***Official*** South Africa In Australia

[susudear]

SA

Aussies to get to 400 at a canter tomorrow.

 

[pasag]

NOTHING in cricket would make me happier then Douggy taking Smiffys wicket tomorrow.

He's right the selectors have no clue, but picking Bollinger was the first good selection since picking Katich and it itself was way, way, way overdue.

 

[pup11]

NOTHING in cricket would make me happier then Douggy taking Smiffys wicket tomorrow.

He's right the selectors have no clue, but picking Bollinger was the first good selection since picking Katich and it itself was way, way, way overdue.

I think that can be said about Hilfy too...

 

[Johnners]

(y) Clarke, don't care if he was dropped, bloke is hanging in their, scoring runs and making the most of it.

Decent nuts from Morkel & Steyn to get Ponting & Haddin as well. Massive lol at Harris though, the ****.

 

[pup11]

(y) Clarke, don't care if he was dropped, bloke is hanging in their, scoring runs and making the most of it.

Decent nuts from Morkel & Steyn to get Ponting & Haddin as well. Massive lol at Harris though, the ****.

For what, mate?

 

[duffer]

"He is a pain in the bum," Harvey said at a 50th anniversary reunion of the 1958-59 Australian side that regained the Ashes.

"Hayden at 37, what I think what he should do is head on down and say, 'I have had enough' and quit.

"I thought he was pathetic today.

"He wasn't trying to score runs and he had forgotten how to hit the ball, and at his age he is not going to get any better, is he?

"He has been a good player, but he hasn't been a great player in my opinion."

I see our favourite rent-a-quote **** hasn't missed an opportunity to stick the boot in. So sick of him now.

 

[Johnners]

For what, mate?

facepalm.jpg

 

[Uppercut]

Steyn's ball to get Haddin was pretty orgasmic. Ponting got an absolute peach too, first ball.

 

[Jono]

NOTHING in cricket would make me happier then Douggy taking Smiffys wicket tomorrow.

He's right the selectors have no clue, but picking Bollinger was the first good selection since picking Katich and it itself was way, way, way overdue.

He didn't insult or denigrate Bollinger though. All he said was, that since Hilfenhaus was 12th man in Melbourne, it'd seem logical that he'd get the call-up in Sydney.

 

[Prince EWS]

He didn't insult or denigrate Bollinger though. All he said was, that since Hilfenhaus was 12th man in Melbourne, it'd seem logical that he'd get the call-up in Sydney.

Yeah, the headline is a little misleading. I actually agree with Smith that the selection lacks clarity - Bollinger's either next in line or he isn't. What has changed between Melbourne and Sydney to result in Bollinger leapfrogging Hilfenhaus? I personally think Bollinger's the better bowler at this stage, but nothing's actually happened to justify the change in thinking from the selectors.

 

[Uppercut]

Yeah, the headline is a little misleading. I actually agree with Smith that the selection lacks clarity - Bollinger's either next in line or he isn't. What has changed between Melbourne and Sydney to result in Bollinger leapfrogging Hilfenhaus? I personally think Bollinger's the better bowler at this stage, but nothing's actually happened to justify the change in thinking from the selectors.

Could be that
a) If I'm not mistaken this is Bollinger's home ground?
b) Hilfenhaus was in the squad as an alternative option to Siddle, not Lee. For whatever reason they might not think it's best for their attack to have Hilfenhaus and Siddle on at the same time.
or
c) Whatever they saw of Hilfenhaus while he was with the squad, they didn't like.

 

[Prince EWS]

Well I'm off to the game. Stoked I get to be there for Bollinger's debut; I've been a fan for a while and he's a Baulko boy.

Seriously, the worst part about going to the ground is having to catch up on the match thread. I have 200 odd posts to read!

Was an awesome day's play though; really wish I'd nagged my mates enough to get them to come to Day 2 as well.

 

[Prince EWS]

Could be that
a) If I'm not mistaken this is Bollinger's home ground?

It is, but whilst I generally agree with going "horses for courses", if the selectors are picking bowlers based on where they play their home games and not which grounds will actually suit their bowling, they need to be sacked.

c) Whatever they saw of Hilfenhaus while he was with the squad, they didn't like.

A little reactionary if so, IMO.

b) Hilfenhaus was in the squad as an alternative option to Siddle, not Lee. For whatever reason they might not think it's best for their attack to have Hilfenhaus and Siddle on at the same time.

I can accept that, I guess, but it's far from being a certainty and stuff like this happens far too often for my liking. Selectors rating Player X over Player Y when I might disagree is fair enough, but there doesn't seem to be any consistency, foresight or decent player management skills with the current crop at all. It just seems like they're just flipping a coin half the time.

 

[pasag]

He didn't insult or denigrate Bollinger though. All he said was, that since Hilfenhaus was 12th man in Melbourne, it'd seem logical that he'd get the call-up in Sydney.

Yeah.

 

[Uppercut]

It is, but whilst I generally agree with going "horses for courses", if the selectors are picking bowlers based on where they play their home games and not which grounds will actually suit their bowling, they need to be sacked.



A little reactionary if so, IMO.



I can accept that, I guess, but it's far from being a certainty and stuff like this happens far too often for my liking. Selectors rating Player X over Player Y when I might disagree is fair enough, but there doesn't seem to be any consistency, foresight or decent player management skills with the current crop at all. It just seems like they're just flipping a coin half the time.

Indeed, yeah. In any case, Bollinger's a quality player by all accounts so they may well have got to the right answer via the wrong method.

 

[Prince EWS]

Indeed, yeah. In any case, Bollinger's a quality player by all accounts so they may well have got to the right answer via the wrong method.

Yeah, AWTA. Bollinger would have been my pick for both Melbourne and Sydney (and in fact Mohali and, really, pretty much every Test since the second Test in the West Indies ). I can cop them seeing things slightly differently but what annoys me is when they backflip every twenty-five seconds. It really shows no conviction at all.

 

[Woodster]

Looking forward to seeing Bollinger, presumably at some point on day 2, having not seen a great deal of him. There has generally been enough in this pitch throughout the opening day to keep the quicker bowlers interested.

Saw the other debutant bat today, and while he had a bit of a roughing up early on, he showed decent character to battle back and played some pleasant shots through straightish mid-wicket. Seems to prefer to hang on his back foot and with the ideal length Ntini found to dismiss him, will probably be kicking himself a little for not committing to a front foot stroke.

 

[Uppercut]

Saw the other debutant bat today, and while he had a bit of a roughing up early on, he showed decent character to battle back and played some pleasant shots through straightish mid-wicket. Seems to prefer to hang on his back foot and with the ideal length Ntini found to dismiss him, will probably be kicking himself a little for not committing to a front foot stroke.

Looked from where i was sitting like he got a real working over. Morne Morkel's possibly international cricket's most awkward proposition at the moment but McDonald could have been given out "retired owned".

 

[Woodster]

Looked from where i was sitting like he got a real working over. Morne Morkel's possibly international cricket's most awkward proposition at the moment but McDonald could have been given out "retired owned".

He was certainly very uncomfortable early on, even first up the ball thudded into his arm guard. Another thump on the helmet later on, again from Morkel, would have done nothing to settle his nerves.

When Morkel gets it right, with decent enough pace, and steep bounce, he is certainly one heck of an opponent. Just needs to hit these areas more consistently for me.

 

[Uppercut]

He was certainly very uncomfortable early on, even first up the ball thudded into his arm guard. Another thump on the helmet later on, again from Morkel, would have done nothing to settle his nerves.

When Morkel gets it right, with decent enough pace, and steep bounce, he is certainly one heck of an opponent. Just needs to hit these areas more consistently for me.

He bowled fantastically well from what i saw last night. He has a strange way of bowling brilliantly for poor figures then bowling terribly for good ones- remember his two bowling innings at Edgebaston? I don't think there's a bowler playing international matches currently i'd less like to face.

The whole South Africa side really impressed me during the first innings there actually, they have a certain swagger that suggests they believe they're number one now. Judging by how much they were the better team they're a bit hard done by to not be in an even better position- and strangely, not one of their bowlers has decent figures from the day's play.