Big wicket of Ashwel Prince just before stumps.
Yeah, if they get a couple early on tomorrow it could be interesting. Draw most likely result now I think.
Don’t expect that WI will emulate last years run chase in Perth.
South Africa recovering well enough from 50-4 up to 142-4 with Amla and de Villiers both making half centuries. Not completely out of the woods yet obviously but they were in big trouble earlier.
I will qualify anything I say here by stating that I’ve been at a street party for most of today and I’m quite pissed (I’m actually quite proud of myself, I;ve had at least 9 beers and half a bottle of very respectable Shiraz and I’m still able to type).
Absolutely mad test in Perth, fair play to the Windies. This is why test cricket is so damn good. There is absolutely no point anymore in making a prediction on day 2 or even 3 of a test match anymore. Test cricket has utterly usurped one dayers in terms of excitement (unless they’re played on Indian pitches of course).
Benn got his suspension and Haddin and Johnson got a fine. Well Benn was at fault, but fuck this, Johnson and Haddin both should have been suspended as far as I’m concerned.
I don’t mind sledging on a cricket pitch, or any other sporting pitch for that matter. I’ve always been of the opinion that if there wasn’t some banter, we’d see a hell of a lot more nasty incidents.
But there ae two points here.
First of all - Billy Bowden is the most useless umpire in test match history. He’s even worse than Rudi Koetszen. Do you think Dickie Bird would allow the shit we’ve seen going on in Perth? Would he fuck. If Billy had stopped wondering how much KFC will pay him for his next advert for a minute, and actually start umpiring, we wouldn’t have had any of this shit.
Secondly - this is an Australian team, full of, to paraphrase Brian Lara, mediocre talent, turned into very good cricketers. And they are good cricketers. The sooner they realise this the better. Then they might stop acting like complete and utter arseholes. I cannot, cannot understand why the likes of Dougie Bollinger, who is potentially a 400 wicket bowler, constantly, constantly, feels the need to cheat. he’s a petulant cunt and he is stretching the limites with shit like the supposed catch today. Its fucking annoying beyond belief and totally, totally, unnecessary. I can absolutely tell you that the (intelligent) media in Australia and the vast majority of Australian cricket supporters are sick to death of this shit. Everyone loves a good sledge, and rightly so. No one likes a fucking cheat.
Ponting needs to cop his fucking self on, and lay down the law with these dickheads like Watson, Johnson, Bollinger and Haddin. Who the fuck do they think they are/ They’ve been playing test cricket for 5 minutes and they’re acting like this. Gilly, Wsrnie, McGrath all the legends of late sledged like fuck, but they never cheated.
Australia will win this test and thats a pity. The Windies have been bloody exciting (and I’m not sparing them from criticism, Benn and Roach have been utter fools during this test, though Gayle has been hilarious, he’s ripped the utter piss out of some of the Aussie boys).
I think Australian cricket is playing on the enormous goodwill between them and the Windies, which is the result of that tied test at Brisbane in 1960. That goodwill is getting long in the tooth and I doubt the likes of Richie Benaud or Alan Davidson (who was raised nearby to where I live here and is ptron of Fitzy Juniors school and cricket club), would be too impressed.
If they carry on like this against Pakistan there will be a major diplomatic incident.
Haven’t seen much of England V SA, seems to be heading for a draw, good resulty for EW.
Oh, and Evo, go fuck yourself. I tried reading your post, but my head hurt. If you can’t see when I’m taling the piss, there’s not much point is there, as you don’t have humorous bone in your body, but it was ever thus.
[quote=“Fitzy”]
Oh, and Evo, go fuck yourself. I tried reading your post, but my head hurt. If you can’t see when I’m taling the piss, there’s not much point is there, as you don’t have humorous bone in your body, but it was ever thus.[/quote]
Weak. You’re unable to engage in meaningful debate and back up assertions that you made about Ponting’s captaincy during the Ashes or to back up what you’ve said about Chris Gayle’s track record as captain, so you’ve just resorted to hurling personal insults. Personal insults are always the last refuge of the vanquished.
I don’t see what relevance the tied test of 1960 has to the unseemly scenes we’ve seen in Perth. The recurring theme is these incidents only seem to happen in test matches that Australia are playing in. Doug Bollingers carry on in Adelaide. The cheating and unsporting conduct that went on in the India series two years ago and particularly the Sydney test. The abuse that the great South African batsman and leader of men Graeme Smith has been subjected to in Australia. The list is endless, I could go on.
[quote=“Manuel Zelaya”]Weak. You’re unable to engage in meaningful debate and back up assertions that you made about Ponting’s captaincy during the Ashes or to back up what you’ve said about Chris Gayle’s track record as captain, so you’ve just resorted to hurling personal insults. Personal insults are always the last refuge of the vanquished.
I don’t see what relevance the tied test of 1960 has to the unseemly scenes we’ve seen in Perth. The recurring theme is these incidents only seem to happen in test matches that Australia are playing in. Doug Bollingers carry on in Adelaide. The cheating and unsporting conduct that went on in the India series two years ago and particularly the Sydney test. The abuse that the great South African batsman and leader of men Graeme Smith has been subjected to in Australia. The list is endless, I could go on.[/quote]
In the state i’m in at the moment Evo, I’m barely capable of keeping my eyes open, I’m now on my 10th beer.
So I’m vanquished, whatever, you’re still a boring cunt with no humorous bone in your body. 1960 has every relevance to today, look at bwhat happened in that test, look at just how close it was (well obviously it was, it was tied) and did you see any of this shit? No. Fucks sake you idiot, I’m agreeing with you.
Except about Greame Smith, I’m sorry, but your pathetic worship of one of the great pricks of world sport is continually hilarious. As for India 2 years ago, I think we both know I’m on record as severley criticising Australia for that, and lets face it, India were also completely at fsult - though saying that will probably paint me as racist and xenophobic (though surprisingly not with the 3 Indian blokes I work with who are still embarrassed about the whole series).
Drunken po:thumbsup:sting is great
E&W will have their work cut out to save this one. Need to score 350 odd or bat all day on a 5th day pitch. Strauss already gone 11-1. WI gave it a fair rattle today but Oz only need one more wicket in the morning to win.
Sadly the Aussies wrapped it up. I’m still optimistic that we’ve seen the start of a Windies revival in this series though. Test cricket badly needs it.
Fitzy, what’s your problem with Smith? Have to say, I find the Saffer cricket team quite palatable, and I wouldn’t be disposed to them as a nation. Smith’s record in fourth innings in 2008 was unbelievable. For that reason alone I like him. There’s no arena like the fourth innings of a Test to see what a man is made of.
I’m fairly bolloxed here (more drunken posting for you Balbec!). On the tail end of a three day bender. Looking forward to watching England squirm tomorrow when I get out of bed.
[quote=“braz83”]Sadly the Aussies wrapped it up. I’m still optimistic that we’ve seen the start of a Windies revival in this series though. Test cricket badly needs it.
Fitzy, what’s your problem with Smith? Have to say, I find the Saffer cricket team quite palatable, and I wouldn’t be disposed to them as a nation. Smith’s record in fourth innings in 2008 was unbelievable. For that reason alone I like him. There’s no arena like the fourth innings of a Test to see what a man is made of.
I’m fairly bolloxed here (more drunken posting for you Balbec!). On the tail end of a three day bender. Looking forward to watching England squirm tomorrow when I get out of bed.[/quote]
Graeme Smith is a colossus of the modern day game and one of the all time great captains. There has to be something special about someone who is picked at 22 years of age to captain his country and to captain men of the calibre of Jacques Kallis, Shaun Pollock & Mark Boucher. You think back to the summer of 2003 and how he dealt with the pressures of such towering expectations being placed on shoulders so young in his first test seris as captain. Back to back double centuries, a 277 at Edgbaston, followed up by a 259 at Lords. That’s the calibre and mark of the man we’re talking about.
Under Smith’s stewardship, South Africa have for the first time reached the top of the test rankings, winning test series in England and in Australia last year for the first time ever. As you’ve said, the 154 not out which he produced in the fourth innings at Edgbaston in 2008 to wrap up the test series win, is one of the finest knocks I’ve ever seen under such extreme pressure in the cauldron of test cricket.
Graeme Smith is one of the most respected figures in world cricket, almost universally admired and indeed revered in some quarters. Needless to say, the one place where this doesn’t hold true is Australia. To a rational mind it is difficult to understand the dislike that Australians harbour towards him, and in a lot of ways it says it all about the Australian mindset.
I reckon a lot of it goes back to the test series in 2005/06. Graeme wasn’t your typical cowering captains going to Australia and he stood up and faced down the ‘sledging’, the whinging media, the onfield cheating and histronics that’s part and parcel of any tour to Australia. Needless to say, he got pillored for it by the Australian press and media.
To rub salt into Australian wounds, he returned to Australia last year to captain South Africa to a test series win, the first touring team to win a series in Australia since Richie Richardson’s WIndies team of 1992/93.
Have barely seen any of this test match but it’s reaching quite a conclusion - South Africa have 5 overs left to take the last 2 English and Welsh wickets. They looked like they were on course to bat out for the draw comfortably enough but there’s been a late flurry of wickets.
Swann given out…they’ve used their last referral and the umpire’s decision is upheld. 9 down, Onions coming in and 19 balls left.
Collingwood batted out the third last over, was looking for a single from the last ball so he could retain the strike but it went for 4! Onions facing here now.
Similar to the first Ashes test last summer in Cardiff there at the end. Onions batted out the final over and they scraped a draw. Great effort from Collingwood too. 800 run ODI matches will never, ever match the drama of test match finishes like these.
Absolutely. Test is the only format that matters. Pietersen triggered the collapse with a suicidal run out. Mr Bell as usual shat himself. Collingwood held it together, just. E&W badly need a new opener and a #6.
I think they’ll ultimately have to move on from Bell but he’ll probably survive for the rest of this series. Who’s actually providing batting cover in the test match squad? There’s perhaps a chance for Eoin Morgan to get a look at #6 in the near future given his impressive ODI cameos but he’ll need a fast start to the next county season. There’s also the question of balance to the side and whether they want to include an all rounder who can provide a bowling option such as Luke Wright.
They won’t drop Cook and Bell at the same time. Wright might get a run the next time for Bell. Not sure if Denly is in the squad as opener cover.
That was tense. It was like Cardiff all over again with Collingwood having to hold it all together at the end. As has been said already, the old failings of Cook & Bell persist.
A big mistake only going with three seamers in this match. When South Africa were on the rack at 46-4 yesterday, didn’t have the depth in the bowling attack to put them to the sword. Roll on Durban on Boxing Day.
Collingwood ss EW again, he’s some player. Pietersen up to his usual. Bad result for SA, they should have put them away, but it will give EW a lot of confidence.
Ponting looks very dodgy for the St Stephen’s day test against Pakistan, Phil Hughes after scoring 120 for NSW over the weekend will be called up.
I hope Pakistan trounce them, it could well happen. They’re a lot better than we probably think they are, and Australia are a lot worse. Shane Watson, what a complete fucking moron.
What a surprise to find Manual loving Graeme Smith???
He’s hated in his own country. The most arrogant man who thinks HE IS South African Cricket. The litany of his transgressions against the spirit of the game are so long I couldn’t list them all.
He had the temerity to accuse the Australian fans of being racist a few years ago towards Andre Nel when it was shown it was his own fans abusing him, this of course not long after Smith himself racially abused Dwayne Bravo on the field !!!
I wonder does Evo realise while he was making that 259 at Lords he was calling Michael Vaughan a “queer” everytime he hit a boundary and ran past him. I don’t like England but Vaughan was a respected International captain and a married man, Smith later said he had the look of one !
Anyone remembering him charge at Nathan Bracken in the 2007 World Cup too?
Anyway doesn’t mean I wasn’t hoping he’d get that final wicket yesterday, how do England manage to get away it? Whilst the result had all the feel of Cardiff again, Strauss won them the Ashes, but he’s not on form here on his home patch so I cannot see how E/W/SA can beat South Africa