South Africa in Australia Dec 2008-Jan 2009

[angryangy]

Hardly felt like a day's play. Australia took regular wickets in a miserly first session, ending looming threats from Amla and Kallis. de Villiers and Duminy played short hands and it looked as though Johnson might lead Australia through a good day. Yet again, the bowlers struggled to remove a tailender, with Boucher playing a convincing innings at the other end. Bollinger was frightfully unfortunate not to take a single wicket and at times appeared barely able to contain his anger. McDonald, although the slowest of the pacemen, was tidy and effective, with the wicket of Amla, trapped lbw off the crack, McDonald extracted good bounce off a full length and also produced some keen slower balls.

The new ball came and went, the hundred partnership was raised and the day was all too familiar. At 5/303, Siddle returned and decided he'd had enough of the rot. He bowled full and fast on the stumps, ripping through Morkel and rapping Harris on the ankle. He baffled Steyn by bowling around the wicket and found leg stump. To wrap up a fine performance, he dismissed not Ntini, but Boucher, uprooting the middle peg for his 5th of the innings.

The heavy roller was applied, with Australia expected to face a tough half hour before stumps. Steyn did skid one into Hayden's legs for a very unfortunate lbw shout, but apart from that, it was hard to spot the devastation that skittled the last innings. The batsmen looked for fast runs and finished 151 in front. Day 4 promises an interesting contest, but you have to feel that with Smith already getting a head-start on his elbow treatment, South Africa will be struggling to stay in it even if they bowl brilliantly.

 

[aussie_ben91]

I haven't seen a pitch this bad since England's tour of the West Indies in the late 1990's.

I remember Carl Hooper dismissing Nassar Hussain LBW to a ball that pitched half way down the wicket and Hussain went on the backfoot but the ball just rolled and hit Hussain on the toe right infront of middle-stump.

 

[stefan]

Good day for aus. Only rain can save us in this test. Dropped catches and losing the toss on a shocking pitch is costing us.

The pitch is suppose to break up but not as bad as it is by day 3. When a pitch is like this the game depends too much on luck and winning the toss. With such a pitch if you bat decently the first innings you will win the game.

 

[aussie1st]

With our bowlers still lacking consistency SA still have hopes of a draw. Once you get in it gets a bit easier as Boucher and Morkel showed. Took some Siddle magic to get us back in it and we need that again. But one thing we know is Smith won't bat so thats 1 less wicket we need in the next inns.

 

[Mr.Cricket]

I haven't seen a pitch this bad since England's tour of the West Indies in the late 1990's.

I remember Carl Hooper dismissing Nassar Hussain LBW to a ball that pitched half way down the wicket and Hussain went on the backfoot but the ball just rolled and hit Hussain on the toe right infront of middle-stump.

Imagine what this pitch will do on day 5 We just have to bowl fast and straight on the last day and hopefully the cracks will do the rest. I expect Saffers to put up a fight though , they might even hang on for a draw.

 

[irottev]

I can bitch as much as I want, so what.

That's all you do, bitch! Seriously.

 

[jordox]

2 people have now saved Hayden's career.

DeSilva and that Kiwi (was it vettori?) who dropped him during a one day innings when he was out of form, then went on to 100.

Although Hayden's career wont be saved if he gets out tomorrow without doing much.

 

[aussie_ben91]

LOL, great start from the South Africans this year. Their u21's side got annilated by a bunch of teenagers from St. George yesterday.

 

[angryangy]

2 people have now saved Hayden's career.

DeSilva and that Kiwi (was it vettori?) who dropped him during a one day innings when he was out of form, then went on to 100.

Although Hayden's career wont be saved if he gets out tomorrow without doing much.

Vettori dropped him on 0 and Marshall dropped him on about 80; I point this out because it's probably safe to say that the hundred ensured his spot. There were also a couple of top edges that somehow avoided the fielders. Good times.

 

[Mermaidman]

I have been watching this series with great interest as a neutral through the night and I have thoroughly enjoyed the entertainment that has been on offer. :happy

Also I am doing a scouting job for the oldest and best series in any sport the Ashes :cool: and I would like to say I think that apart from the spinning department (I am aware of the irony of an Englishman being critical of spin bowlers ) the Aussies will be very tough to beat as they seem to have a good crop of youngsters coming through.

One more thing how biased is Tony Greig towards RSA? when the Aussies take wickets he almost suicidal , despite the fact that his employer is an Australian company like Mark Nicholas lol

 

[aussie1st]

2 people have now saved Hayden's career.

I thought he was saved in Perth I think he got given a life from the umpire or it was a dropped catch. None the less he failed on that chance and it was at the same ground where he saved his career in the ODI and made his highest score.

 

[Big Man]

One more thing how biased is Tony Greig towards RSA?

Extremely biased.

 

[smssia0112]

I have been watching this series with great interest as a neutral through the night and I have thoroughly enjoyed the entertainment that has been on offer. :happy

Also I am doing a scouting job for the oldest and best series in any sport the Ashes :cool: and I would like to say I think that apart from the spinning department (I am aware of the irony of an Englishman being critical of spin bowlers ) the Aussies will be very tough to beat as they seem to have a good crop of youngsters coming through.

One more thing how biased is Tony Greig towards RSA? when the Aussies take wickets he almost suicidal , despite the fact that his employer is an Australian company like Mark Nicholas lol

It's not even that he's South African, although he does love them, he just hates Australia. If you ever watch Channel Nine commentary you'll be amazed at how hard he barracks against Australia. Bill Lawry offsets him, except Bill Lawry can commentate.

Great email to The Age this week on the back page for their random comment of the day "How about a decent Channel Nine poll this week: Do you know anyone who actually likes Tony Greig?"

 

[nikhil_99]

Just 2 days remaining and Australia lead by 151 runs with 10 wickets remaining,Aus would like to get at least 400-450

 

[manee]

Hehe another LBW turned down by Billy off Bollinger. That one I can understand though.

Bollinger looked like he was going to explode after the first one and then that happened...unlucky guy - he needs all the luck he can get with the ball not swinging out there for him.

Peter Siddle > The distance between the sun & neptune > Stuart Broad

With the ball, very few would disagree.

Shocking pitch, shocking umpiring...

I'm not too fussed about the pitch, perhaps it is because I am a neutral but 445 playing 327 seems like a good contest to me. Sure, there has been some danger for the batsmen and Smith would probably rather his finger wasn't broken, but after so many years of flat pitches, this is a welcome change. It is hardly like teams are getting skittled out for 100, this is a well balanced contest.

Not ironic in the slightest. If anything, it's quite the opposite. You'd expect him to do well on the same ground.

You an Ed Byrne or Alanis Morissette fan by any chance?

Well done Siddle. I like this guy, he puts his heart and soul into it. He's a keeper. Bollinger, though unlucky, I didn't like so much.

Bollinger is evidently a swing bowler - throw it up and watch it move in the air but there was little swing out there for him. I'd assume there usually is significently more swing out there for him in domestic cricket than there was in the South African first innings.