***Official*** South Africa In Australia

[grapedo]

This series is less than a month away so lets get talking about it

 

[Briony]

Here's the mob from SA which will tour our shores.

South African squad for Australia: Graeme Smith (captain), Ashwell Prince (vice-captain), Hashim Amla, Mark Boucher, AB de Villiers, JP Duminy, Paul Harris, Jacques Kallis, Neil McKenzie, Morne Morkel, Makhaya Ntini, Robin Peterson, Dale Steyn, Lonwabo Tsotsobe and Monde Zondeki.

 

[grapedo]

I hope tsotsobe gets ago they need that extra dimension in their attack. IMO. saying that I also hope morkel finds some form

 

[Craig]

Robbie Peterson must be loving the disadvantaged player law.

 

[archie mac]

No Nel?

 

[Protean]

No Nel?

Just had surgery.

 

[archie mac]

Just had surgery.

Oh, ok, thanks

 

[Richard]

Probably for the best, Nel just isn't the same bowler he used to be.

Anyway, no reason not to have an *Official* thread now with the series so relatively close by.

 

[grapedo]

I personally think the bowling attack they have picked will do a more than capable job of bowling the australians out.

 

[grapedo]

Graeme smith has a reputation to end other captain's careers. It may just be ricky ponting's turn this time around.

 

[GotSpin]

Graeme smith has a reputation to end other captain's careers. It may just be ricky ponting's turn this time around.

I'm sure Ponting is shaking in his boots after last series

 

[grapedo]

I'm sure Ponting is shaking in his boots after last series

Yeah well they have a better team now. And Australia have a worse team now. And last time it was essentially 1-0 as australia only one the third test due to rain.

 

[Richard]

Graeme smith has a reputation to end other captain's careers. It may just be ricky ponting's turn this time around.

Smith's been captain in a series where Hussain and Vaughan's captaincies finished. That's it.

 

[kingkallis]

Yeah well they have a better team now. And Australia have a worse team now. And last time it was essentially 1-0 as australia only one the third test due to rain.

Aussies wont go down that easily! Form of Jacques Kallis and fitness of Steyn will be very important for South Africa!

 

[Uppercut]

Smith's been captain in a series where Hussain and Vaughan's captaincies finished. That's it.

Yea but both times it was massive innings from the big fella that put an end to their captaincies.

Still. Won't happen. I'll be supporting SA massively through both series though.

 

[Richard]

Have to say that the number of catches SA have floored today against Bangladesh doesn't fill me with any confidence at all.

Heck, Graeme Smith dropped one. I can only recall him dropping 1 catch before in his Test career (not that it is the only one he's ever dropped, obv, but I can't imagine there'd be many others), and that was off the batsman who was dropped more than anyone else I've ever seen, Marcus Trescothick.

 

[Uppercut]

Have to say that the number of catches SA have floored today against Bangladesh doesn't fill me with any confidence at all.

Heck, Graeme Smith dropped one. I can only recall him dropping 1 catch before in his Test career (not that it is the only one he's ever dropped, obv, but I can't imagine there'd be many others), and that was off the batsman who was dropped more than anyone else I've ever seen, Marcus Trescothick.

Did you see the two run-outs though? Holy ****. I don't think i've ever seen two one-stump direct hits from the deep in one innings before.

 

[Richard]

Can't recall doing so. Think one from the deep was two-stump at worst tho.

Nonetheless, even if that was keep-up-able, I'd always take a very high percentage of catches taken to the stumps being hit. Always. You get far, far more chances to take catches than hit the stumps with a genuine run-out chance.

I've just seen so many cases of a team whose catching has been excellent in recent times losing it literally at the last minute before a series against Australia. Worst example being England in 2001, who dropped about 6 or 7 catches in the last Test before the series against Australia. Including 3 from one of the country's best slippers of recent times, Nick Knight.

 

[Jakester1288]

If Brett Lee bowls like he did today and late yesterday he will get over 15 wickets in the series easily. He just needs to get a little more swing, and with his consistent line and length, at a decent pace, wickets will be his. I also think that the South Africans have a very strong batting line up, and a good bowling attack, lead by Steyn.

 

[Uppercut]

If Brett Lee bowls like he did today and late yesterday he will get over 15 wickets in the series easily. He just needs to get a little more swing, and with his consistent line and length, at a decent pace, wickets will be his. I also think that the South Africans have a very strong batting line up, and a good bowling attack, lead by Steyn.

Well he's hardly tearing viciously through batsmen in this series. And unlike NZ the South Africans know which way round to hold the bat.