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2nd Test : Australia V South Africa @ Port Elizabeth

How the wheel has turned !!

Yarpies are 5/214 at stumps after recovering from being 2/11 within the first half-hour.

Steve Smith bowled four overs and got whacked for 18, the rest of the bowlers were tight.

I do like it that they have a player by the name of Quinten de Kock, that is bound to be the basis of many a joke during this series. I guess the fact that he only made 7 means you could say he Kocked up.  ;D

"The Other Teams Can Rot In Hell"

Re: 2nd Test : Australia V South Africa @ Port Elizabeth

Reply #1
The pitch has basically been doctored to negate Mitchell Johnson. Then they went in without a spinner (not that their options are much chop)

Our batters just need to bat, the wicket wont get you out and just need to bat for 2 days and rack up a score and chance our arm on a wearing pitch on day 4 and 5.

"We are a club in a hurry"

#united #reset

Re: 2nd Test : Australia V South Africa @ Port Elizabeth

Reply #2
They are in a strong position subject to the first session tomorrow. If they can get another 80-100 on the board, we will be under the pump to chase it because their bowling attack are not going to be give away easy runs like they did in the First Test.
"The Other Teams Can Rot In Hell"

Re: 2nd Test : Australia V South Africa @ Port Elizabeth

Reply #3
Very Negative Sheik.

5/212 on a slow lifeless wicket. I reckon we are slightly ahead or would be happier.

350 is par I reckon.
"We are a club in a hurry"

#united #reset

Re: 2nd Test : Australia V South Africa @ Port Elizabeth

Reply #4
Only 214 runs in a full day's play!

The pitch doctoring may have negated our quicks but it also made it very difficult to score runs.  It is interesting that a team with arguably the best fast bowling combination is so scared of Johnson that they have ordered a slow pitch.  With such a negative approach to the Test, it's hard to see how they could muster up winning cricket.  Either they'll crumble or it will be a slow draw.
“Why don’t you knock it off with them negative waves? Why don’t you dig how beautiful it is out here? Why don’t you say something righteous and hopeful for a change?”  Oddball

Re: 2nd Test : Australia V South Africa @ Port Elizabeth

Reply #5
Very Negative Sheik.

5/212 on a slow lifeless wicket. I reckon we are slightly ahead or would be happier.

350 is par I reckon.

Early wickets are the key. keep them to 250-275 and we'll either win or, at worst, draw the Test.

Not sure why "350 is par"?
Finals, then 4 in a row!

Re: 2nd Test : Australia V South Africa @ Port Elizabeth

Reply #6
On a pitch with no bounce, little sideways movement, slow and not swinging..

Its very hard to get out unless you gift a wicket.

My home track in the UK was very similar. Took a while to get established, but once in, you couldn't get out unless you play a stupid shot. It took spin though.

350 batting first on that track. I would take that. it will also take them till at least tea on Day 2 to reach that.
"We are a club in a hurry"

#united #reset

Re: 2nd Test : Australia V South Africa @ Port Elizabeth

Reply #7
On a pitch with no bounce, little sideways movement, slow and not swinging..

Its very hard to get out unless you gift a wicket.

My home track in the UK was very similar. Took a while to get established, but once in, you couldn't get out unless you play a stupid shot. It took spin though.

350 batting first on that track. I would take that. it will also take them till at least tea on Day 2 to reach that.


I think Steyn and Philander will get more out of the track than our blokes, there is some seam there if you are good enough and no one moves the ball more than Steyn IMO.
 I agree the pitch was doctored to nullify Johnson who was smart enough to realise bowling at 150k wasnt going to get the job done and slowed down to try and get some movement after he picked up Amla with a nice inswinger.
I think if we dont get DeVilliers early then I would expect him to a get century and push the total past 300 to around 350 which will be uncomfortable, he has looked untroubled by any of the bowlers even in the first test and I though Clarke got a bit cute with the weird field placings and let him off the hook.

If I was the Saffies I would have played David Miller ahead of DeKock who tries to hit everything out of the park and lacks maturity at this stage....Miller is also a big hitter but more mature and I was surprised given his red hot domestic form he wasnt included......watching Dean Elgar bat is very tedious and if he ever makes a double century is might take 4 days...

Re: 2nd Test : Australia V South Africa @ Port Elizabeth

Reply #8
our bowlers are struggling. I dont see an end to this partnership anytime soon. 5/288 with De Villiers on 87 and Duminy on 40.
Blue boy born 'n' raised.
Reppin' the navy since '95.

Re: 2nd Test : Australia V South Africa @ Port Elizabeth

Reply #9
Clarke made the mistake of being too inventive to DeVilliers too early and as I expected he has got his century without one ball beating his bat.
You cant expect a player who is considered the No 1 ranked batsman in the world to get out to sucker shots  when you have three fielders next to each other between square leg and mid wicket. The saffies have just milked those weird fields and waited for the bad ball and hit that to the non defended side of the wicket and got boundaries every time. I would have had a ring field with slips and gully and asked Devilliers and Duminy to drive through the offside hoping for the catch beind the wicket...expecting catches to midwicket was ludicrous IMO and built up no pressure which has been the hallmark of our resurgance. Sure the wicket is dead and holding up a bit but a bowler like Glen McGrath made a career out of bowling teams out on these type of wickets by keeping it tight and building pressure with orthodox fields.

The wicket is still good and hoepfully we can match their score and drag the game out, I'll be interested in the Saffie bowlers tactics...I dont see the best outswing bowler in the world in Steyn having three square/midwicket fielders  and no slips.

Re: 2nd Test : Australia V South Africa @ Port Elizabeth

Reply #10
The wicket is dead. Regulation edges my carrying. Should just bat for 3 days and move into Cape Town.
"We are a club in a hurry"

#united #reset

Re: 2nd Test : Australia V South Africa @ Port Elizabeth

Reply #11
Unfortunately Oz bats are sprinters and not stayers... on pitches where you must bat time we fail abysmally. 

Pressure must be building on Rogers but Clarke also needs runs badly.
DrE is no more... you ok with that harmonica man?

Re: 2nd Test : Australia V South Africa @ Port Elizabeth

Reply #12
The wicket is dead. Regulation edges my carrying. Should just bat for 3 days and move into Cape Town.


Didnt look so dead when they had the ball, Morkel was bowling 150's and Parnell seems to have gained pace since I last saw him play as a kid  and swings the ball...if they had taken Warner from that flying edge off Morkel the game would over.
I'll go back to what I said that Clarke made the mistake of getting too cute in the field unlike the Saffies who bowled with traditional slips and gully with just the shorter midwicket and cover everynow and then.
Harris looks tired with that dodgy knee and Siddle was bowling low 130's ......both lacked penetration and even Johnson looked flat.

Need Smith and Haddin to save the game and hopefully the tail can make some runs and we get close to 400....


Re: 2nd Test : Australia V South Africa @ Port Elizabeth

Reply #13
Unfortunately Oz bats are sprinters and not stayers... on pitches where you must bat time we fail abysmally. 

Pressure must be building on Rogers but Clarke also needs runs badly.
Clarke's been doing a 'Watson' the last few series, getting a start, looking great then going out

Re: 2nd Test : Australia V South Africa @ Port Elizabeth

Reply #14
"Cameo" Clarke....  when he eliminated the get-out shot from his game he went from handy to world beater.  But it appears to now be back.

Wonder if concentration is now an issue because his technique hasn't changed.  Weight of captaincy issue?
DrE is no more... you ok with that harmonica man?