***Official*** Australia in South Africa

[BoyBrumby]

haha yeah he's played some crazy fast knocks lately

tahir's not gonna enjoy life if he continues to bowl full tosses and shortish balls.

Only saw the highlights, but what I saw was pretty ugly.

Looked to be bowling too quickly, think his nerve went a little after Clarke and Marsh came down the wicket to him a couple of times. Was just pushing them through trying not to get spanked.

Graeme Smith: Undercover Ranga

Indeed. Surprised his dye-job isn't commented on more often.

* Philander has breasts but can get the ball to do things

Big hyper-extension too. Arm goes way past 180.

Always had a weakness for fat seamers tho. Goes back to Beefy & Merv.

Anyway, great day's test cricket if the highlight package is any guide. Kudos to Messers Clarke & Steyn in particular.

Two test series tho...?

 

[Cabinet96]

Great first days play. Brilliant from Steyn and Clarke. Watching Steyn and Clarke battle out right after lunch was a treat.

Lolol my day is made. Been too long since watching Steyn bowl in a test match.

It really has hasn't it.

 

[howardj]

Great first days play. Brilliant from Steyn and Clarke. Watching Steyn and Clarke battle out right after lunch was a treat.

.

It really was yeah.

Ponting under huge pressure for a score.

 

[Woodster]

It was absorbing day's play. As people are rightly pointing out, Dale Steyn and Michael Clarke were the stand-out performers. Clarke gritted it out early, rode his luck while getting in, then counter-attacked beautifully. I never seem to really enjoy watching Clarke bat, I don't know why really, but today I was full of admiration for the way he constructed his innings and rescued his side, almost single-handed.

Steyn did pretty much everything that could be asked of him. Picked up a wicket in each of his spells, and could have had more. He bowled with fire, aggression, pace, and was in excellent rhythm, throw in his consistency and ability to shape the ball away from the right-hander, and you have a pretty lethal performer. He wasn't quite as accurate to the left-handers, but broke the Clarke/Marsh partnership with a lovely inducker to Marsh with his first ball of a return spell. He is the number 1 Test bowler, today he showed us why.

 

[Flem274*]

Wow Clarke, awesome innings. WAFC.

 

[Burgey]

Let it be said unequivocally, this was Michael Clarke's finest hour.

 

[Burgey]

It would be fitting if Steyn matched Lillee as fastest to 250, because he reminds me a lot of a young DK in the way he bowls - fast outswing, aggression and a great presence.

 

[BoyBrumby]

Steyn to Hughes must be the most nasally gifted bowler/batsman combo out there.

 

[Furball]

Let it be said unequivocally, this was Michael Clarke's finest hour.

Been an incredible innings thus far.

On a day when all of the other batsmen have struggled to score fluently and where Steyn in particular has been unplayable, to have scored 107* from 114 balls is amazing.

Steyn's figures:

overall: 14-4-31-4
vs Clarke: 4.1-1-22-0
vs rest: 9.5-3-9-4

The biggest compliment I can pay Clarke is that it looked like he was playing a different game, it was as if he'd rocked up into a second grade game looking for a hit to find form, such was his obvious class. Even Steyn, fiery first spell aside, has looked fairly ordinary, Clarke seems to have the time to do exactly what he wants to do every single ball. Hopefully he wakes up tomorrow in the same zone.

 

[NUFAN]

I don't believe you can bat at five but not make it at four. He showed today he can deal with a ball zipping around, if he feels more comfortable at five, then I'm sure he'll stay there, while Ricky Ponting is in the side anyway. When Ponting retires then surely Clarke will move up a spot and allow a younger bat to settle into the side further down the order.

I don't think it's that necessary.

Khawaja is a top order bat and he's next in line. I think many people would probably consider Warner to be right after Khawaja in the Test queue and obviously he's a top order bat too. So Watson could move to four. I know Huss is getting on, but he could do a job up the order too.

We have a pretty versatile batting order, but I agree with Adub, M. Clarke at 5, always.

 

[adub]

M Clarke at 5 - carve it in stone.

 

[Woodster]

I don't think it's that necessary.

Khawaja is a top order bat and he's next in line. I think many people would probably consider Warner to be right after Khawaja in the Test queue and obviously he's a top order bat too. So Watson could move to four. I know Huss is getting on, but he could do a job up the order too.

We have a pretty versatile batting order, but I agree with Adub, M. Clarke at 5, always.

I'm not suggesting they need to find a way to get Clarke up the order, but batting at five or four surely does not make such a difference. Depending who comes in to the side will decide where they bat, and the type of player they are looking for. Don't think it's necessary to move other players around just to avoid Clarke batting higher than five.

 

[Furball]

I'm not suggesting they need to find a way to get Clarke up the order, but batting at five or four surely does not make such a difference. Depending who comes in to the side will decide where they bat, and the type of player they are looking for. Don't think it's necessary to move other players around just to avoid Clarke batting higher than five.

Clarke at 4 is like Bell at 3 (before the Indian series anyway.) No reason why he shouldn't be able to, but for whatever reason he just can't do it.

 

[Flem274*]

M Clarke at 5 - carve it in stone.

You should experiment with him opening at Brisbane.

 

[adub]

I'm not suggesting they need to find a way to get Clarke up the order, but batting at five or four surely does not make such a difference. Depending who comes in to the side will decide where they bat, and the type of player they are looking for. Don't think it's necessary to move other players around just to avoid Clarke batting higher than five.

yeah you would think that...

...right up until the second you look at his career record.

It could be voodoo, wikka, majik I don't know. But it's no coincidence that as soon, AS SOON like the first ****ing test as soon that Clarke goes back to 5, his drought breaks and he is batting like a class above. You don't **** with things you can't understand. Clarke must bat 5 or bad things happen. Full stop, end of.

 

[Woodster]

Clarke at 4 is like Bell at 3 (before the Indian series anyway.) No reason why he shouldn't be able to, but for whatever reason he just can't do it.

I'm not sure Bell can't do it now tbh, his last innings there was one of absolute beauty.

Anyway, I'd suggest batting at three is different to someone that's had a lot of success at five and six. But I don't believe batting at four or five for a player that can play the newer ball well when required, is not a big shift, and should not affect his performances should he be moved up a slot when the time's right.

It is unusual a player has such a contrasting average in two very similar positions.

 

[Woodster]

yeah you would think that...

...right up until the second you look at his career record.

It could be voodoo, wikka, majik I don't know. But it's no coincidence that as soon, AS SOON like the first ****ing test as soon that Clarke goes back to 5, his drought breaks and he is batting like a class above. You don't **** with things you can't understand. Clarke must bat 5 or bad things happen. Full stop, end of.

Sounds to me like Clarke needs to do some work with Jeremy Snape.

 

[Cabinet96]

Number 4 has been cursed for Australia recently. When Hussey went out of form they moved Clarke there who struggled. Now Pontin is struggling while Hussey and Clarke both found form going down the order. Weird ****!

 

[adub]

Sounds to me like Clarke needs to do some work with Jeremy Snape.

Sounds to me like Clarke should just stay at 5 averaging 50+ (much like Waugh and Border did) and we'll just slot someone like Khawaja to fill 4 when Ponting retires.

 

[Top_Cat]

haha, love how people are able to notice that moving both Hussey and Clarke from number 4 has turned their form slumps on a 5c piece but simultaneously hold that it shouldn't matter where you bat.

Technically, there should be no difference. If you have the technical game to bat in the top 6 as a FC batter, you have the game to do the same at Test level in any position. It's the mental pressure which makes the difference. Numbers 3 and 4 in the order are closer in terms the kind of all-round game/serene calm you need to bat there than 4 and 5.