Cricket- the sport not the insect

[auscyclefan94]

Starc really got shown up tonight by some class batting. So did the others. South Africa were super dominant and showed why they are the number 1 team. Good knock also by Wade, who needed that to keep his spot in the side considering that Haddin is making runs for NSW.

 

[greenedge]

Johnson bowled well last night i thought, the others not so well.

 

[movingtarget]

Without Wade we would not have made one hundred. Best we can hope for is a draw, our bowling was always going to be the problem even though our batsmen did not show much fight against some quality bowling.

 

[Alphabet]

I don't think a draw is likely, based on the first innings. Really all they have to do is declare halfway through day 4 with a lead of 700 and they'll have plenty of time to bowl us out.

 

[Alphabet]

The Bearded One is gone, about time.

 

[movingtarget]

I don't think a draw is likely, based on the first innings. Really all they have to do is declare halfway through day 4 with a lead of 700 and they'll have plenty of time to bowl us out.

Rain will help but victory is unlikely unless some batsmen have total form reversals like Ponting and Warner. Clarke and Watson plus Hussey would have to get a lot of runs. The pitch seems to be playing well. Amla made it look easy.

 

[Alphabet]

There is an outside chance of Australian victory, or at least there would be had Imran Tahir been playing. 2 days is far too long to block out though, if you plod along at 1 run an over they'll stick 5 men around the bat and you're bound to lose wickets. There's going to be a result either way, unless Clarke or someone plays out some kind of epic 500 ball vigil.

On the flip side, one Clarke double century and 40 runs from everybody else gets Australia home.

 

[movingtarget]

There is an outside chance of Australian victory, or at least there would be had Imran Tahir been playing. 2 days is far too long to block out though, if you plod along at 1 run an over they'll stick 5 men around the bat and you're bound to lose wickets. There's going to be a result either way, unless Clarke or someone plays out some kind of epic 500 ball vigil.

On the flip side, one Clarke double century and 40 runs from everybody else gets Australia home.

They don't have to block out. Just attack loose deliveries and don't play stupid shots like Warner did. Keep the runs ticking over and maintain their wickets. Steyn will be the problem. He has bowled much better in this test than the previous two.

 

[Alphabet]

Ricky . That was gutting. He looked in such great touch as well.

 

[auscyclefan94]

I was also gutted when Ricky went out but the way the South Africans and the crowd honoured him was great.

An Australian victory is ultimately gone now. South Africa are bowling really well.

 

[Alphabet]

Oh dear, in the space of 3 days we've gone back to those days of 2009, the latter days of Ponting's captaincy. The discipline has deserted us, both with the bat and ball. Really poor stuff from Clarke and Cowan, their dismissals came as a result of stupid decision making.

 

[42x16ss]

Mitchell Starc continues to embarass both the SA bowlers and Aus batsmen with 60 off only 37 balls

The strokeplay has varied between text book and.... unique

 

[42x16ss]

SA smash Aus by 309 to take the series 1-0 Starc left stranded on 68 off 43, the second fastest test 50 by an Aussie!

More than a little disappointing after the way the first two tests went. At least there was an overall improvement from the last Ashes series.

 

[auscyclefan94]

Mitchell Starc continues to embarass both the SA bowlers and Aus batsmen with 60 off only 37 balls

The strokeplay has varied between text book and.... unique

It was impressive by Starc, but RSA were just going through the motions at the end. Australia were far better than RSA in Adelaide and probably slightly better in Brisbane but RSA were good enough in crucial moments to save themselves from defeat.

 

[Alphabet]

The match was probably lost when both Hilfenhaus and Siddle were rested. If one of them had been present, I don't think we'd have needed 600+ to win. Perhaps 500 or so, and they definitely wouldn't have been able to score so quickly, so a draw would have been far easier to play toward.

How many JAMODI's are we scheduled to play this summer? The tri series is pretty good, but I don't think it's on this year, it's been replaced by a bilateral JAMODI series last I heard.

 

[movingtarget]

The match was probably lost when both Hilfenhaus and Siddle were rested. If one of them had been present, I don't think we'd have needed 600+ to win. Perhaps 500 or so, and they definitely wouldn't have been able to score so quickly, so a draw would have been far easier to play toward.

How many JAMODI's are we scheduled to play this summer? The tri series is pretty good, but I don't think it's on this year, it's been replaced by a bilateral JAMODI series last I heard.

Yes, to rest both bowlers in the series decider was stupid. They had a few days rest. Starc and Johnson are not up to it although Johnson did better than his last few tests. They were outplayed in all departments so no excuses. Ponting should not have been there either, he is totally out of sorts. Still, great career and great record. I thought after the first day we were a chance but that soon changed.

 

[Alphabet]

I think Starc may struggle in conditions that aren't friendly to swing bowling. He has a tendency to serve up a few too many half volleys, and they'll get driven to the fence all day long if they aren't swinging. Hopefully he can work on that and get it out of his game.

 

[greenedge]

Don't be so harsh- although we did not have a pace spearhead Johnson and Starc bowled well, markedly so in the first innings- though if we had one of Siddle or Pattinson... They were let down by Hastings, Watson and in the second Lyon.

Starc shall improve over time.

 

[auscyclefan94]

Don't be so harsh- although we did not have a pace spearhead Johnson and Starc bowled well, markedly so in the first innings- though if we had one of Siddle or Pattinson... They were let down by Hastings, Watson and in the second Lyon.

Starc shall improve over time.

If anything, Watson was one of the best bowlers. Johnson was very inconsistent.

 

[Alphabet]

I think it was Bill Lawry who made the observation that Australia's bowlers lacked the off stump discipline in the second innings. Watson probably should have gotten more overs since he's more accurate with that regard.

 

[movingtarget]

I think it was Bill Lawry who made the observation that Australia's bowlers lacked the off stump discipline in the second innings. Watson probably should have gotten more overs since he's more accurate with that regard.

It was a disappointing end to an interesting series. Too many loose shots by our best players cost us. South Africa were good but we made them look even better and our bowling in the second innings was not good enough. If we don't have Cummins and Pattinson for the Ashes we could be in trouble especially if more of our bowlers get injured. We need to find another good swing bowler for the English conditions. Hilfenhaus is one. Watson is okay but our bowling stocks look a little light. Cummins has stress fractures in his back and will be out for a long time.

 

[hoerpi]

I think it was Bill Lawry who made the observation that Australia's bowlers lacked the off stump discipline in the second innings. Watson probably should have gotten more overs since he's more accurate with that regard.

Since this was Watson's first match coming back from an injury they probably held back on his bowling. It was great to see de Villiers finally score some runs again.

 

[hoerpi]

Mostly Australians in here, what do you guys think of this: http://www.espncricinfo.com/australia/content/current/story/595088.html

 

[auscyclefan94]

Mostly Australians in here, what do you guys think of this: http://www.espncricinfo.com/australia/content/current/story/595088.html

Personally, I have always been a big supporter of Warne, despite his past. If anyone could do it, he could comeback.

 

[42x16ss]

Personally, I have always been a big supporter of Warne, despite his past. If anyone could do it, he could comeback.

While I beleive that he could do a better job than Nathan Lyon, Steve Smith etc even at 43, it is the wrong move. Warne would be better used coaching and mentoring up and coming talents as despite his many faults he was an intelligent cricketer and a good leader.

What I'd really like is for Warnie to be nominated as Aus coach when Micky Arthur moves on.