***Official*** Australia in South Africa 2013/14

[Daemon]

I still find it shocking that Morkel just gave up at the end there.

Nah he tried to dive to get back, was a genuine mistake on his part.

 

[Shri]

I would honestly consider something approaching a greentop. It won't help Mitch as much as it'll help Steyn and Philander. Obviously that brings Harris and Siddle into play as well, but there aren't any outstandingly good options here IMO.

Lol I can just see SA collapsing against Watson's bowling after the hype is all about Harris, Siddle and MJ.

 

[BoyBrumby]

not sure if debut joke

It was a sort of meta joke on the somewhat careworn CW "on debut" meme as it is actually Doolan's debut.

Chap has panther like reactions regardless. Couple of genuine worldies at short leg to get rid of Fat Gray & J-PD.

&, obviously, Johnson's just in insane form right now. Nothing like watching a properly fast, sphincter loosening quick in his cups. Genuinely thrilling to behold and much easier to enjoy when it's not England on the arse end of it.

Ballsy 6 from McLaren. & that's not snark. Johnson was obviously too quick and too good for him, but he didn't swallow it and took his lumps like a man.

 

[FaaipDeOiad]

Lol I can just see SA collapsing against Watson's bowling after the hype is all about Harris, Siddle and MJ.

I can too, he's a pretty dangerous bowler in those conditions, but I don't think Watson is playing next test, is he?

 

[Shri]

I can too, he's a pretty dangerous bowler in those conditions, but I don't think Watson is playing next test, is he?

He isn't?

 

[Tangles]

Mitch certainly has the intimidation factor going. Trying to remember the last quick I've seen with that sort of a short ball threat. My mind goes back to the WIndies in the early 90s late 80s. Ambrose and Walsh could really be brutal. The other guys like Lee,Donald or Akram, Waqar, Ahktar dont stand out for the same level of intimidation in my memory. Maybe I didn't see enough of them but I recall them being more about fast than fast and at the body. Which is what Mitch seems to have honed in on. It's great to watch. Top order bats should be able to deal with it but only a few have looked solid.

Starting this test on Wednesday was a bad decision. Robbed of cricket on Sunday morning by that and the Saffers effort.

 

[Prince EWS]

Crabb tasting D00landers efforts.

I've never been a big fan but I don't think I came out and bagged the selection; I'm actually surprised you were even aware I didn't really rate him much tbh.

I think I was more critical of the Marsh selection actually, although I guess "this is really poor selection procedure so he shouldn't have been picked but I don't mind it that much because he's got the ability to score runs against good bowling and the cupboard's bare" is positively fangirling by CW Marsh opinions standards.

 

[benchmark00]

It was a sort of meta joke on the somewhat careworn CW "on debut" meme as it is actually Doolan's debut.

Chap has panther like reactions regardless. Couple of genuine worldies at short leg to get rid of Fat Gray & J-PD.

&, obviously, Johnson's just in insane form right now. Nothing like watching a properly fast, sphincter loosening quick in his cups. Genuinely thrilling to behold and much easier to enjoy when it's not England on the arse end of it.

Ballsy 6 from McLaren. & that's not snark. Johnson was obviously too quick and too good for him, but he didn't swallow it and took his lumps like a man.

Did you see D00landers second innings? Thoughts?

I've never been a big fan but I don't think I came out and bagged the selection; I'm actually surprised you were even aware I didn't really rate him much tbh.

I think I was more critical of the Marsh selection actually, although I guess "this is really poor selection procedure so he shouldn't have been picked but I don't mind it that much because he's got the ability to score runs against good bowling and the cupboard's bare" is positively fangirling by CW Marsh opinions standards.

Believe you called Doolan the most overrated domestic player in Australia iirc. (On CW)

 

[Tangles]

If everyone is fit then I can see Watson coming back in. They like what he brings when fit. I can't see Rogers getting dropped. He and Warner have been solid opening up. It's going to be a drop for SOS or Dools. The other bizarre option would be Lyon but that's just not enough bowling with 3 plus Watson. Slot Watson back at 3 and unfortunately dropping Dools is the least disruptive.

Who opens if they drop Rogers? Back to Watson?

 

[BoyBrumby]

Did you see D00landers second innings? Thoughts?

Nope. Work and alcohol conspired against me.

Impressed Big Bad Bob tho and he's not a comm who chucks the superlatives like confetti

 

[Prince EWS]

Believe you called Doolan the most overrated domestic player in Australia iirc. (On CW)

ITSTL, I do not even remember doing this. I actually remember making a post when he'd first started scoring a few runs for Tassie, saying that he looked okay and had shored up a batting order that had a few shaky spots in it. I've always thought Test cricket would be a bridge too far for him - early signs are that I was wrong of course, but if I taste something it'll be that.

Purely as a domestic cricketer I've thought he was a good find for Tassie for a while. I can see myself having said he was over-rated as a Test prospect but I've always rated him as a domestic player - good technique, builds an innings well, just don't think he has the class for this level really. The opposite to what Phlegm said about him which is why I responded how I did.

 

[Prince EWS]

Sayers and Doolan two of the most over-rated Australian domestic players on CW IMO. I'd say Benchy's opinion holds too much weight, but I know it doesn't really influence Nufers at all, so maybe I'm just wrong on this.

The post in question. Definitely meant in terms of being able to step up to Test level, in that people kept naming them in prospective Ashes teams (it was in the "Australia's Test side for the Ashes in Australia" thread), as I quite like both of them as domestic players. Refuse to taste it if Doolan scores a heap of runs for Tassie, but yeah if he forges a decent Test career I'll taste that.

 

[benchmark00]

Tasting aws.

All your clover is mine.

 

[Burgey]

Mitch certainly has the intimidation factor going. Trying to remember the last quick I've seen with that sort of a short ball threat. My mind goes back to the WIndies in the early 90s late 80s. Ambrose and Walsh could really be brutal. The other guys like Lee,Donald or Akram, Waqar, Ahktar dont stand out for the same level of intimidation in my memory. Maybe I didn't see enough of them but I recall them being more about fast than fast and at the body. Which is what Mitch seems to have honed in on. It's great to watch. Top order bats should be able to deal with it but only a few have looked solid.

Starting this test on Wednesday was a bad decision. Robbed of cricket on Sunday morning by that and the Saffers effort.

Actually, very few top order bats can even cope with consistently fast, accurate, body bashing stuff. Even more so when there's no let up because the other bowlers are ao accurate and pose different problems themselves. Johnson's action, that slingy sort of release makes it even harder.

You know what to expect, but you still can't deal with it, and it's a physical threat too. It's the most god-awful feeling in the game.

 

[benchmark00]

Nope. Work and alcohol conspired against me.

Impressed Big Bad Bob tho and he's not a comm who chucks the superlatives like confetti

I ask because you commented that he plays too far away from his body after his first innings. His nerves seemed to settle second time around and he was very tight in that respect.

 

[Spark]

Apropos of nothing

 

[benchmark00]

Solid ball watching

 

[benchmark00]

I ask because you commented that he plays too far away from his body after his first innings. His nerves seemed to settle second time around and he was very tight in that respect.

Mind you, I will say that a lot of the times d00ls played away from his body in the first dig was from very good bowling which drew him into the shot, in particular by McLaren who did it a number of times.

 

[Furball]

fmd australia are getting pretty good pretty fast

The bowling's always been there; Boof's triumph has been to improve the batting from being an absolute joke.

 

[Furball]

I make that 49 wickets @ 13 for Johnson in his last 6 Tests - how does that compare in terms of hot streaks in Test history?