He spoeaks about it a lot as he’s commentating on the radio here, he’s a very good commentator incidentally.
I think Smith wants to win an Ashes in England badly and wants to break the home / away cycle. He’s a very committed captain and seems to be putting a pretty tight squad together. South Africa will give us a better idea of how they are progressing and I actually expect them to go well there.
It’s imperative the batters get significant Engl ish experience. The bowlers too, if they can start swinging the ball in those conditions they couuld be unbeatable.
Australia win the fifth test by an innings and 123 runs.
1 Like
Maybe the culture around the Australian side is that they don’t feel undroppable ? Unlike the English.
Someone was making that point about Plunkett in a Sunday paper. His face obviously doesn’t fit. Even Rashid. 23 wickets of spin in India last year and never seen again.
Final score 4-0
Was expecting a whitewash tbh
He is a waffler
I expected England to win a test once the ashes were gone and the pressure off.
They are sort of damned. The money is really in the IPL and 20:20 cricket, and after that the one dayers.
England’s approach to this series has been appalling, now that I hear that their only fit fast bowler has been held back to save him for one day matches. Even the crowds haven’t been great, at what should be sell out at every day. I think we are witnessing the death spiral of 5 day test match cricket.
If an aussie side winning comfortably can’t even quarter fill the mcg during the Christmas holidays of an Ashes series, despite big media build up and advertising, it spells the beginning of the end.
I honestly think test match cricket has become a stocking filler for TV schedules, as increased competition means more stations with less to show.(sky sports is a joke really, six channels of largely crap about the career of a retired epl journeyman or somesuch, a banal laochra gael featuring relative mediocrities, as they run out of anyone with a bit of x factor, if there were any to begin with)
@Little_Lord_Fauntleroy seems to have taken my wrong call in letting my heart rule my head and tip England very badly. That must be about ten times he’s referenced it.
I don’t recall @Little_Lord_Fauntleroy getting worked up about or even mentioning other wrong calls where supporters allowed their hearts rule their head like Eire soccer types tipping the Eire soccer team to beat Denmark or @Nembo_Kid year long bigging up of Tyrone in 2017 to beat Dublin and win the All Ireland.
SA 82 / 4 currently in their secondinnings.
Sorry make that 5 down, Du Plessis gone now. SA lead by 159. Now thats a bouncy wicket
South Africa are no great shakes regardless of what happened in Australia last year. The holes left by the retirement of Graeme Smith and Jacques Kallis have not been filled. Steyn and Morkel becoming increasingly peripheral with injuries too.
South African conditions are quite similar to Australia and Australia will have every chance there in March.
De Kock gone now, 92 / 6. India are putting on a great show today.
Agree with you to an extent @GeoffreyBoycott thoigh the aussie wickets have been completely dead compared to whats on offer at Newlands. I give Australia every chance alright. How they bat will be key as they’ll take wickets.
95/7. AB still there but running out of partners.
I think k the aussies should win, but will be interested to see how their batsmen and tail-enders go against a decent pace attack, if Steyn and morkel are fit.
The main thing in the aussies favour is that their team, especially the bowlers, are currently mostly mostly fit. That can change quickly though.
My brother was there on the opening day. Said it was a grand day out.
1 Like
India 72/4 chasing 208. Kohli is gone.
India have slumped from 71/3 to 82/7.
South Africa win by 72. Philander 42-6.
1 Like
Tough ask for India now. Second and third tests are on the veldt in Centurion and Wanderers.
Second test underway in Centurion. South Africa won the toss and elected to bat. 78/0 at lunch.
South Africa win by 135 runs. Some lad called Ngidi got 6/39 on debut.
Didn’t look overly fast, but may have been deceptive.