Cricket - Australia Vs South Africa

[CrashedCarDriver]

nel dropped ponting when he was 17

it cost them exactly 100

also, theres more life to the pitch than there was in the first test

 

[yertle-the-turtle]

Most Aussie fans believe a lot of things that aren't necessarily accurate or reasonable, though. I mean, look at how many think Australia is still the best team in the world because they beat the (obviously lacklustre) "World" XI, despite the fact they've lost the Ashes and to Bangladesh this year.

Who else would you nominate?

England beat Australia but were terrible in Pakistan.

New Zealand beat India (and also Zimbabwe but who cares) but lost to South Africa and an understrength Australia.

Sri Lanka got thrashed badly by India.

West Indies got thrashed by Australia.

India lost to New Zealand and drew against South Africa, but they also beat Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe.

Australia beat WI, had a close series in England, and Lord knows if they're going to win or lose the current series.

Pakistan beat England and drew with West Indies.

So, I'd say South Africa are the best team at the world at the moment because they've done consistently both home and away, but if they lose to Australia, then my calculator's 'permutation' function will be screwed.

 

[CrashedCarDriver]

the australian team is still the best because they still have glenn mcgrath and shane warne who can just about defend ANYTHING

the only problem is the batting lineup is no longer as powerful as it used to be when steve waugh and mark waugh were there, also langer and hayden's golden run of double hundred opening partnerships are all in the past. teams have worked out once you remove ponting and/or hayden the team goes into a mode of collapse, almost like how the west indies only have lara, or india with tendulkar, another problem is adam gilchrist does not seem to be there to save them anymore with a run-a-ball hundred.

The thing that made the australian cricket team so successful for a good decade/ decade and a half was they scored 450 each time on their first innings (with everyone contributing as opposed to just one or two people) and every other team batting second would be a state of panic trying to get those runs quickly that they would lose a 3 or 4 wickets before they score their first hundred runs, hence they find themselves battling to save the follow on.

But ever since the waugh twins retired the australians have been sucked into trying to score too fast, trying to play one day cricket, it works when you play minnows sri lanka, bangladesh, west indies and new zealand (admittedly new zealand cricket's test cricket is pretty ordinary) or a team on the rebuild (south africa a couple of seasons ago).

In the last Ashes series england totally sucked them in to play that exciting flashing cricket, it looks great when you belt a six, but getting out to the last ball of the over where you score 14 runs is just something that is not associated with the australian cricket team. where for the most part the whole dynasty, legacy was built on playing the basics, the fundamentals, grinding the opposition into the turf for doing all the basic things better than everyone else.

we still mcgrath and warne to cover up all these problems, but today's play was an example of the transistional phase of australian cricket or the search for a revamp

 

[timothius]

yertle, while I like a few of your conclusions I disagree with the mixing of ODI and Test performances.

Also a minor grammatical error, your post indicated that Australia was the understrength side in this months series, when obviously you meant to indicate NZ are the understrength side with Bond and Fleming out.

 

[timothius]

the australian team is still the best because they still have glenn mcgrath and shane warne who can just about defend ANYTHING

we still mcgrath and warne to cover up all these problems, but today's play was an example of the transistional phase of australian cricket or the search for a revamp

These two paragraphs take my interest. I actually agree with you ( ) that Australia is in a rebuilding phase... but get used to it, it will last for 7-10 years minimum.

Australia's success was built on picking a group of players who had reached the peak of their powers (around the age of 30-34) and sticking with them, and if any of them fell injured - replacing them with equally as old players. They finally woke up a season or two ago and decided to cull the first roll of fat (Waugh, Lehmann etc) and replace them with the answer to all of Australia's problems Michael "Sir Donald" Clarke. Then for some unkown reason this season, they decided anyone who is over the age of 30 that so much as looks the wrong way must be dropped for youth, any youth, Phil Jacques youth. Phil Jacques is your immediate future, embrace it.

Onto McGrath and Warne. Warne was had a solid season, his two seasons before were rubbish. He isn't as lethal as his legacy suggests, he has two balls... the Wrong'n and Leg Break. I can almost gurantee his 2006 will be a mere shadow of 2005 - but still, I concede he has been a good bowler this year. McGrath on the other hand I will never accept as a good bowler. He doesn't take wickets... he gets given them. This is proven time and time again... he is merely a 2000's version of Dennis Lillie an overrated paceman who can bowl consistantly outside off stump day in day out waiting for the opposing team to finally have a swing. Scavanger is the word I think. I find comparisons to Marshall, Hadlee, Akram et al a little offensive.

 

[CrashedCarDriver]

then again

you have micheal hussey to cover up all of australia's problems

you'd think that australia will win the match from this point on on the back of one player, but it asks more questions than answer them

 

[bono_man2002]

8/239 at stumps!

Nel took four wickets and Pollock three.

All Out 355

 

[the rockin edge]

good start by SA, 112/1

 

[Axver]

How the hell did they get to 355?

(Totally forgot to watch today's play.)

 

[the rockin edge]

Hussey got 122

SA 169-2 at close of play

 

[yertle-the-turtle]

I didn't sleep at all last night owing to the football

there was a 7:28 am start for the cricket here

I decided to watch Australia close their innings

Now I'm kinda glad I decided just to watch the MacGill wicket

I think I'd be more zombie-fied than I am now.

 

[bono_man2002]

How the hell did they get to 355?

(Totally forgot to watch today's play.)

I'll explain.....

Two Of Overalia's Overrated batsmen got dropped, costing South Africa almost an overrated 200 runs.

Now this overrated test series is getting more interesting!, I hope South Africa hang around for most of tommrow, because i might be going on day 4.

 

[yertle-the-turtle]

Should Michael Hussey move up the order for subsequent Tests? I know him being in the middle was a great benefit to the Aussies in the first innings but he is an opener after all.

 

[CrashedCarDriver]

sadly there is only going to be ONE possible result in this match

south africa have totally let things slip since the beginning of the second day

 

[CrashedCarDriver]

australians ALL OVER the south africans

you came into this series with the intention of competing, of trying to slow us down, of trying to keep with us

well you will leave with NOTHING

personally south african cricket can only go forwards when they get rid of kallis - the most overrated batsman ever, herscelle gibbs, shaun pollock - the most overrated bowler to ever take 400 wickets, and mark boucher

they need some new players for us to demoralise and psychologically destroy

 

[cleazer]

Oh good, South Africa is batting first. I was hoping that would happen.

 

[cleazer]

So far 69/2.

McGrath has been bowling well. (gosh, imagine that!)

 

[timothius]

shaun pollock - the most overrated bowler to ever take 400 wickets

Of course he doesn't have 400 yet. But when he does he will be far more worthy than McGrath, Dev, Kumble, Warne and Lillie.

 

[CrashedCarDriver]

after day 1 of the final test it appears that the south africans are playing for a draw

interestingly in today's modern era of cricket, where test matches are over in three and a half days, four days, early fifth day, the south africans like to play for draws

it appears they want to bat 5 sessions, score 450 or something, but the problem lies in their bowling attack, with ntini out they dont appear to have a bowling lineup capable of bowling australia out twice in the match

 

[timothius]

They aren't playing for the draw, their run rate is above 3 for goodness sake.

 

[cleazer]

Not any more.

South Africa RR: 2.84


It's 310/4 at lunch on day 2. This test needs some wickets!

 

[timothius]

Near enough.

I think South Africa are subscribing to the theory that Australia struggle badly batting last on day 5. There is a mountain of proof behind this and on a spinning Sydney wicket what is the rush? Make Australia bowl you out, rather than hang yourself. Smith & Co have this one under control.

 

[cleazer]

422/7

It's entirely possible that South Africa will bat for the rest of the day, and reach 500. A result in this test isn't impossible, but right now it doesn't feel very likely.

 

[cleazer]

I'd say it was a pretty good day for Australia. They got to within a respectable distance of South Africa's number, and they did it at a much faster pace. That de Villiers wicket at the very end could be a sign of things to come tomorrow.

 

[CrashedCarDriver]

this game is threatening to boil over

if this was a baseball game i'd swear that if someone got hit by a ball a brawl could very well break out

this situation could have been averted had the match referee from the last match done something about the overappealing of one team

now both teams are overappealing

the umpires have had poor games

smith given not out caught behind to a ball he totally smashed

smith given out to an lbw appeal to a ball he hit

kallis not out in the first innings to an lbw appeal

prince given out to an lbw appeal that hit him 30 cms outside offstump

boucher given out to a catch that hit the ground

hussey given not out to an lbw appeal

ponting given not out to an lbw appeal

ponting given out to an lbw appeal with a ball which he hit

symonds given not out to an lbw appeal then out to a ball that would've missed leg stump

gilchrist given not out to an lbw appeal

andre nel complaining against racial sledging by the crowd

also andre nel is just asking for trouble trying to think that he is the antihero of the crowd




the only way for both teams to shake hands again is for south africa to lose by tomorrow evening, but you can bet your bottom dollar south africa will look to bat really slowly tomorrow

 

[timothius]

Add Ponting bleating to the umpires for 5 minutes after the close of play yesterday.

 

[cleazer]

They're playing day 5 today. Looks it will be fairly anti-climactic though.

 

[cleazer]

Okay guys, South Africa declared with a lead of 286, but there are still 5 and a half hours left today!! Is it just me, or was that a massive mistake?

 

[cleazer]

Langer gets bowled right before lunch. However, it seems like Australia is on the right path. This next session could potentially be fantastic!

 

[cleazer]

After 30 overs, Australia 151/1. Their run rate is over 5, and they're more than halfway to the target. They only need 136 more runs.

South Africa, can you say "oops"? You're about to lose a test where the end of Day 2 looked like this: South Africa 451/9d, Australia 54/3.