***Official*** Australia in South Africa 2018

[StephenZA]

Eh, it was on the decline right? Kallis was gone and Smith was almost done too.

Yeah Kallis had just retired. But it was the strongest team we had played against Aus in SA. We still had Smith, Amla and ABdV in good form, Smith was still good... Along with Philander, Morkel and Steyn. It was not our best team post isolation which peaked a few years earlier..... I suppose there was the 2 test drawn series in 11. 13/14 still hurt more for me, expected to win that.

 

[StephenZA]

Nah, Stuart Clark wasnt around in 2014, so i think 2005 more like it

SeamUp was talking 04/05 I was talking Johnson 13/14

 

[Gob]

Aust 13/14 side was a fun side. Not as great as the great sides from 95 to 07 or the invincibles of 48 but fun to watch. Johnson and Warner blowing sides away and Steve Smith was yet to become the soul less run accumulator and fancied bopping seamers over their heads.

 

[GRAB]

And that is the biggest question of the tour. Can our seamers stop the relentless form onslaught of Steve Smith? Otherwise, their batting has looked potentially fragile, especially since it was the Marsh Bros (who I remain unconvinced by) who apart from Warner (the other big batting threat) piggybacked on his form...

 

[Gob]

And that is the biggest question of the tour. Can our seamers stop the relentless form onslaught of Steve Smith? Otherwise, their batting has looked potentially fragile, especially since it was the Marsh Bros (who I remain unconvinced by) who apart from Warner (the other big batting threat) piggybacked on his form...

Shaun Marsh is good batsman who can make runs against good bowlers in challenging conditions and i'd back Usman to do well as well as long as spin isn't a greater threat. Younger Marsh surprised me with his improvement but Philander may be bit too much for him. Bancroft would be a walking wicket against big Vern and Morne

 

[Burgey]

Stuart Clark’s injuries which eventually curtailed his career were the biggest blow to Australia post the McGrath and Warne retirements. Jeez he was a good bowler.

 

[Burgey]

Him and Phil Jaques anyway.

 

[Adders]

Only getting 27 tests out of Ryan Harris would have been a bigger blow for the Aussies IMO. As good as Clark was for a brief period Harris was way way better.

 

[TheJediBrah]

No one ever remembers Stuart Clark or Phil Jaques

Jaques was an absolute gun. Averaged 45+ as an opener in Test cricket

 

[smash84]

Only getting 27 tests out of Ryan Harris would have been a bigger blow for the Aussies IMO. As good as Clark was for a brief period Harris was way way better.

Way way better is an overstatement I think. Stuart Clarke was exceptional himself

 

[Adders]

If he was that good he'd be memorable enough that you'd know how to spell his name

But actually you are probably right "way way better" probably is underselling Clark a bit. Still reckon Harris was the better bowler though.

 

[TheJediBrah]

Stuart Clark was the prototype of Vernon Philander

Showed that you can take plenty of wickets in Test cricket, even in Australia, without bowling 140+

 

[Burgey]

Jaques was a massive loss to Australia at the time. On the back of Hayden and Langer retiring he was a ready made replacement at test level. Then he had that back surgery which basically ****ed him over. I remember reading it actually left him over two centimetres shorter than he had been pre-op.

Actually, I remember now it was him they were talking about on the radio the other week who's now into some coaching and had the video of all these guys with strangely different trigger movements but who all end up in the same position at the point of release of the ball.

 

[quincywagstaff]

There were lots of scrubs in the team that won in 2009 also. Andrew McDonald, Bryce McGain, Marcus North.. and names like Hilf, Siddle etc. hardly jump out at you either. SA should really have won that series and the 2011 one.

Yeah, agree. Maybe South Africa had gotten complacent after finally breaking through in Australia in 08/09 but it was remarkable how easily they won that series considering on paper, it was one of the weakest touring sides Australia has had this decade. No wonder Ponting rates that series as a high point of his captaincy reign.

By contrast, Australia were pretty much at their peak with one of their greatest sides for that 05/06 series. Sure, they had McGrath missing but Clark was a great replacement.

 

[quincywagstaff]

Stuart Clark was the prototype of Vernon Philander

Showed that you can take plenty of wickets in Test cricket, even in Australia, without bowling 140+

Yeah, think it's easily forgotten how good he was in Tests because he had such a short career. His first 13 Tests were wins and he took 62 wickets at 20.21. He faded a bit in the latter stages of his career and his pace dropped to almost military medium but he still had a fantastic overall record.

 

[stephen]

Clark is probably the forgotten man of the 06/07 Ashes whitewash too. He and McGrath in tandem were very difficult to face.

 

[Daemon]

Yep. The original 'Next McGrath'.

 

[Spikey]

Are they playing in Cape Town

 

[StephenZA]

Are they playing in Cape Town

Yes third test....

 

[Marius]

Are they playing in Cape Town

Durban, PE, CT, and Jo'burg.

So chuffed this is a four-test series. Might reactivate my DSTV subscription just for this.