I suppose, the Windies are far superior opposition as well.
Ponting just gone to Rampaul. G’Wan the Windies!
Draw looks most likely now. Good perormance by WI all the same. They have the starting point for a revival now anyway.
Looks like it, though they have 5 wickets down. Cracking test match compared to what we expected, Perth should be very good.
Hauritz claiming the run out the other day was embarrassing. He deserves to be retrospectively banned for that.
Something to whet the appetite for the WACA next week. Curtley on the rampage in Perth in the deciding 5th test of the 1992/93 series. Possibly his very finest ever spell of bowling.
[ame="
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a5G4pqb4nns
eature=related"]YouTube- Curtley Ambrose devastating spell of 7 for 1 run v Australia[/ame]
:rolleyes:
Australia are looking decidedly dodgy for Perth. Siddle appears to be gone and they may well hand a debut to Clint McKay, which is a bit stupid given Stuart Clark is waiting in the wings.
Katich looks dodgy as well. Clarke has his recurring back injury, which is why he seems to have given up bowling duties.
I reckon the wicket might suit the Windies. Bravo had a stormer in Adelaide, he’s a great player to watch, and from what I can see, is the real captain of the team. Time and again Gayle was referring to him.
I reckon the Windies could win this. The Frank Worrell trophy has laready been retained by Australia, but it would be a massive boost to the Windies if they won the third test. Hopefully.
Perth is not the beast of old. WIndies were outstanding in Adelaide and really deserved to win. Get the feeling though they’ll find it tougher in Perth and will miss Fidel and Jerome Taylor.
They didn’t have Jerome Taylor in Adelaide.
Bumping this - Aus V Windies third test starts today at the WACA.
Balbec - please put your comments RE SA V England on here. Cheers.
Fitzy, hadn’t seen your comment on the other thread. I agree, and hereby transfer my comments to this thread.
[quote=“balbec”]Starts tomorrow morning at Centurion. SA have only lost there once, in 14 tests (to England). England will probably go with 6 batsmen including Ian Bell at 6. Pitch is expected to suit the seamers. England will be very dependent on Anderson so wonder how dodgy his knee will be. Swannn also carries an injury into the test.
SA haven’t played a test since the spring series against Australia which they lost. Wonder how rusty they will be. Some of their squad have not played first class matches since last March.
Prediction - draw.[/quote]
I think the less said about England’s win at Centurion the better!
All the talk is of it being a greentop so I fancy early wickets and a result. As you say, a lot will depend on the rustiness of the SA bowlers, particularly Steyn. If he’s on his game, I strongly fancy the Saffers.
Onions/Widebottom is probably the only choice for England, assuming Swann is fit. I would also expect Bell to bat at 6. No keeping that cunt out of the team.
On the WACA Test, injuries to both sides. Siddle is out and will be replaced by McKay. Hauritz is also doubtful. It seems he’d be replaced by either a 20-year old leg spinner called Steven Smith, or they will go with a four-man pace attack, and a guy called Brett Geeves would make his debut. Can we safely assume we have seen the last of Stuart Clark now?
Meanwhile, Chanderpaul and Barath are both doubtful. It’s hard to imagine the Windies have any kind of batting depth in their squad and this would be a huge blow. Dowlin would come back in to open and some guy called Narsingh Deonarine would bat at 4. Aussies strong favourites in that case I’d say.
[quote=“braz83”]On the WACA Test, injuries to both sides. Siddle is out and will be replaced by McKay. Hauritz is also doubtful. It seems he’d be replaced by either a 20-year old leg spinner called Steven Smith, or they will go with a four-man pace attack, and a guy called Brett Geeves would make his debut. Can we safely assume we have seen the last of Stuart Clark now?
Meanwhile, Chanderpaul and Barath are both doubtful. It’s hard to imagine the Windies have any kind of batting depth in their squad and this would be a huge blow. Dowlin would come back in to open and some guy called Narsingh Deonarine would bat at 4. Aussies strong favourites in that case I’d say.[/quote]
Stuart Clark’s injured, out for the next 3 months, which may well be the final nail in his test match coffin.
This Stephen Smith guy is good, scored a century for NSW last week and a good leg spinner. McKay is on fire at the moment, so he should slot in nicely for Siddle. Katich is a worry, he’s carrying an injury, Clarke’s back looks dodgy. But I think Aus may well end up with some big innings here. Chanderpaul and Barath are huge losses for the Windies. I’m predicting an Australian win, the WACA wicket is not what it used to be, as is the case with West Indian bowling. Hopefully the Windies can get a result though.
Funny to think SA haven’t played a series in almost a year, this could be England’s chance to surprise them, though looking at the injuries they’re carrying, such as Ian Bell, its doubtful.
Good start for E&W, SA are 61-2, got Smith for a duck in the 2nd over (Broad). Oz cruised along v WI 300 odd for 3 , Katich out for 99 and Watson in the 80s. Expect Fitzy to elaborate later.
Jesus, EW won the toss and sent SA in, apparently a very good decision, fair play to Strauss. SA 3-114 now, delighted for Smith.
I think we should acknowledge Makhaya Ntini - this ios his 100th text match. Amazing to think a black player would be playing his 100th test for SA.
Unbelievable one dayer between India and Sri Lanka earlier, both sides scored over 700 runs and took 30+ wiokets each with India winning by 4/5ths of a run and Kumar Sangakarra scoring a quickfire 267 from 37 balls.
Meanwhile in Perth, Australia cruised to 3-339. Watson went to a superb ball from Roach on 89 and Katich sweeped when he shouldn’t have on 99. Hussey’s not out on 81 and is fighting well for his test career. Chris Gayle is a fucking useless captain.
As was illustrated by his use of the at times devastating Roach, who provided the best moment of the day. Watson went, on strode Ponting, first ball quite slow, second ball nearly separated his elbow from the rest of his anatomy. Minutes later, third ball whacked him on the rib cage. Roach went out to let Ponting know he was there, and fuck me did he ever. The elbow was as bad a hit as I’ve seen, Ponting never saw it. He retired hurt a couple of overs later on 23, and will probably come back in tomorrow.
So after all this, naturally Roach was given most of the responsibility and tore into Australia? Well, no, because he wasn’t thrown the ball until the second new ball was taken, and then for one over into the wind. Gayle is on drugs, seriously.
I reckon this match is won already.
Nice to hear Joel Garner being interviewed today during the match on ABC Radio. He was in the Presidents suite at the WACA with Dennis Lillee and Merv Hughes, its his 57th birthday today. Would have been an interesting discussion!
That ODI comment confused the fuck out of me Fitzy. Thought it was some bizarre new format of the game.
South Africa recovered well today to finish 262-4 with Kallis still there with 112.
Glossed over that paragraph first time I read it til Rocko pointed it out.
It seems Roach had his choice of ends. Seems odd that he’d choose to bowl into the wind alright. Haven’t seen him get Ponting yet. Looking forward to seeing it.
Colly and Trott bowled 10% of England’s overs today. Hard to understand packing your side with batsmen and then bowling when you win the toss. I know there was some green on top, but that’s a huge gamble. You leave yourself vulnerable to what happenned today, i.e. one of the bowlers getting injured. I’m not a fan of only playing four bowlers.
Yeah England could have a long day in the field tomorrow. Onions was limping, Anderson’s knee is dodgy.
Quite a knock of 102 from Chris Gayle. Thought Sir Viv’s 56 ball century was under threat for a while.
I see our mouthpiece from Down Under has major issues with Gayle’s captaincy. No mention of the fact that the WIndies are missing their two best bowlers in Fidel Edwards & Jerome Taylor and Roach was carrying a knock into this test.
Mind you, this is the same insightful mind who proclaimed that Ricky Ponting was ‘flawless’ in the captaincy stakes in the Ashes. Overlooking a few small details like Ponting’s haplessness in the field as Jimmy Andersen & Monty Panesar batted out the last 12 overs for a draw in Cardiff and not picking a spinner for the dust bowl that was the Oval.
South Africa up to 400-8. They’ve done well to avoid wickets falling in quick succession so they’ll have a decent total in the end.
The ICC should take very stern action against Mitchell Johnson for his carry on.