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

[OverratedSanity]

1st Test: England v Pakistan at Abu Dhabi, Oct 13-17, 2015 | Cricket Scorecard | ESPN Cricinfo

This was one of the flattest pitches i've ever seen. Idea that this was much easier to bowl than what Steyn faced is absolutely ridiculous.

The pitches Steyn bowled on in UAE in 2010, and even a couple from 2010 and 2008 in India were complete roads. That one in Abu DHabi where de Villiers scored 278 was one of the most astonishingly dull tests I've seen.

I think the more relevant point is that Steyn has produced those crazy spells where he goes on a tear and picks up 5-6 wickets in no time on flat SC pitches which I've not seen anyone else ever do with anywhere near as much regularity. Anderson consistently gets those cheap 3-fers and 4-fers, but Steyn has produced the sort of spells in the SC which Anderson produces in England, which is pretty darn remarkable.

Much higher rate of wickets per match and a far better strike rate with a marginally lower average.... I'll take Steyn's record any day. He's the best overseas bowler ever in the SC as far as I'm concerned.

 

[NUFAN]

No, they are a team of children.

The days of touring sides playing full-strength First-class teams seem to be over

Yeah it is slightly annoying. I don't have a problem with giving some of the guys the opportunity but I would like it if we added some of the in-form promising players from the states that didn't reach the Matador Final. It would have been a better hit out if the likes of Weatherald, Valente, Wes Agar and Kingston were included with the CA XI boys.

 

[morgieb]

FWIW Steyn's average in Asia is 6 runs lower than Anderson's....their records in Asia is very similar to their Test ones.

 

[91Jmay]

Well done on finding the one road out of the six Tests Anderson's played in the UAE.

2nd Test: England v Pakistan at Dubai (DSC), Oct 22-26, 2015 | Cricket Scorecard | ESPN Cricinfo

3rd Test: England v Pakistan at Sharjah, Nov 1-5, 2015 | Cricket Scorecard | ESPN Cricinfo

These two Tests do not look all that flat to me, especially the Third Test. And that's not even talking about that 2012 series. I suppose in 2013 they didn't look all that flat either, but Steyn's average in that series is still pretty good.

_______________________

Look on topic they've no doubt been very impressive in Asia. Just Steyn's been better.

Second test was slow and flat. Not that easy to score on but nothing for pace bowlers.

Steyn is clearly a superior bowler to Anderson, but no idea why people need to pretend that every single factor is in Anderson's favour and everything is against Steyn all the time.

 

[Daemon]

Second test was slow and flat. Not that easy to score on but nothing for pace bowlers.

Steyn is clearly a superior bowler to Anderson, but no idea why people need to pretend that every single factor is in Anderson's favour and everything is against Steyn all the time.

Nobody did this. I simply mentioned that Steyn had to play two games on ridiculously flat pitches and Furball lost his ****. Granted Anderson did play on that one rubbish deck and a couple of other slow ones but overall Steyn had the worse draw, that's all I was saying.

 

[NUFAN]

So CA XI are 4/20. Philander and Steyn are bowling very well.

 

[Daemon]

So CA XI are 4/20. Philander and Steyn are bowling very well.

Back on topic please.

 

[NUFAN]

Back on topic please.

How many tests have Anderson or Steyn scored 50's in both innings in Asia?

 

[Daemon]

How many tests have Anderson or Steyn scored 50's in both innings in Asia?

I don't know but I bet this has something to do with Siddle

 

[StephenZA]

CA XI all out... all the SA fast bowlers in the wickets. QDK not keeping, apparently he is quite ill with some sort of viral infection for the last few days; hopefully gets it out of his system sooner rather than later. Matthew Short looks a really good promising batsmen, played some excellent shots.

 

[TT Boy]

CA XI all out... all the SA fast bowlers in the wickets. QDK not keeping, apparently he is quite ill with some sort of viral infection for the last few days; hopefully gets it out of his system sooner rather than later. Matthew Short looks a really good promising batsmen, played some excellent shots.

Yeah and Dane Vilas still isn’t with the squad, so Tim Nielsen’s son is keeping wicket for South Africa.

 

[StephenZA]

Yeah and Dane Vilas still isn’t with the squad, so Tim Nielsen’s son is keeping wicket for South Africa.

And kept very well....

 

[brockley]

Short reminds me of Maxwell,a match winner with the bat,,bowls the odd offie.

 

[TT Boy]

Poor game for Cook and looks like he was done the same way as first innings.

Be handy for the bowlers to bowl under lights for a couple hours, so don't think they need to bat too long here unless they want to give Rossouw every opportunity to play the first test.

 

[Gob]

SA going good so far. I guess the team would be

Cook
Elgar
Amla
Du Plessis
Buvama
Duminy
Kock
Pilander
Steyn
Rabada
Morkel

Would be fun to watch

 

[Furball]

The pitches in 2012 were complete roads, both teams just batted terribly.

 

[SeamUp]

Rilee Roscoe Rossouw hit a little tough patch then there that shot-making talent just goes 4,4,4,6

 

[StephenZA]

Roussows form almost makes it that he has to play.... problem is that the struggling batsmen are our openers and I can not see us dropping Elgar or Cook, unless QDK opens and I`m not convinced of that either... I just don`t see who we could drop.

 

[TT Boy]

Rossouw has opened in FC, hasn’t he?
If Vilas was coming into the series with some runs behind him, you could drop both Cook and Elgar and open with de Kock and Rossouw with Vilas at 7 and just do a Sri Lanka and alternate the keepers dependent on workload.
South Africa still batting after Rossouw’s retirement. Would have thought it would be better for the quicks to get another bowl and some practice under lights.

 

[StephenZA]

Rossouw has opened in FC, hasn’t he?
If Vilas was coming into the series with some runs behind him, you could drop both Cook and Elgar and open with de Kock and Rossouw with Vilas at 7 and just do a Sri Lanka and alternate the keepers dependent on workload.
South Africa still batting after Rossouw’s retirement. Would have thought it would be better for the quicks to get another bowl and some practice under lights.

SA went through a poor period last year that included not playing a genuine opening pair with Stiaan being moved to the top. I don`t want to do that to Rossouw all over again. And playing Vilas to compensate for QDK wicket-keeping is counter productive to player the best batsmen. Could drop Cook and ask Amla to open? Rossouw/Faf at 3-4?