South Africa in Australia Dec 2008-Jan 2009

[aussie_ben91]

The declaration was a real shock when it happened at the game. I surely thought that we would've batted for another hour. I thought that we should've gotten 400 but I had a feeling that Ponting would want 450 just to be extra safe but 375 was a surprise.

It was really sad seeing Hayden go out. I hope he plays through the ODI series and then retires but I have a feeling that Hayden will try to go to England. I'm really hoping that we can pull it off tomorrow because if we win the Test Match then I feel that Hayden will retire to go out on a high.

I still think Hayden is good enough to play International cricket but I don't want him to. He was so good at the start of the year and I don't think it's possible for someone to just 'lose it' within' the space of acouple of months, but progessively over a period of years. I think if he had've made a 100 at Adelaide against New Zealand then things would be the complete opposite. Hayden probably would've demolarized this South African bowling lineup because it hasn't looked like they've been ontop of him but instead his gone out to a stupid shot. A combination of good balls, silly shots, poor umpiring decisions and runouts over the past 4 months with the latter 2 being the main cause have shattered Hayden's belief in himself when in the centre and his been too uncertain. I just want him to end his career so I can brag about how good he was.

Watching Ricky Ponting in full flight is sublime in person but watching Simon Katich and Michael Hussey can be extremely boring, especially in 40 degree heat. I saw Tendulkar last year and both Ponting and Tendulkar are on another level to anyone in world-cricket when it comes to Test Cricket. I was sitting about 15m from the spot where Hussey's six landed.

 

[venom2011]

Reminds me of SA's last tour. Smith made a very sporting declaration of under 300 in the last test and Aus won at a canter.

 

[angryangy]

demolarized

I've decided that this is better than the word you meant to use. I can think of little more torturous than having a batsman, untrained in dental surgery, removing the bowlers' teeth.

 

[IloveGilly]

Reminds me of SA's last tour. Smith made a very sporting declaration of under 300 in the last test and Aus won at a canter.

In fact, that is the highest chased down total at the SCG. 2/288.

 

[Sman-21]

but look how many wickets were lost in getting there just 2.

look how easily Aus got that lead in this match an how quickly they scored.

I would of wanted about 400 lead just to be safe an declared with enought time to have 5-10 overs bowling at them.

SAF are in with a good show here Aus will have to bowl very well here to ake sure they dont lose it.

My money is on a draw or Saf to win

 

[WORLD CHAMPIONS]

Reminds me of SA's last tour. Smith made a very sporting declaration of under 300 in the last test and Aus won at a canter.

I remember that one and that was highest chase ever. It was 280 something. I would have prefer a lead of 425 atlist. All depends on tomorrow.

 

[aussie1st]

It's not so much the total but rather the time SA had. 5-10 overs to bowl with 375 lead would have been better. Obviously the way we scored meant that total was more in the 400+ zone. We will have to see how this pitch pans out tomorrow but if we don't get early wickets then our only hope is the pitch starts to do what it did on day 3.

What SA have done right is to use the heavy roller, really cost them in the 1st inns as the small roller did nothing to help them.

 

[Gilly Fan]

Watching what I recorded at the moment. They're currently 1/13. I still don't know why they opened with Morne Morkel. But anyway, I already know that they were 1/70+ at stumps, because I saw the score 5 minutes before stumps while I was at work.

PS. That doesn't mean you tell me that they lost a wicket or 3 in the last over.

 

[angryangy]

Upon the call of stumps, Billy says "time for KFC".

 

[Mr.Cricket]

I think its a good declaration. South Africa can still win if they go for it but that will give us the chance to take wickets. On day 5 pitch we should be able to defend 300. The pitch played pretty well today but their bowlers were rubbish all day. If we bowl well enough we can take 9 wickets, there is just enough in the pitch. If they chase this down , they deserve to win the game.

I expect Siddle and McDonald to bowl well on this pitch. But the key will be Hauritz , he need to take wickets on day 5. If he can't do that I am not sure why he is in the team. I don't think their tail gonna enjoy batting on this pitch so we just need to get couple of early wickets and things will get much easier. First session tomorrow will decide the match IMO.

 

[RoboRocks]

But the key will be Hauritz , he need to take wickets on day 5. If he can't do that I am not sure why he is in the team.

He shouldn't be in the team IMO. He's a defensive bowler and with a depleted attack you need a wicket taking spinner whenever possible, so I would have certainly stuck with Krejza.

Anyway, Siddle is bowling well so I would expect Australia to bowl SA out tomorrow and with Smith injured it makes the task extremely difficult for the tourists.

 

[Sman-21]

I think morkel opened because they were impressed with how long he lasted in 1st innings.
So they wanted him to just go out there an just hopefully make it to stumps an see off the new ball.
Didnt care how many runs he made or even if he made none they just wanted him to defend till stumps.

Nightwatchmen type role also

 

[Slowcoach]

aussie_ben91 just wants Hayden to retire before his precious average falls below the all important 50 mark.

Haddin's keeping has been poor all summer, he seems to miss or drop a catch every innings, and he let through a ridiculous amount of byes in India.

Dhoni didn't concede anywhere near that number of byes (as far as I know) so you can't blame the pitches.

Haddin is making Kamran Akmal's keeping look good, maybe the Pakistan selectors should take a look at Haddin and appreciate what they have instead of slamming Akmal every time he drops a catch.

Sarfraz Ahmed...sure, he can hold a catch, but he can't hold a bat...

The era of specialist keepers who bat at number 11 and average under 5 runs per innings is over, so we have to be prepared to tolerate a keeper who drops the odd catch if his batting bails the team out of trouble often enough.

I am also sick of every new umpire on the scene being praised for their ability, the fact is they just haven't stood in enough matches to rack up enough shockers to prove they are just as bad as the others. All umpires are useless (I would have said "except Simon Taufel", but he dissappeared off overseas years ago so I never got the chance to see enough of him to decide whether he is an exception to the rule).

 

[angryangy]

Dhoni didn't concede anywhere near that number of byes (as far as I know) so you can't blame the pitches.

Dhoni did in fact concede 63 byes to Haddin's 62 for the series.

 

[mattfb]

It was the right move to open with Morkel. He's kind of useful with the bat, and if he gets out early at the top (like he did) it didn't really matter. Remember, they are down a batsman.

I know, but I'm saying one of your middle order batsmen should have manned up and taken on the new ball. Maybe Amla, he pretty much opened anyway.

Morkel is a handy batsmen, a handy lower order batsman that haggles runs. Now you don't have that.a

Feelin Blue? added 2 Minutes and 50 Seconds later...

Watching Ricky Ponting in full flight is sublime in person but watching Simon Katich and Michael Hussey can be extremely boring, especially in 40 degree heat. I saw Tendulkar last year and both Ponting and Tendulkar are on another level to anyone in world-cricket when it comes to Test Cricket. I was sitting about 15m from the spot where Hussey's six landed.

Katich is not boring. Thats why you should get yourself to domestic cricket. When he hit 300 he hit his second hundred off about 70 odd balls and the next one off even less.

I remember my first test, I saw Ponting go from 150 to 200 and Gilchrist from 0 to 100 in about 70 balls against the Pakis. It was a bit boring to watch Ponting though because he was just rotating the strike and letting Gilly do the hitting.