***Official*** Australia in South Africa

[Nate]

Also, it was really good to see Laughlin take a wicket on debut! His regular inswing is tops, and then his slower balls/bouncer/yorker are very consistent. He really adds something different to the Australian attack, I can definately see him being a mainstay. He's sort of like a slower version of Tait, but with more control.

 

[Uppercut]

Careful not to read so much into day-nighters at this particular ground, Nath. South Africa would probably have won if they'd called the toss right.

 

[Nate]

Careful not to read so much into day-nighters at this particular ground, Nath. South Africa would probably have won if they'd called the toss right.

Haha, so disagree. I'm well aware of the history of Durban and all the same, I thought Ricky Ponting's decision making, the XI chosen and the control and plans of the bowlers were all outstanding.

 

[Uppercut]

Haha, so disagree. I'm well aware of the history of Durban and all the same, I thought Ricky Ponting's decision making, the XI chosen and the control and plans of the bowlers were all outstanding.

Oh, the intention isn't to take anything away from their performance. But one team having an unspeakably big advantage before a ball was even bowled kinda makes it a touch moot to analyse the sides' performances.

 

[Nate]

Oh, the intention isn't to take anything away from their performance. But one team having an unspeakably big advantage before a ball was even bowled kinda makes it a touch moot to analyse the sides' performances.

A 140 run advantage.

You said South Africa probably would have won had they of batted first. That, to me, belittles Australia's effort something huge.

 

[NZTailender]

Hazza, what a gun!

 

[Steulen]

Oh, the intention isn't to take anything away from their performance. But one team having an unspeakably big advantage before a ball was even bowled kinda makes it a touch moot to analyse the sides' performances.

TBF, the difference in conditions doesn't explain a 140-run loss. Poor batting and good bowling played their part too.

 

[Redbacks]

Top effort to bowl them out for 145. We need to play 5 bowlers should be the lesson from the series at home!

 

[Uppercut]

TBF, the difference in conditions doesn't explain a 140-run loss. Poor batting and good bowling played their part too.

Poor batting partly as a result of having a massive total to chase in difficult conditions. And come now, 140 runs is rather fallacious. When you're forced to aim extremely high you sometimes end up with very little.

Point taken though, Australia were much the better team and 100% deserved to win. It's just mildly amusing that every single time there's a day-nighter at one of the notorious toss-wins-match grounds i call beforehand who's going to win. And every single time when i bring it up again afterwards the fans of the winning team immediately leap to insist that really it was their side's brilliance and i'm not giving them enough credit. Of the 80+% day-nighters at Colombo and the 8 out of 9 at Durban won by the toss-winning side, there's not a single game in which their fans are happy to admit the considerable role the toss played in deciding the outcome.

 

[Steulen]

Poor batting partly as a result of having a massive total to chase in difficult conditions. And come now, 140 runs is rather fallacious. When you're forced to aim extremely high you sometimes end up with very little.

Point taken though, Australia were much the better team and 100% deserved to win. It's just mildly amusing that every single time there's a day-nighter at one of the notorious toss-wins-match grounds i call beforehand who's going to win. And every single time when i bring it up again afterwards the fans of the winning team immediately leap to insist that really it was their side's brilliance and i'm not giving them enough credit. Of the 80+% day-nighters at Colombo and the 8 out of 9 at Durban won by the toss-winning side, there's not a single game in which their fans are happy to admit the considerable role the toss played in deciding the outcome.

Oh yeah, the od"ds were massively in Australia's favour, but their execution was like the Australia of old, so to speak. South Africa did look like they didn't fancy their chances at all once Smith and Gibbs had gone, but the wickets themselves were nicely done and not you average "let's slog it to the boundary fielder type dismissal

 

[Magrat Garlick]

Also, it was really good to see Laughlin take a wicket on debut! His regular inswing is tops, and then his slower balls/bouncer/yorker are very consistent. He really adds something different to the Australian attack, I can definately see him being a mainstay. He's sort of like a slower version of Tait, but with more control.

Will take an avatar bet on him ending his career with an average above 35.

 

[Steulen]

Will take an avatar bet on him ending his career with an average above 35.

Easy big words. No-one will remember this in two months', let aslone ten years' time.

 

[Magrat Garlick]

Easy big words. No-one will remember this in two months', let aslone ten years' time.

Have a fifty-year forfeit going around on the £PL. This is way shorter.

 

[howardj]

Chuffed for Horror Hauritz.

Anyone who has watched FR Cup broadcasts over the last few years would know that Horror is a gun one-day bowler. His control and his subtle changes in pace are a real skill.

Onya Horror.

 

[Mister Wright]

Hauritz

Should always be in the Australian XI in ODIs.

Gun one day bowler.

 

[Noble One]

Yes well played by Hauritz today. First time I have seen him look really dangerous at international level. His bowling is perfectly suited to the short format, gives the bowling attack more variety too.

Amazing that since his debut 7 years ago, he has played only 10 games for Australia. I know he has had his poor runs with Queensland and NSW, but he has always been the most consistant spin bowler in ODD over this time. I hope he holds his place this time.

 

[luckyeddie]

Normal service is resumed.

 

[Trumpers_Ghost]

Yes well played by Hauritz today. First time I have seen him look really dangerous at international level. His bowling is perfectly suited to the short format, gives the bowling attack more variety too.

Amazing that since his debut 7 years ago, he has played only 10 games for Australia. I know he has had his poor runs with Queensland and NSW, but he has always been the most consistant spin bowler in ODD over this time. I hope he holds his place this time.

Thats why I hate it when they pick crap bowlers. They might do well and your forced to keep them in the side. (Krezja anyone? - I was appalled as he was taking those wickets in India for this very reason). Hauritz may prove me wrong, but I seriously doubt it.

 

[Briony]

Shocking performance from a team which is supposed to be the #1 one day team in the world. Maybe they missed Botha's captaincy. Perhaps Smith should focus on the test matches and let Botha captain in this form of the game. Looks like heading perhaps the way of the Aussie leg of the tour, the home side concede 1-2 in tests, win the T20s and lose the one day series. The Australian bowling looked so much sharper than the South Africans. Ntini and Mr Erraticl are liabilities.

 

[pasag]

Also - Neil Manthorp - wtb? He just went on a snide rampage. Hussey gets MOTM and Manthorp just insults him and his tour and then finishes with 'Well batted'. How good of you. Then Ponting comes up and he starts dissing Punter about the batting powerplay. Was so unimpressed.

Missed this, but along with Aggers and Maxwell he's in the top 3 comms in the world, so hard to begrudge him a little toy throwing when his side gets thrashed.

Interestingly people go on about how Hussey is out of form (mainly the comms in the first ODI after a Test series), but he's really not in terms of one-dayers. In fact he's our leading run scorer in the format in the past year by a mile (link), it's really quite bizarre and would indicate to me some sort of mental thing he has with Tests at the moment.