***Official*** South Africa in Australia

[social]

give the bowler some credit mate, ntini forced some them into these indiscretions or do u thrive in negative analysis

Tell me where im wrong.

The ball to Hodge was easily 2 feet wide of off stump

Gilchrist tries a late cut with a packed slips cordon

and to back it up, symonds does the same

I like Ntini

good pace, movement each way, whole-hearted

However, he's been handed wickets today by a team that's either too arrogant or too stupid to fight for their wickets

 

[Jono]

But Social tell me why is it that Australia only hand their wickets away against good opposition? They were beaten by England apparently by handing them wickets, they then thump a much weaker WI team, and are now handing wickets away to SA.

A bit too convenient IMO.

 

[Slow Love™]

How the hell did Bracken get a wife like that, and if she's a professional hairdresser how come his hair is like that!

You have got to be ****ting me.

 

[James90]

Lee's teaching the top order how to bat. Pretty poor performance from the Australians and how about the umpire signalling that last bouncer as runs. Disgraceful!

 

[parttimer]

Personally I'd say that coming in the circumstances it's one of the best knocks I've ever seen.

For Hayden personally yes, but not for the team. Batting conditions were pretty good on the first day, and as we saw from Langer's knock the ball was coming onto the bat pretty decently. There was a good deal of talk about rain too so from a team perspective there was the sense that we had to get on with it. That was my sense of it anyway, which i got thru the commentators.

It was one of those situations where the bowling team don't mine not getting the batsmen out. And as for a bowling strategy, all that was needed was to get it somewhere outside off and you knew he couldn't hurt you. Ponting etc would have been much more devastating than Hayden and the game would have moved on quicker. Aus lost bcos they ran out time in the end, didn't they?

 

[Tim]

That is one of the worst dropped catches i have ever seen,

 

[James90]

Andre Nel's almost in tears!

 

[Jono]

You want to talk about gifts?

Langeveldt just gifted that to Australia. As easy a catch as they come!

 

[Slow Love™]

This is exactly why we shouldn't over-extrapolate from those Windies games (hell, even at times in those we looked vulnerable).

I don't know why people were so convinced this series would be uncompetitive. This South African lineup is not a bad one in the slightest. Of course, if we can crawl somehow to 350 (and having seen some of our recent tail-end efforts it's comfortably within the realms of possibility), the damage won't be too great.

I was a little surprised in a way that Ponting didn't send them in... But then I remembered he almost never does, and the last time he did it was a disaster. My grandma used to have two sayings - one was "oh, you're a STUPID boy", but the other was "he's not a captain's bootlace." (Except she used to say it about Kim Hughes and Border).

And as I type this, what a shocker of a drop from Langeveldt!

 

[social]

But Social tell me why is it that Australia only hand their wickets away against good opposition? They were beaten by England apparently by handing them wickets, they then thump a much weaker WI team, and are now handing wickets away to SA.

A bit too convenient IMO.

Arrogance, stupidity, lack of discipline and good bowling.

Unfortunately, Aus cannot continue to pretend that theyre making it as hard for the opposition as possible.

Today's performance, from the decision at the toss to the shots played, has been deplorable.

 

[Arrow]

One of the worst drops in the history of test cricket?

 

[Adamc]

Just about the easiest catch imaginable. I guess it might've been spinning a bit which is what caused him to drop it, but really...

 

[Tim]

He didn't have to move. It was at comfortable height and it practically floated to him. It's gotta be up there as one of the worst.

 

[Jono]

Langeveldt may have just made up for that dropped catch. Good LBW shout given.

 

[James90]

Gilchrist's Batting 2005

vs. Pakistan
113 at Sydney

vs. New Zealand
121 at Christchurch
162 at Wellington
60* at Auckland

vs. England
26 at Lord's
10 at Lord's
49* at Birmingham
1 at Birmingham
30 at Manchester
4 at Manchester
27 at Nottingham
11 at Nottingham
23 at The Oval

vs. World XI
94 at Sydney
1 at Sydney

vs. West Indies
44 at Brisbane
2 at Hobart
6 at Adelaide

vs. South Africa
6 at Perth

 

[Tim]

It's a shame though because he'll be remembered more for that dropped catch than the great one he took at mid off.

 

[Slow Love™]

Clearly out. Good call from Bucknor.

 

[irfan]

Langeveldt may have just made up for that dropped catch. Good LBW shout given.

not unless he gets lee out

 

[James90]

vs. Pakistan
113 at Sydney

vs. New Zealand
121 at Christchurch
162 at Wellington
60* at Auckland

vs. England
26 at Lord's
10 at Lord's
49* at Birmingham
1 at Birmingham
30 at Manchester
4 at Manchester
27 at Nottingham
11 at Nottingham
23 at The Oval

vs. World XI
94 at Sydney
1 at Sydney

vs. West Indies
44 at Brisbane
2 at Hobart
6 at Adelaide

vs. South Africa
6 at Perth

2005 Statistics
----------------------
Pre-Ashes: 4 tests, 4 innings, 1 not out, 456 runs @ 152.00
Post-Ashes: 10 tests, 15 innings, 1 not out, 334 runs @ 23.85

 

[Craig]

And Nel is on a hat-trick.

Australia all out for 258, and after the good partnership between Langer and Ponting you have to give credit to South Africa - especially Ntini (5/64) and Nel with three scalps.

And what is up with Symonds? He plays so aggressively in one-day cricket yet in the Test game he is a completely different player and it isn't advisable for him to not getting runs with Clarke in his recent good form in New Zealand and his 201* v Queensland. Whilst his place is obviously safe Gilchrist needs to find his form again. Perhaps a spell during the VB Series and let Haddin (or somebody else for the sake of Mr Wright) have a go for a few matches. Maybe a short holiday will do him the world of good.