Smith has announced his retirement at the end of the Test. Left with little choice given how shit he’s been in the series. A very good captain, and an unbelievable record in fourth innings is a real testament to his battling qualities. The great Saffer team is starting to dismantle now. AB for the captaincy now I’d suppose. If they could just find a decent spinner, they’d still be a damn good team for the last few years of Steyn service career at least.
[quote=“Special Olympiakos, post: 911318, member: 366”]And with this indisputable fact why is the toss so important to win? If anything batting first with a “brittle” top order is a disadvantage surely. Nobody disputes you know your cricket its just your selective use of that knowledge to make a point that lets you down.
Its a contradiction to call Clarke lucky for winning a few tosses as it means the non performing top order gets to bat first.[/quote]
One of my general rule of thumbs for test cricket is unless you’re playing in England or New Zealand, where there’s invariably always plenty of rain about if you win the toss, you bat first. The pitch is only going to deteriorate over 5 days, so the earlier you bat, you’ll usually have the better of the batting conditions. A big problem for Australia over the past 6-7 years has been the inability to post any kind of a competitive first innings total, when batting second and faced with an opposition with runs on the board. Only last week in Port Elizabeth when South Africa posted 423, Australia were relying on 9th & 10th wicket stands to post 246 and avoid the follow on.
This test may not be over yet, but if Australia are to win it, it’ll be a fine achievement for a body of Australian cricketers who are essentially a team of 30 something journeymen to have beaten England and South Africa who have been at the top of the rankings for the past 5 years. This is essentially the same group of players who have plummeted depths over the last few years that Australian cricket has never seen. 8 of the Australian players who have seen test duty in this series played in Cape Town the last time they toured South Africa and were skittled out for 47. Been bowled out for 88 by Pakistan at Headingley , losing a home test to New Zealand for the first time in nearly 30 years. Been the first Australian side to fail to win a test in an Ashes series in over 40 years, when they lost 3-0 in England last summer. First Australian side to be whitewashed 4-0 in nearly half a century when they lost in India this time last year, with Shane Watson the vice-captain been sent home for ill discipline. Even going back to the 2010-11 Ashes series in Australia, when they lost three tests to England by an innings, 7 of the Australian team who started the heaviest of those defeats at the MCG, were on the Ashes winning team in the series just gone by, including all of their pace attack of Johnson, Harris & Siddle.
So they’ve turned a corner.
[quote=“Manuel Zelaya, post: 911623, member: 377”]One of my general rule of thumbs for test cricket is unless you’re playing in England or New Zealand, where there’s invariably always plenty of rain about if you win the toss, you bat first. The pitch is only going to deteriorate over 5 days, so the earlier you bat, you’ll usually have the better of the batting conditions. A big problem for Australia over the past 6-7 years has been the inability to post any kind of a competitive first innings total, when batting second and faced with an opposition with runs on the board. Only last week in Port Elizabeth when South Africa posted 423, Australia were relying on 9th & 10th wicket stands to post 246 and avoid the follow on.
This test may not be over yet, but if Australia are to win it, it’ll be a fine achievement for a body of Australian cricketers who are essentially a team of 30 something journeymen to have beaten England and South Africa who have been at the top of the rankings for the past 5 years. This is essentially the same group of players who have plummeted depths over the last few years that Australian cricket has never seen. 8 of the Australian players who have seen test duty in this series played in Cape Town the last time they toured South Africa and were skittled out for 47. Been bowled out for 88 by Pakistan at Headingley , losing a home test to New Zealand for the first time in nearly 30 years. Been the first Australian side to fail to win a test in an Ashes series in over 40 years, when they lost 3-0 in England last summer. First Australian side to be whitewashed 4-0 in nearly half a century when they lost in India this time last year, with Shane Watson the vice-captain been sent home for ill discipline. Even going back to the 2010-11 Ashes series in Australia, when they lost three tests to England by an innings, 7 of the Australian team who started the heaviest of those defeats at the MCG, were on the Ashes winning team in the series just gone by, including all of their pace attack of Johnson, Harris & Siddle.[/quote]
I know mate, its a pretty fantastic achievement by them to turn things around in such a fashion.
Smith was arrogant, aloof and pompous as a person. As a cricketer he was brave however and never shirked his leadership responsibilities. From dropping Lance Klusener early on to those brilliant double tons in England in 03 he was a major player in the Cricketing world over the last decade and will be sadly missed.
Didn’t he once go out in Australia batting at 11 with a broken arm even trying to save a test? Despite what MZ says above SA only went to world no 1 in 2012, not 6 years ago as far as I know but it was still some achievement. Our lads beat them at home in 09 but they won memorbaly down under since, Smith in Perth was excellent and a real series turning moment.
A complete prick but a great cricketer.
[quote=“Special Olympiakos, post: 911804, member: 366”]Smith was arrogant, aloof and pompous as a person. As a cricketer he was brave however and never shirked his leadership responsibilities. From dropping Lance Klusener early on to those brilliant double tons in England in 03 he was a major player in the Cricketing world over the last decade and will be sadly missed.
Didn’t he once go out in Australia batting at 11 with a broken arm even trying to save a test? Despite what MZ says above SA only went to world no 1 in 2012, not 6 years ago as far as I know but it was still some achievement. Our lads beat them at home in 09 but they won memorbaly down under since, Smith in Perth was excellent and a real series turning moment.
A complete prick but a great cricketer.[/quote]
Yeah, you’re probably right about South Africa not getting the top slot until 2012. It took a while to knock Australia of the top spot after all the points they’d built up over a decade and a half. South Africa were pretty much the top side in the world since 2007 and the break up of Australia’s great side after the 2006/07 Ashes even if England and India both had periods at Number 1 as well.
Big late wicket from Pattinson getting Amla. This test is pretty much all over unless it rains tomorrow.
Interestingly, Graeme Smtih qualifies for an Irish passport by dint of his marriage to the noted Irish “singer” Morgan Deane (fucked if I know, never heard of her). He’s captaining Surry this northern summer, wonder if there’s any chance we could get him to turn out for Ireland?
[quote=“Manuel Zelaya, post: 911877, member: 377”]Yeah, you’re probably right about South Africa not getting the top slot until 2012. It took a while to knock Australia of the top spot after all the points they’d built up over a decade and a half. South Africa were pretty much the top side in the world since 2007 and the break up of Australia’s great side after the 2006/07 Ashes even if England and India both had periods at Number 1 as well.
Big late wicket from Pattinson getting Amla. This test is pretty much all over unless it rains tomorrow.[/quote]
That was some fucking ball by Pattinson. Its not going to rain.
Kyle Abbott certainly did his job as nightwatchman holding Australia up for 25 overs this morning. This partnership now is South Africa’s last hope of a draw. Faf does have from in this regard, digging out a draw from what looked like a lost position in Adelaide just over a year ago. 69 overs left.
Its been a terrific effort by South Africa to save the test but now looks like it will short with Duminy just been dismissed. South Africa who were on 15/3 after 6 overs have made to 247/8 after 120 overs. There’s still 18 overs play left and only Philander, Steyn and Morkel left. Lyon’s shortcoming in the spin department been painfully shown up here. No wicket as of yet on a Day 4 & 5 pitch. This really should have been over a long time ago.
I’d almost give Vernon man of the match ahead of Warner if he stays n/o and SA hang on here.
Harris gets Steyn. 29 deliveries to get the last wicket.
Phew thank God for Ryan Harris coming on when he did is all i’ll say.
Too close for comfort but a great win. Pity its not a 5 test series as these 3 have been compelling. They should have cut the Ashes short once it was 3-0 and asked the Saffers to come over to the MCG for Boxing Day and SCG for the new year.
[quote=“Special Olympiakos, post: 912341, member: 366”]Phew thank God for Ryan Harris coming on when he did is all i’ll say.
Too close for comfort but a great win. Pity its not a 5 test series as these 3 have been compelling. They should have cut the Ashes short once it was 3-0 and asked the Saffers to come over to the MCG for Boxing Day and SCG for the new year.[/quote]
Harris is a fair old bowler. Glenn McGrath’esque in his accuracy and relentlessness. Its a pity his career has been blighted by injury. Johnson is sensational when he builds up a head of steam and puts the fear of God in just about whoever is batting, but in my book its Harris in the pressure he creates that’s been the real catalyst for Australia’s successes over the last 3/4 months.
I love Harris, think he’s absolutely fantastic, but the catalyst has been Johnson and it would be nuts to think otherwise. Warner getting more consistency as a game changing opener has been the other big change for them.
Johnson has the x factor that Harris doesn’t have,although the latter is far more consistent.
At least the attack bears no resemblance to a few years ago in terms of form anyway
Lyon is probably the best of what Australia have in the spin department but they nearly paid the price for not having a top class spinner. There’s generally a bit of turn in Newlands and for the team batting last to bat out 135 overs over half of day four and day five without the front line spinner picking up a wicket is not good.
Who do Australia play next? Bar the English summer there’s pretty much no test cricket for over a year now with this blasted never ending world cup coming up.
Brilliant test, brilliant series win for Michael Clarke. Two teams going at it hammer and tongs. SA are a deadly team, but they may struggle for a while with no Kallis, Smith and a very dodgy looking Steyn.
Harris and Johnson work well together. Combined they build up incredible pressure on batsmen. You’re having to concentrate on Harris’s swing and next up you have the blitzkrieg from Johnson. Siddle is effective, but he’s under pressure now as Pattinson is back, Starc and Cummins both coming back from injury and a few others performing well in the short arse forms.
Lyon has done very well in the last two series, but seemed to be underused in Newlands.
I can’t actually see who Australia play next, think it might be India in a series here over the Christmas / new year. We’re seeing brilliant test series being played right through the cricketing world, but all the authorites see are marketing opportuntities with fucking T20.
Fuck T20 and ODI’s, text match cricket is where its at and thats what we want.
[quote=“Fitzy, post: 912641, member: 236”]Brilliant test, brilliant series win for Michael Clarke. Two teams going at it hammer and tongs. SA are a deadly team, but they may struggle for a while with no Kallis, Smith and a very dodgy looking Steyn.
Harris and Johnson work well together. Combined they build up incredible pressure on batsmen. You’re having to concentrate on Harris’s swing and next up you have the blitzkrieg from Johnson. Siddle is effective, but he’s under pressure now as Pattinson is back, Starc and Cummins both coming back from injury and a few others performing well in the short arse forms.
Lyon has done very well in the last two series, but seemed to be underused in Newlands.
I can’t actually see who Australia play next, think it might be India in a series here over the Christmas / new year. We’re seeing brilliant test series being played right through the cricketing world, but all the authorites see are marketing opportuntities with fucking T20.
Fuck T20 and ODI’s, text match cricket is where its at and thats what we want.[/quote]
test cricket is dying, hence the introduction of night tests
Finally, we have some test cricket again. Another depressing five (actually four days) have just culminated for the WIndies at Sabina Park. A heavy 186 run defeat. There was good entertainment right at the end as Sulieman Benn and Shane Shillingford put on 82 for the final wicket in just 9 overs. Shillingford hit an unbeaten 53, he brought his 50 up off 25 balls, the second fastest 50 in test match history.
It’ll be very much a new look England team taking the field against Sri Lanka at Lord’s this morning. Looks like Sam Robson will open the batting with Captain Cook. Moeen Ali will be taking over spinning duties and Chris Jordan and a recalled Liam Plunkett likely to be part of the pace attack.