Cricket......

[Joe Low]

So apparently Newlands was a bit of a fluke. ..........

 

Looks like the team has one heroic performance in them, but the gap was too big to cover for longer than that.  Looks like Rabada is the real deal - very glad to see someone like him come through.

[Mntboy]

yep, just incredible how a series can be 4-5 matches over 20+ days and it can all change with a superb spell of bowling.

 

Like you said, Broad is developing a pattern of this, and England are climbing back up the rungs to the top of test cricket partly due to his contributions

Ashes 2015 was an incredible highlight of last year's test cricket, as was the England - Kiwi contest and your series against the Kiwis was good too.

 

Broad has had the habit of taking 5+ fors for a while now. I think the English selectors gamble on it when his form goes flat. It comes and goes with no real consistency but he does produce it when least expected and when absolutely everything clicks for him.

 

I must admit though I think that Aus is pretty set for another period of domination. Only problems I can see with your team is with an unsettled opening pair. You have wonderful bowling depth especially among the quicks. England and New Zealand being your only real competition imho.

Looks like the team has one heroic performance in them, but the gap was too big to cover for longer than that. Looks like Rabada is the real deal - very glad to see someone like him come through.

Rabada is rather Donald and Steyn-esque imho. Fantastic talent with a bright future if managed correctly.

 

I think we SA fans have gotten used to better over the past decade. Part of the recent struggles has been the loss of experienced players, key batsmen going out of form and some untimely injuries to our leading wicket takers. Not an excuse for performing poorly or not properly preparing for such events. At the end of the day England out played us and fully deserves the series win. Stokes, Root and Bairstow have enhanced their reputations and both Broad and Finn have underlined their class as bowlers. Ali has been good too. Overall I think England can be very happy with not only the result but the way they've played.

[Mntboy]

Transformed to the point of mediocrity.

But transform it must. Redress for the past does need to be made and the current quota numbers is/was agreed upon by all within the SA game. The greater question is how do we lift the standard of play amongst all franchise players and not just the quota players?

[Christie]

The cricket team was declared as transformed by the goverment a couple of years ago, and all quotas scrapped. The quotas have been freshly applied recently, under Mbalula and Lorgat.

 

A system where quotas undermine the quality of cricket is bad. Less people will go watch, broadcasting and sponsorship money will fall, the best players will make careers elsewhere. No money means a furthrr drop in quality of cricket, which leads to less money. A clear understanding is needed of how cricket is funded in SA. Transformation dictaded that it was better to maintain a quota than win the wold cup semi. Would it not have been better for transformation in SA to bring back a cup?

 

The current quotas is only a little bit better than window dressing imo. The franchise unions do not have money to build cricket fields and run teams in underprivelaged areas. The quota players are part of the smaller privelaged group who all come from traditional cricketing schools. If development of our game was a goal, the government would have funded grass roots development. It would be great to tap a larger player base, but I fear it will not happen with the current approach.

[GLuvsMtb]

I would like to see some sort of effort made to get senior overseas pros playing in the Sunfoil series and a way to expose our young talent to shield or county cricket. Imagine promising youngsters playing alongside old hands in a very competitive County or Shield environment or having some old pro's coming to ply their trade in SA. Pollock benefitted greatly from the presence of Malcolm Marshall in the Natal setup. There seems to be a lack of true mentors who can teach players in match situations how to respond.

[Stretch]

But transform it must. Redress for the past does need to be made and the current quota numbers is/was agreed upon by all within the SA game. The greater question is how do we lift the standard of play amongst all franchise players and not just the quota players?

 

and to add.....nothing quoterish about faf, van zyl, viljoen...even morkel at this point

 

rabada and bavuma both performed well (ok bavuma could have batted better this test...but he didnt bat worse than everyone else)

[GLuvsMtb]

and to add.....nothing quoterish about faf, van zyl, viljoen...even morkel at this point

 

rabada and bavuma both performed well (ok bavuma could have batted better this test...but he didnt bat worse than everyone else)

The problem is that the franchise quota players are purely making up the numbers (not all, but many of them). This dilutes the competition somewhat. Historically you would be able to cover each position in the Proteas side with at least 2 other specialists from the franchises, now we are seriously scratching our heads when we lose 1 or 2 senior players and have 1 or 2 that retired.

[dev null]

Problem is not with the players.  It is with the coaching staff and management.  The players have poor discipline.  Look at the string of incidents and problems now:

 

The Phangiso incident

AB talking of changes in his future plans

De Kock injuring himself walking a dog (WTF?)

Steyn injured

Vern injured

# suddenly stepping down.

 

There is probably more if one would scratch more.  Something is not right, and it all started last year with the semi-final at the WC when the politicians meddled with their plans.

['Dale]

Rugby is in crisis

Now somewhat cricket too

Soccer is a consistent low

 

Ow! ????

[BarHugger]

Rugby is in crisis

Now somewhat cricket too

Soccer is a consistent low

 

Ow! ????

......netball.....Ow!

.......hockey.......Ow!

 

.....however, lawn bowls for keeping it alive......literally....... Yeaaah!

Edited January 17, 2016 by BarHugger

[Christie]

I agree with Moridin. Faf, Amla and AB scored heaps of runs not so long ago. Their skills have not diminished suddenly.

[Boerklong]

9 tests lost in a row. Nice

[Boerklong]

Coaching?

Problem is we rely on AB and Amla. They have done more than their fair share of getting us out of the gutter.

['Dale]

......netball.....Ow!

.......hockey.......Ow!

 

.....however, lawn bowls for keeping it alive......literally....... Yeaaah!

Let's ride our bikes ????

[dev null]

Let's ride our bikes

 

Can't even do that at the moment. 

 

I hurt a muscle in my lower back during the previous night getting out of bed for the damn cat.  She has this tendency to wake me around 4am so that I can drip some water from the tap in the bath for her to drink.  And she sits in the bath meowing until I do so.

Edited January 17, 2016 by Moridin

[mazambaan]

Ah well, second in India and second in this series. Not too bad and still better than Bafana in world rankings; for now anyway. Lol.