Story ICC Best Of The Rest Championship

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Saffirs Lack Agro​

Former South African fast bowlers Allan Donald is a man that still gives batsman nightmares and he is long retired but his advice hasn?t. He said a few words to SuperSport TV.

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I have been paying close attention to the series having been part of the commentary team. They (South Africa) just don?t seem to have their hearts in it. I would be telling them to take lessons from Andre Nel however that may be a bit extreme. They need to let Australia know that they are ready for a challenge and they are in it to win it. I just think they are missing a trick there by playing this nice guy cricket with no real intention.

More Andre Nel?s? That?s the last thing we wont but we do need to see a change from South Africa if they are going to be a threat to Australia.

 

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Backwards In Going Forwards​

With the ODI series drawing to a close Australia?s specialist test crickets have started to arrive on South African soil amounts them are Shane Warne and Justin Langer. Warney had no trouble in finding some local press and sharing his views with them.

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From what I?ve seen in the ODI series South Africa have actually gone backwards under Graeme Smiths captaincy. He comes out before every series and talks it up about how ready they are to beat us and they give these sub par performances on field. If I were Mickey Arthur I would be telling him to shut his pie hole and play the game on the park.

Strong words from the champion leg spinner and I?m sure he will do his talking with the ball as well in the test series when it rolls around.

We have also received news that Brad Hogg is right to play the final match of the series having fully recovered from a pulled hamstring, which is good news for Australia. Dan Cullen will fly home but has put his best foot forward as far as future selection goes.

 

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The Monkey Will Never Leave ​

Simon Katich is coming into the final match of the series on the back of a unbeaten century and perhaps one of the best partnerships in one day history which he shared with Damien Martyn. Yet still he feels that the chip is still on his shoulder as far as his place in the Australian team goes.

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Yeah the monkey is there for good. They are always looking for excuses to drop me and the only way for me to keep my place is to make runs every day I breathe. Its not easy fighting for your spot every time you go out to bat. I am averaging over 50 but I still feel they will drop me quicker then a bloke averaging under 30.

The fight is on to maintain spots in the Australian team and those under pressure are Andrew Symonds, Michael Clarke and until he made all those runs in this series Damien Martyn.

The final match of the series will be live from Johannesburg.

 

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3rd Standard Bank ODI ? The Wanderers, Johannesburg​

A bit cloudy overhead today for the final match of the Standard Bank series which Australia has already won I might add. Ian Bishop is down in the centre to have a look at the strip that the two teams will be playing on today.

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Ian Bishop Pitch Report

Due to the hot conditions we have had in Johannesburg since the last match this pitch has dried out thoroughly and won?t provide any assistance to the seam bowlers. A good flat pitch that is typical of one day cricket for this match. It should provide scores of 280-300.

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The Umpires

Steve Bucknor and Russell Tiffin

The Coin Toss

Ricky Ponting calls heads and wins the toss

Looks like a good flat deck to bat on first. We?ll be looking to start off better then we did in the last match and provide the same result. Were looking for the series whitewash in this match and take maximum points away with us and then into the test series.

Obviously we can?t win the series but we need to win this match to get points against our name on the rankings list. Hopefully luck will go our way this time and we also hold our chances and bowl in the right areas setting up a good total to chase tonight.

A big plus here for Australia batting first as South Africa will need to bowl really well to keep the chasing total to something realistic. Lets have a look at the Line-ups.

Australia Line-up

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Just one change to the side that has had a mountain of success and is arguably the team to beat in the championship. Brad Hogg returns after injury that means the impressive Dan Cullen is on a plane home. Such long batting line-up will prove tough for South Africa to get over.

South Africa Line-up

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Again no change to the batting side of things as the Proteas believe runs on the board isn?t their problem. Van Der Wath and Kemp return in a bid to strengthen bowling and extend the capable batsman should the worst happen.
Let?s go live to Tony Grieg and the boys in the commentary box for the last match in the Standard Bank ODI series.

 

[Cricket_60]

Hopefully we can win to shutup Smith.

 

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Plenty Of Danger Men​

3rd Standard Bank ODI ? 20 Over Update
The Wanderers, Johannesburg
South Africa Vs Australia

Righto heres the story from the start of the final ODI

Australia got off to an even worst start then last match as they lost master batsman Adam Gilchrist early hitting a flat and hard one straight to mid on and he headed back to the dressing room at 1/5.

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Gilchrist gone early ​

From there on Simon Katich continued from where he left off in the last match and was accompanied by Ricky Ponting who lasted for more then two balls this time. The score was a balanced 1/56 after 10 overs before Katich opened the face on a short of a length ball from Kallis and guided it straight to second slip. Bugger!

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Katich soft dismissal​

South Africa now had there tails up having got rid of the danger man but they now have to deal with Damien Martyn who is hitting the leather in the middle at the moment. At 2/88 after 15 overs the South Africans begin their holding pattern. Ponting is looking very dangerous and soon brought up 50 and showed almost no reaction in a sign he wants a 100 here and he wont let anything stand in his way.

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Ponting is all business as he reaches another 50​

Australia 2/120
Run Rate 6.00
20 overs

Ponting 54(48)*
Martyn 29(29)*

Pollock 1/33
Ntini 0/23
Kallis 1/34
Hall 0/13
Van Der Wath 0/16

 

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Poised For Punishment ​

3rd Standard Bank ODI ? 40 Over Update
The Wanderers, Johannesburg
South Africa Vs Australia

As the partnership between Ponting and Martyn reached 100 the future looked bleak for South Africa until AJ Hall was handed the ball by skipper Graeme Smith and stepped up to the challenge. Hall dished up a short ball to Ponting and got the top edge which hung in the air for a long time before Kemp took the catch. Now at 3/161 Australia had control with Symonds coming to the wicket.

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Ponting skies one and is out ​

Roy has been suffering a form slump lately but slowly built up confidence to get to double figures with some smooth strokes while Martyn reached his 3rd 50 in a row.

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Martyn reaches 3 50's on the trot​

Symonds started to play a few shots knowing if he got going it could be good night for the Proteas but he also had the comfort of batsman in the shed. Soon after the shift in mental state Damien Martyn cut straight to point and Pollock took the catch.

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Martyn out misstiming his favourite shot​

Symonds narrowly escaped a good shout for stumped and then never looked back as he sent Smith in particular searching for the ball. Plenty of boundaries followed in a quick dash of 30 before Roy went for one to many and spooned a ball off the splice to cover.

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Symonds as usual tries one to many​

The unbelievable batting of Mike Hussey is in effect for Australia along with Clarke who has struggled in recent times so it would be good to see a score from him. It is amazing that Hussey can keep producing knocks like these and may just see Austrlai to a score over 300 if he stays at the crease. The tail is all that?s in the pavilion for the visitors so South Africa must strike soon.

Australia 5/247
Run Rate 6.17
40 overs

Hussey 30(26)*
Clarke 17(16)*

Pollock 1/33
Ntini 0/23
Kallis 1/69
Hall 1/38
Van Der Wath 0/24

 

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Clarke Stands Tall In The Final Overs​

3rd Standard Bank ODI ? 50 Over Update
The Wanderers, Johannesburg
South Africa Vs Australia

It was a class knocks from Hussey that sore Australia in a good position to post a score of 300 plus tax. But the glory was short lived as Hussey had his castle knocked down for just his second dismissal in the championship.

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That was then followed up by the run out of Hogg in the next over as Clarke sent him back from mid pitch to avoid ending his knock prematurely.

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Clarke was the stand out at the crease for the final 10 overs as he put himself back in form with a class knock that finally came to an end when his poles were rattled in the last over.

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As the dust settles at Johannesburg it?s a tough total for South Africa to chase and it will take there best effort of the series if they are to escape the ODI whitewash. Australia showing there class and even after early wickets they build a huge total you have to ask yourself ?can they be beaten??

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South Africa require 330 runs at 6.60 runs an over

 

[Cricket_60]

Great total by Australia :happy

 

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Strong In Reply​

3rd Standard Bank ODI ? 20 Over Update
The Wanderers, Johannesburg
South Africa Vs Australia

South Africa were determined to get away to a good start to give themselves a good chance of chasing down the massive total posted by Australia. Smith led the charge as always with some classy strokes before he proved to be just a flash in the pan and got out off a nothing shot in just the 6th over.

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Smith chips to mid on and is out slowing the run rate for South Africa​

Gibbs then partnered the defensive Dippenaar as the score went along at a comfortable 5.50 an over. Gibbs played some big shots while Dippenaar was content to push into gaps. Stuart Clark?s handy line and length also contributed in keeping the run rate down.

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Dippenaar and Gibbs in action holding the innings together for South Africa​

At the 20 over mark South Africa looks good but the required run rate is getting away from them slightly. It will be up to the middle order to get the total along to something achievable in the last 10 overs.

Comparison after 20 overs
Australia 2/120
South Africa 1/111

South Africa 1/111
Run Rate 5.55
20overs

Dippenaar 45(66)*
Gibbs 37(36)*

Lee 0/22
Bracken 1/40
Clark 0/22
Hogg 0/27

South Africa require 219 runs at 7.30 runs an over

 

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South Africa With Wickets In Hand And A Big Chase​

3rd Standard Bank ODI ? 40 Over Update
The Wanderers, Johannesburg
South Africa Vs Australia

The duo of Dippenaar and Gibbs looked unstoppable as they took their partnership past 150 and then continued the trend. A great display of batting but the Proteas needed them to score quicker then they have to stay along with the required run rate.

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Dippenaar and Gibbs take a breather from their partnership​

It took until the 39th over when Symonds had Gibbs caught on the cover fence by Hussey. Gibbs out for 90 in a run a ball display in the partnership of 178 that has kept South Africa in with a chance and made up for the slowness of Dippenaar.

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The partnership lasts 178 before Gibbs is out​

Jacques Kallis and Boeta Dippenaar who is close to a hundred al be it a drawn out one will need to showcase some pretty big hitting in the final 10 overs if they are going to avoid a white wash in this series. South Africa really needed to up the ante earlier because they have wickets in hand.

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The worm shows South Africa behind and needing a big finish​

Comparison after 40 overs
Australia 5/247
South Africa 2/226

South Africa 2/226
Run Rate 5.65
40overs

Dippenaar 96(132)*
Kallis 3(4)*

Lee 0/49
Bracken 1/40
Clark 0/36
Hogg 0/38
Symonds 1/46
Clarke 0/13

South Africa require 104 runs at 10.40 runs an over

 

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3rd Standard Bank ODI ? End Of Match
The Wanderers, Johannesburg
South Africa Vs Australia

The final 10 overs started with Boeta Dippenaar reaching his hundred. It has taken a hell of a long time and may have even cost South Africa in the end as a quicker scoring batsman may have made more of an impact.

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Dippenaar reaches the ton​

From then on in Dippenaar and Kallis battled and were unable to get leather on willow consistently and despite some big hits in the final couple of overs they simply couldn?t do enough. Dippenaar managed to bat through the entire South African innings as the home team lost just 2 wickets but fell 30 runs short of victory. Australia completes the series white wash winning 3-0.

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Australia wins by 29 runs

Points: Australia 3 points, South Africa 1 points

 

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The series presentation to follow and incase anyones wondering the stats will be back in the test series as i will have to reinstall the game due to my black sky at Cape Town problem.

 

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Standard Bank ODI Series Presentation​

The players and officials are down there for the presentation so lets join them. The president of series sponsor Standard Bank Lawrence Kelley would like to say a few words.

On behalf of Standard Bank it has been a pleasure to particpate in this wonderful series between South Africa and Australia. Congratulations to Ricky and his team for winning the series 3-0 they displayed there skills well all series and a re a credit to themselves. As for Graeme and your team bad luck and we wish you all the best in the future of this championship. I will now hand you over to the winning captain Ricky Ponting.

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Thanks Lawrence all the boys really enjoyed being part of this series and we played our best cricket right the way through. Um thanks to all the sponsors if it weren?t for them we wouldn?t have this great championship. And finally to the South Africans it was a great series and we are looking forward to the test series starting in not to long. Thanks, Cheers.

Now we would like to hear from South African captain Graeme Smith.

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Congratulations Australia I think to my boys we can take a lot of positives away from this series and have a very strong showing in the test series.

Now its time to name the man of the match and tonight that is Boeta Dippenaar for his wonderful hundred and for managing to bat out the entire 50 overs.

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Have a look at those braces. Must pull the girls!​

It wasn?t easy out there. Australia bowled really well all day and we played superbly only losing the 2 wickets all day but in the end it was just to many to chase after the wicket started to deteriorate a bit. It?s a bit disappointing to not be included in the test team but ill be watching closely from home I think we have a really good chance of winning the test matches.

And finally for the presentation we announce the man of the series and that man is Damien Martyn

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I didn?t start the championship off to well but this series has really turned it around for me. 3 scores in a row including that hundred last game and a 50 today just couldn?t ask for much more. We?ll see what the selectors have planned for the test series now and hopefully they will include me.

Well that it from the presentations down here we look forward to seeing you in Cape Town for the first of the Castle Lager test matches.

 

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To Slooooooooooooooow ​

South Africa have been copping it from all angles after their 3-0 loss in the recent ODI series. They have particularly been criticized for there slow batting. Boeta Dippenaar was in the centre of it all as he often takes time to play himself in and has been blamed for the South Africans inability to chase down totals. Proteas coach Micky Arthur defended his team.

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There was nothing wrong with the way we went about scoring runs. The pitches we played on favored the team batting first and that was Australia most of the time. Boeta is a top class batsman and a long serving member of the team. We will be looking to seek our revenge in the test series when there wont be any talk of strike rates.

The first test will be in Cape Town where we have fixed the black sky problem.