***Official*** South Africa in Australia

[Ikki]

Great batting by Ponting. Dictating the game's tone and result with his willow.

 

[howardj]

2-0 is not really an accurate reflection of the series, in my view. I think, given fine weather, South Africa would have won this match, or at least not lost it. Anyway, Ricky Ponting is King of the World tonight. What a performance.

 

[Josh]

Lol it is like the only interesting test Aus have played in since the ashes.

Yeh and I spoke too soon. Woke up today AUS 1/80 - glued to the TV apart from tea break where I proceeded to "read" an Archie Comics double digest.

 

[Pratters]

however rooting yourself to the crease and attempting to reverse sweep everything isn't exactly attacking. I think Kallis would have been better playing normal cricket shots to most of the balls he tried to reverse sweep, as pre-meditating a shot and then having a ball pitch full outside leg serves no purpose at all given the position his team were in. What Kallis did by taking 1's and 2's was put enormous pressure on the guy at the other end to score runs. 50* does wonders for the average though...

Reverse sweeping wasnt exactly selfish. He didnt exactly score slowly over all today. I would say RSA planned and executed that plan well today batting wise.

RSA over all scored at a good rate as a team which is good enough for me.

 

[Pratters]

Ponting - super inning in the world cup final

Super inning in the 100th test as captain to win the match for his country.

Great effort.

I am also very happy with the South African effort in this series. The progress since the home series loss to South Africa has been steady. I have said this before - if there was a world class fast bowler like even Akhtar, Pollock at his prime - RSA would be a superb team right now. It is hard to replace Donald.

Ntini can raise his level up a notch in the future or will some one be found? Time will tell.

 

[parttimer]

Reverse sweeping wasnt exactly selfish. He didnt exactly score slowly over all today. I would say RSA planned and executed that plan well today batting wise.

RSA over all scored at a good rate as a team which is good enough for me.

Not good enough to win the match tho.

 

[Dydl]

Ntini can raise his level up a notch in the future or will some one be found?

Ntini could have made a difference in this match for South Africa....then again, he may not have....

 

[Pratters]

Not good enough to win the match tho.

Well I will not insult Ponting and Hayden and given them credit for that more than any thing else!

 

[GotSpin]

2-0 is not really an accurate reflection of the series, in my view. I think, given fine weather, South Africa would have won this match, or at least not lost it. Anyway, Ricky Ponting is King of the World tonight. What a performance.

How could South Africa have won when australia were 2-270 odd

 

[parttimer]

Well I will not insult Ponting and Hayden and given them credit for that more than any thing else!

Yeah credit where its due, but Kallis is up with these guys and he's the go to man for SA. Kallis' only saving grace IMO is the fact that he's injured, otherwise he'd deserve a right walloping from coach and cappo

 

[Pratters]

Yeah credit where its due, but Kallis is up with these guys and he's the go to man for SA. Kallis' only saving grace IMO is the fact that he's injured, otherwise he'd deserve a right walloping from coach and cappo

I have explained in detail why I feel it was a good planned strategy from the South Africans to have one end less agressive - and till I hear comments disproving the same from captain/coach, I am not going to believe otherwise.

 

[howardj]

How could South Africa have won when australia were 2-270 odd

It's different when you're chasing 450

 

[GotSpin]

Don't see how it would be, more likely a draw obviously though...

 

[social]

I have explained in detail why I feel it was a good planned strategy from the South Africans to have one end less agressive - and till I hear comments disproving the same from captain/coach, I am not going to believe otherwise.

SA were unlucky with the weather - not because of the time lost but because the moisture in the air held the pitch together.

75% of Kallis' first innings was exactly what was called for.

The balance of his batting performance was totally self-serving. It's little wonder that a few SA batsmen glowered at him as they walked off.

I'm simply sorry that Prince finished on the losing side as he didnt deserve such a fate after a magnificent first innings and selfless second.

Kallis got no more than he deserved.

 

[Linda]

Well... wasnt expecting to get home to that result! Ponting, you legend...

 

[marc71178]

How could South Africa have won when australia were 2-270 odd

They wouldn't have declared with such a low target for one thing.

 

[aussie]

It's a shame that success like that couldn't come to a better person.

come on man get over it, don't be like that, so what if you dont like Ponting you dont have to be so rough...

 

[Blaze]

come on man get over it, don't be like that, so what if you dont like Ponting you dont have to be so rough...

I am more than happy to admit that he is a great player, one of the greatest Australian batsmen of all time. I don't have to like him though.

 

[GotSpin]

They wouldn't have declared with such a low target for one thing.

How would that help South Africa win though

 

[Blaze]

How would that help South Africa win though

The pitch would have worn more if it didn't rain and they would have had more time to bowl at AUS. Still think that it would have been a draw.