***Official*** South Africa In Australia

[Burgey]

Well, Ponting's hit the nail square on the head with a great big fat ****ing mallet in the post-match interview:
"For him [Johnson] to take 11 wickets in the match and to lose means you've had a fair few passengers in your team".

Amen.

Diabolical performance from Australia, despite SA's grand chase.

Meanwhile, Bollinger takes 6 for 60 odd on a flat day 4 deck in Sydney....

 

[Perm]

Hahahaha Tapanui. Has a nice cemetery, I'll give it that.

 

[howardj]

I'm getting very strong mail tonight, from my selection panel sources, that Ben Hilfenhaus will be drafted in for Siddle for the Boxing Day Test.

My mail is now even stronger than it was three days ago.

Hilfenhaus is certain to have a Baggygreen stuffed in his Festive stocking.

 

[pup11]

I know all the Australian top 6 deserve to be there, but I really think having a fifth bowler is something they need to think about. Especially with Haddin on form and a really very good tail.

But who would you drop on current form it can only be either be Haydos or Ponting, but i can't see either of them getting dropped, anyhow i think there is a very decent fifth bowler available to the Aussies in Symonds, he is not as good with the ball as Watto, but still he is deceptive enough and has the ability to pick a few wickets every now and again, i think Ponting missed a trick by not using him well in this game.

 

[Bees]

"For him [Johnson] to take 11 wickets in the match and to lose means you've had a fair few passengers in your team".

Do you think Punter had anyone in mind when he said that?

 

[KiWiNiNjA]

Always find it amusing when someone follows "I'm speechless" with a lot of blabbing.

Anyways, good to see AB get the MoM.

 

[Xuhaib]

"For him [Johnson] to take 11 wickets in the match and to lose means you've had a fair few passengers in your team".

Do you think Punter had anyone in mind when he said that?

himself.

 

[Burgey]

Each of his top 6 to start with, and two, possibly 3 of his bowlers as well I'd wager.

 

[Top_Cat]

"For him [Johnson] to take 11 wickets in the match and to lose means you've had a fair few passengers in your team".

Do you think Punter had anyone in mind when he said that?

Hopefully himself. Didn't have the best of matches with bat or in the field.

 

[Craig]

Yeah but I don't think Ponting is going to drop himself.

 

[pup11]

My mail is now even stronger than it was three days ago.

Hilfenhaus is certain to have a Baggygreen stuffed in his Festive stocking.

I would love to see that happen, but don;t be so sure about it, Siddle might just be given a chance to play the boxing day test in front of his home crowd.

 

[Uppercut]

Always find it amusing when someone follows "I'm speechless" with a lot of blabbing.

Anyways, good to see AB get the MoM.

Yeah, had to be AB when you consider his catches IMO.

 

[Redbacks]

How Siddle was picked give him time in FC cricket before throwing him in the deep end.

Lack of top order runs cost us the game, and the inability to dismiss our lower order cheaply almost cost South Africa

 

[howardj]

I would love to see that happen, but don;t be so sure about it, Siddle might just be given a chance to play the boxing day test in front of his home crowd.

No way - the Series will come first.

Selectors react savagely to a defeat like this especially in a 3 Test series.

 

[Top_Cat]

I would love to see that happen, but don;t be so sure about it, Siddle might just be given a chance to play the boxing day test in front of his home crowd.

I think such sentiment is really only gifted to guys wth plenty of interest in the bank. Siddle shouldn't play in Melbourne, on form. Thought he was much better today, though.

 

[Bees]

Rate the players 0-10:

Hayden
Katich
Ponting
Hussey
Clarke
Symonds
Haddin
Lee
Krejza
Johnson
Siddle

McKenzie
Smith
Amla
Kallis
DeVilliers
Duminy
Boucher
Morkel
Harris
Steyn
Ntini

 

[Burgey]

What's the point of picking another relatively short-in-stature right arm fast medium bowler whose main weapon is swing, when the ball hasn't swung in Australia anywhere barr Brisbane for about 5-10 years?

 

[Smudge]

Hahahaha Tapanui. Has a nice cemetery, I'll give it that.

Good place to die then?

We played cricket there once - our high school side hammered Blue Mountain College in the Gillette Cup. The whole school was given the afternoon off to watch the match ("oooh, dang those townies have come in their new-fangled van-contraption") and one of our fielders on the boundary had the displeasure of hearing one 13-year-old tell his chums how he had got a "stiffy" the night before.

 

[four_or_six]

No way - the Series will come first.

Selectors react savagely to a defeat like this especially in a 3 Test series.

Just swapping Siddle with Hilfenhaus isn't really that savage.

 

[howardj]

What's the point of picking another relatively short-in-stature right arm fast medium bowler whose main weapon is swing, when the ball hasn't swung in Australia anywhere barr Brisbane for about 5-10 years?

That's down to the bowlers though, in my opinion.

Hilfenhaus, like Adam Dale used to, is a genuine outswing bowler.