Cricket- the sport not the insect

[ramjambunath]

Openers should get lottery tickets, bowled off a no ball. Edwards has been good.

edit: Lunch- India's session but neither of the openers deserve to stay in the middle. The dropped catch was a very poor one.

 

[Ferminal]

arghhhhhhhh that's horrible. Completely destroyed his stumps.

 

[craig1985]

Gambhir run out.

 

[ramjambunath]

Lucky Windies but they deserve it. His bat was in the wrong hand, stupid fellow.

 

[Ferminal]

Weird coincidence. In the lunch breaks Fox Sports show highlights of old one day games - in the one today (Aus vs NZ @ SCG ~2001) Damien Martyn was run out in the same fashion.

 

[ramjambunath]

Dujon taking my lines in commentary.

Weird coincidence. In the lunch breaks Fox Sports show highlights of old one day games - in the one today (Aus vs NZ @ SCG ~2000)Damien Martyn was run out in the same fashion.

VB series with SA/NZ/AUS? That's my favourite ODI tournament with Australia looking unfamiliarly mortal and some very tight games. Bond's first big break and McCullum was a sub fielder then also the Waugh Elworthy fracas. Bad outcome though.

 

[Ferminal]

VB series with SA/NZ/AUS? That's my favourite ODI tournament with Australia looking unfamiliarly mortal and some very tight games. Bond's first big break and McCullum was a sub fielder then also the Waugh Elworthy fracas. Bad outcome though.

Must be that one, they showed an Aus vs RSA game yesterday (didn't watch it closely though). Not making the finals was the end of SR Waugh's ODI reign - a very hard yet timely decision.

Bond got Ponting in all 4 matches too.

 

[ramjambunath]

2 down, Sehwag gone. Go Bishoo but baugh's wicket that.

Must be that one, they showed an Aus vs RSA game yesterday (didn't watch it closely though). Not making the finals was the end of SR Waugh's ODI reign - a very hard yet timely decision.

Bond got Ponting in all 4 matches too.

Yes, that was the end for both the Waughs in ODIs. Mark scratched around for some more time but wasn't the force he was.

Love at first sight would best describe my thoughts about Bond's bowling.

 

[ramjambunath]

Just as I come back from, I find out that the match has sparked into life and India are 4/150. Media has to wait at least some more time before going mental about Tendulkar's 100th 100, thank goodness.

 

[ramjambunath]

India in big trouble 7/186 and again Dravid is the lone man standing.

Shock and horror news
It rained in Sharjah
Pakistan chase 255 to win.

 

[ramjambunath]

India 209 all out, trail by 95. Fantastic turnaround by the West Indies.

This is how scary the Indian tigers are in tests now

The tiger stuffed toy not the blokes holding it

Edit: Spinners both ends and first wicket falls for 0.

 

[Ferminal]

Opening with two spinners in the 3rd innings of a test match

 

[ramjambunath]

West Indies in a bit of trouble now, 4/53. Kirk Edwards out leaving a straight one and Bravo is playing spin like Raina plays the bouncer. Umesh Yadav has his first wicket. Shiv comes in.

RR less than 2. Though it isn't that important, it shows they're doing nothing.

Edit:
Big trouble now. 6/63. Samuels, who himself is just back from a match fixing suspension, is out. India getting back their mojo.

Shiv gone, Sammy fighting and WI, at 8/141 would need another 50 runs.

Tendulkar gets to 15000 test runs. Real news will take a back seat today.

 

[ramjambunath]

Tendulkar misses out on 100th international 100, lbw Bishoo 76. India still cruising this match.

1st test starts today, the big debate is whether or not South Africa will play one or two spinners and if they play one will it be Harris or Tahir.

Australia's bowling seems selected Harris, Copeland, Johnson and Lyon. The only possible change is Siddle for Copeland. Cricinfo suggesting Siddle may replace Copeland.

There are batting worries on both sides, most notably both teams' statistically best batsmen (Smith and Ponting) are struggling to find form and their cause will not be helped by good opposition bowling line ups.
South Africa are playing their first test since they drew the series against India.

 

[Spider1964]

I'd be playing Siddle before Copeland, bowls well to left handers with his ability to nibble away from leg to off. I don't think they'll do it, but I'd prefer them to play Cummins over both. 5 over spells and tell him to let rip.

 

[ramjambunath]

I'd be playing Siddle before Copeland, bowls well to left handers with his ability to nibble away from leg to off. I don't think they'll do it, but I'd prefer them to play Cummins over both. 5 over spells and tell him to let rip.

Agree on both counts. Siddle can be scary when on form (in Sydney against Saffers was awesome and Ashes at Gabba 1st innings), but he doesn't hit form often enough. If Cummins plays, I wouldn't want Johnson in the same team. Cummins can have a bad day but Johnson's had more bad days than good and if both have a bad day the opposition could make hay.

How's Hazlewood going? He had a serious injury last year and I haven't seen him yet.

 

[Dancing On The Pedals]

For the saffa's if they go one spinner, it's defensive = Harris, attacking = Tahir. Tahir will take wickets but won't allow them to employ their tactic of Harris blocking up one end all day whilst Steyn, Morkel etc rotate at the other.

 

[Dancing On The Pedals]

SA win the toss and bowl. Match delayed by rain.

Aus: Clarke, Watson, Hughes, Marsh, Ponting, Hussey, Haddin, Johnson, Siddle, Harris, Lyon.

SA: Smith, Amla, Kallis, Rudolph, Philander, Prince, Boucher, Tahir, Steyn, Morkel, De Villiers

 

[ramjambunath]

Philander? Tsotsobe imo is way ahead of this guy.
Tahir is a good pick, a defensive bowler is a wasted one and there's a reason Swann has looked better than Harbhajan in the past couple of years.
Yorkshire will have problems next year if they want to re-sign Rudolph now that he's no longer a Kolpak.

 

[auscyclefan94]

Aus 0 wickets, 4 runs off two overs against RSA in the 1st test match. Aussies can watch it on Fox or can listen to 774 ABC for Radio commentary.

 

[Luke Schmid]

Philander? Tsotsobe imo is way ahead of this guy.
Tahir is a good pick, a defensive bowler is a wasted one and there's a reason Swann has looked better than Harbhajan in the past couple of years.
Yorkshire will have problems next year if they want to re-sign Rudolph now that he's no longer a Kolpak.

Philander has a lot, lot better first class record, 251 wickets at 20.04 in first class cricket against Tsotsobe who averages 27+ and almost 50 in the test he has played. Philander also can bat which Tsotsobe can not.

 

[Luke Schmid]

Aus 0 wickets, 4 runs off two overs against RSA in the 1st test match. Aussies can watch it on Fox or can listen to 774 ABC for Radio commentary.

774 for Melbourne, local radio in other states I think plus the ABC Grandstand digital radio channel.

Steyn gets Watson.

 

[ramjambunath]

I've seen both bowl and it's a bit like saying Copeland is the best Australian seamer. Philander is good but from I've seen Tsotsobe is better. Philander is a much better batsman definitely and that would have been the reason he was selected. Tahir, Morkel, Tsotsobe and Steyn (who can swing the bat) would be a bit long for a tail.

Live stream of the match for those who can't watch on tv(I'm one of them for some reason)
http://www.crictime.com/live-cricket-streaming.htm

 

[Luke Schmid]

Philander get Hughes

 

[Luke Schmid]

I've seen both bowl and it's a bit like saying Copeland is the best Australian seamer. Philander is good but from I've seen Tsotsobe is better. Philander is a much better batsman definitely and that would have been the reason he was selected. Tahir, Morkel, Tsotsobe and Steyn (who can swing the bat) would be a bit long for a tail.

Live stream of the match for those who can't watch on tv(I'm one of them for some reason)
http://www.crictime.com/live-cricket-streaming.htm

Fair enough, I have not seen Philander bowl so have to rely on the figures. I find it hard to believe any bowler with his kind of figures is not worth a try but maybe he is not in the top 3 and has been chosen because he can bat not because they believe he is a better bowler than Tsotsobe