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

[benchmark00]

De Kock on standby for debut

de kock could be inserted tonight.

 

[Spikey]

Malcolm Conn ‏@malcolmconn 1h
@AlviroPetersen has a "virus"

 

[brockley]

Is a virus.

 

[hendrix]

some viruses cause cancer.

 

[benchmark00]

Malcolm Conn ‏@malcolmconn 1h
@AlviroPetersen has a "virus"

Cribb had one not long ago. Just had to reboot him.

 

[Tangles]

Petersen's place had been under scrutiny before falling ill, having averaged 23.92 over the last year, with no hundreds. The 33-year -old has been Smith's regular opening partner since a recall at the start of 2012 and has an average of 37.30 from 29 Tests.

Surprised those numbers are good enough for SA. Shortage of openers?

 

[Top_Cat]

Depends on how Smith rates him. Opening partnerships who work as a pair often trump installing a bloke with better numbers.

 

[Tangles]

True but without Kallis the batting is weaker and that may encourage them to want more output.

 

[Cabinet96]

So if Quinton plays does he open, or do they give him the gloves and let AB roll back the years?

 

[benchmark00]

I think they would be silly not to give de Kock the gloves.

Open with Faf or something and just bat de Villiers at 4.

 

[Tangles]

They need his batting more than his keeping right now so it should be obvious.

 

[ajdude]

well it seems like Elgar's gonna replace McLaren so he could open. also read that robin peterson was spotted in a bar last night, a regular jesse ryder

 

[Jono]

The highlight of de Kock's career so far:

 

[Tangles]

Wouldn't call pink a highlight.

 

[benchmark00]

well it seems like Elgar's gonna replace McLaren so he could open. also read that robin peterson was spotted in a bar last night, a regular jesse ryder

Is this a real thing?

Man he could die if there's any sort of pace at all in the wicket.

 

[Jono]

Wouldn't call pink a highlight.

 

[benchmark00]

Prefer staedtler.

 

[brockley]

Nah probably will come in when Warner comes into bowl his mediums.

 

[Dan]

Would be picking:

Smith *
de Kock
Amla
du Plessis
de Villiers +
Duminy
Elgar
Philander
Steyn
Morkel
Hendricks

With de Kock moving down to 6 and taking the gloves when Virus recovers from his virus and replaces Elgar.

 

[Spark]

Correct me if I'm wrong but Elgar is the one who looked 90s-subcontinental-batsman bad against anything above navel height, right?