got a way of showing your downfalls - and if you get frustrated very quickly, they're easy to show.

"But if you are a hard worker and take the mistake and try to change it to a positive, you never know...he may come up in the second innings and score a hundred."