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

[Roofrom50]

Wonderful sniko meter mate, it's superb.
Onto the story, anyway, Australia have fought back reasonably well, some good deliveries has gotten Krezja some wickets, and have gotten the Aussies back into this match.

Good presentation mate, loving this story immensly

 

[Funknath]

Nice bowling by the Aussies. Australia needs to take the 4 wickets as quickly as possible and then chase down the target.

Nice graphics. Nice update Shan KIU.

 

[shantanu_rooney]

Thanks for the replies guys :happy:happy Will get this updated tomorrow, busy these days with studies..Still then

How much will the South Africans set Aussies to chase?

1)270-300
2)301-350
3)351-400
4)401-450

Winner to get some vcash and reps for sure.

 

[Highlander999]

2) I don't trust your batting skills

 

[Amiya]

I will go with (2). That would be a competitive target.

 

[saladguy]

Just to be a joker, I will go with 4

 

[Jaztheman]

2 or 3 but will go with 3, just to be different. Hopefully can show some lower order resilience.

 

[Roofrom50]

I will go with 2 as well. Not really keen on your batting line-up/ you middle order

 

[shantanu_rooney]

Ntini cameo sets 308 as target for the Aussies​

Proteas bastman Mark Boucher and Morne Morkel came out on Day 3 with a lead of 265 but has lost 6 wickets for 95 runs. Aussies needed to get some quick wickets early in the day as they did yesterday. It was no surprise as Punter turned towards Johnson get the breakthrough but his first over showed that it wasn't his match. Nine runs were scored from the first over of day which included two great shots for four both through the cover regions by Morne Morkel and Mark Boucher. Ponting gave the ball to Krejza who had bowled brilliantly on day two picking two vital wickets of Jacques Kallis and AB de Villiers. And it was again Krejza who got reward for great bowling. Krejza pitched the ball in the good length and Boucher going for the big hit over mid wicket was clean bowled by the late spin. Boucher departed for 19 of 29 balls. Paul Harris was the new man in.

Now 300 runs lead was looking a bit tough for the Proteas to reach. And it did look more tougher as krejza picked his fourth wicket of the innings. Harris who had just faced 8 balls which included six of Brett Lee had go back to the pavilion. Again Krejza pitched the ball in the right length. Harris went to defend but got a thick outside edge and an easy catch to Simon Katich at slips. Harris made long walk back to the pavilion with just scoring one run. Dale Steyn walked in the middle to face Jason Krejza who had struck twice in two overs. Proteas needed at least 300 runs lead on the board and the intention was shown by Steyn to score some quick runs as he came down the pitch and smashed Krejza over covers for four.

But in the next over itself Brett Lee got his 5th wicket of the innings as Morne Morkel departed. A change in pace by Brett Lee and Morne Morkel went for the cover drive but was fooled by the pace on the ball and loft the ball and a great catch by Hayden at covers. Morkel departed for 9 of 32 balls and Proteas were 115 for the loss of 9 wickets as their last batsman Makhaya Ntini came into bat. Ntini got off the mark with a huge hit over mid off which went for four. Since then Ntini and Steyn both combine well and started scoring some quick runs with Ntini doing most of the scoring in boundaries.

Both Ntini and Steyn put on 25 run partnership for the last wicket before Steyn got out caught at mid off by Michael Clarke of the bowling of Jason Krejza as he received his second 5 wicket haul in his career. But in the 25 runs partnership it was Ntini who entertained the crowd with his cameo innings of 21 runs in 18 balls including 4 boundaries. Two out of those four were brilliant cover drive and one was a leg glance through the vacant midwicket area. Steyn also hit his second boundary as he smashed Siddle this time over covers. Krejza got the final wicket of Dale Steyn and Proteas were bowled out for 140 runs and which means Aussies needed 308 runs to win the match. A tough total to get in the 4th innings but it all depends how the Proteas bowl and the Aussies bat.

Australia need 308 runs with 10 wickets in hand and still two days of play.

 

[Roofrom50]

Wonderful update mate, i have been waiting for this for a long time.
Well, Australia have a bit of work to do, they need to come out and bat sensibly, and not give away their wickets cheaply.

Good solid contribution at the end of the innings from Ntini, and some good bowling by Lee and Krejza

 

[Jaztheman]

Think you did some of the graphics wong like Harris getting caught by Katich and in one of the graphics you put Harris plays the cover drive, which should be Morkel, who was caught by Katich, who should be Hayden. I think anyway.

Apart from that, it was a good update and the writing/graphics combo is brilliant.

 

[shantanu_rooney]

Think you did some of the graphics wong like Harris getting caught by Katich and in one of the graphics you put Harris plays the cover drive, which should be Morkel, who was caught by Katich, who should be Hayden. I think anyway.

Apart from that, it was a good update and the writing/graphics combo is brilliant.

Yeah mate in the first and second screens I got the catchers wrong. Should have been Katich and Hayden..anyways updated the scorecard..Thanks

 

[Amiya]

308 is a winning total for 4th innings. However South Africa batted very poorly. Ntini & Steyn had load of work to do now. Nice update there Shantanu. Scorecards are brilliant.
Btw i guessed right.

 

[mattfb]

Oh wow man, this is no doubt one of the best stories going around in terms of gfx. That snickometer is fantastic and you have the channel 9 layout perfect. That scorecard is brilliant!

Bad batting in the second innings from the Saffas but I wonder if the Aussies can get it. Saffas will be fired up.

 

[shantanu_rooney]

Ntini and Steyn Destroy Aussies Top Order​

After bowling the Proteas out for 140 in the second innings Aussies needed 308 runs with almost 2 complete days after this remaining. But looking at the current match the pitch has favoured the bowlers a lot and Proteas surely will be trying to take some quick wickets as they did in the first innings. Hayden and Katich opened the batting for the current world champions while it was Dale Steyn who was given the new ball. Steyn started the innings with a brilliant maiden over troubling the out of form Matthew Hayden. Ntini was given the ball by the skipper and fours ball in the over Proteas celebrated the first wicket. A good change of pace from around the wicket fooled Katich as he played the shot early and lofted the ball in the air only to be caught brilliantly by Graeme Smith at mid-off. Katich departed for a duck and was replaced in middle by the skipper Ricky Ponting.

Ricky Ponting got of two a brilliant shot through the covers for four of the very first ball he faced. Ntini and Steyn both bowled brilliantly in the right areas troubling the two batsman. Ntini struck again and this time the big wicket of Ricky Ponting. A brilliant delivery by Ntini and Ponting went for the drive but was completely beaten and end being clean bowled. Punter had to go for just 4 runs and Aussies were in deep deep trouble at 6 for 2. Mr Cricket aka Michael Hussey was in the middle and Aussies needed a big innings from him. The runs were very hard to come buy and Hayden was finding it out very difficult to even connect bat to ball. Hayden was clearly suffering from low confidence as his last 50 was some 10 innings ago. It were the Proteas again who celebrated as 3 runs later Ntini got his third wicket of the innings this time it was Mike Hussey. Another great delivery by Ntini knocking out Hussey's stump and Hussey had to make the long walk back to the pavilion. Michael Clarke was the new man in when Aussies were in deep trouble at 9 for 3. But Clarke showed no pressure on him as he got of the mark with brilliant shot through point for a boundary.

The South African opening bowlers had done a brilliant job by keeping the scoring rate under 2 runs per over and the Aussies wont mind that as they still had over 200 overs to play but the main factor for them were the wickets. They had lost 3 early wickets and one more wicket here could completely rule Aussies out of the game. Clarke and Hayden both build on a good partnership with most of the runs coming in boundaries as the single were being very difficult to find. Hayden got his first boundary after almost 40 balls when he lofted a slower ball from Steyn over Prince at covers for four and in the next over Clarke smashed Ntini between mid-off and covers for a great boundary. As the two were slowly but steadily stabilizing the innings the Proteas struck again.

This time Dale Steyn was rewarded for his brilliant and consistent bowling. Hayden who hadn't scored a 50 for about 5 games failed to even get past 15 runs. Change in pace worked well for Steyn as Hayden was quick on the shot and ended giving an easy catch to McKenzie at mid-off. Hayden departed for just 11 runs of 59 balls surely not the aggressive Hayden we know. Aussies were in great trouble at 31 for the loss of 4 wickets as Andrew Symonds walked in. Symonds defended remaining two balls before lunch. The Aussies went for lunch in real trouble at 32 for the loss of 4 wickets and still needed 276 runs to win with 6 wickets in hands.

Australia: 32/4 (17 overs, 2nd Innings)
M.Clarke: 13(24)
A.Symonds: 0(2)

Last Wickets:
M.Hayden c McKenzie b Steyn 11(59)
M.Hussey b Ntini 0(8)
R.Ponting b Ntini 4(5)
S.Katich c Smith b Ntini 0(4)

D.Steyn 9-3-13-1
M.Ntini 8-1-19-3

Australia need 276 runs and have 6 wickets in hand