***Official*** South Africa in Australia 2012

[Prince EWS]

MCG hasn't been that bad, it's been tough on the first day and then quite often very flat for the remaining days, a few big scores have been made; and large chases on day 4 completed.

Hastings never looks threatening, no matter what level he's playing, but he's always managed enough to get wickets and give the captain some control. Obviously he didn't today; really, this was the risk that was taken by selecting an all new pace attack.

Yeah, I'm not really sure Hasting actually is an example of what I was talking about; the pitch he played on last week for example was actually very flat after Day 1 and he bowled a marathon spell to end with great figures against (admittedly) South Australia, and unlike Copeland or even Bird etc he actually does really well in the Ryobi Cup on the flatter decks. I think he's just going to be a case of "a little better than he looks" on whatever deck he bowls on and although I don't think he'll ever really be a Test standard option and wouldn't have picked him here, I don't think the pitches are having too much to do with his success. Not as much as some of the others anyway.

My point was that people should definitely get used to Australian bowlers with awesome First Class averages looking pretty average; there are bowlers with better records who look even more innocuous than Hastings floating around. Hopefully the CA directive to the states to get their acts together re: the pitches hits home pretty quickly. A few seasons back it was hard to avoid because of how wet it was in general but there's no excuse now.

 

[cnerd123]

Really enjoying Burgey posts. Makes Australia getting pummeled that much more enjoyable.

In Australia's defence, no nation has got a perfect domestic structure in place really ATM. England have done well with the England A, England Lions and that High Performance thing they've got going, in order to keep grooming the best young talent and exposing them to conditions around the world. And I guess South Africa's domestic system must be doing very solidly, to churn out the kind of players they have right now. But those two aside, each country is struggling to get a good system in place. Maybe it isn't as easy as it seems to fix domestic cricket.

Not saying they shouldn't try though.

 

[Flem274*]

Hastings looks like the kind of bowler who will take 500 wickets @ 25 in any FC comp around the world, but will probably struggle in unfavourable conditions at test level. He's one of those.

 

[stephen]

I would rather have had Copes on this deck than Hastings.

 

[Spark]

it's probably cause we went into the series expecting this sort of ****

Maybe it's that, maybe it's the fact that this is our second string attack and we're playing a top side with some batsmen in godlike form... or maybe it's the fact that I just don't care that much about how we do beyond certain players.

 

[Spikey]

Hastings looks like the kind of bowler who will take 500 wickets @ 25 in any FC comp around the world, but will probably struggle in unfavourable conditions at test level. He's one of those.

He's the 2012 adam dale!!

 

[Stapel]

Should we really be surprised that an attack with Johnson, Hastings, Starc, Lyon and (all-rounder) Watson are not able to bring back Aus to the #1 position of test ranking?

 

[Spikey]

don't know why i wanted to make a joke about adam dale

 

[flibbertyjibber]

This is set up for a mindnumbingly boring Kaliis hundred tomorrow. Just grind them into the dirt and keep them out there all day will be the plan. Can't really see a declaration unless they have a 700 lead on day 4 as there is so much time left in the match. Why take the chance of a ridiculous defeat/loss of number 1 no matter how small it may be by declaring 550 in front with over 2 days to get them?

 

[LongHopCassidy]

Hastings looks like the kind of bowler who will take 500 wickets @ 25 in any FC comp around the world, but will probably struggle in unfavourable conditions at test level. He's one of those.

AWTA. The Australian Ramprakash.

 

[uvelocity]

big day for me today just getting home. seen nothing read no thread yet.

has been bouncing around my head to post that to lose this test would be disappointing but no disgrace. just didnt want to induce it.

Every score we heard was worse than the last, heard punt basically padded up to a straight one. Such a shame to fold as we did

 

[LongHopCassidy]

Should we really be surprised that an attack with Johnson, Hastings, Starc, Lyon and (all-rounder) Watson are not able to bring back Aus to the #1 position of test ranking?

More inclined to blame the batting. In any bookie's world 24 hours ago Australia would be 6 or 7 down.

Amla and Smith would have been a lot more circumspect without a first-innings lead that was gifted to them.

 

[andyc]

Only good thing to come from today's play is the fact that despite it being December 1st, David Warner is still rocking the mo.

 

[uvelocity]

seen the highlights;

dave warner's was imo not a horrible shot, he needs to keep hitting those, unlucky he had to start twice

overall our batting is often ****ed. johnson's c&b was a thing of beauty. smith leg glancing from 2nd middle stump was ridiculous, amla looks scary for the first time this series, lyon also a good catch.

only made a few pages want to quote a few ****s and rip into em

 

[flibbertyjibber]

AWTA. The Australian Ramprakash.

Can he dance can he?

 

[Arachnodouche]

The same Johnson, Starc, Hastings, Lyon Watson skittled over the same SA lineup for 225 a day ago. The batsmen have handed back the initiative on a platter and the inexperienced bowlers have had to contend with two guys in peak form. The way Amla and Smith batted, one could almost feel a sense of payback for the first day humiliation in Adelaide. Amazing viewing for a neutral, what an off the rope kickback from SA...Rumble In The Jungle analogies all over the place

 

[uvelocity]

the highlights didn't show much of the amla/kallis partnership, was the bowling all short?

 

[Prince EWS]

@Jesse_Hogan

CA XI vs SL 6-8 Dec: Khawaja (c), Butterworth, Doolan, Gale, M.Harris, Head, Henry, Maxwell, Sayers, Dean Solway (ACT), A.Turner, Whiteman.

Zampa's BBL gig gets Turner a gig. PEWS cheering

Just noticed this. So gun.

 

[Burgey]

Or maybe, Spark, you've gone soft in the head mate.


This **** is not acceptable from an Australian cricket team. It isn't.

 

[Burgey]

Come on, man. Ffs.