Cricket......

[Reece_Rower]

Aussies just made us play the ball more.. look at the stats. They made us play at least 20% more shots, resulting in a higher possibility of a wicket. Our bowlers need to hit their lines and lengths and make the Aussies play at the ball, especially when its new.

['Dale]

In my view South Africa have to go back to the seven-batsmen strategy for the rest of the series. Bring Quinton de Kock in at number six and Kyle Abbot as the fourth seamer for the next test in Port Elizabeth where the pitch will be slower and, if prepared accordingly, will seam as well. This will mean that JP Duminy will be the solitary spinner who will bat at seven.

 

Kepler on SS

['Dale]

Another double century by McCullum over India.

Salvaging the Kiwi's position and forcing a draw and series win.

 

Wow

 

[Delgado]

Aussies just made us play the ball more.. look at the stats. They made us play at least 20% more shots, resulting in a higher possibility of a wicket. Our bowlers need to hit their lines and lengths and make the Aussies play at the ball, especially when its new.

Yup!! The little thing that made McGrath so great. Bang down 6 per over on a dinner plate and force the batsman to play...

[Shebeen]

for all those punting QdK as a shoe in for the test team, note that he scored 1 and 7 over the weekend in a low scoring game at newlands. he got out to justin kemp and some guy called paterson. So ja, don't think he'd automatically hit the aussie seam attack to all corners of the ground. The batsman outside the test squad who is really knowcking on the door is stiaan van zyl, he didn't do much better with 6 & 17.

 

there's a chance they could drop both p(i)etersens for the next game... parnell would probably come in for a 5 seamer attack with duminy as the spin option.

i don't think they would call someone in from outside the test squad after one game, and don't see any specialists openers really bashing the door down with lots of runs. so maybe elgar in at 6 and Faf to open....when you're losing the top 3 so cheaply it doesn't really matter if you're opening or batting 4!

 

 

Another double century by McCullum over India.

Salvaging the Kiwi's position and forcing a draw and series win.

 

Wow

 

yup, at 94/5 they still needed 150 to make india bat again. then the two nz wicketkeepers in the team put on 350 for the 7th wicket...... proteas beating india doesn't seem like such a big deal anymore!

[Delgado]

for all those punting QdK as a shoe in for the test team, note that he scored 1 and 7 over the weekend in a low scoring game at newlands. he got out to justin kemp and some guy called paterson. So ja, don't think he'd automatically hit the aussie seam attack to all corners of the ground. The batsman outside the test squad who is really knowcking on the door is stiaan van zyl, he didn't do much better with 6 & 17.

 

there's a chance they could drop both p(i)etersens for the next game... parnell would probably come in for a 5 seamer attack with duminy as the spin option.

i don't think they would call someone in from outside the test squad after one game, and don't see any specialists openers really bashing the door down with lots of runs. so maybe elgar in at 6 and Faf to open....when you're losing the top 3 so cheaply it doesn't really matter if you're opening or batting 4!

 

 

yup, at 94/5 they still needed 150 to make india bat again. then the two nz wicketkeepers in the team put on 350 for the 7th wicket...... proteas beating india doesn't seem like such a big deal anymore!

Beating India outside of their sphere of influence has never really been a big deal.

[VicanZA]

I think the Aussie batting lineup in a bit fragile at the moment, SA needs smith to stay at the wicket longer as he scores at a good rate when his in and has a track record of getting big hundreds!

 

QdK should open the batting, I dont see Alviro being a long term player in the side, QdK is 21 and has a first class matric! he could easily become our Michael Slater.

 

Also shows how easy and friendly test cricket has been the past 5 years, the last fast bowler i can remember take heads was Akhtar, test cricket has been dominated by player who cant play off the back foot, Trott and Amla..... good to see a fast bowler with aggression and taking it to the batters!

[GLuvsMtb]

for all those punting QdK as a shoe in for the test team, note that he scored 1 and 7 over the weekend in a low scoring game at newlands. he got out to justin kemp and some guy called paterson. So ja, don't think he'd automatically hit the aussie seam attack to all corners of the ground. The batsman outside the test squad who is really knowcking on the door is stiaan van zyl, he didn't do much better with 6 & 17.

 

there's a chance they could drop both p(i)etersens for the next game... parnell would probably come in for a 5 seamer attack with duminy as the spin option.

i don't think they would call someone in from outside the test squad after one game, and don't see any specialists openers really bashing the door down with lots of runs. so maybe elgar in at 6 and Faf to open....when you're losing the top 3 so cheaply it doesn't really matter if you're opening or batting 4!

 

If you follow your own logic on recent performances, none of the SA batsmen should be playing in the next test, bar AB de Villiers. While I am not one for wholesale changes, I don't know how many more chances Alviro should get. With an average of 37 in 29 tests and an average below 30 in the last calendar year it is clear that he is average. I also don't buy this BS of not exposing younger players to the likes of the Aussie fury. We have a history of players stepping up (JP Duminy and Faf are recent examples of youngsters making an impact while on debut against the Aussies).

My playing 11 for the next test would be:

1. Smith

2. Amla (he's good enough to open)

3. De Villiers (as a specialist batsmen)

4. Du Plessis (he can play the "ugly" knock if we are in trouble)

5. Duminy

6. De Kock (Batsman / Keeper) / van Wyk (he had an excellent season with the Dolphins and has lots of experience)

7. McLaren

8. Philander

9. Steyn

10. Morkel (if fit) / Abbot

11. Tahir

['Dale]

Magic stuff by McCullum

 

McCullum became the first New Zealander to score back-to-back double-centuries, and finished the day 19 short of their first triple-century.

Cricinfo

[Cellar]

 

My playing 11 for the next test would be:

1. Smith De Kock

2. Amla (he's good enough to open)

3. De Villiers (as a specialist batsmen) And Captain

4. Du Plessis (he can play the "ugly" knock if we are in trouble)

5. Duminy

6. De Kock (Batsman / Keeper) / van Wyk (he had an excellent season with the Dolphins and has lots of experience)

7. McLaren

8. Philander

9. Steyn

10. Morkel (if fit) / Abbot

11. Tahir Parnel

 

[Lou Zealand]

Another double century by McCullum over India.

Salvaging the Kiwi's position and forcing a draw and series win.

 

Wow

 

That's stumps at the end of day four. NZ now have a lead of 325, McCullum requires an additional 19 runs to become the first New Zealander to record a test triple hundred and Neesham an additional 33 runs to get a test century on debut.

New ball will swing but the pitch is flat. Expect a draw unless young Boult can reproduce the form that saw him skittle the WI in two innings on the same ground. Either way looks like a NZ test series win.

[Delgado]

That's stumps at the end of day four. NZ now have a lead of 325, McCullum requires an additional 19 runs to become the first New Zealander to record a test triple hundred and Neesham an additional 33 runs to get a test century on debut.

New ball will swing but the pitch is flat. Expect a draw unless young Boult can reproduce the form that saw him skittle the WI in two innings on the same ground. Either way looks like a NZ test series win.

Superb, love watching India lose! They are my Blue Bulls of cricket!!

[Lou Zealand]

If you follow your own logic on recent performances, none of the SA batsmen should be playing in the next test, bar AB de Villiers. While I am not one for wholesale changes, I don't know how many more chances Alviro should get. With an average of 37 in 29 tests and an average below 30 in the last calendar year it is clear that he is average. I also don't buy this BS of not exposing younger players to the likes of the Aussie fury. We have a history of players stepping up (JP Duminy and Faf are recent examples of youngsters making an impact while on debut against the Aussies).

My playing 11 for the next test would be:

1. Smith

2. Amla (he's good enough to open)

3. De Villiers (as a specialist batsmen)

4. Du Plessis (he can play the "ugly" knock if we are in trouble)

5. Duminy

6. De Kock (Batsman / Keeper) / van Wyk (he had an excellent season with the Dolphins and has lots of experience)

7. McLaren

8. Philander

9. Steyn

10. Morkel (if fit) / Abbot

11. Tahir

 

Isn't Duminy's average less than 32....

Surely not good enough for a specialist batting position in the world's premier test XI?

Edited February 17, 2014 by Lou Zealand

[Mr Winter]

 

More importantly we need a 12th man that can catch

[GLuvsMtb]

Isn't Duminy's average less than 32....

Surely not good enough for a specialist batting position in the world's premier test XI?

It is marginally worse than Jonty Rhodes' average of 35. He can bowl a few overs as well and is not the world's worst fielder. In the perfect world, a player like Stiaan van Zyl would be knocking on the door, but we have to be cognisant of certain <ahem> parameters that the selectors need to operate in. Perhaps young Bavuma (leading run scorer in the Sunfoil series at present) should also get a look-at.

[Greybeard]

Another double century by McCullum over India.

Salvaging the Kiwi's position and forcing a draw and series win.

 

Wow

 

Every time one of the "Big Three" lose a series it is great for the rest. Now we have some work cut out for us.