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

[Gnske]

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.

I think Elgar will be one of those players that in generations to come people will probably never heard of him, leaving people who did witness him to say stuff like,

"Personally I always liked Dean Elgar. What, never heard of him? Oh, why am I not surprised? He's too underground for your taste, very underappreciated player, but be assured I always appreciated him. He played Test cricket, ever heard of that? He averaged in the 30s for his career but by god he was a nuggety character and could withstand some assaults I tell you, not like batsmen today"

 

[Furball]

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

Hobart and Canberra aren't real grounds, Sydney and Brisbane are soulless AFL grounds.

 

[Jono]

Even though I disagree I'll cop your MCG criticisms but saying Sydney and Adelaide have no soul is nuts.

 

[Burgey]

Jono angling for a day in the member's here

 

[Gnske]

Adelaide easily has the most soul out of any ground right now ironically.

SCG is an absolute trash heap that should be bulldozed, that green stand especially is an eyesore.

 

[Adders]

Yeah Adelaide is awesome. I still preferred the old ground for character but jeez they really have done a great job with the reno and for a multi purpose stadium of that size it really is great.

The MCG, yeah it's a concrete bowl but for me it's still a good place to watch cricket......much prefer Adelaide but wont knock the G too hard. Everyone that has the opportunity should go once to just to experience the sheer magnitude of the joint.

SCG, haven't been but plan to for the next Ashes test there, The GABBA.......no interest in going to the joint whatsoever.

 

[Son Of Coco]

Fair enough, you live and learn.

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

They have to change into whites and kick with a bowling action if they run on the square.

 

[Black_Warrior]

Really feel for Steyn . Dont want another South African fast bowler to limp off in retirement like AD

1st Test: South Africa v Australia at Johannesburg, Feb 22-24, 2002 | Cricket Scorecard | ESPN Cricinfo



This has made me so angry, how expensive can it be they friggin commentate by watching it on tv in JHB. Heck i have heard them commentate when the tv feed is showing highlights thinking its another wicket.

They keep on whining they want to spread the game, but if their target cant see or listen it defeats the purpose.

They seem to have money to show u19 womens soccer, yet nothing for a National team who for the most part are doing ok.

That's exactly what I was thinking of - Allan Donald. Post 2015 WC, Steyn's career is a lot similar to Donald's last 1-2 years from 2001 onwards and I remember how badly he wanted to play the Australia series in 2001-02 and then got injured and that was the end of him as a test bowler.

 

[DriveClub]

I agree SCG was underwhelming

 

[vicleggie]

Watching the highlights. Great decision to give Smith out.

A pom like you would've whinged if it was your batsman though.

 

[Black_Warrior]

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.

Mate it's the age old Australian thing of copying the English.

Watson was Australia's answer to Flintoff
MMarsh is Australia's answer to Stokes

If they got one, we gotta have one too.

And then India wanted to go toe to toe with Australia..so they had Agarkar and now Binny

 

[Jono]

Agarkar pre-dates Flintoff though so that doesn't work

 

[Black_Warrior]

You're not meant to check facts all the time Jono...

 

[SteveNZ]

Just to clarify, law nuts, is there still 'beyond all doubt' or similar in regards to the lbw law? I mean, if there is...that Smith one belies belief.

And whilst his maths were a bit nuts, Warne's points about completely disregarding the on-field call are spot on. I remember being shouted down about them on here but all I ever hear from players, be it current or the fact Warne, Chris Rodgers and Dirk Nannes said the same last summer, is that they want the influence of the on-field call in regards to referred lbws completely gone. It still remains ridiculous that we say technology is better than the human decision, yet let's rely somewhat on the human decision anyway. It goes up, less than half the ball is hitting, not out. Under any circumstance. And perhaps retain the review under the close circumstances.

 

[vicleggie]

Lol why do they have Warne on again to discuss that decision? Hasn't be made his point enough?

 

[Cabinet96]

So gutted about the Steyn news.

 

[straw man]

I think Elgar will be one of those players that in generations to come people will probably never heard of him, leaving people who did witness him to say stuff like,

"Personally I always liked Dean Elgar. What, never heard of him? Oh, why am I not surprised? He's too underground for your taste, very underappreciated player, but be assured I always appreciated him. He played Test cricket, ever heard of that? He averaged in the 30s for his career but by god he was a nuggety character and could withstand some assaults I tell you, not like batsmen today"

Complete nonsense, have a like.

 

[Tangles]

Just saw the Mmarsh dismissal. Oh boy.

 

[StephenZA]

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.

I would love to know where you got your statistics/error percentages from........

 

[straw man]

I would love to know where you got your statistics/error percentages from........

If the ball is shown to be just clipping the side of the stump then there's presumably a chance of a little under 50% that it would have missed completely (i.e. if it had gone any further to the right in this case).