***Official*** South Africa In Australia

[Uppercut]

God (aka Warney) will be part of the commentary team for the Boxing Day Test.

Ah, will be looking forward to seeing how that goes, despite not having high hopes. How was he when he commentated during his ban, does anyone remember?

 

[Top_Cat]

Ah, will be looking forward to seeing how that goes, despite not having high hopes. How was he when he commentated during his ban, does anyone remember?

Smarter and more insightful than Healy/Taylor/Slater but just as prone to in-jokes, from memory.

Speaking of which, can we please, please stop the above three from commentating together? It's horrible and I hate turning the volume down!

 

[howardj]

Smarter and more insightful than Healy/Taylor/Slater but just as prone to in-jokes, from memory.

Speaking of which, can we please, please stop the above three from commentating together? It's horrible and I hate turning the volume down!

Yeah, Taylor's blokey, pub laugh really burns my cheese.

 

[dontcloseyoureyes]

(despite having huge success in a FC system where the ball barely ever swings and the pitches are generally very flat).

I don't know how well you follow domestic cricket in Aus but Shield wickets are usually reasonably lively. There's only been 4 scores of above 150 this season, for example, and a LOT of sides have been rolled cheap because of a lively wicket.

 

[mikeW]

**** Hauritz off and play 4 pace men and Symonds.


It is embarrassing that hewas even in the squad. We can get away with him playing against hack teams like NZ but SA will cream him.

 

[Top_Cat]

I don't know how well you follow domestic cricket in Aus but Shield wickets are usually reasonably lively. There's only been 4 scores of above 150 this season, for example, and a LOT of sides have been rolled cheap because of a lively wicket.

Last season was even more of a fast bowler's paradise too.

That there probably explains why Bracken hasn't gotten a serious go. The perception is that he plays half his games in Sydney where the weather and pitch are more conducive to swing bowling and that he cashes in on the weaker sides. Like most generalisations, they're not unilaterally true but have an element of truth to them.

 

[Spikey]

Anyway my spies tell me that Symonds has a knee injury (which also prevented him from bowling in Perth) and must pass a fitness test.

And they're right

ANDREW Symonds is struggling with a knee injury that has left him in doubt for the Boxing Day Test against South Africa at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,8659,24839129-23212,00.html

 

[Uppercut]

I don't know how well you follow domestic cricket in Aus but Shield wickets are usually reasonably lively. There's only been 4 scores of above 150 this season, for example, and a LOT of sides have been rolled cheap because of a lively wicket.

Last season was even more of a fast bowler's paradise too.

That there probably explains why Bracken hasn't gotten a serious go. The perception is that he plays half his games in Sydney where the weather and pitch are more conducive to swing bowling and that he cashes in on the weaker sides. Like most generalisations, they're not unilaterally true but have an element of truth to them.

Ah, fair enough, i don't see any Aussie domestic stuff so i'll take your word for it. I was just emphasising how good averaging 25~ is when you play over there, because very, very few seem to do it (quality of batsmen is more of an influence i guess). For comparison's sake, this year in England 27 bowlers with over 20 CC wickets averaged less than 25. So it's clearly more of an achievement for Bracken than it would be in England.

 

[aussie]

In my 11 years watching & supporting Australia i have never had so much negative nervous energy going into a test match.

Antigua 99, Chennai 01 & the Oval 05 comes close, but the BIG difference now is i am struggling to believe Australia can actually win.

If at midnight UK time i see Haurtiz name in the final XI (especially as part of a 4-Man attack) i don't think i will be able to watch the test match.

I see Symonds has an injury cloud, hmm this may be a harsh view but i hope he misses out Watson plays to give the right balance & of course to do something big, because i really fear Hauritz will play.

 

[pup11]

In my 11 years watching & supporting Australia i have never had so much negative nervous energy going into a test match.

Antigua 99, Chennai 01 & the Oval 05 comes close, but the BIG difference now is i am struggling to believe Australia can actually win.

If at midnight UK time i see Haurtiz name in the final XI (especially as part of a 4-Man attack) i don't think i will be able to watch the test match.

I see Symonds has an injury cloud, hmm this may be a harsh view but i hope he misses out Watson plays to give the right balance & of course to do something big, because i really fear Hauritz will play.

Jeez mate, chill out a bit there, the situation is not good for the Aussies but its not as if Aussies have transformed from a good team to a bunch of no-hoppers overnight, the bowling has been off the boil since India and sadly despite Johnners bowling well there hasn't been much support from the other end, Symonds' injury does open the doors for Watto but i think if Symonds misses the test his batting would be missed, as much as i would love to see Watto play, but nobody can deny Symmo' counter-attacking batting lends an extra edge to the Aussies, but then hopefully Watto if he plays can lend some much needed solidarity to the bowling unit.

 

[mikeW]

Watto injured his back at training, batted later on though....

 

[pup11]

Watto injured his back at training, batted later on though....

*sigh*

 

[odeprag]

both all rounders will not be fully fit then. Hopefully Watson can bowl beacuse there is no place in the top order for him ATM. IMO:.

 

[Evermind]

Watson isn't half the batsman Symonds is - let's be honest here. If I were an Australian fan, I'd be praying very hard for Symonds to recover.

How sorely do they miss Clark now!

 

[andyc]

Watson isn't half the batsman Symonds is - let's be honest here. If I were an Australian fan, I'd be praying very hard for Symonds to recover.

How sorely do they miss Clark now!

Exactly. He's better.

 

[aussie]

Jeez mate, chill out a bit there, the situation is not good for the Aussies but its not as if Aussies have transformed from a good team to a bunch of no-hoppers overnight, the bowling has been off the boil since India and sadly despite Johnners bowling well there hasn't been much support from the other end, Symonds' injury does open the doors for Watto but i think if Symonds misses the test his batting would be missed, as much as i would love to see Watto play, but nobody can deny Symmo' counter-attacking batting lends an extra edge to the Aussies, but then hopefully Watto if he plays can lend some much needed solidarity to the bowling unit.

As i've mentioned before, if there is anything that is going to contribute greatly to Australia losing a lot more, in the post McGrath/Warne era its the unpredicabilty of the selectors.

Australia would have lost in India definately given that the seamers didn't get the ball to reverse swing, but the selection of White was horrific. Looking back Krejza should have probably played for the 1st test regardless.

Yes i am being harsh in hoping Symonds does miss out so tha*****on can play. But the painful fact is, Hauritz is in the squad & its fair presume he is going to play based on the selectors form. Really don't believe they are going to 12th man him & play 4 seamers if Symo is deemed fit on Boxing day.

So there is MUCH reason to be seriously concerned.

 

[Stapel]

When did the Aussies lose a home series for the last time?

 

[howardj]

When did the Aussies lose a home series for the last time?

1992/1993 mate, versus the Windies

Absolute Shakespearean tragedy in Adelaide.

 

[pup11]

As i've mentioned before, if there is anything that is going to contribute greatly to Australia losing a lot more, in the post McGrath/Warne era its the unpredicabilty of the selectors.

Australia would have lost in India definately given that the seamers didn't get the ball to reverse swing, but the selection of White was horrific. Looking back Krejza should have probably played for the 1st test regardless.

Yes i am being harsh in hoping Symonds does miss out so tha*****on can play. But the painful fact is, Hauritz is in the squad & its fair presume he is going to play based on the selectors form. Really don't believe they are going to 12th man him & play 4 seamers if Symo is deemed fit on Boxing day.

So there is MUCH reason to be seriously concerned.

Mate look Australia need to play a spinner and that's a fact given how ****ty the Aussie overrates have been for a while, the second thing is Australian bowling needs a bit of variety in their attack, Krejza would have been the prefered choice given he has shown bits of talent admist getting hammered time and again, but Australian pace attack given their current state can't afford someone like Krejza who would be going for so many runs, Hauritz has better control over his deliveries and though doesn't posses great wicket taking ability or anything, he is capable of keeping it tight and that's all the Aussie think tank is hoping he would do.

Well Hauritz' is not someone who i wouldn't even rate as a FC spinner leave alone a test spinner, but given the direness of Aussie spin stocks he is the best possible option left, and lets be honest if we go in with 4 fast bowlers and the wicket turns out to be as flat as the one at Perth, then i don't think having an extra quick would do much either to help the cause, but if there is something there in the deck then three quicks + Symonds' medium pace should do the job, again i know that Hauritz won't feauture in Australia best 4 bowlers in the present circumstances, but his selection is more on the basis of the overrates issue than anything else.

 

[Uppercut]

If Australia have started selecting players on the basis of trying to keep overrates down instead of trying to win matches they may resign themselves to never being number one again.