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

[Adders]

I call BS.... there have been 3 draws in PE in the last 12 Tests.


Edit: 4 draws since 1945!

Mate, it's day 2.......lets see what's doing at the back end.

 

[Top_Cat]

Herschelle Gibbs - such a jet.

 

[Jono]

Nah just because it may be a result pitch doesn't mean it's not a pitch that doesn't blunt Australia's strength.

Subcontinental teams would be called out if they prepared this after a shellacking from fats bowling.make no mistake.

 

[benchmark00]

Nah just because it may be a result pitch doesn't mean it's not a pitch that doesn't blunt Australia's strength.

Subcontinental teams would be called out if they prepared this after a shellacking from fats bowling.make no mistake.

lol fats

 

[Jono]

Struggling on this new iPad. Refuse to make edits though.

 

[howardj]

The folly of not playing Watson

Sacrificed on the altar of "not changing a winning team"

 

[benchmark00]

And of course it's a pitch that blunts Australia's strengths. But that's the nature of the PE pitch.

If India all of a sudden didn't know how to play on slow pitches and didn't have any spin bowlers and they turned Mumbai into a bouncy green deck to hurt the opposition who did have good spin bowlers and hate bounce, then that is doctoring.

This pitch is just this pitch. Of course if Smith said anything to the groundsman it wouldn't have been 'give it plenty of pace' but it's not like this pitch is out of the ordinary.

 

[Jono]

And of course it's a pitch that blunts Australia's strengths. But that's the nature of the PE pitch.

If India all of a sudden didn't know how to play on slow pitches and didn't have any spin bowlers and they turned Mumbai into a bouncy green deck to hurt the opposition who did have good spin bowlers and hate bounce, then that is doctoring.

This pitch is just this pitch. Of course if Smith said anything to the groundsman it wouldn't have been 'give it plenty of pace' but it's not like this pitch is out of the ordinary.

Yes but that's rational. My point is people aren't when they whinge about Sub cont tracks.

People cracked it when India produce turners or slow tracks,even though they always do. Doctoring is a term only ever used against India when this is literally the same thing. As you say, this pitch is how it usually is.

Reckon if Australia had won the toss they'd be okay as Lyon in the fourth would have been critical.

 

[Spikey]

This pitch is just this pitch. Of course if Smith said anything to the groundsman it wouldn't have been 'give it plenty of pace' but it's not like this pitch is out of the ordinary.

looking out for number 1, our stevie

 

[Adders]

Meh, don't buy into any of this doctoring business at all. As benchy says I think this is a typical PE wicket, but even if it is against the norm.......stiff ****. SA are at home and can serve up whatever wickets they desire.

 

[vic_orthdox]

And just because wickets are slow doesn't mean results don't happen.

 

[Spikey]

And just because wickets are slow doesn't mean results don't happen.

vaguely sounding like an Adelaide Oval sympathizer here

 

[Ruckus]

Nah just because it may be a result pitch doesn't mean it's not a pitch that doesn't blunt Australia's strength.

Subcontinental teams would be called out if they prepared this after a shellacking from fats bowling.make no mistake.

If it turns out that at the back end of the game the balance between batting/bowling has been restored somewhat, then it doesn't matter to me that much that they might have chosen to doctor the pitch to suit themselves. If they do it at the expense of good cricket though then I do have a problem because it's putting the team above the game which should never happen. So let's just hope this match picks up towards the end...

 

[Spikey]

117.6 Lyon to Duminy, no run, full, flatter, just outside off. Doesn't turn, which is why it hits the inside half of the bat

looking forward to this piece of commentary being reversed when Australia bat

 

[smash84]

 

[benchmark00]

Yes but that's rational. My point is people aren't when they whinge about Sub cont tracks.

People cracked it when India produce turners or slow tracks,even though they always do. Doctoring is a term only ever used against India when this is literally the same thing. As you say, this pitch is how it usually is.

Reckon if Australia had won the toss they'd be okay as Lyon in the fourth would have been critical.

Doctoring isn't the word and it's certainly not one I've used (seriously anyway), but there's no doubt that this pitch and a lot of sub continental pitches are not conducive to attractive cricket. There's absolutely no denying that. And it's something I've been critical of in the past.

Not having regulation edges carry with a new ball on day one isn't a good spectacle at all and we're in an entertainment business here. That's my beef with slow pitches, not that they've been doctored for an advantage.

A good team and a good captain will sum it up and deal with it though. Gotta be prepared to just bowl for front of the wicket catches.

 

[Ruckus]

I think a problem with a lot of subcontinental pitches is that they don't turn enough. I think it's fine to produce slow pitches that favor the spinners, but they have to be ones that heavily favor them for it to make it an interesting affair imo. Need more raging turners.

 

[benchmark00]

1) I like this keeper up to the stumps on a slow pitch trick, but Siddle should be bowling around the wicket to the left hander for it. Promotes the LBW/bowled which is what you're trying to do with a keeper up.
2) I'd be looking at bowling plenty of cutters to de Villiers and set a few on the drive just to see if you can get him to go through the air.

 

[Spikey]

I'd be fine with Haddin being up to the stumps if it wasn't siddle bowling. screw breaking a finger for that ****

 

[benchmark00]

At Siddle's pace it wouldn't squash a fly.