***Official Australia in South Africa***

[Demolition Man]

Waited for the game but fell asleep before a ball was bowled (due to hours of rain delays), saw higlights, those bad LBW decisions were extremely wrong, not even pitching in-line while also going over the stumps by quite some distance. Very odd to see 2 terrible decisions in a row like that.

Great to see Hogg getting a go in a 20/20 match. He showed what he can do with the bat. He is underestimated as a batsman.

 

[marc71178]

, in England's 4-man pace attack, if he were english he would surely make the team ahead of Hoggard.

No, he most definitely wouldn't.

 

[aussie]

No, he most definitely wouldn't.

uh huh..

 

[aussie]

Well with Big Symo out it gives Watson a chance to bat in the top 7, hopefully he does well. Also now with the super-sub rule out Ponting should be looking at getting together a steading XI with the WC in mind.

 

[howardj]

Also now with the super-sub rule out Ponting should be looking at getting together a steading XI with the WC in mind.

Best XI

Jacques
Gilchrist
Ponting
Martyn
Symonds
Clarke
Hussey
Lee
Hogg
Bracken
McGrath

 

[age_master]

Well with Big Symo out it gives Watson a chance to bat in the top 7, hopefully he does well.

he will probably bat at 7 - a position where hes not overly suited to batting.

 

[Tom Halsey]

uh huh..

If Lee continues his improvement, he might.

However, I'm not selecting him ahead of Hoggard on the back of 6 Tests.

 

[Jono]

I'm not Lee's biggest fan, but he'd make every other test attack in the world and would be pretty damn close to making England's. South Africa he'd play in place of Langeveldt, but if they went in with only 3 seam bowlers and a spinner than it'd be tough. All other sides he'd comfortably slot in.

He wouldn't be a definite slot in England's no, but he'd definitely put Hoggard's spot under pressure. He would have played in place of Plunkett against Pakistan obviously.

 

[andyc]

He wouldn't be a definite slot in England's no, but he'd definitely put Hoggard's spot under pressure. He would have played in place of Plunkett against Pakistan obviously.

I reckon he'd take Hoggard's spot, if anything for his much better batting.

 

[aussie]

I reckon he'd take Hoggard's spot, if anything for his much better batting.

if Lee where english knowing Fletcher i doubt whether he would way aside the oppurtunity of having a 4th bowler who could bowl over 90mph in his ranks now & even back when Lee was not as good as he is now as a test bowler.

 

[mikeW]

any word on the teams for tonights game?

 

[Prince EWS]

any word on the teams for tonights game?

Ricky Ponting is out with an abdominal strain. Australia are lucky that there are no SuperSubs in this series, because they only have eleven fit players in South Africa.

Australia:
1. Adam GILCHRIST
2. Simon KATICH
3. Damien MARTYN
4. Michael CLARKE
5. Michael HUSSEY
6. Shane WATSON
7. Brad HOGG
8. Brett LEE
9. Mitchell JOHNSON
10. Nathan BRACKEN
11. Mick LEWIS

he will probably bat at 7 - a position where hes not overly suited to batting.

He will probably bat six IMO.

 

[andyc]

Ricky Ponting is out with an abdominal strain. Australia are lucky that there are no SuperSubs in this series, because they only have eleven fit players in South Africa.

Australia:
1. Adam GILCHRIST
2. Simon KATICH
3. Damien MARTYN
4. Michael CLARKE
5. Michael HUSSEY
6. Shane WATSON
7. Brad HOGG
8. Brett LEE
9. Mitchell JOHNSON
10. Nathan BRACKEN
11. Mick LEWIS



He will probably bat six IMO.

Hmm... we really are one batsman short there. And Clark should definetely get a game over Lewis or Johnson.

 

[Prince EWS]

Hmm... we really are one batsman short there. And Clark should definetely get a game over Lewis or Johnson.

Clark is out with injury. And yes, definitely one batsman short. I felt the squad in general was a batsman short to be honest.

 

[andyc]

Clark is out with injury. And yes, definitely one batsman short. I felt the squad in general was a batsman short to be honest.

Looks like Jaques might be getting a go.

 

[Prince EWS]

Looks like Jaques might be getting a go.

Well he's not in the squad at the moment, and it looks as if both Ponting and Symonds will be fit for the second match, so I doubt they'll fly him over.

 

[andyc]

Well he's not in the squad at the moment, and it looks as if both Ponting and Symonds will be fit for the second match, so I doubt they'll fly him over.

Oh okay then, I was under the impression that they'd be out for a while (or at least Symonds, seeing as he missed the Twenty20 too).

 

[mikeW]

Ricky Ponting is out with an abdominal strain. Australia are lucky that there are no SuperSubs in this series, because they only have eleven fit players in South Africa.

Australia:
1. Adam GILCHRIST
2. Simon KATICH
3. Damien MARTYN
4. Michael CLARKE
5. Michael HUSSEY
6. Shane WATSON
7. Brad HOGG
8. Brett LEE
9. Mitchell JOHNSON
10. Nathan BRACKEN
11. Mick LEWIS



He will probably bat six IMO.

thats the price you pay for not having an extra batsmen in the squad, that XI are the only fit players left.

 

[Prince EWS]

Oh okay then, I was under the impression that they'd be out for a while (or at least Symonds, seeing as he missed the Twenty20 too).

Nah, they were both close to being fit for this match, in fact. They'll be fine for the second ODI.

 

[social]

Have to wonder about the Aus tactics.

Damp wicket and Duckworth Lewis = bat second.

Centurion is also a good chasing ground.

Once again it appears that they are making things unnecesarily hard for themselves.