Steyn in the fourth innings

[smash84]

I don't think it is only a 4th innings problem. Their bowling average in the 2nd innings is almost the same as their bowling average in the 4th innings. What would explain that?

 

[Dissector]

That may be more of a coincidence because of a couple of outliers like the 600+ score that India pulled off against them in Calcutta. I don't think it's been a consistent problem like the fourth innings.

 

[Briony]

Dale can't susteyn. Commentators said he was carrying an elbow injury. He rarely bowled at his top pace consistently throughout the match and received onfield treatment on day four. He was a tad unlucky at times though.

 

[Uppercut]

Just as an aside, I reckon SA seem better chasing in the 4th than defending. Cruised a very ticklish total in the first test and ditto in the 3rd test of their 2008 tour up here.

Smith tons the uniting factor, I guess. The one saffer who's immune to the choke?

He is notorious for doing the business in run-chases. Knocked off a superb ton when they chased down a record total in Perth and saw them home in the fourth innings of the game after to take them to number one. IIRC he did the business in the deciding test of the home series against India in '07 too.

Weird because technically he looks all over the place these days. Maybe his strategy is to make opposing sides feel ashamed that someone who looks so hopeless is actually scoring runs against them. He's a nice antidote to all of their other players because his mental strength is about the only thing he has going for him.

 

[Furball]

He is notorious for doing the business in run-chases. Knocked off a superb ton when they chased down a record total in Perth and saw them home in the fourth innings of the game after to take them to number one. IIRC he did the business in the deciding test of the home series against India in '07 too.

Weird because technically he looks all over the place these days. Maybe his strategy is to make opposing sides feel ashamed that someone who looks so hopeless is actually scoring runs against them. He's a nice antidote to all of their other players because his mental strength is about the only thing he has going for him.

Smith was sitting in the pavilion when the winning runs were knocked off in Melbourne.

 

[Spark]

Smith got a ton in that chase too, which set it up.

 

[Furball]

Smith got a ton in that chase too, which set it up.

I've said nothing to the contrary

 

[Shri]

Tough bastard. Came out to bat with a broken arm during the Aus away tour didn't he?

 

[Spark]

Broken hand, yeah. Gained a lot of respect for him that day.

 

[Uppercut]

Smith was sitting in the pavilion when the winning runs were knocked off in Melbourne.

I counted getting to within ten or so runs as seeing his side home. Although given that we're talking about South Africa that was probably a mistake..

 

[ganeshran]

What we're looking at here is a statistical representation of consistent bowling choke acts, aren't we?

I got an infraction for using the word on the match thread

 

[Shri]

Yeah the members(not just the mods) here are closely watching your posts and reporting them. Had a poster here who posted with a similar style of yours for a while here who got on a lot of people's nerves. You might well not be him but there you go.

 

[Top_Cat]

Worth noting that Smith's 90-odd off about 50 balls absolutely set the tone for when SA won that ODI at The Bullring. Was an immense knock. He also absorbed a metric ****-ton of sledging in his first Test when he played against Australia (not helped by him giving it back). Doesn't take a backward step on the cricket field.

 

[abmk]

had noticed this myself too.

Steyn hasn't bowled badly per se IMO, atleast not as bad as the averages suggest. But he's been less lethal than in the first 3 innings. Can't really point out why ....

Hadn't noticed Morkel had similar problems though !

 

[abmk]

Worth noting that Smith's 90-odd off about 50 balls absolutely set the tone for when SA won that ODI at The Bullring. Was an immense knock. He also absorbed a metric ****-ton of sledging in his first Test when he played against Australia (not helped by him giving it back). Doesn't take a backward step on the cricket field.

yes, that innings of Smith set up the chase. He was comfortably outpacing Gibbs in their partnership... Gibbs took it up a notch after Smith fell though . He scored what - 85 off the next 100 runs !?

 

[vic_orthdox]

Trying to "bowl out" teams rather than build it up.

 

[Garson007]

Trying to "bowl out" teams rather than build it up.

I agree with this assessment. It's the only one that makes sense. We've failed too many times now on the final day. There is something terribly wrong with the mentality.

I think Smith has the wrong tactics in the fourth innings when he bowls, imho.

 

[smash84]

Trying to "bowl out" teams rather than build it up.

isn't bowling out the best strategy?

 

[kingkallis]

Some additional stats. I looked at the entire SA bowling in the fourth innings in the last two years and clearly Morkel is also a problem. He averages 41 in the fourth and 24 in the first three.

By my calculations, Steyn and Morkel have a combined average of 21 and a combined strike rate of 39 in the first three innings of the last two years.

In the fourth innings their combined average is 46 and their combined strike rate is 101.

I don't think it's an exaggeration to say that the failure of Steyn and Morkel in the fourth innings is the biggest problem SA have had in the last two years. Perhaps it's just coincidence but the fact that it's affecting both bowlers does suggest otherwise.

In this case, a strike bowler like Tahir will do them a great favor in 4th innings.

 

[Briony]

Steyn's stats certainly suggest he bowls worse but they've been a few occasions when he's bowled really well, constantly beaten the bat but not been rewarded. A good example of this was his spell to Collingwood in CT a couple of years back. He also beat Cummins five times in one over the other night.