Maxkarter
Battrick Tournament Host
angryangy said:
But Paul Adams struggles to even make the starting line-up of his domestic team these days. He's not what he used to be.
South Africa in Australia
- Thread starter kodos
- Start date
But Paul Adams struggles to even make the starting line-up of his domestic team these days. He's not what he used to be.
Maxkarter
Battrick Tournament Host
Some news for the match, not looking good for Boje to get a spot.
South Africa seem certain to drop long time spinner and former vice-captain Nicky Boje in a desperate bid to square the series in the third and final test in Sydney on the 2nd of January.
Boje, 32, a veteran of 36 tests in which he has claimed 88 wickets at an average of 37, looks likely to be omitted in favour of the untried and largely untested off spinner Johan Botha who only arrived in the country four days ago.
Botha switched from bowling medium pace just only two years ago and has played just three first-class games as a spinner making his rise to test debut one of the most meteoric in the game's history.
But captain Graeme Smith has no doubt that 23-year-old Botha will be able to cope with the pressure of the occasion and will not be daunted, or even damaged, by facing Australia's in-form and destructive top six.
"He's something a bit different. He's got the ball that turns the other way, he's young, he's exhuberant and if he does get his opportunity then it's valuable exposure. It's not about us saying 'here, go and produce a miracle for us' it's about us giving him exposure and saying 'go and make an opportunity for yourself'," Smith said yesterday.
"It won't be 'this is the only chance you're ever going to get', it will be a run (of games) and hopefully he can take the opportunity and can produce something. As a South African team I believe we need to take a few more risks with certain selections going forward," Smith said.
Smith admitted that Boje's form in the second test (0-124) had been "disappointing" and made no secret of his admiration for Botha's fiesty character and personality.
"He wants to bowl in the tough situations, he wants to bowl when the field is up and he wants to bowl at the death. He wants to be in the mix of things and he's a much more aggressive character, he's a wicket taker - at least he wants to take wickets - so hopefully that will produce wickets down the line," Smith said.
Although the South Africans will debate the possibility of playing both spinners for a final time on the morning of the match, Smith made it clear he favoured the use of his country's traditional strengths - seam and swing bowlers.
"Makhaya Ntini has gone home now so that's obviously a huge loss for us, but we have guys capable of coming in to replace him. Charl Langeveldt is a fine swing bowler who has done well for South Africa and can step up to the big occasion.
"If we continue to get hot weather then the wicket will dry out very quickly favouring the spinners. But we need to decide what will give us the best chance of winning the game, and we need 20 wickets to do that. Whether two spinners will do that for us will always be a question mark. But I seriously doubt we will go in with two spinners," Smith said.
The only way that Smith could have the best of both worlds, with four fast bowlers and two spinners, would be to drop a specialist batsman and move Mark Boucher and Shaun Pollock up to six and seven in the batting order.
"It has been a discussion point and it will be again before we decide.
Do we need the extra seamer or two spinners? We just need to come up with the best option to win. We are one-nil down and if it's two-nil it doesn't really make any difference, we've still lost the series. We've got to give it everything ..." Smith said.
Known in Australia as a dogged team of fighters who would rather avoid defeat than press for victory, Smith insisted that his South African team would be different to those of his predecessors.
"We've tried to match fire with fire. We've come here and we haven't laid down. We've tried to produce a different kind of cricket, we've tried to go a bit more face-to-face with Australia and in a lot of ways we've had success with it. I believe if we'd just capitalised on certain moments we could been the team one-nil up.
"We have come here with a different mindset and being more aggressive tomorrow is the way we are going to go. We are not going to try and be steady and more defensive, we are going to be more aggressive," Smith said.
Although his team are desperate to win and level the series, Smith believes that they will not make the same mistakes as they did in the first two Tests and become tense when the "big moments" arrive.
"In some ways the pressure is off us. We are just going to relax and play our natural game and give it everything we've got over five days. We know what lies ahead. Sometimes, when you're one-nil up and trying to hang on to a lead it can create more pressure on you. But we just want to relax, play our natural game and let everything take its course," Smith said
. "We believe we can beat them. There's no doubt whatsoever in our minds that, in the next four test matches, we have a hell of a chance of producing some big upsets in a lot of those games. In each game so far we have earned ourselves more confidence against them and we have stood up to them."
-Courtesy of Supersport-
South Africa seem certain to drop long time spinner and former vice-captain Nicky Boje in a desperate bid to square the series in the third and final test in Sydney on the 2nd of January.
Boje, 32, a veteran of 36 tests in which he has claimed 88 wickets at an average of 37, looks likely to be omitted in favour of the untried and largely untested off spinner Johan Botha who only arrived in the country four days ago.
Botha switched from bowling medium pace just only two years ago and has played just three first-class games as a spinner making his rise to test debut one of the most meteoric in the game's history.
But captain Graeme Smith has no doubt that 23-year-old Botha will be able to cope with the pressure of the occasion and will not be daunted, or even damaged, by facing Australia's in-form and destructive top six.
"He's something a bit different. He's got the ball that turns the other way, he's young, he's exhuberant and if he does get his opportunity then it's valuable exposure. It's not about us saying 'here, go and produce a miracle for us' it's about us giving him exposure and saying 'go and make an opportunity for yourself'," Smith said yesterday.
"It won't be 'this is the only chance you're ever going to get', it will be a run (of games) and hopefully he can take the opportunity and can produce something. As a South African team I believe we need to take a few more risks with certain selections going forward," Smith said.
Smith admitted that Boje's form in the second test (0-124) had been "disappointing" and made no secret of his admiration for Botha's fiesty character and personality.
"He wants to bowl in the tough situations, he wants to bowl when the field is up and he wants to bowl at the death. He wants to be in the mix of things and he's a much more aggressive character, he's a wicket taker - at least he wants to take wickets - so hopefully that will produce wickets down the line," Smith said.
Although the South Africans will debate the possibility of playing both spinners for a final time on the morning of the match, Smith made it clear he favoured the use of his country's traditional strengths - seam and swing bowlers.
"Makhaya Ntini has gone home now so that's obviously a huge loss for us, but we have guys capable of coming in to replace him. Charl Langeveldt is a fine swing bowler who has done well for South Africa and can step up to the big occasion.
"If we continue to get hot weather then the wicket will dry out very quickly favouring the spinners. But we need to decide what will give us the best chance of winning the game, and we need 20 wickets to do that. Whether two spinners will do that for us will always be a question mark. But I seriously doubt we will go in with two spinners," Smith said.
The only way that Smith could have the best of both worlds, with four fast bowlers and two spinners, would be to drop a specialist batsman and move Mark Boucher and Shaun Pollock up to six and seven in the batting order.
"It has been a discussion point and it will be again before we decide.
Do we need the extra seamer or two spinners? We just need to come up with the best option to win. We are one-nil down and if it's two-nil it doesn't really make any difference, we've still lost the series. We've got to give it everything ..." Smith said.
Known in Australia as a dogged team of fighters who would rather avoid defeat than press for victory, Smith insisted that his South African team would be different to those of his predecessors.
"We've tried to match fire with fire. We've come here and we haven't laid down. We've tried to produce a different kind of cricket, we've tried to go a bit more face-to-face with Australia and in a lot of ways we've had success with it. I believe if we'd just capitalised on certain moments we could been the team one-nil up.
"We have come here with a different mindset and being more aggressive tomorrow is the way we are going to go. We are not going to try and be steady and more defensive, we are going to be more aggressive," Smith said.
Although his team are desperate to win and level the series, Smith believes that they will not make the same mistakes as they did in the first two Tests and become tense when the "big moments" arrive.
"In some ways the pressure is off us. We are just going to relax and play our natural game and give it everything we've got over five days. We know what lies ahead. Sometimes, when you're one-nil up and trying to hang on to a lead it can create more pressure on you. But we just want to relax, play our natural game and let everything take its course," Smith said
. "We believe we can beat them. There's no doubt whatsoever in our minds that, in the next four test matches, we have a hell of a chance of producing some big upsets in a lot of those games. In each game so far we have earned ourselves more confidence against them and we have stood up to them."
-Courtesy of Supersport-
ajay2k5
Club Cricketer
Got about 3-4 hours on stop and go Drizzle a showers, so doubt we'll see any play before 2PM..
ZexyZahid
Chairman of Selectors
- Joined
- May 12, 2005
- Online Cricket Games Owned
A pretty funny picture. Someone else found it. At first sight I was looking at the picture and was thinking what happened to Gilchrist. Till I found out it's a girl wearing a mask.
That's something to post in the Photoshop Challenge
That's something to post in the Photoshop Challenge
BigCrickNan
Chairman of Selectors
- Joined
- Sep 11, 2005
Hmm. SA bat first. It'll be interesting to see if Warne 'n' MacGill rip through SA, if the wicket turns like it does at Sydney.
gamerkid22
National Board President
OMG. R.Ponting dropped a simple catch in the slips
. perhaps Ponting is nervous playing in his 100th test.
. perhaps Ponting is nervous playing in his 100th test.
gamerkid22
National Board President
B.Lee strikes . AB DeVilliers gone for just 2 . he should had grabbed the opportunity(of dropped catch)with both hands 
Sando
Club Cricketer
Symonds bowling well again. Smith edged him and was caught, given not out. Hopefully a bit of luck can start running his way.
kodos
International Coach
- Joined
- Sep 25, 2003
- Online Cricket Games Owned
yeah it was an edge but it was surprising thay Symonds didn't go immediately up in the air and appeal. That probably gave it away. Aussies using the conditions well and bowling superbly. Brett Lee once again showing his arrogance. The umpire gave him not out and then he starts pestering at the end of the over for an explanation. Rightfully Dar told him to go away yet he still demands an answer. Really hopes action will be taken this time.
Lee asked for an explanation, the umpire gave it, he said fair enough.
According to the commentators. Maybe he didnt give an explanation right away, Lee had every right though, that was out.
Been a bad session for the umpires.
Got him yes gone, **** off you're out. Thats ****ed his average Tony.
According to the commentators. Maybe he didnt give an explanation right away, Lee had every right though, that was out.
Been a bad session for the umpires.
Got him yes gone, **** off you're out. Thats ****ed his average Tony.
