***Official*** South Africa In Australia

[pasag]

Agree with this, except if Hayden fails agains this innings, we should toy with the prospect of Hussey opening and his brother in the middle OR Hughes.

Klinger, IMO. Has form and God on his side

 

[pup11]

That's not how test cricket works, fanboy.

That was a mix of frustration and jest, wonder why you would take it seriously, its not as if i had gun to Smith' head demanding him to declare.

 

[Evermind]

Personally, and I know this may upset some Aussies, but I think Clarke is one of the biggest ****s in world cricket. Comes across all matey-matey and then claims a catch which bounced a foot in front of him which he pushed down into the turf. And yes, I realise this was a while back now and a lot of water's passed under the bridge but that claimed catch is to me what a Pom's peppermints are to Burgey.

A-****ing-men!!!

 

[pup11]

Klinger, IMO. Has form and God on his side

Yeah would have been a real possibility if the Aussie selectors were actually taking domestic performances into perspective for Aussie team selection.

 

[longtom]

Haven't seen a minute of the game - working all the time and having no satelite tv. But when I woke up this morning and listened to the radio and heard Neil Manthorp waffling about SA being ahead and Steyn having 60 and Duminy 100+ I thought I am in the wrong movie?
Test Cricket against Australia just doesn't work like that for SA...well - it never did as long as I am following them - not 2 games in a row.

Getting all my infos from i-net, newspapers and peeping in here and "listening" to you guys. So I know about dropped catches, I know about Lee (bummer) I have just a couple of questions to get a better picture:

Was it just Aus being hopeless (that would be a first in my memory)or SA just being to strong (with Harris and Steyn... ) or what the heck?

Symonds being injured how badly? They said on the radio this morning he can't run? That should rule him out for the next test? Or how does selection work down under? The inside relationships between players, selectors etc are totally unknown to me.

Somebody wrote here something about Steyn having a broken finger. Is that confirmed? Which hand?

Last:

What is a good score for Aus to give them a realistc chance to bowl SA out again in the 5 days?...

Thank you

longtom

 

[Craig]

Possibly the only changes at this stage, however, a big innings from Symonds or some wickets in the 2nd innings is all that is needed from him to retain his spot. Bollinger should definitely come in.

Wright in rating NSW bowler shocker

 

[Bees]

Long Tom, to say the Aussies under-performed would be an understatement.

Steyn and Duminy wouldn't have been able to get anywhere near the lead if the Aussies performed on-song, I think that's pretty clear. The dropped chances being taken alone would've secured the innings.

That said, it's unfair to take credit away from Duminy (and Steyn, to an extent). Just because Lee nor Symonds missed out on a bowl doesn't mean that Australia lost the day and South Africa passively accepted their total. Duminy played excellently to what was offered, regardless of how it compared to domination-era Australian standards. He was solid, he was stylish, he was Jean-Paul :: French accent ::

 

[Stapel]

Unbelievable!
I got up around 7 am, just to take a leak. I quickly took a brief walk to my PC, to check the score on cricinfo. 450-9, my PC told me. And then I saw Duminy calls Ntini through for a single, so Ntini keeps the strike.....

That´s adding insult to injury.

What was Steyn´s innings like? Tons of luck or did he actually bat well?

 

[Smudge]

I've been told by a mate that Healy was saying toward the end of the SA innings, that SA should declare because they had lost momentum. If so, by Christ, that's sad.

 

[Craig]

Hayden
Katich
Ponting
Hussey
Clarke
Haddin
Watson
Johnson
Hilfenhaus
Bollinger
Siddle

Throw the kitchen sink at them.

Why wouldn't Watson not bat ahead of Haddin?

 

[Bees]

What was Steyn´s innings like? Tons of luck or did he actually bat well?

Steyn had an amazing amount of luck. He wasn't as hopeless with the bat as he usually is, but every edge flew to the boundary or missed - every catching chance not taken, etc.

So many balls that could've and should've got him out that just didn't.

 

[Evermind]

Holy Crapoly!

Never in my wildest dreams did I expect SA to get anywhere near 300 - forget about an absurd 459. Duminy's innings has been nothing short of miraculous, and 3 ridiculous drops from Australia...well they're fielding like the WIndies here.

McKenzie might have to make way, if Prince comes back, because there's no way they're dropping golden boy JP now.

If SA draw this match, that's still ok. As long as they don't lose at the SCG, they will have won the series.

 

[Bees]

McKenzie might have to make way, if Prince comes back, because there's no way they're dropping golden boy JP now.

Join the fun!

 

[pasag]

Why wouldn't Watson not bat ahead of Haddin?

Haddin's pretty close to our best bat at the moment.

 

[BoyBrumby]

Lee (if fit), Hayden and Symonds will all play in Sydney regardless of result here.

Test side is a bro's club, not a representative of the best players in the country.

It is looking more and more like it. If he's not fit to bowl (well, by and large anyway) is Symonds in his current nick really one of the best six batsmen you have?

Lee's been off the field all day mate, he has a stress fracture in his left foot. Apparently he tried to jump over his "runs conceded" column and that's what caused his injury.

Klinger, IMO. Has form and God on his side

Stands to reason; you blokes are the chosen people, after all.

 

[Goughy]

Looks an amazing innings from JP. Wished Id seen it. Would have also loved to see Steyns effort as well.

 

[Burgey]

Haven't seen a minute of the game - working all the time and having no satelite tv. But when I woke up this morning and listened to the radio and heard Neil Manthorp waffling about SA being ahead and Steyn having 60 and Duminy 100+ I thought I am in the wrong movie?
Test Cricket against Australia just doesn't work like that for SA...well - it never did as long as I am following them - not 2 games in a row.

Getting all my infos from i-net, newspapers and peeping in here and "listening" to you guys. So I know about dropped catches, I know about Lee (bummer) I have just a couple of questions to get a better picture:

Was it just Aus being hopeless (that would be a first in my memory)or SA just being to strong (with Harris and Steyn... ) or what the heck?

Symonds being injured how badly? They said on the radio this morning he can't run? That should rule him out for the next test? Or how does selection work down under? The inside relationships between players, selectors etc are totally unknown to me.

Somebody wrote here something about Steyn having a broken finger. Is that confirmed? Which hand?

Last:

What is a good score for Aus to give them a realistc chance to bowl SA out again in the 5 days?...

Thank you

longtom

LT, how's your home town going? I rode an ostrich there once...

Australia were poor in the sense they dropped catches, and the bowling lacked penetration. They probably b owled a little too short with the new rock as well.

The usual suspects are bagging Ponting about his captaincy, ignoring the fact he has a pop gun attack to work with,especially with Lee out of action, even if he's been bad of late. He pretty much tried every available option at some time except Katich, who Clarke said post-game hasn't been bowling in the nets due to soreness in his shoulder. Carrying Hayden might finally be catching up with him.

However, I think primarily SA were very good (JP) and made the most of what luck they had (Steyn). They deserve enormous credit for the state of the game now.

Symonds didn't bowl until late in the innings, I suspect they thought they could nurse him through without bowling at all - last night that looked right, but the selectors deserve the kind of kick in the arse which a selection panel without a NSWman should get by picking an all rounder who isn't fit to bowl (or at least not fit to bowl his medium pacers).

Haven't heard if Steyn broke a finger, though he got hit on both hands, but bowled two overs at day's end.

Realistically, for Australia to win this game there will need to be an enormous SA collapse, India in Sydney style, on day 5, primarily because they're a bowler down and because there's not that much time left given SA have a lead.

For Australia, at best one would think they could only be 30-40 runs ahead at lunch tomorrow. If they then score at 100 runs per session (by no means a given),they're only 240 runs ahead at stumps day 4. If they're all out, that's a full day for SA to get them, with a 3 man attack bowling to them, or alternatively you'd think they'll bat close to lunch day 5 to take SA out of it. Bottom line - it's SA's to lose from here really.

 

[Craig]

Haddin's pretty close to our best bat at the moment.

But on ability isn't Watson better? If by that, why doesn't Haddin go and open the batting since on current form >>>>>> Hayden?

 

[Bees]

I would like to openly state that I'm expecting to see match articles on Cricinfo in about five or six hours.

 

[DingDong]

This test is gone. Australia are either going to lose it or at best draw it.

Some drastic changes are required for the next game. Here is my team for the next test.

Haddin
Katich (c)
Ponting
Clarke
Chris Rogers
Watson
Hilfy
Bollinger
Johnson
Siddle
Hauritz

Haddin needs to open so Katich can take his time. Haddin opening will mean at least 150 runs in the first session. Also, bring Rogers in to the middle order in place of Hussey. Hussey isn't scoring any runs and his fielding is atrocious. Rogers is arguably the best batsman in Australia right now and SA wont know what hit them.

Play four out and out quicks. Our only chance to get 20 wickets in the game.

Katich can captain. He is a far better tactician than Ponting.

Also, Lee needs to be put down. He is of no value anymore.