Australia in South Africa Oct-Nov 2011/12

[War]

I think AUS have potentially stumbled on somewhere close to their best T20 XI, looking ahead to T20 WC in SRI next year.

The top 5 of Watson/Warner/Marsh/Dussey/White is perfect. However M Hussey has to be back in the main XI @ # 6, since his experience and ability to play spin will be crucial in SRI conditions.

Smith will be a useful squad player. Him starting will all depend on if the selectors wish to use him and Dussey as the spin bowling all-rounders - or wish to keep O'Keefe as the main spinner in the starting XI.

Lee and Bollinger unless they decline in the next year - should be the new ball pair. Thus this leaves Cummins, Nannes, Johnson, Tait battling for squad places.

Possible AUS XI & 15-man squad for T20 WC:

Watson
Warner
Marsh
Dussey
White
Mussey
Wade
O'Keefe/Smith
Lee
Bollinger
Cummins

Ferguson
Tait/Nannes
Hastings/M Marsh
O'Keefe/Smith

Note: Harris is an outside shot to come in for Tait/Nannes, if the selectors feel he is needed next year, if circumstances permits.

 

[stefan]

Aus totally outplayed us. The selectors really need to answer what graeme smith is doing in this side. His form in both t20's and odi's have been dreadfull for a year now and hasn't played any real cricket for 6 months(a club game doesn't really count imho).

If they won't draft in rudolph then they need to drop smith for levi for sundays game. Mcclaren should also play ahead of one of the spinners.

 

[AnshtheDj]

I thought South African's were rusty in the 1st T20I which marked the beginning of cricket season there. Coming from the longest of breaks in quite a few years, they just didn't look their usual sharp selves.

AUS are coming off a successful series against SL, though they lost the T20I series there 2-0 succumbing to Sri Lankan spinners who did what they do best in their home conditions.

Some players of Aussie T20I XI have also had hit the ground running having come from participating CLT20 recently. Irony is that the same applies to some SA players also like Botha, Duminy, Tsotsobe, Ingram, Miller, Theron, Peterson but they couldn't translate their battle-readiness to on-field success, though Duminy & Ingram played well.

One thing I was pretty impressed about was how Watson went about his role as a genuine all-rounder for Australia. He bowled well and led the chase with characteristic attacking half-century, though things would have been different had Graeme Smith latched onto the chance at 1st slip of Morkel (rustiness again..). Watto might have had a lean series for RR in IPL-4 and for NSW Blues in CLT20, but he showed his real steel yesterday when it mattered most as he is one of the senior batters in the T20 squad. He had also played that role successfully against SL in T20I series...like I said, just when it matters most.

On the other hand, Warner, coming off successive domestic T20 centuries, just discovered how cruel can International cricket be with direct hit from Morkel ending his stay pretty soon in the Aussie innings.

Cameron White led the inexperienced AUS T20I team well and shuffled around his bowlers, though one would have liked to see a bit more of O'Keefe. He also made a useful contribution with the bat though he didn't see the chase through.

 

[angryangy]

Unlikely first over in a T20. Some leaves, no real shots attempted and the only runs conceded were extras.

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Steepling and perhaps inconsistent bounce continues to keep the batsmen quiet. If only zombie Stan McCabe was in next.

 

[Sedition]

Forgot all about this, cheers for the reminder. 2/17 off 4.4, not looking so hot.

 

[angryangy]

Pitch is wasted on a T20, but they're also playing a bit cluelessly

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There we go; Marsh will be happy Parnell came into the side.

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And there he goes.

 

[Sedition]

Damn, White the only one scoring fast and runs himself out

 

[angryangy]

Found some respect in the end. It's something to bowl at, but if they make mistakes the ball will fly.

 

[cricketmad09]

Steve Smith is nowhere near good enough for international T20 cricket. Here's a list of all of the batsmen who i'd have in the team before him.

Henriques
Hughes
Jaques
Katich
Khawaja
Maddinson
Rohrer
Armstrong
Thornley
Hopes
Broad
Burns
Dunk
Forrest
Lynn
Reardon
Blizzard
Borgas
Christian
Cooper
Doropolous
Ferguson
Harris
Klinger
Bailey
Butterworth
Cosgrove
Faulkner
Gulbis
Kruger
McDonald
Carters
Finch
Hill
Hodge
Maxwell
Quiney
Rogers
North
Beaton
Birt
Hussey
Ronchi
Voges

So in my eyes, there are 44 players running around in domestic cricket who i'd have in the team before him.

 

[Sedition]

Boom Dougie Bollinger strikes in the first over.

Don't really understand Smith's inclusion either. Dave and White are decent part-time spin options and Smith's batting isn't exactly world class.

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Saffies collapsing like a Springboks scrum.

 

[Rohit Doshi]

48 for 4 at the end of 8 over. Serioulsy Saffers need to do something

 

[swacker]

It's looking too easy for SA. Fantastic partnership from Theron and Parnell, really pulled the thing back. lol, Hussey bowling the last over.

Edit: SA won! Woah!

 

[Gaurav_7]

What. A. Game.

Man, this is awesome, just loved it. Beauty of international cricket!

 

[1iram1]

What. A. Game.

Man, this is awesome, just loved it. Beauty of international cricket!

Yeah, can't wait for the test series.

 

[stefan]

Can't believe we won this . Great knock's by theron and parnell. Its really a shame wayne's bowling has gone down the drain, he could add so much as a number 8. But lol at aus losing it from their.

But there is serious worries concerning the batting. The selectors really have to draft in rudolph for the odi series.