Cricket......

['Dale]

 

 

Please don't. Whilst it looked good, it's pointless, as he didn't make Clarke play the ball enough. You don't get wickets if you don't get the batsman playing at the ball.

 

I'm all for dropping that crazy run rate and inflicting uncertainty.

Let other bowlers attack the stumps.

Edited March 2, 2014 by ' Dale

['Dale]

 

South Africa's attack without Dale Steyn is what the backdrop to Newlands would look like without Table Mountain

 

Cricinfo

['Dale]

"A year ago I sat here after my first Test, I bowled exactly the same and had seven wickets to my name...I probably bowled a bit worse then actually, but that's the great thing about this game, it humbles you."

 

Abbott

[milky4130]

 

 

Please don't. Whilst it looked good, it's pointless, as he didn't make Clarke play the ball enough. You don't get wickets if you don't get the batsman playing at the ball.

morkel sent 3 short balls into Clarkes body, then the 4th or 5th short ball hit his glove lobbed up & IMO Jp was standing too far, needless to say the ball dropped short, catch opportunity missed, did you not see that over?

[Christie]

Lets wait till both sides have batted. There is a lot of scoreboard pressure on us now, but our batting list looks solid. We need two days of good batting - it would be awesome if AB and # each get big 100s, get us ahead by 100 or 150, and we can let Dale have a go at them on day 5

 

[GLuvsMtb]

So after 2 days of Test cricket at Newlands, there is only one likely winner (stranger things have happened at Newlands though). The big question is how aggressive will Clarke be with a possible declaration? After a bit of rain and a fair bit of moisture in the air at present he may be tempted to declare first thing this morning and make full use of favorable overhead conditions.

 

Clarke probably slept better than what he slept all tour last night. His side took the game away from SA, and his own performance was commendable, so the immediate pressure is off concerning his batting on this tour.

 

Smith on the other hand must have been tossing and turning last night. Losing his kingpin bowler, the Aussies piling on the runs and he is acutely aware of his own lack of runs in this tour.

 

He will hope that Clarke goes out to bat this morning to assess the wicket and he may even instruct his bowlers to peg back the pace, hold line and length and even try NOT to swing the ball too much if this is the case, hoping that the Aussie captain would think that the wicket is still flat and true with no assistance from the overhead conditions.

 

Even better would be to use his spinners in tandem to keep the Aussies guessing a bit.

 

The the hard work of batting out at least 2 days will start. Its been done before by this side. It wont be pretty and some may criticize a defensive strategy for the rest of the game, but a 1-1 series against an inform Aussie side will rescue what was an indifferent summer at home for the SA side. The world's number one test side should have performed better, but with a 1-1 result there will not be too many wanting to take captain, coach and selectors to the gallows (yet).

[Shebeen]

3 days left, but they will make back time.

Australia still need 20 wickets.

 

I would put it at

Aus win - 60%

Draw - 38%

SA win- 2%

 

SA would need a 21/9 47 all out type of bowling spell to win from so far behind.

 

I had a look at cricinfo's stats engine, only 6 times has a team scored more than 500 in the first innings and still lost,...3 of them by Australia and the last in 2003 vs india

this one is a little bit of fun too. At the MCG oz got 520 first up and still lost to SA by 6 wickets(richie benaud only took 1 wicket in 30 8ball overs)

[Shebeen]

was actually just thinking, maybe Hansie is still pulling the strings behind the scene from some desert island with princess Di.

 

first test, he bets heavily on australia....makes a fortune.

second test, he bets heavily on proteas....makes a fortune

third test, he bets heavily on australia again OR is he only placing money on proteas now?

[Christie]

I think the pitch had a lot to do with "taking the game away from SA". Almost all the Aus batting partnerships were 50+ even with their out of form players batting. Imo it is very poor preperation to prepare a pitch where the toss has a massive impact on the result. Perhaps it will turn - but that why would they prepare a dry turner if we do not have a front line spinner, then? If it starts to break up and have variable bounce, it will be a disaster.

 

At least it is the home ground of a lot of players, they will be able to read conditions - what roller to use, when to defend and attack.

 

Their bowlers will be tired, and if we make them work for a day, there may come a time later today or tomorrow to push on the scoring rate, if we can get close or ahead a bit, perhaps day 5 can get entertaining.

 

 

 

[GLuvsMtb]

I think the pitch had a lot to do with "taking the game away from SA". Almost all the Aus batting partnerships were 50+ even with their out of form players batting. Imo it is very poor preperation to prepare a pitch where the toss has a massive impact on the result. Perhaps it will turn - but that why would they prepare a dry turner if we do not have a front line spinner, then? If it starts to break up and have variable bounce, it will be a disaster.

 

At least it is the home ground of a lot of players, they will be able to read conditions - what roller to use, when to defend and attack.

 

Their bowlers will be tired, and if we make them work for a day, there may come a time later today or tomorrow to push on the scoring rate, if we can get close or ahead a bit, perhaps day 5 can get entertaining.

You make it sound like the groundsman had full control over the weather and that preparing a pitch is an exact science. Like in PE we will only be able to assess the wicket once both sides were able to bowl on it. With 500 odd runs to play with you can expect an all-out attack from Clarke for as long as it takes. They did the bizniz with the bat, now his bowlers will have to back it up with the ball.

All SA can do is play each ball on its merit and grind it out for as long as they can. We will certainly miss Kallis today and tomorrow as he was always prepared to play the "ugly" innings and grind it out when needed.

[Robotech]

And Smith is out...let the Smith debate begin...

[Gandalf]

Ja nee smith...

['Dale]

And Smith is out...let the Smith debate begin...

 

Was hoping for a big one from the big left hander

:-(

 

Go Hash!

Petersen would also like to prove himself as dependable

[JGR]

Smith to save us in the 2nd innings .... hopefully not later today

[Stretch]

3 days left, but they will make back time.

Australia still need 20 wickets.

 

I would put it at

Aus win - 60%

Draw - 38%

SA win- 2%

 

 

 

i would swap the aus win and draw percentages around. Based upon what I saw from the first 2 days SA should be able to bat just as freely and easily as Aus. Psychologically a high score is a big hurdle to overcome, but with the mindsets of AB and # I really cant see us messing this up. My call is a draw....despite smith being out already

['Dale]

 

 

i would swap the aus win and draw percentages around. Based upon what I saw from the first 2 days SA should be able to bat just as freely and easily as Aus. Psychologically a high score is a big hurdle to overcome, but with the mindsets of AB and # I really cant see us messing this up. My call is a draw....despite smith being out already

 

Pitch is very true at this stage

 

20 wickets is a tough ask

 

Draw most likely