***Official*** South Africa in Australia

[Nate]

And there it is! Well done son, got WA out of a lot of trouble you did.

 

[howardj]

Holy crap, WA 5/302 at stumps.

If the Saffa's are struggling against the (not so) mighty WA batting line-up, I don't like their chances against Ponting, Gilchrist and Hayden.

Early days though.

 

[Nate]

Great effort By North, Voges and Bandy.

 

[social]

Ugly, ugly, ugly performance against about the worst attack in Aus.

 

[cameeel]

End of Day's Play: WA v Sth. Africa

WA: 8-391 (dec)

Voges 101
North 71
Bandy 64
Langeveldt 4-104

Sth. A: 179 & 2-12

Rudolph 43 & 7
Casson 4-21 & 0-3
Gillies 3-41
Edmondson 3-48 & 1-16

 

[wpdavid]

End of Day's Play: WA v Sth. Africa

WA: 8-391 (dec)

Voges 101
North 71
Bandy 64
Langeveldt 4-104

Sth. A: 179 & 2-12

Rudolph 43 & 7
Casson 4-21 & 0-3
Gillies 3-41
Edmondson 3-48 & 1-16

Reminds me of England is Aus in our darkest days. Admittedly SA are missing Smith & Kallis, but even so ....

 

[Top_Cat]

This means nothing; the Saffies are just stretching their legs.

For one, Kemp batting at 5 in an international team makes it just about the longest middle/lower-order/tail I've seen. Followed by Boucher, Pollock, Boje, Ntini, Nel and Langeveldt (!).

That said, how happy is Winston Gillies right now? First match for WA and he picked up 3 of the top 4 against a touring side! But Gibbs getting out to Magoffin in the 2nd; for shame!

 

[ClownSymonds]

It's funny how the better touring sides always seem to be dropped in the WACA for an embarassing beating at the start. South Africa should bounce back, but I don't think they're much without Kallis.

And now I say this again: Clown should play.

 

[andyc]

Casson again with 4! Awesome.

 

[Jono]

I wouldn't read too much into it. Granted thats not the strongest WA side, but not only are they without Kallis and Smith, but they haven't played a test since May I believe, its just been all ODI cricket since then (other than the super test for Kallis, Smith and Boucher), and ODI cricket in India most recently.

I'd like to think (and am hoping) they'd be much more competitive after a few tour matches under their best at full strength.

 

[andyc]

Squad announced

12 players, with Clark in for MacGill and Symonds still in the team

So I'd imagine we'll be looking at:

Hayden
Langer
Ponting
Hodge
Hussey
Symonds
Gilchrist
Warne
Lee
Bracken
McGrath

With Clark as 12th man. I'm pretty positive he won't be getting a game over Bracken and I really hope he doesn't.

 

[Slow Love™]

Australia and South Africa hit back at ICC

May attacks 'hollow ring' of Speed rhetoric

This crap from the ICC is really lame, IMO. For god's sake, punish the people who are breaking the laws of conduct on the field, but leave this kind of harmless verbal sparring pre-series alone. What on earth's wrong with it? "We're gonna target their middle order"... "We'll sweep Warne"... "They'll need a shrink when we've finished with them.". Honestly, is that really anything to be worried about?

Also, I completely agree with Irish and May's comments about the irony of the ICC's comments on "The Spirit of Cricket" given their shameful inaction as to administration of cricket in Zimbabwe.

 

[Jono]

ICC = teh ghey.

Sorry I felt that terminology was necessary in this case.

 

[Slow Love™]

I think the Aussies should ensure that Fat Gray and his mob get the kind of welcome to Perth that Anthony Mundine got the other night...

I kid, I kid....

 

[Prince EWS]

In a match where De Villiers got 9 and 5, Kemp got 8 and 10, and Gibbs and Boucher registered Ducks, Andre Nel managed to get 64.

Crazy...

 

[Dean]

Please Let Us Win

Okay, so if a team doesn't win a test series the next best thing they can do is to draw the series.

Five years ago South Africa may have been tipped as favourites to win this series: I ask Waht Has Changed?

Well, we may have lost Gary Kirsten, but gained a tallented Greame Smith, Kallis has matured into a solid rock, our pace attack is the best in the world (no really, Nel, Langeveld, Ntini, Pollock, Kallis... you can't get any better), we have a great up coming player in AB, and the class of Gibbs... On Paper SA should be alot more competitive than everyone is giving them.

Remember, Australia have a lot more to lose than SA in this series... Do you really think Australian cricket would survive another series defeat (especially at home!?)

For the record, I'm a massive Shane Warne fan, and I really respect Ricky Pointing and the Australian Top Order, hence, I'm a bit nervus as to how my team is going to fare in this series, but having said that you need to remember that Aus is coming to South Africa in February, and I really facy SAs chances in that series...

I wish my team the best of lucK!

GO PROTEAS

 

[Prince EWS]

Five years ago South Africa may have been tipped as favourites to win this series.

I think not!

our pace attack is the best in the world (no really, Nel, Langeveld, Ntini, Pollock, Kallis... you can't get any better)

Big call... but will they all even play? Nel, Pollock and Ntini definately will, but Langeveldt might be left out and Kallis might pull out injured. Kallis' bowling is poor these days anyway.

Remember, Australia have a lot more to lose than SA in this series... Do you really think Australian cricket would survive another series defeat (especially at home!?)

What do you mean by "survive?"

Well, we may have lost Gary Kirsten, but gained a tallented Greame Smith

Yeah, but the batting looks a bit weak in general to me. Smith, Gibbs and Kallis are fine, but you cant just rely on those three. De Villiers has looked in awful form in the tour matches, and I think his inexperience may cost against him. The remaining two batting spots, likely to be filled with Prince and Rudolph, are where the concerns are really prominant. They are solid players, but they arent players that I can really see worrying the likes of McGrath and Warne. If either of them average above 30 in the series Ill be shocked. Boucher just isnt up to it with the bat anymore IMO.

 

[Blaze]

This crap from the ICC is really lame, IMO. For god's sake, punish the people who are breaking the laws of conduct on the field, but leave this kind of harmless verbal sparring pre-series alone. What on earth's wrong with it? "We're gonna target their middle order"... "We'll sweep Warne"... "They'll need a shrink when we've finished with them.". Honestly, is that really anything to be worried about?

Yeah agreed. This kind of stuff is good publicity for the series and adds to what could be a decent contest.

 

[Mister Wright]

Yeah agreed. This kind of stuff is good publicity for the series and adds to what could be a decent contest.

As much as I hope it is, I can't see this series being competitive. If S.A. can't smash any form of a W.A. side, what hope do they have against Australia?

 

[Hodgo7]

our pace attack is the best in the world (no really, Nel, Langeveld, Ntini, Pollock, Kallis... you can't get any better),

I would rate the English attack a lot better than this one. With Harmison, Flintoff, Jones and the underrated Hoggard. Pollock is way past his best and is pretty average at the moment. Ntini is a great bowler and world class. Langeveld hasn't done enough to warrant too much appraisal and Nel is too inconsistent. And Im Australian so there is no bias involved.