Cricket......

[Shebeen]

150 first innings lead....we are going to have to perform to get a result here. Batting needs to make 300+ and then bowlers operate on a tricky day4/5 pitch with scoreboard pressure

 

 

 

Ja, I also dont understand the logic in taking the new ball and then give it to Kesh, and a couple of overs later Markram has a dabble. WTF??? KG was operating at the other end; if I was Anna I would have beaten my skipper with a wicket, this is super ridiculous. Anna Nortje is by far our quickest bowler, you take the new IMMEDIATELY after the 80 overs and toss it to your speed merchant, unless the okes are hooping it reverse, you take the new nut finish en klaar. Thanks Kesh/George, have a break.

 

It looks like this game will see day 5 afterall - tempting fate here, we still need 2 wickets and then we have to bat on a day 3 pitch in Karachi... haha

 

Bizarre?

I can't think of any reason why this would make sense.

Ngidi was bowling in the 70th overs, but Nortje had a 3 over spell that ended with the 64th so was fresh enough. You bowl the part timer to get to the new ball, not with it!

 

i don't know if it is QdK making the decisions alone, but surely Faf and Elgar have got the know how and experience here. I see this ending up like Pollock. they made their best player captain and it didn't end well. I see it affecting his keeping and batting going forward.

It really has to be Elgar or Markram for the test side.

[babse]

150 first innings lead....we are going to have to perform to get a result here. Batting needs to make 300+ and then bowlers operate on a tricky day4/5 pitch with scoreboard pressure

 

 

 

 

Bizarre?

I can't think of any reason why this would make sense.

Ngidi was bowling in the 70th overs, but Nortje had a 3 over spell that ended with the 64th so was fresh enough. You bowl the part timer to get to the new ball, not with it!

 

i don't know if it is QdK making the decisions alone, but surely Faf and Elgar have got the know how and experience here. I see this ending up like Pollock. they made their best player captain and it didn't end well. I see it affecting his keeping and batting going forward.

It really has to be Elgar or Markram for the test side.

I cant imagine this as a one man decision without consulting other seniors and probably getting a word from off the field as well...

 

QdK looks clueless when the pressure is on and I really cant see them keeping him as captain for much longer. 

[gemmerbal]

150 first innings lead....we are going to have to perform to get a result here. Batting needs to make 300+ and then bowlers operate on a tricky day4/5 pitch with scoreboard pressure

 

 

 

 

Bizarre?

I can't think of any reason why this would make sense.

Ngidi was bowling in the 70th overs, but Nortje had a 3 over spell that ended with the 64th so was fresh enough. You bowl the part timer to get to the new ball, not with it! - CORRECT!!!

 

i don't know if it is QdK making the decisions alone, but surely Faf and Elgar have got the know how and experience here. I see this ending up like Pollock. they made their best player captain and it didn't end well. I see it affecting his keeping and batting going forward. - AGREED. The best thing that came from the Pollock captaincy was it opened the door for Biff, and boy was he eager and willing! Your first tour as captain and you go and score 277 and 250 odd. Jassss he is a legend in my books!

 

It really has to be Elgar or Markram for the test side. - Elgar is too old and Markram in my opinion should not be made captain until he cements himself in the team with some dominating knocks, he just looks like he the weight of expectation is getting the better of him, Im not saying he isnt good enough, im just saying I dont think he is good enough to be captain. And yes I am very aware that there is nobody else that comes to mind for the test captaincy, that in itself is a big problem. The short answer is, QdK has too much on his plate now. Look at what happened to Paine now during the Gavaskar/Border series, it gets too much eventually an your individual performances start to suffer. Please dont ask me who I think should be captain - I dont know

[Shebeen]

Great comeback with the bat, so far.

 

Just 28 runs behind, with just Elgar out.

 

toiling away is just the trick, tire them out for as long as possible. With Linde in at 7 we can't bank on too much from the lower order. I see Yasir bowling a lot of overs today, his first spell was 19 overs on the trot

[Vetplant]

Great comeback with the bat, so far.

 

Just 28 runs behind, with just Elgar out.

 

toiling away is just the trick, tire them out for as long as possible. With Linde in at 7 we can't bank on too much from the lower order. I see Yasir bowling a lot of overs today, his first spell was 19 overs on the trot

Also just saw the score, well done to the batsmen to claw this back.

 

Now to settle in for the long haul, try to take this as deep as possible and hope for a collapse in the 4th innings. 

 

The new ball is still 24 overs away, so it will only become available tomorrow morning.

['Dale]

If Markram and Elgar can stand for 150+ we still have a chance. If they don't we are pretty much screwed.

 

I just can't believe how difficult SA bowlers find it to take the last 5 wickets in all formats.

 

The tail is no longer the tail.

It wags more often than not these days. Pinch hitting is now an essential skill too. Having all-round ability deep down the order is now pretty normal.

[TheoG]

Still a long way from winning, but at least they back in the match with a fighting chance.

[Shebeen]

The tail is no longer the tail.

It wags more often than not these days. Pinch hitting is now an essential skill too. Having all-round ability deep down the order is now pretty normal.

ja, it depends though - and is more prevalent in odi stuff.

 

Yasir shah has a test century and came in 11th.

our #9 (KG) has top score of 34

 

we have the weaker lower order here, even if it did wag in the 1st innings, so our top order need to value their wickets better. which is EXACTLY what is happening.

 

 

edit: we're ahead!! effectively 10/1

RASSIE has got to be the find of the past few years, oke delivers in spades.

prior to tea - he was 17/80 balls, going on at just 21% SR

edit edit:

spoke to soon, rassie gone

since tea he has scored 45/57, put the hard work in and now reaping it. Fabulous to see.

Edited January 28, 2021 by Shebeen

[babse]

 

 

It really has to be Elgar or Markram for the test side. - Elgar is too old and Markram in my opinion should not be made captain until he cements himself in the team with some dominating knocks, he just looks like he the weight of expectation is getting the better of him, Im not saying he isnt good enough, im just saying I dont think he is good enough to be captain. And yes I am very aware that there is nobody else that comes to mind for the test captaincy, that in itself is a big problem. The short answer is, QdK has too much on his plate now. Look at what happened to Paine now during the Gavaskar/Border series, it gets too much eventually an your individual performances start to suffer. Please dont ask me who I think should be captain - I dont know

 

 Agree with this wholeheartedly...

 

I think, like with the springboks, cant they appoint a captain for next 12 months or 3 series only? 

In that case, I would probably give it to Elgar but within that 12months a more suitable candidate  might cement their place with a run of consistent performances?

 

I don't know either but QdK move isn't working...

[babse]

and then we lose Rassie... big innings from Faf to put us in some sort of winning position!? Lets hope 

[Vetplant]

and then we lose Rassie... big innings from Faf to put us in some sort of winning position!? Lets hope 

Faf survives an LBW on review and then falls on 10 

 

 

C'mon boys.. hold on here.

[Vetplant]

Faf survives an LBW on review and then falls on 10 

 

 

C'mon boys.. hold on here.

And there goes Markram.

 

Never mind.

[babse]

ouch 

 

28/4 

[gemmerbal]

bang bang bang... masterclass being put on by Yasir Shah. Nauman chipping in being supported by some awesome close catching. time for the nr 5 bastman to do what a nr 5 batsman is supposed to.

 

another start by Markram, another innings with potential thrown away.

[gemmerbal]

sidenote: VERY happy to see KG back and firing on all cylinders. 200 test wickets, man it feels like he only started playing 2 seasons ago, but then im reminded he made his debut at age 20 in 2015.

 

talented youngster this: really love watching him bowl, and he is a very capable nr 9 batsman.

['Dale]

Rabada's strike rate of 40.8 is the best in the history of Test cricket at the cut-off point of 200 wickets. ????