Australia tour of South Africa, 2008/09

[aussie1st]

Looks like another tour match were bowlers have bowled themselves out of contention. McGain has gone for Krejza like figures just with 2 wickets which saves him a bit. Hilfy looked like he was unlucky with lots of inside edges and even a dropped catch, hes probably gone in front of Bollinger.

From MacDonald figures I would say we could have used a tall line and length bowler.

 

[sifter132]

Good stuff boys, Australia are really knee-deep in it I think. That side was supposed to be pretty much the 1st test line up and Australia were bashed for more than 4rpo against a pretty good side. However that side only comprises 2 franchises, so I have a feeling they really have to pull their socks up or they will be absolutely humiliated on this tour...again

Again?? When was the last time Australia was humiliated? Losing by an innings is humiliating, but the last time Australia lost by an innings was 1998 in India (the 2nd last innings loss was to the West Indies in 92/93, Perth!!) and since then they have won by an innings a lot against ALL nations:

Eng - 5 times
Pak - 4 times
Bang - 3 times
NZ - 2 times
WI - 2 times
SL - 1 time
Ind - 1 time
SA - 1 time
Zimb - 1 time

So by my count that's 20 humiliations to 0 - in Aussies favour in the last 10 years.

SA by the way have had 3 innings defeats in the last 10 years. 2 to Sri Lanka the last one in Colombo, 2006 and one to Australia in 2002 in J'burg which was an old-fashioned caning. Gilly smashed 200, and SA never scored that much in either innings in reply.

India is not any better. They've had 2 innings defeats in the last year. One to SA and one to SL. By contrast Australia has had 2 innings losses in the past 20 years.

Want another measure of humiliation?? Last time Aussies were bowled out for less than 150 was in 2004. South Africa, India and England have all been skittled for less than 150 in the last 12 months..

Yes, Australia has been disappointing in the last two series - but they've definitely not been humiliated. It's just that by their usually high standards of play, they've been ineffective. But they still could have won the SA series which was very closely fought, and they could have pulled out a drawn series in India if they hadn't selected fricken White for the Tests and Ponting hadn't bowled his lameo spinners when the game was on the line in the 4th Test.

 

[Valaskjalf]

Again?? When was the last time Australia was humiliated? Losing by an innings is humiliating, but the last time Australia lost by an innings was 1998 in India (the 2nd last innings loss was to the West Indies in 92/93, Perth!!) and since then they have won by an innings a lot against ALL nations:

Eng - 5 times
Pak - 4 times
Bang - 3 times
NZ - 2 times
WI - 2 times
SL - 1 time
Ind - 1 time
SA - 1 time
Zimb - 1 time

So by my count that's 20 humiliations to 0 - in Aussies favour in the last 10 years.

SA by the way have had 3 innings defeats in the last 10 years. 2 to Sri Lanka the last one in Colombo, 2006 and one to Australia in 2002 in J'burg which was an old-fashioned caning. Gilly smashed 200, and SA never scored that much in either innings in reply.

India is not any better. They've had 2 innings defeats in the last year. One to SA and one to SL. By contrast Australia has had 2 innings losses in the past 20 years.

Want another measure of humiliation?? Last time Aussies were bowled out for less than 150 was in 2004. South Africa, India and England have all been skittled for less than 150 in the last 12 months..

Yes, Australia has been disappointing in the last two series - but they've definitely not been humiliated. It's just that by their usually high standards of play, they've been ineffective. But they still could have won the SA series which was very closely fought, and they could have pulled out a drawn series in India if they hadn't selected fricken White for the Tests and Ponting hadn't bowled his lameo spinners when the game was on the line in the 4th Test.

Sheesh hold ur horses...and its nice to have "wouldve's and couldve's" but the point is they didnt step up to it. Im pretty sure many of the times we were trashed we COULD have beaten the other team if we had taken out chances. Retrospect is so easy as well so its a pretty poor excuse...if only Alan Donald didnt take that stupid run in the 1999 WC semi, Klusener WOULD have sealed the win...you see how stupid it is?

And who really cares about the past anyway? We can go as far back into the past as we want but lets face it, all those "humiliating" defeats the Aussies inflicted on their opponents were in a time when they had the best team in the world, so once again, thats not relevant now is it?

The humiliation I was talking about was the recent series which was pretty humiliating for the Aussies, 6wkt and 9wkt losses first up and then won due to Smith's injury and we had the series in the bag - lets face it. Im talking about losing a series IN Australia for the first time in 15odd years and that against a team who used to be their muppets. So its the eventual result which was humiliating not the margin by which they lost. Oh and obviously the 4-1 loss in the ODI's WAS humiliating, no two ways about it.

 

[Cricketdude]

Not sure I would call it humiliating. Our team so much different than the one that dominated South Africa last time. It's what happens when you get a bowling attack together without their best bowler. There's not much really to say because I got no shame in the loss.

 

[karnog]

The ODIs were humiliating to say the least. A 4-1 loss to the Saffas who have off late been struggling in ODIs. The tests weren't humiliating. They were the better team and they took their chances. And they had the killer instinct. We didn't. In the ODIs they outperformed us in every department. Even the WAGS.

 

[Slowcoach]

Haha, so we are debating the meaning of the word "humiliated" now, and what constitutes a "humiliating defeat"?

Maybe we should let the ICC decide an "official" number of runs, and in future on scorecards we will see things like "Australia humiliated by 354 runs".

 

[ajdude]

Hilfy gets Kuhn on 99. I wish somebody would telecast this, then it could be a chance of being on Foxtel. :P
And Bollinger gets van der Merwe first ball. They declare, can't wait to see...the updates of Phil Hughes batting.

 

[Gilly Fan]

Hughes is going along brilliantly. Currently 24 from 32 deliveries. Aussies are 0/47 from 15. Slow compared to PXI, but we haven't lost wickets.

And as I type Hughes goes out. Gets a thin edge to the keeper.

 

[ajdude]

Mbhalati should have been on a hat-trick, apparently Ponting edged it.

 

[aussie_ben91]

He was above the 140km/h mark for quite a bit of the Sydney test. Justin Langer rated Bollinger amoung his 10 most dangerous pacemen he has faced quoted from Inside Cricket "Mate he has serious pace, and like Wasim Akram, he gives you that different variable and swings the ball with a very quick bumper".

No bowler got the ball to really swing in the Sydney test and that is one of his main weapons plus the fact he was making his debut.

Interesting because he looked as dangerous as fairy floss when bowling to Matthew Hayden and Ricky Ponting.

 

[genghis_khan]

Looks like another tour match were bowlers have bowled themselves out of contention. McGain has gone for Krejza like figures just with 2 wickets which saves him a bit. Hilfy looked like he was unlucky with lots of inside edges and even a dropped catch, hes probably gone in front of Bollinger.

From MacDonald figures I would say we could have used a tall line and length bowler.

hilfenhaus was never behind bollinger. hilf was definately our best and i tell you what judging by johnsons figures he'd better get his **** together or we have no hope. johnson, ponting and hussey need to fire if we're any chance next week

 

[aussie1st]

Interesting because he looked as dangerous as fairy floss when bowling to Matthew Hayden and Ricky Ponting.

When did he bowl to either in a proper match?

Solid start for Hughes looks like he was playing with his aggressive early approach. At least SA won't get much from their video footage of Hughes.

aussie1st added 5 Minutes and 45 Seconds later...

hilfenhaus was never behind bollinger. hilf was definately our best and i tell you what judging by johnsons figures he'd better get his **** together or we have no hope. johnson, ponting and hussey need to fire if we're any chance next week

Bollinger was ahead due to him making his debut in the last test match. Same with MacDonald, the selectors usually keep the faith in the players especially after a win.

 

[Leicester Fox]

I knew that Khan guy would do well. He can live up to his slightly mispelt name. Maybe not with the ball.

 

[Cricketdude]

Ponting is out! its good though I think.

 

[ajdude]

Yeah, good innings of 93, apparently he missed it though. Ah well, Kat is still going strong after making a ton and lets hope Marcus can make a few here.