***Official*** South Africa In Australia

[Precambrian]

Gough's effort ball got him to clock at 145 kph. He was never consistently bowling that speed.

Steyn consistently bowls 145+ kph with an effort ball going above 150 kph.

 

[Uppercut]

He is definitely "better" against RHBs. However his record against LHBs would make any bowler proud. His performances in England should be seen with a pinch of salt, because he was well far from his best there.

Indeed, and part of the issue was the lefty-lefty opening partnership. You see him bowl to Michael Vaughan in that series?

Do agree that there's not too much one can take from that series though; Steyn played two tests in England. He bowled very poorly in one, and very well in the other. Then got injured, and that was that.

 

[stphn]

Most of the Hype created over the SA attack was first by English Media and now Aus media, SA media tends to be circumspect. See here:

It is definitely our best attack in the last 20 yrs though and given time has the potential to become the best pace attack in the world. I like all the hype Steyn is getting as I pick Ntini as SA bowler of the series.
Our top 6 have been doing a superb job in the last two years but our last 4 wickets are falling cheap, not like SA of old.

My worries as a SA supporter- terrified of Hayden and Ponting (obviously) but they always up their game against us and Lee in good form will give any batsmen in the world a torrid time.

In the end I think this is to close to call.. but will say Win to SA 2-1 (Have to support your team).

 

[Matt79]

Most of the Hype created over the SA attack was first by English Media and now Aus media, SA media tends to be circumspect. See here:

It is definitely our best attack in the last 20 yrs though and given time has the potential to become the best pace attack in the world. I like all the hype Steyn is getting as I pick Ntini as SA bowler of the series.
Our top 6 have been doing a superb job in the last two years but our last 4 wickets are falling cheap, not like SA of old.

My worries as a SA supporter- terrified of Hayden and Ponting (obviously) but they always up their game against us and Lee in good form will give any batsmen in the world a torrid time.

In the end I think this is to close to call.. but will say Win to SA 2-1 (Have to support your team).

No way - what about most of the attacks including Donald, Pollock, and combinations of De Villiers, Kallis, Kluesener, McMillan, Cronje, Symcox in the 90s...

 

[NUFAN]

Yeah I don't think this is the best attack in the past 20 years.

Ntini is past his best and shouldn't trouble anyone in our top 5 [didn't say 6 cause of Symonds], Morkel appears to bowl a fair few 4 balls, as shown by his economy rate against Bangladesh and Harris may be tidy, but he's not going to run through a side.

As for Steyn, well it's anyone's guess.

 

[Matt79]

I think at this stage, we can still safely say that both Donald and Pollock were in their youth > Steyn

The best combination SA attack, on paper at least? Fanie was nearing the end then.

 

[Uppercut]

Yeah I don't think this is the best attack in the past 20 years.

Ntini is past his best and shouldn't trouble anyone in our top 5 [didn't say 6 cause of Symonds], Morkel appears to bowl a fair few 4 balls, as shown by his economy rate against Bangladesh and Harris may be tidy, but he's not going to run through a side.

Hmm, i think there might just be something left in the old horse. I sure hope so anyway. Bowled scarily well against Bangladesh and of the five SA bowlers he's the best suited to the pitches we're likely to see. Has the Indian sign over an out-of-form Hayden, too.

 

[Matt79]

Hmm, i think there might just be something left in the old horse. I sure hope so anyway. Bowled scarily well against Bangladesh and of the five SA bowlers he's the best suited to the pitches we're likely to see. Has the Indian sign over an out-of-form Hayden, too.

So did Jason Gillespie in his last series.

 

[stphn]

I think at this stage, we can still safely say that both Donald and Pollock were in their youth > Steyn

The best combination SA attack, on paper at least? Fanie was nearing the end then.

This is about the closest it comes to the current attack.

I am aware that Devillers, Pollock and Donald where brilliant, but they never really played together for any length of time and only Pollock and Donald played for a good length together. Devillers only played 18 matches.

We went through a whole lot of other bowlers like Snell, Schultz,Mathews and more recently Klusner and Nel but have always struggled with that first and second change options.

Currently with Morkel as first change and Kallis as second this is a forminable attack.

And If you look at the stats of youthful Pollock and Donald versus Steyn may be surprised, but Steyn is better. He reached 100 wickets faster than any other South African. (I am aware Bangladesh where not a test playing nation in Donald and Pollocks youth).

 

[Prince EWS]

Pollock, Ntini, Nel, Kallis and Boje > the current attack as it stands, IMO. The current attack has a lot of potential but it lacks in actual performance so far for mine and Morkel is fast becoming one of the most over-rated (well, perhaps too-early-rated would be more apt) bowlers of all time.

 

[Ernest]

My modest opinion

I think this series (apart from some serious heroics by some new Aussie cricketer) will expose the Australian cricket team finally to what it really is.. a bunch of mediocre players that fed around some greats that just happened to appear on the Aussie scene. We aren't godlike as a cricketing nation and if the saffies can come back against some determined English at home then I'd day they will wipe the floor with our attack.

Brett Lee is a joke, Johnson only slighly less laughable.. Clark is the only real threat and I'd say Mackenizie will nullify the new ball attack and then the middle order carnage will result..

Real pace from Steyne & Morkel will dissolve our batting line up as surely as Jones & Flintoff did in 2005. We haven't faced this kind of pace attack since then.

Looking forward to seeing how Hussey's average takes a dive when playing some real bowlers.. and then the strong batting line up taking a crappy bowling attack with no real spinner by the scruff of the neck and then exposing how weak we have really become.

Apart from that I want Katich to make runs and hopeing some new blood comes into the side.. get rid of Symonds he is a liability but Watson isn't really the best..

So many good cricketers languishing in domestic cricket. Time for a sweep out.

Sack Ponting and get Michael Clarke in there.

 

[Jakester1288]

I think this series (apart from some serious heroics by some new Aussie cricketer) will expose the Australian cricket team finally to what it really is.. a bunch of mediocre players that fed around some greats that just happened to appear on the Aussie scene. We aren't godlike as a cricketing nation and if the saffies can come back against some determined English at home then I'd day they will wipe the floor with our attack.

Brett Lee is a joke, Johnson only slighly less laughable.. Clark is the only real threat and I'd say Mackenizie will nullify the new ball attack and then the middle order carnage will result..

Real pace from Steyne & Morkel will dissolve our batting line up as surely as Jones & Flintoff did in 2005. We haven't faced this kind of pace attack since then.

Looking forward to seeing how Hussey's average takes a dive when playing some real bowlers.. and then the strong batting line up taking a crappy bowling attack with no real spinner by the scruff of the neck and then exposing how weak we have really become.

Apart from that I want Katich to make runs and hopeing some new blood comes into the side.. get rid of Symonds he is a liability but Watson isn't really the best..

So many good cricketers languishing in domestic cricket. Time for a sweep out.

Sack Ponting and get Michael Clarke in there.

Very interesting post, especially from an Australian fan.

So many good cricketers languishing in domestic cricket.

We don't have a test quality spinner at the moment, but we are working on Krejza especially, with Hauritz, for the future. He is probably our best hope according to what I have read, having never seen him bowl, apart from a few deliveries in the nets.

get rid of Symonds he is a liability but Watson isn't really the best

I agree that Symonds should have not been straight back into the side, but I think he should have made it back sometime in 2009, when he had been making runs in the domestic competition/s for the Bulls. He has not proved that he deserves another go, and when he gets back into the side, he goes and creates controversy in a pub.

Watson is decent, not good enough to bat 6 in test cricket, but then you could argue neither is Symonds. I reckon we could run with the top 5 of Katich, Hayden, Ponting, Hussey and Clarke, then Haddin, Watson and your 4 bowlers, being Krejza, Lee, Johnson and Clark.

Sack Ponting and get Michael Clarke in there

In one word - Stupid. Ponting is doing a good job as captain, and you are not going to drop/sack the captain in a rough patch for a team. It would be a stupid idea, when Australia kept faith in Border, it payed off in future years, and I reckon Clarke isn't right yet to captain the side for test matches. However, I reckon he should captain in all the one dayers, and Ponting rest up a bit, and recharge for the test matches. Then Clarke gets more experience on his own, and can learn under Ponting for the test captaincy in a few years time.

Brett Lee is a joke, Johnson only slighly less laughable

Brett Lee a joke? He has the second most wickets in the calendar year FFS, and you call him a joke? Johnson is not far behind, and has improved immensely.

 

[Langeveldt]

Kallis Blasted

Truth be told, neither Stackpole or Hogg are fit to shine Jacques's boots. Hogg claims that Kallis always goes missing against Australia, yet he averages over 50 against them out here. I hate how the media wheels out these same former players, every damn year, to have a chop at whatever touring team is out here.

Yeah the media circus is really boring in Australia.. "Glenn McGrath says Warne will be a vital factor.." Exciting stuff.. I love how our best players get panned as well, shame they can't say something that actually holds a bit of truth like "Ontong is only in the squad because he is coloured"

 

[Langeveldt]

I think this series (apart from some serious heroics by some new Aussie cricketer) will expose the Australian cricket team finally to what it really is.. a bunch of mediocre players that fed around some greats that just happened to appear on the Aussie scene. We aren't godlike as a cricketing nation and if the saffies can come back against some determined English at home then I'd day they will wipe the floor with our attack.

Brett Lee is a joke, Johnson only slighly less laughable.. Clark is the only real threat and I'd say Mackenizie will nullify the new ball attack and then the middle order carnage will result..

Real pace from Steyne & Morkel will dissolve our batting line up as surely as Jones & Flintoff did in 2005. We haven't faced this kind of pace attack since then.

Looking forward to seeing how Hussey's average takes a dive when playing some real bowlers.. and then the strong batting line up taking a crappy bowling attack with no real spinner by the scruff of the neck and then exposing how weak we have really become.

Apart from that I want Katich to make runs and hopeing some new blood comes into the side.. get rid of Symonds he is a liability but Watson isn't really the best..

So many good cricketers languishing in domestic cricket. Time for a sweep out.

Sack Ponting and get Michael Clarke in there.

Eh? Even as a SA fan I have to totally disagree with you.. It will be an interesting series but one Australia should win, because they are consistently the world's best test team based on a culture of hard cricket and fantastic facilities and climate.. Not some random flash in the pan, very strange attitude.. I think there are some mediocre Aussie cricketers coming through which no doubt gives hope, but I can't see us getting past Ponting, Clarke and Hussey, not to mention Hayden when he finds some form

 

[Speersy]

I used to think Johnson was a joke, but he just keeps taking wickets, and against top order batsmen. Just don't think the right handers can handle the ball coming across them at 140k's + all day long.

 

[Top_Cat]

Gough's effort ball got him to clock at 145 kph. He was never consistently bowling that speed.

Steyn consistently bowls 145+ kph with an effort ball going above 150 kph.

Nah for a while there he really was. Remember people making a big deal about it at the time when England were here in 1998, mainly because it was the first attempt at making public regular, on-the-fly timings. I never thought he was that quick but, well, the speedgun made for some convincing evidence.

 

[howardj]

I think this series (apart from some serious heroics by some new Aussie cricketer) will expose the Australian cricket team finally to what it really is.. a bunch of mediocre players that fed around some greats that just happened to appear on the Aussie scene. We aren't godlike as a cricketing nation and if the saffies can come back against some determined English at home then I'd day they will wipe the floor with our attack.

Brett Lee is a joke, Johnson only slighly less laughable.. Clark is the only real threat and I'd say Mackenizie will nullify the new ball attack and then the middle order carnage will result..

Real pace from Steyne & Morkel will dissolve our batting line up as surely as Jones & Flintoff did in 2005. We haven't faced this kind of pace attack since then.

Looking forward to seeing how Hussey's average takes a dive when playing some real bowlers.. and then the strong batting line up taking a crappy bowling attack with no real spinner by the scruff of the neck and then exposing how weak we have really become.

Apart from that I want Katich to make runs and hopeing some new blood comes into the side.. get rid of Symonds he is a liability but Watson isn't really the best..

So many good cricketers languishing in domestic cricket. Time for a sweep out.

Sack Ponting and get Michael Clarke in there.

Hard to know where to start.

 

[Atreyu]

WA doing a good job of restricting SA at 5.3 overs only 4 runs scored off the bat

 

[heathrf1974]

I think at this stage, we can still safely say that both Donald and Pollock were in their youth > Steyn

The best combination SA attack, on paper at least? Fanie was nearing the end then.

I think the best SA bowler of the past 20 years was Fanie Devilliers Donald and Pollock never really troubled Australia during a series. I do think Steyn might be better. I was impressed with SA's series in India. A very tough tour.

 

[TT Boy]

50 for Amla, coming at a fair lick as well. Kallis seems to be struggling though, spent fifty minutes on 3.