Story SouthAfrica's International Diary(ICC CT 2009) - Boucher tries to Steady the Ship

[saladguy]

Shan, you must be really bat at batting on Cricket 2005

 

[shantanu_rooney]

Shan, you must be really bat at batting on Cricket 2005

I am bowling over here...Yeah I need to increase the difficulty level now..:

 

[Roofrom50]

wow, that is terrible from the Aussies. What has happened to their winning ways. Certainly need to change your level difficulty up a bit more i'd say

 

[mattfb]

Oh snap, that's shocking batting from the Aussies. Should be a really simple win for the Saffas from here, I can't see the Aussies getting close to this now. Awesome bowling from Ntini and Steyn too. Great work with the presentation mate, loving these gfx. kiu!

 

[Jaztheman]

Ntini was awesome at the start of the innings and got some very important wickets. South Africa are in complete control in and should get the victory now. Australia have time on their side, but they need to keep those wickets in hand.

Great presentation, Shan.

 

[shantanu_rooney]

Clarke Gives Aussies Some Hope​

Michael Clarke and Andrew Symonds were back on the field with Aussies needing 276 runs to win and still had only 6 wickets in hand. For the Proteas it was Ntini and Dale Steyn who had bowl brilliantly in the first session, sending Australia's first four batsman back to the pavilion. Graeme Smith gave rest to Ntini and decided to hand the ball to Morne Morkel who was great in the first innings taking three wickets. Straight-away in the second innings he got his line and length right. Paul Harris was also given the ball for the first time in the this match and he also bowled in the right areas straight-away. It took Aussies almost 4 overs to score their first boundary of the session and it Clarke whi did that with a cover drive. Soon in the same over he hit one more between gully and point.

Aussies were slowly but steadily scoring runs and keeping the scorecard ticking. Symonds was finding it difficult to face Morkel and Harris but he did the right thing giving Clarke most of the strike. Morkel was brilliant but at the same time unlucky as he had trouble Symonds almost 7-8 times but didn't get the reward that he waited for. While on the other end Michael Clarke looked in great touch as he smashed Morkel for four on the on side and then hit Harris through point for another four. Aussie fans at Perth were being entertained by some aggressive cricket by Michael Clarke as he hit the Proteas to all parts of the ground. There were both good and bad patches for the South Africans. The time when they felt like the wicket is just around the corner they were hit for a boundary. Runs were coming for the Aussies quite easily. Soon it was Clarke again who entertained the crowd as he smashed Harris for two huge sixes.

Harris bowled brilliantly in that over but the last two balls let him down. The first six was just a flick of the wrist over fine leg for a huge one and the second was brilliantly timed shot which went in the crowds over long-off. It looked like the Aussies were back in the hunt of victory with Clarke attacking the bowlers while Symonds just taking the ones and twos. Finally Symonds got joined the party and got his first boundary of innings as he delicately cut Harris towards third man for a four. Frustration was increasing on the South African bowlers as they went back to the pavilion for tea without taking any wickets in the session and conceding 48 runs in 20 overs.

Australia: 80/4 (37 overs, 2nd Innings)
M.Clarke: 49(94)
A.Symonds: 10(52)

D.Steyn 9-3-13-1
M.Ntini 8-1-19-3
M.Morkel 10-4-25-0
P.Harris 10-3-23-0

Australia need 228 runs and have 6 wickets in hand

 

[mattfb]

Great stuff from Clarke here and nice support from Symonds. Aussies are getting back into this match but this partnership really does need to go for another 100 runs or Australia will struggle to win this really.

 

[Roofrom50]

Still feel that the Aussies are way out of this match. Clarke is playing well, but with another wicket, the game is all over.

 

[Amiya]

Australia completely collapsed but thanks to Clarke who provided some hope. Aussies can still get it. Great graphics mate. Keep it up.

 

[Highlander999]

Pup being the rock for Aussies. Roy is being unusualy slow but he is staying there which is what is needed. Saffers still have the advantagebut the Aussies aren't going without a fight. Nice pres Shan

 

[shantanu_rooney]

Clarke anchors the innings but Roy departs​

Clarke and Symonds both had played brilliantly to rescue the Aussies from 32 for 4 to 80 for 4 at Tea. Both the batsman came out looking for another successful session for the Aussies. Michael Clarke who was sublime in the post lunch session looked to continue the same form in the last session of the game. While for the Proteas they needed to break this partnership as soon as possible as they could see the match slowly slipping from their hands. Saffers didn't make the right start to the last session as the two batsman kept rotating the strike and kept the scoreboard ticking with ones and twos. Clarke reached his 50 and well deserved and well played knock under a lot of pressure. The crowd gave him a huge ovation. Clarke continued his brilliant stroke play as he smashed Harris for two boundaries in two overs. Both boundaries coming in the same direction. First was just a mere flick of the wrist the ball beat the fine leg fielder for four the next was a superb leg glance which again beat the fine leg fielder for four.

Nothing was going right in the last two sessions for the Proteas. Clarke was playing brilliantly. Smith used all his options but failed to find any reward. Symonds and Clarke kept the scoreboard ticking with some quick singles. The running between the wicket was also great. This partnership soon crossed the 50 runs mark and gave a lot of hope to the Aussie supporters. Clarke again entertained the crowd with two back-to-back boundaries of Harris. First Clarke swept it over mid-on for four and next he swept it over mid-wicket for another four. Smith decided to give Harris a break and brought Ntini who was brilliant in his first spell taking 3 wickets and also gave the ball to Morne Morkel. But there was no way stopping the Aussies. Symonds played some careful strokes giving Clarke the most of the strike and Clarke who was full of confidence hit the boundaries. Clarke played a brilliant square cut for four of Ntini and next over he pulled Morkel for another 4.

Smith and his players looked frustrated with this partnership and were looking for a breakthrough which would change the course of the game again. Symonds finally got his second boundary of the innings with a brilliant back-foot drive through the covers. That was his last bit of action as the next ball Ntini struck again and broke the 101 run partnership. Ntini pitched the ball short and Symonds went for the hook but completely fail to make the needed contact and gave an easy catch to skipper Smith at short fine leg. Finally the Proteas had to something to celebrate as Symonds departed for 24 of 80 balls. New man in was Brad Haddin. South Africans came back strongly in the match as they gave just 9 runs from the last 7 overs of the day without conceding any boundary. So at the end of day 3, Aussies were 141 for the loss of 5 wickets and needed more 167 runs to win.

Australia: 141/5 (57 overs, 2nd Innings)
M.Clarke: 85(149)
B.Haddin: 7(37)

Last Wicket:
A.Symonds: 24(89)

D.Steyn 13-5-17-1
M.Ntini 12-1-29-4
M.Morkel 13-4-44-0
P.Harris 12-3-44-0
J.Kallis 5-0-7-0
G.Smith 2-2-0-0

Australia need 167 runs to win and have 5 wickets in hand

 

[Jaztheman]

A sensational partnership between Clarke and Symonds was very much needed and has put Australia in a better position. Haddin and Clarke now need to have the kind of same partnership with Clarke, hopefully, going on to get his much deserved century.

Brilliant stuff as normal, Shan.

 

[Highlander999]

Hmmm, things are a bit closer now. Haddin needs to show he can fill the Gilly role and Pup needs to last the innings. If these two can put on 75-100 runs, the match will be very close....

Great work Shan, KIU

 

[shantanu_rooney]

Proteas wrap up the Aussie tail​

As the two Australian batsman came out for play on day 4, Aussies needed 167 runs in 2 days which means almost 180 overs. While the Proteas must be hoping to get the all important wicket of Michael Clarke who playing a brilliant knock and was taking the match away from them. It was Morne Morkel who was given the first over the day. At he did strike 4 balls later. Haddin playing rubbish stroke going for a slog over cover was caught easily by AB de Villiers at extra-cover boundary and Aussies were in deep trouble as Haddin departed for 8 of 39 balls as Brett Lee walked. Haddin's wicket at completely swung the game back to South Africans favour. Makhaya Ntini who had bowl brilliantly taking four wickets on day 3 was given the ball.

Clarke did his job of scoring runs and all the Aussie hopes were on him and this last known batting pair as Lee was capable of scoring some run and that to quickly. In an attempt to score quick runs, Lee gave away his wicket with similar shot that Haddin played. This time Lee was caught at deep point by Prince a great catch near the boundary and surely this was the knock-out punch as South Africans were getting closer and closer to victory. Peter Siddle was the new man in and he got a warm welcome from Ntini with a bouncer hitting his helmet. If there were any hopes of Aussies winning the game, then they were all over when Michael Clarke was run-out. A defensive stroke on the on-side by Siddle and he went for the run and a direct hit at the strikers end by Smith resulted in Clarke's run-out. Clarke received a standing ovation as he went back to the pavilion and was replaced by Mitchell Johnson. Johnson straight away got of the mark with a boundary through gully a lucky one.

Siddle and Johnson both kept the strike rotating and kept the scoreboard ticking. After having added 6 runs by the pair it was Ntini who struck again with a brilliant bouncer hitting Siddle's glove and a great catch by Mark Boucher. Siddle went back for 2 of 14 balls and was replaced by the last man Jason Krejza. Krejza and Johnson both played a defensive game but took the singles and kept rotating the strike. Ntini who had bowled brilliant in this innings got his 7th wicket when Jason Krejza edged one to second slip and Smith did the formality of catching. South Africans celebrated their comprehensive victory over the Aussies by 150 runs with players hugging each other and shaking hands with the opponents.

 

[Roofrom50]

A good win for the South Africans at Ntini's 7 wickets. and to the Australians

Good presentation mate, love the work, keep it up