***Official*** South Africa in New Zealand 2017

[Athlai]

Looking forward to this Watling century

 

[Zinzan]

Yes we can. Saffers may have a better XI when comparing player-for-player, but we are playing some dumb test cricket (selectors and caption included). Gambling on another "we don't need 3 front line seamers" again. Batting complacency against their part-time spinner in day 1 (but at least we didn't keep getting caught at mid on and mid off like against Lyon). Opening up after lunch day 2 with our worst bowler? Not giving Patel better bowling spells and fields on day 2 on his home ground. Neesh trying to hit the spinner over his head on his 5th ball.

Fair enough, as I said though, you can't make mentally weak cricketers, mentally strong overnight unfortunately, & compared with SA'can cricketers, we're not only inferior skill-wise but also mentally.

This mental weakness is nothing new btw, it's just poor sides like Pakistan (in our conditions), SL & Bangers don't really expose it.

 

[Zinzan]

What about if AB and Steyn were in the equation?

Don't be a sadist, we're not supposed to mention them.

 

[Flem274*]

Mate. lining the sides up in batting order of this match;

Raval = Cook
Elgar > Latham (on form, ordinarily would be quite even)
Amla = KW
Duminy > Broom
Faf > Nicholls
Bavuma > Neesham
de Kock > Watlinh
Philander > CDG
Rabada > Southee
Maharaj > Patel
Morkel < Wagner

Overall, it's SA 8, NZ 1 & a couple even.

Obviously changes when Taylor and Boult play with Taylor > Duminy & Boult at best equal, but probably behind Rabada.

that's all well and good, but when you have them 60/4 or whatever it was with them requiring 200 runs to get parity then you finish them.

 

[Athlai]

Credit to Raval for getting runs but he constantly looks ready to get out. Standard for one of our openers I guess.

 

[Zinzan]

that's all well and good, but when you have them 60/4 or whatever it was with them requiring 200 runs to get parity then you finish them.

That's the whole point though, when you're a clearly inferior side across the board, you actually don't.

It's like Scotland leading the All Blacks 18-10 at half-time, 9 times out of 10 we'd still come back and win.

 

[Immenso]

Can we really be that critical when SA's personnel is just so much stronger? I mean it would be different if we were playing Bangers or even SL at home.

My expectations going into this Test is that it would be an annihilation job, so I was surprised NZ had the edge mid-way through yesterday. Their cricketers are just too good for us I'm afraid, too much skill and mental toughness for our marshmellows.

We were a rabble v Bang as well.

It's the trajectory of every measurable indicator that had me call this outfit a rabble.

All we've lost is Bond, Edgar and Baz.

But we now have inconsistent selections, getting worse as they are now inconsistent plus bonkers.

We have bowlers getting worse, except Wagner who keeps getting dropped.

Batting: not much we could do here, with baz going and Ross having eye and age problems). Granted Nicholls has surprised, and Raval is quite good bar his concentration lapses, which as I'm watching right now as he is on 54 and in his previous danger time and is showing no sign of change or improvement in that dodgy mental aspect.

Fielding going from awesome to appalling.

Captaincy. Well, no options. So just have to let Kane learn on the job.

Running between wickets. Still bad.

DRS: has got worse - but get a free pass for a year with new captain.

Tossing. Has got even worse

It the patterns, the trajectory , of everything. There is no positivity to be had anywhere. Scary how much change may be needed.

 

[CM Punk]

That's the whole point though, when you're a clearly inferior side across the board, you actually don't.

It's like Scotland leading the All Blacks 18-10 at half-time, 9 times out of 10 we'd still come back and win.

This has happened plenty of times against top sides.

Feel silly for not putting money on the SA's when they were 94/6.

 

[Immenso]

Credit to Raval for getting runs but he constantly looks ready to get out. Standard for one of our openers I guess.

He doesn't constantly, that's not true.

He looks awesome and organised. Like proper opener. Then he spends half an hour looking like a clueless novice.

I find him both very encouraging and quite puzzling.

 

[Immenso]

First the lolly, now the 'broken hand warmer'. Faf , have you no shame

Go on, lick it.

 

[Zinzan]

Credit to Raval for getting runs but he constantly looks ready to get out. Standard for one of our openers I guess.

Comparatively speaking and given ALL test openers have their moments of looking rank when times are tough, I think Raval (along with Latham prior to the last 6 weeks) have looked easily the most solid NZ Test openers since Richardson.

Might be selective memory on your part since you'd suggested he wouldn't make it at Test level.

 

[Zinzan]

Jeez he can play a pull shot this Raval.

 

[Athlai]

Yes because home summers and a few 50s have always been out of reach of NZ openers.

 

[Zinzan]

Yes because home summers and a few 50s have always been out of reach of NZ openers.

Who was the last NZ opener to bat 3 successive innings batting over 2 hours against a bowling attack of this quality though?

That's a far more pertinent way of looking at it.

 

[Mike5181]

Mate. lining the sides up in batting order of this match;

Raval = Cook
Elgar > Latham (on form, ordinarily would be quite even)
Amla = KW
Duminy > Broom
Faf > Nicholls
Bavuma > Neesham
de Kock > Watlinh
Philander > CDG
Rabada > Southee
Maharaj > Patel
Morkel < Wagner

Overall, it's SA 8, NZ 1 & a couple even.

Obviously changes when Taylor and Boult play with Taylor > Duminy & Boult at best equal, but probably behind Rabada.

No way is Amla = Williamson at this point. He's been average for a while now.

 

[wellAlbidarned]

raval wag

let's not give more wickets to jaypee please

 

[Athlai]

Who was the last NZ opener to bat 3 successive innings batting over 2 hours against a bowling attack of this quality though?

That's a far more pertinent way of looking at it.

Fulton vs England

 

[wellAlbidarned]

No way is Amla = Williamson at this point. He's been average for a while now.

yeah amla is one of those guys who looks like an absolute god when in form and total rubbish when out because of his technique. just throws his hands through the ball from the crease and it works

 

[Zinzan]

Fulton vs England

Fair, although I kind of hated that at the time from Fulton, because I knew that (his hundred in each dig at Eden Park) would buy him 7-8 tests and I always knew he wasn't up to it... I don't feel that way about Raval.

 

[Athlai]

Fair, although I kind of hated that at the time from Fulton, because I knew that (his hundred in each dig at Eden Park) would buy him 7-8 tests and I always knew he wasn't up to it... I don't feel that way about Raval.

It's pretty much exactly how I feel.