Story Returning To Former Glory - The Journey Of The Australian Cricket Team [ODI Rankings]

[Griffo]

South Africa Lose Albie Morkel For The Series

Albie Morkel will be unavailable for the Proteas for the rest of the series

Currently down 2-1 in a best of five series, South Africa has been dealt a major blow losing their top wicket taker of the series in Albie Morkel. Morkel was completing the warm up during a training session and pulled up with a hamstring problem leading him to miss the rest of the session. After being looked at by the team doctor it was found out that he will be unavailable for the rest of the series.

?Albie has been very good this series and we will miss him, but its important that we focus on the task ahead and fight back to win this series? said South African captain Graeme Smith. Albie Morkel has been one of the most impressive players throughout the series taking 8 wickets at 21.75 and adding 59 runs at 29.50 down the order during the latter overs. The good news for South Africa is that he should be back for the Twenty20 World Cup which South Africa poses a serious threat for the title. ​

 

[mattfb]

Ouch, big loss for the Saffas. Good news for you though. Hopefully you can go on and win the series.

Good stuff mate.

 

[Griffo]

4th One Day International v South Africa

South Africa has returned to form with a 3 wicket victory over Australia in the 3rd One Day International of the five match series. The Proteas produced a performance that was expected of them throughout the entire series and finally they look like the number one side in the world.

Australia?s batsmen failed to capitalise on a good batting strip leaving their bowlers too much work to do. Despite the loss Australia still lead the series and will be looking to put it away as early as possible with just one victory in the next two matches allowing them to return to the top of the one day rankings.

Pitch Report
There is a little bit of movement for the pace bowlers on this sunny day. The spinners won?t have any assistance today while the outfield looks slow and sluggish.

Let?s take a look at the line ups named for the upcoming match

South Africa

Graeme Smith
Hashim Amla
JP Duminy
Ashwell Prince
Jacques Kallis
Neil McKenzie
Mark Boucher
Vernon Philander
Dale Steyn
Monde Zondeki
Lonwabo Tsotsobe

Despite victory in the previous match many changes have been made to the side for the 4th One Day International. Paul Harris has been dropped for Monde Zondeki in the belief that pace bowlers will get more assistance from the wicket, AB de Villiers has been replaced by Neil McKenzie in the batting order after a string of poor performances and Albie Morkel has fallen victim to a training injury which leaves him out for the rest of the series and he has been replaced by Lonwabo Tsotsobe.

Australia

Phil Hughes
Shaun Marsh
Ricky Ponting
Michael Clarke
Michael Hussey
Shane Watson
Brad Haddin
Mitchell Johnson
Brett Lee
Nathan Bracken
Peter Siddle

There has been one change since the loss in the 3rd ODI with Cameron White dropped in favour of Peter Siddle, a choice which seems based on the playing conditions not player form.

The Toss
Australia have won the toss and elected to bowl, a decision which may have come from their loss in the previous match when setting the initial total. Runs are in the pitch if the batsmen apply themselves and get in so it should be interesting to see how the match plays out.​

 

[CG123]

On paper you guys defiantly look stronger, they don't really have any bowlers of note, besides Steyn.
That Ponting, Clarke, Hussey combo in the middle order, again looks stronger than Prince and McKenzie.
Plus you have the ICC god, Phil Hughes.
Nice work, keep it up.

 

[MaD]

Good job for winning the previous match, I hope we can win without Morkel

 

[Griffo]

Siddle Leaves Proteas In Pieces

Siddle came in for his first match of the series and took a magnificent five wicket haul

After gaining selection based on the pitch, Peter Siddle has taken 5/37 to leave South Africa in tatters in the 4th One Day International. Despite not opening the bowling on a pitch which only offered a little bit of assistance for the pace bowler, Siddle picked up three middle order wickets and then returned to clean up the tail with South Africa finishing at 179 all out.

The Proteas opening batsmen got off to a solid start until Hashim Amla fell to Mitchell Johnson for 23 and once the opening bowlers completed their spells Ricky Ponting unleashed Peter Siddle. It was Siddle who cleaned bowled JP Duminy with Ashwell Prince following him back to the pavilion falling LBW to Shane Watson. Graeme Smith was the only batsmen in the innings to reach 50 but he had to remain cautious to get there with wickets falling around him as Siddle took 2 more.

Smith eventually fell for 56 caught behind off Brett Lee who also clean bowled Mark Boucher for 19. Peter Siddle then returned to clean up the tail putting Australia in a terrific position to win the game and the series.

South Africa (1st Innings)

Bowling

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[MaD]

Oh my god! We are falling :doh

 

[CG123]

Peter Siddle was all over the SA batsmen.
That should be a chaseable total, to give you the series win.

 

[Griffo]

Australia Dominate As They Take The Series Victory

Ponting Guides Australia To Series Victory

Ricky Ponting has put together an innings of 86* to see Australia beat South Africa in the 4th One Day International, a win which sees them reach an unbeatable lead in the series and take back the number one ranking in the world for the one day format. The performance completes a terrific comeback since South Africa dominated the Australians on their own turf in the previous tour.

The South Africans bowled well at the start of the innings putting pressure on the opening batsmen to see Dale Steyn take the wicket of Shaun Marsh and Phil Hughes falling to Lonwabo Tsotsobe. Michael Clarke and Ricky Ponting began to form a partnership until Clarke fell lbw to Jacques Kallis for 21 while Ponting reached his 50 in 77 balls. Michael Hussey fell to Dale Steyn for 22 but it was too late as Ricky Ponting guided the Australians to victory.

Australia (1st Innings)

Bowling

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[WubbaLubbaDubDub]

Good update mate.... Hope to see Pointing Get Hundred...

 

[MaD]

I'm not surprised, saw it coming. I love your simple presentation, keep it up

 

[Griffo]

5th One Day International v South Africa

A six wicket victory has seen Australia become the best one day side in the world once again but the series is not complete with one game left to play. South Africa will be looking to regain some respect and Australia will be hoping to show their dominance as the teams go into battle for one last time.

The Proteas bowling has been poor throughout the series allowing the Australian side easy runs in a majority of the games. Australia has shown that they must be still respected as the best side in the world even after the loss of so many great players over the past few years.

Pitch Report
The pitch is very green allowing plenty of movement for the pace bowlers and not much for the spinners. The pace of the outfield shouldn’t be an issue on this sunny day.

These are the teams announced for today’s match

South Africa

Graeme Smith
Hashim Amla
JP Duminy
AB de Villiers
Jacques Kallis
Herschelle Gibbs
Mark Boucher
Vernon Philander
Dale Steyn
Monde Zondeki
Lonwabo Tsotsobe

Ashwell Prince has been dropped in favour of AB de Villiers who comes back in the line up after being dropped for the previous match. Neil McKenzie makes way for Herschelle Gibbs who will be playing his first match for the series.

Australia

Phil Hughes
Shaun Marsh
Ricky Ponting
Michael Clarke
Callum Ferguson
Shane Watson
Tim Paine
Mitchell Johnson
Brett Lee
Nathan Bracken
Peter Siddle

Australia have made a few changes to their line up for the dead rubber match against the Proteas. Michael Hussey is rested in favour of South Australian Callum Ferguson who will be looking to make an impression on the selectors. Brad Haddin will hand over the gloves to the Tasmanian youngster Tim Paine who will be making his international debut.

The Toss
Australia have once again won the toss and elected to bowl, a tactic which has worked very effectively so far in the series and they will be hoping for it to work once again. South Africa will struggle with Australia’s all pace attack on such a green pitch but with players looking to earn their spots for the upcoming Twenty20 World Cup they will all still have something to play for.​

 

[Funknath]

Congrats on the win Griffo. Hope you win the last ODI to win this series 4-1. Anyways nice update as always KUTGW mate .

 

[MaD]

Hopefully we can add at least one win to the series, it'd be shameful to let them off for a clean sheet!

 

[Griffo]

South Africa Fall For Under 200 Once Again

Peter Siddle continued his recent form taking 3/30

South Africa?s poor series has continued with the Proteas once again falling for a total less than 200. Peter Siddle and Mitchell Johnson took three wickets a piece in a bowling effort which saw the series finish with a 4-1 result in favour of Australia.

In what has become the standard, South Africa got off to a modest start until Hashim Amla fell to the first change bowler in Peter Siddle caught in the gully by Callum Ferguson. After Graeme Smith fell to Nathan Bracken for 35, Peter Siddle picked up two more wickets to leave the Proteas in real trouble.

Shane Watson picked up the vital wicket of Jacques Kallis and some brilliant fielding from Michael Clarke saw the dangerous Herschelle Gibbs gone for 32 in what proved to be a heavy blow. Mitchell Johnson then cleaned up the tail to leave South Africa in deep trouble heading into the Australian innings.

South Africa (1st Innings)

Bowling

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