Official Cricket Thread Part 302

[cobl04]

Never been a better time for MMarsh to play the innings of his life. CA has already announced that it's the same XII for the first two Tests. I think Joe Mennie would be feeling pretty confident of a Baggy Green.

 

[Vlad n U 2]

That run out was amazing. Superhuman. Maybe the best run out in history.

No way it'll be a draw, what are you watching Vlad? Kagiso in that last session was making me erect.

Posted at the time Smith and Khawaja were settling in, and Amla dropped a catch at slip.

 

[cobl04]

Ah. Ye of too much faith.

 

[Axver]

I can't believe Cricket Australia have already confirmed no changes. Madness.

 

[cobl04]

Temba Bavuma, four foot tall, not a bowler, had Khawaja out plumb LBW first ball bowling 115km/h.

He overstepped.

 

[Axver]

Gutted!

But there we go, Duminy gets the ball and repeats the dose but without overstepping. Bye-bye Khawaja.

 

[Axver]

Bavuma snares Hazlewood to get his first Test wicket.

 

[cobl04]

Bavuma gets his wicket! He's had a phenomenal Test. Tubby's talking right now saying when you look back, a first-innings 50 and a wicket and you think "oh yeah whatever", but that run out was absolutely priceless.

This is actually pretty impressive from Australia - this is in the top 50 fourth innings scores in the history of the game. It's just they were so rubbish after Warner got out in the first innings.

Interesting moving to Hobart. Suspect Mennie will get a gig, maybe at the expense of Siddle. South Africa, going to be very interesting. I'd think same team except Morkel in for Steyn.

I think Australia should have considered buckling down once they were two or three down and batted for the draw. Instead we lost Smith and it all hinged on Khawaja.

 

[Axver]

Thoroughly enjoyable Test. I don't get some people I'm seeing on Twitter rubbishing it as boring. Australia were lethal at the start, South Africa's fightback was all class, and that fourth innings was nothing to sneeze at. If it weren't for Bavuma's breathtaking runout, and if Faf had declared around 420 rather than 540 and given Australia more of a sniff, you wonder just how different it might've been. Those were two sore and tired sides today.

 

[coolian2]

No Sheffield Shield games in NZ this year?

 

[cobl04]

No one goes to the games in Australia, don't know why anyone in New Zealand would go.


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[Vlad n U 2]

Australia 5/17. Philander copped an unintentional hit from Smith whilst appealing, now he's injured. Ferguson gets run out by a 60/70m direct hit on debut moments later.

 

[cobl04]

Hilarious.

Looks like we've solved our all-rounder problem though.


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[Vlad n U 2]

All out for 85. De Kock is a terrific wicketkeeper. What a catch.

 

[Axver]

Smith got over half of the 85 by himself. Mennie's 10 the only other batsman to break double figures. Hahahaha. This is beautiful. God I love an Australian batting collapse.

 

[cobl04]

de Kock is a super talent. Fast becoming the best keeper-batsman in the game.


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[Axver]

These 60 Minutes ads for that Gable Tostee interview are making me sick.

 

[Vlad n U 2]

These 60 Minutes ads for that Gable Tostee interview are making me sick.

I would like to shove his face into the dirt.

 

[Vlad n U 2]

What the fuck. That's embarrassing.

[TWEET]https://twitter.com/CricketAus/status/798311498984501248[/TWEET]

 

[Axver]

Bad news: sick as a dog today.

Good news: I can't go anywhere so I'll just lie on the couch and watch the cricket.

What the fuck. That's embarrassing.

[TWEET]798311498984501248[/TWEET]

Also embarrassing is your linking of a tweet, so I fixed that for you.

 

[Axver]

Will Australia even get to lunch?!

 

[Axver]

To answer myself: no. Even with an entire day washed out, Australia can't get to lunch on day four. Embarrassing. Especially since the Saffers were without AB, Steyn, and Morkel!

Also, I think I made a pretty good, topical pun today:

[TWEET]798321552546668544[/TWEET]

 

[Vlad n U 2]

I think Morkel had been injured, but he was available for this match. Abbott is more or less on the same level now.

 

[Axver]

Well it's been a good day for New Zealand's Test debutants against Pakistan, both de Grandhomme with the ball (6/41, a record for a Kiwi on debut), and Raval scoring a fifty on debut replacing Guptill.

Much as I love Guppy as an ODI/T20 batsman, I promise you he would not have made fifty today.

 

[Vlad n U 2]

de Grandhomme's interview at the end of the day was hilarious. Incredibly laid back and non fussed.

 

[cobl04]

Should be playing for Zimbabwe, but awesome all the same.

Very interesting round of Shield. Double tons for Handscomb and Doolan. Tons for Renshaw (who might replace Burns, who failed twice), Khawaja, Travis Dean. Wickets for Jon Holland.

I'd definitely be rolling with something like

Warner
Renshaw
Khawaja
Smith
Handscomb
Lehmann
Nevill
Starc
Sayers
Hazlewood
Holland

But knowing the selectors they'll pick 11 useless cunts from NSW, as always.

 

[coolian2]

Well it's been a good day for New Zealand's Test debutants against Pakistan, both de Grandhomme with the ball (6/41, a record for a Kiwi on debut), and Raval scoring a fifty on debut replacing Guptill.

Much as I love Guppy as an ODI/T20 batsman, I promise you he would not have made fifty today.

Guppy is on a wing and a prayer. He's a lovely guy, but seriously needs to get runs on the board at best.

He's better in his form of the game, which involves a black shirt.

 

[Axver]

Should be playing for Zimbabwe, but awesome all the same.

I don't blame anybody for wanting the fuck out of Zimbabwe.

 

[cobl04]

No not at all. It's just a sad indictment on the state of cricket outside of Aus/Eng/Ind/Pak/SL/NZ/SA and yet another example of the ICC's total ineptitude.

 

[coolian2]

Hmm. Tests in November in Christchurch.

Maybe not?

The ODI I went to at Mt Maunganui was enough of a stretch.