South Africa in Australia
- Thread starter tristo
- Start date
p), and Ponting makes like, 100+, we are still in it.
Mousey
New Member
Re: South Africa in Australia
Come on Aussies. We just need someone to stay in there until Punter can get about 150. That's about 100 more and gives us a lead of about 220. 250 would be even better. Then we have a CHANCE of winning this with some good bowling. Doubtful, but possible.
Come on Aussies. We just need someone to stay in there until Punter can get about 150. That's about 100 more and gives us a lead of about 220. 250 would be even better. Then we have a CHANCE of winning this with some good bowling. Doubtful, but possible.
Caesar
Member
Re: South Africa in Australia
I know Lee is a good batsman, but I wish Ponting had protected him a bit more. At this point we're playing for a draw, optimising the scoring rate is pretty unimportant.
Saffers can smell blood. This is going to be a tough session.
EDIT: He's doing it again to Johnson... come on, Ponting - not everyone is as good as you. Take some of the heat.
I know Lee is a good batsman, but I wish Ponting had protected him a bit more. At this point we're playing for a draw, optimising the scoring rate is pretty unimportant.
Saffers can smell blood. This is going to be a tough session.
EDIT: He's doing it again to Johnson... come on, Ponting - not everyone is as good as you. Take some of the heat.
Re: South Africa in Australia
In the theme of AFL football, I think the australian cricket team have bottomed out.
Hayden needs to be told to fall on his sword and retire. Either give him the final test as a goodbye test or drop him. Bring in either rogers or hughes. Take both to South africa and move katfish up to 6. Rogers is good enough to be the senior member of a new opening pair and develop this opening partnership together. Katfish is batting well but doesn't seem to jell as an opener. Will also give some stability to the middle order. Will need to bowl a little more. (this will not happen, katfish will stay opener and watson or symonds will contune to fail).
The middle order is just having a rough trot. Hussey will get some luck sooner then laer and will enjoy the new refural system in south africa. Pup looks like he is not ready for the captaincy but thats another debate and conversation in itself. Allowing him and haddin at 7 to play their free spirit game gives the katich at 5 or 6 even more currency.
Lee will be replaced and we need to look at the whole set up. Siddle is a hard hitting bowl all day bowler. Was the best of the aussies in the first innings but wont go through a batting line up. This stuart clark with a little more grunt. Hauritz and siddle will keep it tight, work all day but need the other two bowlers to be the hitmen. Johno is great, is working it away from the left handers and his pace is getting him wickets. But we need another strike bowler and hilf is the man. Right hand swing bowler, it's flem a little faster. Another option is two spinners and krazy gets a bowl. But only if it's a bunson burner.
But in the end, this test match is just what we needed. Some freshness in hilf, siddle and hughes. A opening pair who can learn together and work as a team. A spinning top 6 batsman instead of an injured all rounder. It's a new team which need to develop a little but a little more exciting then the lee/hayden of the past 4 tests.
BTW if ponting can pull this off he is a modern legend. The tail is good enough to hold up and put on another 100. Anyone remember hadley for england pulling off a miracle. MCG is alot different batting on the final day. Imagine if binga pulls out a 5 over miracle to win then unwinnable.
In the theme of AFL football, I think the australian cricket team have bottomed out.
Hayden needs to be told to fall on his sword and retire. Either give him the final test as a goodbye test or drop him. Bring in either rogers or hughes. Take both to South africa and move katfish up to 6. Rogers is good enough to be the senior member of a new opening pair and develop this opening partnership together. Katfish is batting well but doesn't seem to jell as an opener. Will also give some stability to the middle order. Will need to bowl a little more. (this will not happen, katfish will stay opener and watson or symonds will contune to fail).
The middle order is just having a rough trot. Hussey will get some luck sooner then laer and will enjoy the new refural system in south africa. Pup looks like he is not ready for the captaincy but thats another debate and conversation in itself. Allowing him and haddin at 7 to play their free spirit game gives the katich at 5 or 6 even more currency.
Lee will be replaced and we need to look at the whole set up. Siddle is a hard hitting bowl all day bowler. Was the best of the aussies in the first innings but wont go through a batting line up. This stuart clark with a little more grunt. Hauritz and siddle will keep it tight, work all day but need the other two bowlers to be the hitmen. Johno is great, is working it away from the left handers and his pace is getting him wickets. But we need another strike bowler and hilf is the man. Right hand swing bowler, it's flem a little faster. Another option is two spinners and krazy gets a bowl. But only if it's a bunson burner.
But in the end, this test match is just what we needed. Some freshness in hilf, siddle and hughes. A opening pair who can learn together and work as a team. A spinning top 6 batsman instead of an injured all rounder. It's a new team which need to develop a little but a little more exciting then the lee/hayden of the past 4 tests.
BTW if ponting can pull this off he is a modern legend. The tail is good enough to hold up and put on another 100. Anyone remember hadley for england pulling off a miracle. MCG is alot different batting on the final day. Imagine if binga pulls out a 5 over miracle to win then unwinnable.
Re: South Africa in Australia
disagree, every run you score is one more they have to make. It's time and runs. Plus psychologically if you give the tailender some strike it tells them you back them. Thats huge from the captain. If he gets past the 100 we could see him freeing the shoulders a little.
Looking back, how huge was that clarke decision. Terrible shot in the context of the match.
But remember that SA was in the same situation in the first innings. It's all upstairs.
Caesar;301001 said:
disagree, every run you score is one more they have to make. It's time and runs. Plus psychologically if you give the tailender some strike it tells them you back them. Thats huge from the captain. If he gets past the 100 we could see him freeing the shoulders a little.
Looking back, how huge was that clarke decision. Terrible shot in the context of the match.
But remember that SA was in the same situation in the first innings. It's all upstairs.
Caesar
Member
Re: South Africa in Australia
I would like to see Katich stay at the top with Jaques. Until Phil is phit again, blood Rogers. Hughes is a sensational talent but he will get his chance later.
Agreed.solar;301005 said:
I don't think this is the solution. Katich is an upper-order batsman, he needs some freedom to make his runs. Dropping an allrounder for him is not good - our lineup is shaky enough already, and while his chinamen are fine for a parttimer he can't start shouldering a significant portion of the stock bowling overs. If we need to look at changing the Watson/Symonds option then we should be looking at bowlers who can bat, not the other way around. Noffke is my preference if that's the way we go, but I think Watto/Symo will come good when they're fully fit.solar;301005 said:
I would like to see Katich stay at the top with Jaques. Until Phil is phit again, blood Rogers. Hughes is a sensational talent but he will get his chance later.
Largely agreed, with the proviso that I'd prefer Krezja to Hauritz if he can rein in the runs. A spinner with some teeth who can take wickets is pretty important for all matches (not just spinning tops) and neither Hauritz or Symonds is that man.solar;301005 said:
I think this is a fantasy at this point. Ponting is already a modern legend as a batsman, but I think we'll be knocked over within the first hour tomorrow for a very exciting run chase.solar;301005 said:
Caesar
Member
Re: South Africa in Australia
I don't mind giving the tailenders strike - Johnson is good enough to handle it. But with Steyn in the form he is, it makes sense to keep him away from them til they've got their bearings. Let them get some confidence banging Harris around, then let them face half an over to an over of the the Steynroller.
But wickets are the problem at the moment. Time at the crease will bring the runs. Ponting is on fire, he doesn't have to chase every single.solar;301006 said:
I don't mind giving the tailenders strike - Johnson is good enough to handle it. But with Steyn in the form he is, it makes sense to keep him away from them til they've got their bearings. Let them get some confidence banging Harris around, then let them face half an over to an over of the the Steynroller.