Cricket......

[Shebeen]

Some food for thought. I must admit it will be good to see one or more of the senior batsmen step up!

 

Moonda: 'It's time for de Kock to grow up' https://es.pn/2RAdKCB

via ESPNCricinfo app http://es.pn/ciapp

Must say I am really glad that firdose has come back from her yoga layoff and is writing up a storm again. Excellent journo

[babse]

He must F off now.... seriously

 

You're either in or you're out

[Mntboy]

Must say I am really glad that firdose has come back from her yoga layoff and is writing up a storm again. Excellent journo

Our best journo imho. Always logical and very articulate in expressing her views. Always enjoy reading her articles.

[gemmerbal]

I was watching "Crossing the Line" on Youtube last night, when one doccie lead to another and another which lead me to 2 doccies on Al Jazeera's youtube channel and some really good videos on undercover investigative journalism that was done over the last 5 years. The "Manuwar" files are very revealing and truly disturbing. Names are apparently still being withheld because of ongoing investigations but it I was shocked to hear that it is aleged that some of the Ashes games were tainted, as well as the last Indian tour to the UK, amongst others. It also goes into detail on exactly how the spotfixing concept works, where bets are being placed on blocks of play within the game. I also stumbled across the Lou Vincent interview, explaining how he got caught up in the spider's web and eventually got a life ban.

 

Look, its probably easy for most of us to say such penalties are deserved etc, but there is a part of me that feels sorry for someone that gets trapped like that and it ends up costing them their career. In a way for me it feels a bit like it could be similar to the whole doping/EPO thing we saw in "The Armstrong Lie". I dont know, same same but different?

 

Anyways, I always have a few cricket stories to share [it was always my first love since I can remember, grew up playing parkie cricket with then provincial cricketing ooms etc etc], so this is my quota for today, seeing as though the elephant in the room is best left in the corner for now.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z13N6pGfRMs

[Kranswurm]

Must say I am really glad that firdose has come back from her yoga layoff and is writing up a storm again. Excellent journo

She is very good

[Shebeen]

I was watching "Crossing the Line" on Youtube last night, when one doccie lead to another and another which lead me to 2 doccies on Al Jazeera's youtube channel and some really good videos on undercover investigative journalism that was done over the last 5 years. The "Manuwar" files are very revealing and truly disturbing. Names are apparently still being withheld because of ongoing investigations but it I was shocked to hear that it is aleged that some of the Ashes games were tainted, as well as the last Indian tour to the UK, amongst others. It also goes into detail on exactly how the spotfixing concept works, where bets are being placed on blocks of play within the game. I also stumbled across the Lou Vincent interview, explaining how he got caught up in the spider's web and eventually got a life ban.

 

Look, its probably easy for most of us to say such penalties are deserved etc, but there is a part of me that feels sorry for someone that gets trapped like that and it ends up costing them their career. In a way for me it feels a bit like it could be similar to the whole doping/EPO thing we saw in "The Armstrong Lie". I dont know, same same but different?

 

Anyways, I always have a few cricket stories to share [it was always my first love since I can remember, grew up playing parkie cricket with then provincial cricketing ooms etc etc], so this is my quota for today, seeing as though the elephant in the room is best left in the corner for now.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z13N6pGfRMs

The "karachi betting odds" have always been a casual joke about a middle order collapse, but I think we're seeing this going more mainstream with the rise of the indian cricketing superpower. It was clearly early days and things have eveolved since then, but I still feel Hansie probably took a lot of heat for other people, and then some secrets to his grave. His death in a non commercial plane crash is far too coincidental for me to be just an "accident".

 

Thank you for your contributions here, much appreciated.

[Shebeen]

the last test match at the Wanderers was just over 53 weeks ago. we swept aside pakistan 3-0 and everything was looking PEACHY

 

https://www.espncricinfo.com/series/18649/scorecard/1144155/south-africa-vs-pakistan-3rd-test-pak-in-sa-2018-19

 

there are just FOUR players from that proteas side likely to play tomorrow!

Elgar/De Kock/Vern/Temba

 

(duanne olivier took 8 wickets, then decided Boris was better than Ramaphoria)

[gemmerbal]

I have always felt the same way about that. Hansie was the fall guy. Look how Cricket 'Stralia dealt with Warne and Waugh's involvement with match fixing in the late 90's, but CSA and Ali Bacher could not erect the cross quick enough to peg old Hansie up there.

 

I wonder how much of the IPL is untainted? JASSSSS I hate anything to do with 20 over cricket - and of course it was borne there.

 

Hoping Beuran gets a chance tomorrow, and that he grabs it with both hands. Saw this youngster play second XI cricket when he was 15yo at Bellville CC, good to see him coming through.

The "karachi betting odds" have always been a casual joke about a middle order collapse, but I think we're seeing this going more mainstream with the rise of the indian cricketing superpower. It was clearly early days and things have eveolved since then, but I still feel Hansie probably took a lot of heat for other people, and then some secrets to his grave. His death in a non commercial plane crash is far too coincidental for me to be just an "accident".

 

Thank you for your contributions here, much appreciated.

[gemmerbal]

looks like Hamza will make way for Temba. Rassie to bat 3, Flaff 4 and Temba at 5. On paper that lineup looks ok, can we play on paper please?

[nonky]

looks like Hamza will make way for Temba. Rassie to bat 3, Flaff 4 and Temba at 5. On paper that lineup looks ok, can we play on paper please?

 

What are the chances of us scoring 300?

 

If we don't, we can kiss the match and the series goodbye.

['Dale]

Winning the coin toss would be lekka

[Mntboy]

What are the chances of us scoring 300?

 

If we don't, we can kiss the match and the series goodbye.

With how things are currently? I wouldn't be overly optimistic about that.

[gemmerbal]

Ja look, a couple of pages back we had a debate on the cointoss and i still believe any side looking to compete for top honours should be able to play the game regardless of a successful cointoss or not. Its just my view that you cannot hinge your success as a team on something that’s actually out of your control. Luckily at the Wanderers batting on day 2 and 3 will almost always be the best time to bat. However batting first in any test match and setting a good total will almost certainly give you the ascendancy in that game. More simply put, whether we bat 1st or 2nd, we need to put a decent score on the board to be able to compete.

 

Winning the coin toss would be lekka

[Mntboy]

Ja look, a couple of pages back we had a debate on the cointoss and i still believe any side looking to compete for top honours should be able to play the game regardless of a successful cointoss or not. Its just my view that you cannot hinge your success as a team on something that’s actually out of your control. Luckily at the Wanderers batting on day 2 and 3 will almost always be the best time to bat. However batting first in any test match and setting a good total will almost certainly give you the ascendancy in that game. More simply put, whether we bat 1st or 2nd, we need to put a decent score on the board to be able to compete.

 

 

Agreed 100%. Your first batting innings helps set the tone for the remainder of the match. If you look at the second test of this series it backs up the point you're making. Added to that is the team that carries the "momentum" from the first innings generally places themselves in a strong position to challenge for the win during the second innings, which imho has been what has happened throughout this particular series. What has confounded me though is how we went from being able to almost bag a draw in the second test to playing some of the most insipid cricket I've seen during the third test. I am hoping against hope that our positive record at the Wanderers will help give Bouch and his coaching team a bit of respite from the current state of affairs, especially where the media and the uninformed fans are concerned.

[Joe De Beer]

With the Poms needing a draw they can play very defensive so we need to make all the play happen to take the 20 wickets. Tough but possible.

[nonky]

Agreed 100%. Your first batting innings helps set the tone for the remainder of the match. If you look at the second test of this series it backs up the point you're making. Added to that is the team that carries the "momentum" from the first innings generally places themselves in a strong position to challenge for the win during the second innings, which imho has been what has happened throughout this particular series. What has confounded me though is how we went from being able to almost bag a draw in the second test to playing some of the most insipid cricket I've seen during the third test. I am hoping against hope that our positive record at the Wanderers will help give Bouch and his coaching team a bit of respite from the current state of affairs, especially where the media and the uninformed fans are concerned.

 

Look, if the gods of cricket were in any way fair:

 

WE SHOULD WIN THE FLIPPING TOSS

 

Elgar due a big innings

Faf due a 50

Bavuma in good form

Rassie looking ok

QdK always a dangerman

 

Between them they should be able to rack up 300+.

 

Then the question is whether we can bowl the Poms out in the absence of Rababa - maybe Hendricks can do it?