South Africa in Australia

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Re: South Africa in Australia

Ljp86;306339 said:
As much as I agree with you, the South African "Think Tank" didn't see it that way. It was a silly thing to do in hindsight as South Africa were always going to be one down early (two if Smith didn't bat). They probably should have opened with McKenzie and Amla, putting Kallis at three and then de Villiers at four.

South Africa will run into a problem should McKenzie's poor form continue though, they will then have to make a choice on who opens with Smith. Do they bring Prince back in and bump either Amla, de Villiers or Duminy into the opening spot or do they bring in another specialist opener, a Herschelle Gibbs perhaps?
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If they bring in another specialist opener I doubt it will be Herschelle Gibbs unless he has an extremely good odi series.

I am sure Mckenzie will recapture some form back in South Africa though.
 
Re: South Africa in Australia

Ljp86;306339 said:
As much as I agree with you, the South African "Think Tank" didn't see it that way. It was a silly thing to do in hindsight as South Africa were always going to be one down early (two if Smith didn't bat). They probably should have opened with McKenzie and Amla, putting Kallis at three and then de Villiers at four.

South Africa will run into a problem should McKenzie's poor form continue though, they will then have to make a choice on who opens with Smith. Do they bring Prince back in and bump either Amla, de Villiers or Duminy into the opening spot or do they bring in another specialist opener, a Herschelle Gibbs perhaps?
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I reckon De Villiers should of opened. He has opened in Australia in the past, but when your 2-0 up in the series, i don't think they were really fussed who opened.
 
Re: South Africa in Australia

grapedo;306454 said:
If they bring in another specialist opener I doubt it will be Herschelle Gibbs unless he has an extremely good odi series.

I am sure Mckenzie will recapture some form back in South Africa though.
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I think Mckenzie is in trouble. He is the only South African batsman out of form, and Prince will walk straight in, considering he is their vice captain. Surely they can't drop Duminy, the find of the series. The only thing is who opens. If Amla opens, Kallis won't bat at 3 because he should've done that 5 years ago, so it isn't as easy as moving everyone up one spot, so I think the logical choice is De Villiers. Surely they wouldn't throw Duminy in there, he is perfectly suited to number 5 or 6, and why throw him against the new ball in his 4th test match. We know one thing, they won't open with Morkel again. They may as well of thrown Ntini in there.
 
Re: South Africa in Australia

Quality delivery would of knocked over a healthy Smith possibly.

Hauritz is just terrible, Ricky had no imagination and Hayden is done and dusted.

Great series even though we got done.

Bring on the 20-20's and ODI
 
Re: South Africa in Australia

D.K;305717 said:
Great series even though we got done.
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QFT. Haven't enjoyed a series as much since the 2005 Ashes. Every game was brilliant, edge of your seat stuff.

First crack at my team of the series:

Smith
Katich
Ponting
de Villiers
Duminy
Clarke
Haddin
Johnston
Steyne
Siddle
Ntini

Ponting and Amla was a bit of a toss-up for me... that was a bit of a toss-up, Amla more consistent but Ponting made the big runs. Haddin's batting was a lot better than Boucher's, although I think the Protea kept slightly better.

EDIT: Switched Harris for Siddle. No spinners in my team, but really nobody earned it.
 
Re: South Africa in Australia

The430king;306691 said:
I think Mckenzie is in trouble. He is the only South African batsman out of form, and Prince will walk straight in, considering he is their vice captain. Surely they can't drop Duminy, the find of the series. The only thing is who opens. If Amla opens, Kallis won't bat at 3 because he should've done that 5 years ago, so it isn't as easy as moving everyone up one spot, so I think the logical choice is De Villiers. Surely they wouldn't throw Duminy in there, he is perfectly suited to number 5 or 6, and why throw him against the new ball in his 4th test match. We know one thing, they won't open with Morkel again. They may as well of thrown Ntini in there.
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I disagree.

Dumniy is a first class opener and De Villiers was not a good opener at test level anyway. He opened for three years and hit 1436 runs @ 36.82.

I would prefer to see Duminy who can adapt as he does open in first class or a new opener from South African domestic cricket.

One that immediateley springs to mind is Andrew Puttick who has hit:
82 matches -5656 runs @ 42.52.
 
Re: South Africa in Australia

Caesar;305721 said:
QFT. Haven't enjoyed a series as much since the 2005 Ashes. Every game was brilliant, edge of your seat stuff.

My first crack at team of the series:

Smith
Katich
Ponting
De Villiers
Duminy
Clarke
Haddin
Johnston
Steyne
Harris
Ntini

Ponting and Amla was a bit of a toss-up for me... that was a bit of a toss-up, Amla more consistent but Ponting made the big runs. Haddin's batting was a lot better than Boucher's, although I think the Protea kept slightly better. Harris... not sure he should be there. Tempting to replace him with Siddle.
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Mine would have to be.

Smith (c)
Katich
Ponting
A.B
Clarke
Duminy
Haddin
Johnson
Steyn
Siddle
Ntini
 
Re: South Africa in Australia

grapedo;306790 said:
I disagree.

Dumniy is a first class opener and De Villiers was not a good opener at test level anyway. He opened for three years and hit 1436 runs @ 36.82.

I would prefer to see Duminy who can adapt as he does open in first class or a new opener from South African domestic cricket.

One that immediateley springs to mind is Andrew Puttick who has hit:
82 matches -5656 runs @ 42.52.
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But if you bring in a new opener such as Andrew Puttick who is left out for Prince?
 
Re: South Africa in Australia

D.K;305722 said:
Mine would have to be.

Smith (c)
Katich
Ponting
A.B
Clarke
Duminy
Haddin
Johnson
Steyn
Siddle
Ntini
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You're right, Siddle deserved it more than Harris, who was a nonentity. I rethought it, but didn't get to the post in time. :p
 
Re: South Africa in Australia

Jolldo87;306792 said:
But if you bring in a new opener such as Andrew Puttick who is left out for Prince?
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Who knows. :D

Good point Jolldo in that case Mckenzie gets axed and Duminy opens the batting with Prince pushing to his familiar number 5 role and De Villiers pushing back to six where has been batting for a year now.

I personally would have know problems with this.
 
Re: South Africa in Australia

Caesar;305724 said:
You're right, Siddle deserved it more than Harris, who was a nonentity. I rethought it, but didn't get to the post in time. :p
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Siddle was only slightly more interesting then watching Hauritz and paint dry/grass grow reallly.

Krezja would of been in there for sure if the selctors had some balls after the first test and stuck with an attacking option insted of a runs container. If my memory served me correctly I am sure we needed to attack and win not defend and draw.

I reckon the BigCricket community could do a better job of being Chairman of Selectors then the muppet who is there now.
 
Re: South Africa in Australia

Haddin is in doubt for Sundays Twenty20.

The guy that can't make a run at state level, Luke Ronchi is on standby.
 
Re: South Africa in Australia

I'd love to see Adam Crosthwaite in it, bit vic biased,
but i'm 70% sure he's doing better than ronchi at state level.
don't have the stats tho.:S
 
Re: South Africa in Australia

What a great finish to an exciting test series , if matches like these happens often then test cricket will survive for longer years
 
Re: South Africa in Australia

Ljp86;305296 said:
The South African batting order is pretty well set so tinkering with it is not in their best interests. Morkel opened because South Africa didn't want to switch around their top six which probably wasn't the right thing to do considering they have nunerous opening options.

Morkel was a sacrificial wicket more then anything and was unlikely to score anything significant should he have batted in his usual spot on day five.
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Morkel is getting paid to bowl and the batsman are getting paid to bat. they've got two blokes in that side who have opened the batting before in international cricket and another bloke who has opened in first class cricket. Surely they would've been better options to face the new ball with a rested fired up attack with 15 overs to go in the days play than a bloke who can't spell bat and has bowled his guts on a pretty hot day.

Great game of cricket, great series. In the top 3 series I have seen alongside 2005 Ashes and Aus tour of India in 2001. Smith, one the most courageous acts i have seen in a sporting field. Very deserved player of the series.
 
Re: South Africa in Australia

What a series !
Well done to all parties.

Will be interesting to see the follow up series in South Africa and as well as the up coming 20 20s and odis.

What a gutsy effort by Smith I am sure on this day the team if they haven't already will appreciate and acknowledge the gutsy skipper they had.
 
Re: South Africa in Australia

He would if they picked the best gloveman instead of the best batsman who owns a pair of keeping gloves. The Redbacks don't have much homegrown talent at the moment but they've still got the best keeper.
 
Re: South Africa in Australia

The430king;305975 said:
Morkel is getting paid to bowl and the batsman are getting paid to bat. they've got two blokes in that side who have opened the batting before in international cricket and another bloke who has opened in first class cricket. Surely they would've been better options to face the new ball with a rested fired up attack with 15 overs to go in the days play than a bloke who can't spell bat and has bowled his guts on a pretty hot day.

Great game of cricket, great series. In the top 3 series I have seen alongside 2005 Ashes and Aus tour of India in 2001. Smith, one the most courageous acts i have seen in a sporting field. Very deserved player of the series.
Click to expand...

As much as I agree with you, the South African "Think Tank" didn't see it that way. It was a silly thing to do in hindsight as South Africa were always going to be one down early (two if Smith didn't bat). They probably should have opened with McKenzie and Amla, putting Kallis at three and then de Villiers at four.

South Africa will run into a problem should McKenzie's poor form continue though, they will then have to make a choice on who opens with Smith. Do they bring Prince back in and bump either Amla, de Villiers or Duminy into the opening spot or do they bring in another specialist opener, a Herschelle Gibbs perhaps?
 
Re: South Africa in Australia

Squads for 20/20 and one day series.

The KFC Twenty20 squad is:

R. Ponting (c): TAS, 34
M. Hussey (vc): WA, 33
D. Hussey: VIC, 31
B. Hilfenhaus: TAS, 25
J. Hopes: QLD, 30
N. Bracken: NSW, 31
B. Haddin: NSW, 31
S. Marsh: WA, 25
S. Tait: SA, 25
D. Warner: NSW, 22
R. Harris: QLD, 29
C. White: VIC, 25
N. Hauritz: NSW, 27

The Commonwealth Bank Series squad is:

R. Ponting (c): TAS, 34
M. Clarke (vc): NSW, 27
B. Haddin: NSW, 31
J. Hopes: QLD, 30
N. Bracken: NSW, 31
S. Marsh: WA, 25
M. Hussey: WA, 33
D. Hussey: VIC, 31
N. Hauritz: NSW, 27
B. Hilfenhaus: TAS, 25
C. White: VIC, 25
S. Tait: SA, 25
P. Siddle: VIC, 24

Commenting on the selection of the squads, NSP Chairman Andrew Hilditch said:

“The announcement of these squads for the KFC Twenty20 Internationals and the Commonwealth Bank Series is a clear indication we are now in full-scale planning for the 2009 ICC World Twenty20 and the 2011 ICC World Cup.

“Winning a fourth consecutive ICC World Cup and our first ICC Twenty20 title is an ambitious project. For this reason there will be very few players selected from this point that we can not see playing a role in achieving this goal.

“The omission of Matthew Hayden from the KFC Twenty20 and Commonwealth Bank Series squads is not a reflection on his performances in the recent Test series but rather a strategic decision made by the National Selection Panel as we plan for these signature events. His possible selection for the upcoming tour of South Africa will be discussed as with all players when we select a squad after the round of interstate matches at the beginning of February.

“New South Wales opener David Warner has been selected in the KFC Twenty20 squad after some eye-catching performances particularly this year. He adds a dynamic nature to the top of the order and we look forward to seeing his performances at the international level.

“Queensland all-rounder Ryan Harris has also been added to the squad for the KFC Twenty20 games. Ryan has had a very good season for Queensland and has the ability to swing the ball at good pace. He is also very good in the field and handy with the bat and it will be interesting to see his progress in these two matches.

“Mitchell Johnson will not take part in the two KFC Twenty20 matches or first two of the Commonwealth Bank Series matches. It has been advised by team medical and fitness staff that due to his workload over the last few months he should continue to be monitored. For this reason he will not be available for selection in these matches.

“Nathan Hauritz has been added to both the KFC Twenty20 and Commonwealth Bank Series squads after some impressive performances in interstate one-day cricket over several seasons. While we have not selected a specialist spinner in these forms of the game recently, it will be nice to have the flexibility of a specialist spinner when necessary.

“It is exciting for Australian cricket that Shaun Tait has been selected in both the KFC Twenty20 and Commonwealth Bank Series squads. Although he has had some injury problems since playing a leading role in the 2007 ICC World Cup, he is an explosive weapon at his best and we hope he will play a key role in both forms of the game this summer,” Hilditch concluded.

Commenting on Michael Clarke’s unavailability for the KFC Twenty20 International games, Australian team physiotherapist Alex Kountouris said:

“Michael Clarke suffered some ligament damage to his right thumb during the first 3 Mobile Test against South Africa in Perth. This injury has required pain killing injections in every batting innings since and for this reason we have decided the best course of action is for him to miss the first two KFC Twenty20 matches. We will continue to monitor the injury over the next four to five days and we are very hopeful of him being fully fit for the beginning of the Commonwealth Bank Series.”
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Re: South Africa in Australia

bundybullz08;307050 said:
I'd love to see Adam Crosthwaite in it, bit vic biased,
but i'm 70% sure he's doing better than ronchi at state level.
don't have the stats tho.:S
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Off the top of my head i can't think of a better option for the Twenty20 if Haddin is out.

a for effort;307064 said:
He would if they picked the best gloveman instead of the best batsman who owns a pair of keeping gloves. The Redbacks don't have much homegrown talent at the moment but they've still got the best keeper.
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Better with the gloves than Crosthwaite?

I can't say i've seen much of Manou in the long form of the game but from what i've seen he's definitely not as good as Crosthwaite.

Whilst we're on the topic of Manou he's the worst captain i've ever seen. Not that it's relevant, just something that needed to be said.
 
Re: South Africa in Australia

Jolldo87;307046 said:
Haddin is in doubt for Sundays Twenty20.

The guy that can't make a run at state level, Luke Ronchi is on standby.
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Your joking, that's an absolute disgrace if that's the case. Watched him bat last and he didn't look like hitting the ball. When are these selectors going to learn to pick players that are in form. First Hayden, then Marsh, now Ronchi. Tim Paine from Tassie must be injured, because he would be my pick.
 
Re: South Africa in Australia

Ljp86;306339 said:
As much as I agree with you, the South African "Think Tank" didn't see it that way. It was a silly thing to do in hindsight as South Africa were always going to be one down early (two if Smith didn't bat). They probably should have opened with McKenzie and Amla, putting Kallis at three and then de Villiers at four.

South Africa will run into a problem should McKenzie's poor form continue though, they will then have to make a choice on who opens with Smith. Do they bring Prince back in and bump either Amla, de Villiers or Duminy into the opening spot or do they bring in another specialist opener, a Herschelle Gibbs perhaps?
Click to expand...

If they bring in another specialist opener I doubt it will be Herschelle Gibbs unless he has an extremely good odi series.

I am sure Mckenzie will recapture some form back in South Africa though.
 
Re: South Africa in Australia

Jolldo87;307067 said:
Better with the gloves than Crosthwaite?

I can't say i've seen much of Manou in the long form of the game but from what i've seen he's definitely not as good as Crosthwaite.

Whilst we're on the topic of Manou he's the worst captain i've ever seen. Not that it's relevant, just something that needed to be said.
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Crosthwaite is definitely flashier, but I've seen him struggle up to the stumps on occasions in the Ford Ranger cup (Which is all we really get to see on TV), whereas Manou has been rock-solid every time I've seen him. There's that saying "If you see a keeper diving around stopping everything, he's having a good day. If you don't notice him at all, he's having a better day" which I think applies when comparing the two. I can't really comment on his captaincy though as I've not seen enough of it.
 
Re: South Africa in Australia

Jolldo87;307046 said:
Haddin is in doubt for Sundays Twenty20.

The guy that can't make a run at state level, Luke Ronchi is on standby.
Click to expand...

Actually Jolldo, where'd you hear this?
 
Re: South Africa in Australia

Ljp86;306339 said:
As much as I agree with you, the South African "Think Tank" didn't see it that way. It was a silly thing to do in hindsight as South Africa were always going to be one down early (two if Smith didn't bat). They probably should have opened with McKenzie and Amla, putting Kallis at three and then de Villiers at four.

South Africa will run into a problem should McKenzie's poor form continue though, they will then have to make a choice on who opens with Smith. Do they bring Prince back in and bump either Amla, de Villiers or Duminy into the opening spot or do they bring in another specialist opener, a Herschelle Gibbs perhaps?
Click to expand...

I reckon De Villiers should of opened. He has opened in Australia in the past, but when your 2-0 up in the series, i don't think they were really fussed who opened.
 
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