***Official*** Australia in South Africa + South Africa in Australia 2016/17

[social]

Oz are just ****ing awful

Unfortunately our selectors are worse than the players themselves so are probably blind to it

 

[Burgey]

Assuming Australia won't budge from playing a seamer at 6, who do they turn to if they lose patience in Marsh?

Henriques? Faulkner?

Faulkner is injured and Henriques bowls pies.

So probably Henriques.

 

[SeamUp]

Off to bed shortly and about to set the alarm.

Don't want to jinx him but this is the best I have seen Duminy bat in a long time. Let's be honest he has been a massive disappointment like Hudson, Rudolph, Dippenaar were and averaged low-to-mid-30s in a decent amount of test matches. Not sure how he will keep his place when AB is back no matter how well he does this series.

But damn, one of the best cover-drivers. You just thought when you saw him for WP at 18 there was a special talent with those hands. So disappointing.

 

[harsh.ag]

Rabada the hero, Philander the carb soother, and Steyn the gravy propping them up. Maharaj represented by the vegetarian roots of his Indian ancestors (also for making Warne turn green).

 

[Red Wingz]

If South Africa can get a lead of 300 plus it's there game to win

Current Aussies batting line up other than Smith and Warner doesn't seem strong and there isn't much depth to it

Marsh and Nevile are badly out of form and don't look test quality.

The pressure of a run chase and fighting for there positions,300 plus should be more than enough

Only worry is that South Africa have only 3 bowlers. Lot of work for Rabada and Philandar to cope with it

SA winning this without both of their 2 all time greats will be flare

 

[Burgey]

Australia's obsession with playing an allrounder has been the bane of this team for nearly a decade.

For all his faults, and god knows I poured **** on him as much as the next bloke, Watto was a test standard batsman who occasionally bowled decent overs but for the most part his batting was enough in the line ups he played in.

Novel thought. Play the six best batsmen you have, the best keeper and the four best bowlers.

It's time to bite the bullet and drop Voges and Marsh, and scout young blokes who'll cop some floggings for a couple of years but who have the guts for a fight and will be long term players.

 

[straw man]

Only just saw the highlight of the ball-tracking for the Smith lbw. I don't have a huge problem with umpires giving a few more than they historically have when the batsman is a long way forward, but Smith is still unlucky there.

Clearly the ball-tracking margin of error is much higher when impact is further from the stumps, so the graphic showing the ball just clipping legstump means there must be 30-40% chance that it would have missed completely. Maybe even up to 50% with vertical uncertainty as well. That's too much for it to be given out imo.

 

[burr]

Assuming Australia won't budge from playing a seamer at 6, who do they turn to if they lose patience in Marsh?

Henriques? Faulkner?

This is absurd. Not you but this thought process. We played Ponting at six. We played Martyn at six. You play a batsman - preferably one of the best six in Australia - at six. Particularly when the problem with Australia is not our bowling, it's our batting. We do not need to strengthen our bowling. We need to strengthen our batting.

What is wrong with Australian management? I'm usually about players taking responsibility but I blame management just as much for this team and their results. Poor Marsh desperately needs a spell in shield cricket. I bet even he wants to be dropped, deep down. They are not helping him by throwing him to the wolves when so clearly out of form and unprepared for test cricket.

 

[Adders]

Apparently that's the worst collapse after a 150 run opening stand by a team other than Zimbabwe.

Amazing that we've just seen this after Bangladesh collapsed from 170/1 to AO 220 and Eng 100/0 to AO 164 in the same test.

Dunno what's going in in test cricket around the world atm but these collapses seem to be happening a lot more frequently and tbf not restricted to just Australia (though they are of course the most LOL worthy)

 

[straw man]

Australia's obsession with playing an allrounder has been the bane f this team for nearly a decade.

For all his faults, and god knows I poured **** on him as much as he next bloke, Watto was a test standard batsman who occasionally bowled decent overs but for the most part his batting was enough in the line ups he played in.

Novel thought. Play the sox best batsmen you have, the best keeper and the four best bowlers.

It's time to bite the bullet and drop Voges and Marsh, and scout young blokes who'll cop some floggings for a couple of years but who have the guts for a fight and will be long term players.

Maybe longer, I clearly remember seeing a headline ALL ROUND SHAME when on family holiday in Australia in 2001, about Andrew Symonds and whoever else they were trying at the time.

Still, it's a periodic obsession for every side, especially ones that have had a true all-rounder or two in recent memory. And I do tend to think going into a test with a pure four-man attack is a fairly big injury risk these days, so can understand the desire. Australia obviously don't trust Smith or Warner's spin very much, but perhaps they should aim for five overs per day from each of those and forget the all-rounder.

Don't know how you managed to shoehorn 'drop Voges' into that post though!

 

[Furball]

Watching the highlights. Great decision to give Smith out.

 

[straw man]

Dean Elgar has made quite a transformation since his early Elgar The Horrible days. I hadn't seen much of him in recent years so mainly remember him as the conspicuous spud amongst 10 guns on NZ's 2013 slaughtering in SA. Yes, he scored a hundred but was very unconvincing against the new ball. However now he looks every inch a test opener and it's his opening partner that stands out.

Cook looked awful, unable to get front foot anywhere against Starc's pace and otherwise always half-forward and defending on the move at that. However leaves well and I love a good ugly edging, poking and prodding opening batsman so SA should keep him imo.

 

[Furball]

I'll miss the WACA when it goes. It's the only Australian crivket ground that has a soul.

 

[Stace]

Amazing that we've just seen this after Bangladesh collapsed from 170/1 to AO 220 and Eng 100/0 to AO 164 in the same test.

Dunno what's going in in test cricket around the world atm but these collapses seem to be happening a lot more frequently and tbf not restricted to just Australia (though they are of course the most LOL worthy)

Not many good solid middle order batsman I think, too many Rohit Sharma types rather than brigadier block Collingwood's. Maybe T20's fault for making batsman play a shot a ball, as soon as Cook stopped playing ODI's he's left the ball better.

 

[Adders]

I'll miss the WACA when it goes. It's the only Australian crivket ground that has a soul.

Yeah i agree. I know it doesn't have the pace of years gone by but it almost always turns up a good test wicket with plenty in it for the bowlers but also a good batting deck once you get in.

Think it's the last of non drop in wickets in Aus too......will be a shame when it's gone.

 

[Furball]

A lamentable collapse for so many reasons. But chief amongst them is that South Africa were in a woeful position when Steyn went off. All Australia had to do was bat patiently and grind South Africa into the dirt and they could have filled their boots.

 

[Starfighter]

Think it's the last of non drop in wickets in Aus too......will be a shame when it's gone.

Sydney, Brisbane, Hobart and Canberra would all like a word with you.

 

[Adders]

Sydney, Brisbane, Hobart and Canberra would all like a word with you.

Sydney and Brisbane? don't they play AFL on those grounds? i could be wrong here but I thought they were drop ins. The other 2 dont count lol

 

[Starfighter]

Sydney and Brisbane? don't they play AFL on those grounds? i could be wrong here but I thought they were drop ins. The other 2 dont count lol

They play AFL on all of them, but have found excuses not to put drop ins on. Although I don't know how much longer they'll hold out.

 

[Adders]

Fair enough, you live and learn.

Dunno how it works though playing footy with a cricket square in the middle.