***Official*** South Africa in Australia

[Blaze]

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?

Yeah agreed. That's why I said could. Australia will probably destroy them but SA have some decent players who could put up some form of challenge.

 

[aussie]

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.

Well based on performances Englands attack is much better than SA's but other than that the gap isn't that great IMO. Pollock isn't average at the moment he seems to be getting back some of his old spark i.e the recent series vs Ind showed that, Ntini is definately World Class, Nel's performances since he came back in the centurion test vs Eng shows that he is by no means ``inconsistent`` while Langevelt has done enough IMO to get some praise i.e his 5 for at Jo'burg vs ENG, hatrick vs WI...

 

[howardj]

Kallis is still supposedly a 50-50 chance of playing. To lose him would certainly be a fatal blow to South Africa's chances. Since he found his feet in Test cricket after 1998, have a look at the bloke's stats:

1999: 830 runs @ 69
2000: 780 runs @ 48
2001: 1120 runs @ 70
2002: 706 runs @ 64
2003: 698 runs @ 49
2004: 1288 runs @ 80
2005: 979 runs @ 81

Furthermore, he averages 45 out here in Australia.

 

[ClownSymonds]

Kallis is a batting god. I'd like to see him play and give Australia a bit of a challenge. I'm very happy to see Clown retain his spot, and hope he turns things around. Perhaps his big one-day innings will have given him the confidence he needs.

 

[Jono]

I really hope Kallis plays, he's one of my favourite players to watch and is a run machine. Plus this is his 'final frontier' in the sense that he's scored runs heavily against all teams but his record against Australia isn't exactly superior yet. As Howardj points out, he does average 44.48 here in Australia, he still only averages 34.91 against Australia, and only one ton to show for it (although he was run out on 99). He's improved drastically since he last faced Australia, so I hope he plays and scores to tick off that final criteria that a great batsman needs to have checked.

If he doesn't play at the WACA, he must play at the MCG. Because firstly I really want to see him bat in a test match, and secondly he has a pretty good record there.

 

[andyc]

Yeah I really do hope Kallis plays as well, mainly due to my selfish desire to actually see him bat in a test match, which I haven't yet seen. Plus, if we beat SA without Kallis it won't be the same.

 

[Dasa]

If he doesn't play at the WACA, he must play at the MCG. Because firstly I really want to see him bat in a test match, and secondly he has a pretty good record there.

I'm really looking forward to seeing him here. I'll be very disappointed if he doesn't play. I'll be happy if the recent trend of brilliant hundreds by visiting batsmen at the MCG Test continues - Vaughan 145 in '02, Sehwag 195 in '03, Yousuf 111 in '04.

 

[Jono]

Missed Yousufs But I saw Sehwag's, and that makes up for it and then some.

You go to the Boxing Day test every year Dasa?

 

[Dasa]

Missed Yousufs But I saw Sehwag's, and that makes up for it and then some.

You go to the Boxing Day test every year Dasa?

I've been to the last 3, before that only sporadically as I wasn't that interested in cricket. Yousuf's knock was something special last year...I was watching him hit boundaries all over the place without ever looking uncomfortable, and before you know it, he's hit a 100 in about 115 balls. Amazing stuff. I probably enjoyed that one even more than the Sehwag 195.

 

[Slow Love™]

I could have sworn I saw it reported on ABC's news tonight that Kallis wasn't playing. But Cricinfo and Foxsports are still calling it as an even chance to be decided tomorrow morning.

 

[parttimer]

Man i am looking forward to this test match!

 

[aussie]

I could have sworn I saw it reported on ABC's news tonight that Kallis wasn't playing. But Cricinfo and Foxsports are still calling it as an even chance to be decided tomorrow morning.

yep hope he makes it, also another selection dilemma for the SA IMO is if they are going to play Boje or Langevelt, if i were Smith i may be tempted to pick Langevelt since its Perth.

 

[andyc]

yep hope he makes it, also another selection dilemma for the SA IMO is if they are going to play Boje or Langevelt, if i were Smith i may be tempted to pick Langevelt since its Perth.

Yeah it's gotta be Langevelt over Boje.
I really can't wait for today's match, should be a cracker, although it would be better with Kallis in the team, but I think there's a very good chance he won't be from news reports. My prediction for this game--Australia to win on the 5th day by about 50-100 runs, with Warne and Bracken getting a few.

 

[Blaze]

Looking forward to this. Don't know who to support.

 

[andyc]

Kallis is out and Rudolph's coming in, and it's drizzling at the ground.

What the hell did Healy do with his hair??

 

[andyc]

Australia win the toss and elect to bat

 

[andyc]

Uh oh.
1/0, Hayden top edges an attempted pull off Ntini

 

[Blaze]

Australia 1 for 0.

Rudulph almost makes a meal of it but manages to hold on to a good catch running back.

 

[grecian]

Hayden out, what a poor shot

Ponting hit, like he was on the first day of the Ashes, not bleeding this time though

 

[FaaipDeOiad]

Ntini really has come a long way in the last couple of years. He moves the ball off the seam, is accurate and quick, and he's fixed a lot of the problems that held him back early in his career.

Wonderful opening over from him.