***Official*** Australia in South Africa

[Burgey]

The more we answer, the quicker he gets banned, imo.

You're right, of course.

 

[popepouri]

Aussie team looks good for such an inexperienced outfit. Question marks if they sustain that level of cricket throughout the series. I reckon SA will come hard next time.

 

[Ausage]

Not that an Aussie fan would care but I don't think any India fan will ever recognise that series victory!

I think's it's worth bearing in mind that this Aussie bowling attack bowled as well as it could while the Saffies were well, well below par. The Australian team just has too many holes in it for my liking, these were the best possible conditions for this attack, on a flatter track or in the subcontinent I have serious reservations over their ability to take 20 wickets. I anticipate at least 2 draws in this Ashes series as both sides bowling attacks are shown up on good batting surfaces. In India Australia didn't look anything like winning a test, this 4 man pace attack will rarely work. The Indians and SA have designed their attacks to take wickets on flat pitches and I'd back them both to outperform Australia in all conditions, especially India. That said Australia's batting and fielding will still make them a very tough side to beat and credit to them for a fantastic performance in this test to catch the Saffies napping.

Personally I think it's a shoot off between SA and India with Australia a very competitive third.

I know what you mean, and you're likely correct, but the Australian attack has come a long way since the India tour. Johnson gets better by the day. Siddle is a better bowler than he was then, and is bowling better than Lee was in that series. I reckon McDonald would have bowled really well in India and North >>>>> White. Hilf vs Clark and Watson is questionable, but Clark was rubbish in that series, though I suppose Watson bowled well at times.

I'd like to see how we'd go against them now. Pretty easy to say after a terrific performance like this I suppose.

 

[Uppercut]

I can't really see Australia bowling India out twice in five days on those pitches, they'd really need some kind of freak incident. Like, say, an old and past-it spin-bowling captain getting injured and being replaced with an innovative, inspirational captain and a quality young leg-spinner () who takes a five wicket haul on debut.

 

[stephen]

I would still like to see McGain or some decent spinner as the part of that dynasty though, the pitch conditions around the world just aren't favourable enough for an all-fast attack to thrive on, and the number of game that they play nowadays also makes that a very unfavourable option.

I agree that an effective spinner would be a great element of the Aus side. Unfortunately I don't think we'll get a world class spinner magically pop up for us. McGain can really only play a limited role, given his age and ability.

That's why I think that Australia might end up having to found its next era of world dominance on the backs of a fast bowling quartet, scoring more draws than they have done in the past decade.

 

[Trumpers_Ghost]

Yes australia are actually losers and will always be losers in my eyes. They are the reason why we need these referals in cricket with incidents like india and brad haddin vs NZ. Even though I am a SA supporter and am sad my team lost I must say that I have no respect for Australia. They cheat many a time and here is the big one for me. I remember Ponting complained about bowdin when they lost ashes. How can someone who does so much crying support so much cheating himself? Why did his team not walk x2 when they gloved the ball to boucher? Had that of been him he would of cried like he did the ashes.

Get lost you aussies world cricket does not need you and if you conitinue to play it will end up that everything will end up being decided by the third umpire.

well well that is some nastiness

I sense that you are a reall poor loser and probably a dirty little cheat.

You say you support SA -- well they don't walk either so are they cheatsn too???
Do Indians walk?? Do Pakistanis walk??? Hell no

As for Ponting crying during the Ashes loss. Huh. The only thing I remember him crying about was England's designated fielder, which while containing some reason, was way over the top.

The only team that seems to complain about umpiring is India with their take their bat and ball and go home attitude!

So take a cold shower, shut the **** up, perhaps die or something!

 

[ripper868]

well well that is some nastiness

I sense that you are a reall poor loser and probably a dirty little cheat.

You say you support SA -- well they don't walk either so are they cheatsn too???
Do Indians walk?? Do Pakistanis walk??? Hell no

As for Ponting crying during the Ashes loss. Huh. The only thing I remember him crying about was England's designated fielder, which while containing some reason, was way over the top.

The only team that seems to complain about umpiring is India with their take their bat and ball and go home attitude!

So take a cold shower, shut the **** up, perhaps die or something!

You had me until the bold, otherwise, well said.

 

[Son Of Coco]

Morkel is deadly on teh day. He may not be the best but he is good enough for the weak aus batting. Its not often that a team can be so lucky wit their tale. I think Aus and johnson and Haddin have had enough luck now and have escaped out of jail for teh last time this series. We showed that 9 wickets can fall for 80 runs in the ausie order and it was not even good bowling unliek when SA batted and the ball was swining everywhere. Whats more is the aussies must be a real bad team considering they thought they needed 500 to feel safe. It says a lot about how highly regarded SA batting is. I would not back Aus to even chase 300 on andy pitch on the 5th day. Not with a SA pace attack.

The grapes must be badly out of season where you are.

 

[Ausage]

Yucca isn't worth the time IMO. Hilariously bad form

 

[Top_Cat]

So anyway, back to the series.....

2nd Test, do the Aussies go in unchanged? Myself, they should unless it looks like the ball will rip sideways. Don't see the point in changing a winning combo and as much as he looked quite shaky with the bat, McDonald was very, very good with the ball. Is a great addition to a bowling team, really. And a bloke like him, you get the feeling once he sizes up this Test cricket lark, will start to contribute with the bat, much as he does for Victoria. I get the feeling the team as a whole really like him and Ponting gave him plenty of the ball so obviously rates him too. I would advocate against mucking with that, the loss of a valuable team man and solid bowler wouldn't adequately be compensated for by picking a specialist bowler.

Might change my mind if the deck looks really flat, though...... If so, has to be Bryce. Bolly is injured, yeah?

 

[aussie]

So anyway, back to the series.....

2nd Test, do the Aussies go in unchanged? Myself, they should unless it looks like the ball will rip sideways. Don't see the point in changing a winning combo and as much as he looked quite shaky with the bat, McDonald was very, very good with the ball. Is a great addition to a bowling team, really. And a bloke like him, you get the feeling once he sizes up this Test cricket lark, will start to contribute with the bat, much as he does for Victoria. I get the feeling the team as a whole really like him and Ponting gave him plenty of the ball so obviously rates him too. I would advocate against mucking with that, the loss of a valuable team man and solid bowler wouldn't adequately be compensated for by picking a specialist bowler.

Might change my mind if the deck looks really flat, though...... If so, has to be Bryce. Bolly is injured, yeah?

Yea McDonald bowled well SUPRISINGLY. Its fair to say the selectors got away with that error, because if you think about it picking him to bat @ 8 & has part of the bowling attack is basically a mirror imagine of what they did with White in India.

The only reason McDonald worked is because the conditions helped & the young bowling trio reallly stepped up.

Australia really can't expect SA's batting to not step up for the remainder of the series, so McDonald has to be dropped & either McGain or Bollinger depending on conditons should play.

I'd lean towards McGain given the Saffies vulnerability vs leggies & the fact that if Bollinger where to play, you probably would have to give him the new ball. But with Hilfenhaus having that specialist role, dont need a 4th seamer who could become a passenger because he asked to do an unusual role.

 

[dontcloseyoureyes]

the fact that if Bollinger where to play, you probably would have to give him the new ball.

There's that.

And there's the fact that he's injured and they've flown Geeves over....

 

[Son Of Coco]

Yea McDonald bowled well SUPRISINGLY. Its fair to say the selectors got away with that error, because if you think about it picking him to bat @ 8 & has part of the bowling attack is basically a mirror imagine of what they did with White in India.

The only reason McDonald worked is because the conditions helped & the young bowling trio reallly stepped up.

Australia really can't expect SA's batting to not step up for the remainder of the series, so McDonald has to be dropped & either McGain or Bollinger depending on conditons should play.

I'd lean towards McGain given the Saffies vulnerability vs leggies & the fact that if Bollinger where to play, you probably would have to give him the new ball. But with Hilfenhaus having that specialist role, dont need a 4th seamer who could become a passenger because he asked to do an unusual role.

Assuming McGain bowls well I suppose. The leggie they've been vulnerable against was Warne...so I'm not sure they're equally vulnerable against a leggie who is unproven. If Mcgain leaks runs we could be in trouble.

 

[Hoggy31]

Will be gutted if Geeves plays, good bowler but no way Test standard (Steve Magoffin says hi, selectors). McGain's gotta play and bowl a lot of overs.

 

[Top_Cat]

Yea McDonald bowled well SUPRISINGLY. Its fair to say the selectors got away with that error, because if you think about it picking him to bat @ 8 & has part of the bowling attack is basically a mirror imagine of what they did with White in India.

The only reason McDonald worked is because the conditions helped & the young bowling trio reallly stepped up.

Dispute that, don't think it was in doubt he'd bowl straight. I think they would have been hoping for more from his batting, though. Definitely dodged a bullet there with guys like Midge Johnson taking up the slack in the lower-order.

 

[pup11]

Will be gutted if Geeves plays, good bowler but no way Test standard (Steve Magoffin says hi, selectors). McGain's gotta play and bowl a lot of overs.

I think no matter what the conditons, Aussies have to replace McDonald with a genuine bowling option, tbf to McDonald he has done an exceddingly good holding job in the bowling attack, but Aussies just can't expect to go on playing with only 3 strike-bowlers and hope to take 20 wickets everytime.

Geeves on current form looks a pretty good enough option, though McGoffin or Noffke (I think he probably would have been there, had it not been for his injury problems) would have been my prefered choices to replace Bollinger, but still unless the conditions for the 2nd test are similar to the one we had at Jo'Burg, I would play McGain instead of McDonald.

 

[Prince EWS]

Noffke (I think he probably would have been there, had it not been for his injury problems)

 

[Langeveldt]

Had a good time at the cricket, pretty gutted though about the result, I thought SA were woeful in parts, and Australia at times weren't a lot better, bar North, Hilfenhaus and Johnson with the bat. McDonald looked to me like a poor mans Paul Collingwood and I can't believe we as a team haven't been able to put players like that into early retirement. Think Morkel should be dropped alone for that shot he played, or at least moved to number eleven.. We seemed on day five caught in two minds as to whether to go for the runs or block out. The fans gave as good as we get in terms of abuse, and Siddle came in for some fearful verbal stick, as we didn't have any laser pens handy.. By the end we had to be seperated from the Aussie fans by the police, but I doubt anyone on here saw as it was during the post match presentations.. Have just arrived back home to learn about the stuff going on in Pakistan, puts things into perspective

 

[Son Of Coco]

Had a good time at the cricket, pretty gutted though about the result, I thought SA were woeful in parts, and Australia at times weren't a lot better, bar North, Hilfenhaus and Johnson with the bat. McDonald looked to me like a poor mans Paul Collingwood and I can't believe we as a team haven't been able to put players like that into early retirement. Think Morkel should be dropped alone for that shot he played, or at least moved to number eleven.. We seemed on day five caught in two minds as to whether to go for the runs or block out. The fans gave as good as we get in terms of abuse, and Siddle came in for some fearful verbal stick, as we didn't have any laser pens handy.. By the end we had to be seperated from the Aussie fans by the police, but I doubt anyone on here saw as it was during the post match presentations.. Have just arrived back home to learn about the stuff going on in Pakistan, puts things into perspective

 

[Langeveldt]

Massive sour grapes by the way, if you actually read what I write, kindly ignore posts made in the next couple of years