***Official*** South Africa v West Indies

[aussie]

Four days though.. I despair at how influenced people get by a couple of days play..

True we are below par, but to be fair the series could end up being won by SA, the boot on the other foot, and the follow on a distant memory..

i'm not just judging SA on this series, i'm talking from as soon as they were elimated in round one of the World Cup they seem to be slipping sereis by sereis & i context to this series i think once Pollock returns for SA, & blokes like Lara, Gayle, Sarwan, Bravo, Edwards retunr for WI it could be a very firecly fought series.

in this test match both sides hasn't picked their best line-ups both for various reasons, here is what i think is both SA & WI best XI for the rest of the series

Smith
De Villiers
Rudolph
Kallis
Gibbs
Prince
Boucher
Pollock
Boje
Ntini
Nel

Gayle
Hinds
Sarwan
Lara
Chanderpaul
R.Hinds
Bravo
Browne
Collins
Powell
King

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

yeah since i came from school, maybe i could give the WI bowlers some credit, but come on Liam its not the best bowling attack that the WI can put up and guys like Smith, Kallis, Gibbs should be slapping themselves for their performances so far with the bat in this test.

It's not the best attack WI can put up you say? Who would you have instead? AFAIC these are the three best seamers in the region currently.

 

[Langeveldt]

Prince is nowhere near the ballpark when it comes for a suitable South African number six.. Im trying to rack my brain for alternatives though

 

[aussie]

It's not the best attack WI can put up you say? Who would you have instead? AFAIC these are the three best seamers in the region currently.

the three best on current form i presume, but lets say all are raring to go the best 4 i would say is Collins, Edwards, Best & is a toss up between Lawson, King & Collymore

 

[aussie]

Prince is nowhere near the ballpark when it comes for a suitable South African number six.. Im trying to rack my brain for alternatives though

maybe so but he is in good for of late, and i think he deserves a chance to show what he is made of at test level againts a tougher opposition because to me Hall isn't rerally that good of a test all-rounder, in this series having Pollock, Ntini, Nel, Boje, Kallis has your main bowlers should be enough to counter the WI

 

[marc71178]

I think the biggest loss of all for SA was when Kirsten retired, and I seem to remember some of us saying it at the time.

 

[aussie]

yeah probably along with Donald that ended the careers of two great players who helped SA become such a force in world cricket

 

[marc71178]

I think they still competed without Donald (seeing as he had gone on a bit too long) though.

 

[Langeveldt]

I think the biggest loss of all for SA was when Kirsten retired, and I seem to remember some of us saying it at the time.

Agreed.. One of the most under rated cricketers ever IMO.. We don't realize how much we value Gazza until he is no more

 

[shaka]

Rhodes retirement has meant a decline in energy and morale, no one available with the energy he had.

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

the three best on current form i presume, but lets say all are raring to go the best 4 i would say is Collins, Edwards, Best & is a toss up between Lawson, King & Collymore

Well now I'm sure you haven't watched the cricket or much West Indies cricket at all. Not only is Daren Powell the best West Indian pacer this season, but he's bowled superbly in this match to prove that his place in the team is long overdue.

Fidel Edwards is very talented, but has a lot to learn and that learning should be done at domestic level. Tino Best I would agree is closer to where you'd want an international fast bowler, but he too is not as "together" as Powell. Jermaine Lawson has some serious work to do to get to the effectiveness of Daren Powell currently.

This is the best trio available right now, with an argument there for Collymore.

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

maybe so but he is in good for of late, and i think he deserves a chance to show what he is made of at test level againts a tougher opposition because to me Hall isn't rerally that good of a test all-rounder, in this series having Pollock, Ntini, Nel, Boje, Kallis has your main bowlers should be enough to counter the WI

I don't see Boje posing a great threat to the West Indies batsmen if they play with sense. Pollock is unlikely to be back until the third Test and Kallis is hardly a threat in current form. I'd say Nel and Ntini are the two most likely and it will take a much-improved performance from Ntini too.

 

[Nate]

Gayle
Hinds Wavell
Sarwan
Lara
Chanderpaul
Hinds Ryan
Bravo
Browne
Powell
Collins
King

Seems to be the best to me. But I do love Dave Mohammed!

 

[Swervy]

wow..SA have just scored 6 runs in 2 balls....

wonder when the last time was that scoring has been so slow in a test match???

 

[SJS]

I don't see Boje posing a great threat to the West Indies batsmen if they play with sense. .

Boje has never been a threat, as a bowler, to anyside except South Africa

 

[Gangster]

I don't see Boje posing a great threat to the West Indies batsmen if they play with sense. Pollock is unlikely to be back until the third Test and Kallis is hardly a threat in current form. I'd say Nel and Ntini are the two most likely and it will take a much-improved performance from Ntini too.

What's Powell's average pace? Cricinfo has him at Fast Medium, but does he deserve to be rated as Fast? How about Washington's pace? Is he a legitimate fast or a fast-medium

 

[steds]

But I do love Dave Mohammed!

 

[Swervy]

well this one is fading away..30 overs to go for WI to take 7 wickets.

SA have certainly bored the hell out of everyone with this display, but that is what it needed, so fair do's to the Saffies.

West Indies havent bowled too well I dont think today...maybe the effects of 200overs in the field on a very slow pitch.

 

[Neil Pickup]

wow..SA have just scored 6 runs in 2 balls....

wonder when the last time was that scoring has been so slow in a test match???

England in SL?

 

[Swervy]

England in SL?

yeah..maybe for shorter periods of time...but SA's 222 in 138 overs surely must be slower than England were most of the time

Australia probably would be on 600 now...declared and try to actually beat the West Indies (ok maybe not)