SA v WA Pura Cup tomorrow.

[Thiele]

redbacks need a wicket and Warriors need 62 runs

[Thiele]

Redbacks win, Rebacks win

[RoosterMarty]

Finally a win!

[Thiele]

At the wrong time of the year

[Adelaide Hawk]

I know it's a case of too little too late for 2006-07, but I think winning this game will be a real confidence boost for the younger players as they approach 2007-08. This wasn't just a win, it was a gutsy fight back when they'd already been played out of the game, and to come back the way they did shows character.

2006-07 on the surface gives all the appearance of being a complete disaster, but I've seen a number of positives that can be salvaged from the wreckage. Continued improvement from the younger players, and hopefully Cosgrove and Elliott can realise their potential, and maybe the Redbacks could have a far better season.

Good luck to Tasmania in the final.

[Rik E Boy]

Hooray GO YOU REDBACKS.

regards,

REB

[zipzap]

Hooray boys!

[bayman]

At the wrong time of the year

coming good at finals time

[stampy]

the 3rd year in a row we have won the last match of the season outright, why cant we produce when it matters??

[magpie in the 80's]

could it be anything to do with CONTRACTS

[Adelaide Hawk]

Hooray GO YOU REDBACKS.

regards,

REB

So you SHOULD say hooray. Without the Redbacks' efforts today, NSW would be putting their gear away until next season.

[mal]

LANGER was on a different planet today.
SA were about 195 in front with 5 wickets left.
I went today and expected MCGOFFIN and EDMONSON to bowl first,
a couple of breakthoughs early and WA to be on top.
Im sure the new ball was available ???
I feared we may not reach a competitive total.
Instead the batsmen VOGES and NORTH did all the first session bowling.
COSSGROVE 'feasted' on that friendly bowling.
BOOF declared with only a 290 lead, another gift in the making.....
WA crash 4/14 and we win easily
If they were 1/50 WA would have probably won.
Great spectators sport, but for a traditionalist like me not the way 'genuine' cricket should be played.
VOGES 103* top stuff.
But we won and as AH said something to buld on for 2007/2008
LANGER should have.....

[Dogwatcher]

I don't get it Mal - what's your issue with the way the game was played and decided?

WA had to win to make the final. They had to give SA incentive to declare and they had to have a crack at the runs.
Some good nuts from Dizzy and R. Harris and they were in trouble - as you said if they hadn't got some good nuts and had an attack of nerves to be 4/14, then they probably would have won.
Seems like pretty traditional cricket to me.

And yes, I'm a cricket traditionalist.

[mal]

DOGWATCHER

When a team is 195 in front with 5 wickets left why not bowl your best bowlers in the
first hour and try and bowl them out.
EDMONSON + MCGOFFIN should have been given the new ball and try and bowl us out
They bowled NORTH +VOGES which in my opinion is absolute crapp.
That first hour was crapp, COSGROVE hit the lollypop attack all over the park.
That was not cricket for the traditionists.
If EDO+MC dont get wickets in the first few overs then bowl the crapp after.
NORTH 1/100+......

[jackpot jim]

And why declare only 290 ahead when WA were going to chase any target?
What did SA owe WA?
If SA were serious about a win (after being winless all year, they damn well should have been)
they would have batted on to make it almost impossible for WA.
Was it fair on NSW for Boof to give WA a gift target?
Its almost a case of match fixing!
At the very least it was contrived to give WA a sporting chance instead of shutting the gate
on their chances completely.
What is the object of the Pura cup?

(a) To win at all costs?
(b) To contrive games to set up close finishes for spectators?
or
(c) To prepare players for the step up to test cricket?


If it is (a) it was a ridiculous declaration.
If it is (b) it was the right declaration.
If it is (c) it was also an OK declaration as it put the bowlers and fielders under real pressure and
gave the batsmen a chance to contruct an innings instead of swinging at everything
chasing an impossible total.

I'm sure the answer is (c) followed by (a) and (b) which brings into question whether BETTING should
be allowed on these matches.
Surely betting should be restricted to contests where the contestants are going flat out for a win.
With Boofs declaration here and Elliotts against Victoria earlier on, i certainly wouldn't be in a hurry
to bet on games in this competition when captains recklessly hand the advantage back to the
opponents so easily with generous declarations.

[Rik E Boy]

Hooray GO YOU REDBACKS.

regards,

REB

So you SHOULD say hooray. Without the Redbacks' efforts today, NSW would be putting their gear away until next season.

BAH. If you can't defeat the Redbacks you don't deserve to be in the final.

regards,

REB

[Dogwatcher]

the declaration wasn't about owing WA anything. It was about opening the game up so that SA could make a charge at an outright victory - and therefore avoiding their worst season in 30 years.

Mal, I can concede that you may be right about bowling Voges and North BUT Langer had to give a little if he was to work for the outright (to get his side into the final) putting on a proper bowler might have tried Lehmann's patience and made him less likely to set up a possibility of an outright. SA had plenty of reason to desire an outright victory (pride).

I don't think traditionalists such as Ian Chappell and Richie Benaud would have derided the situation, and David Hookes certainly wouldn't have. If I'm correct in my assumption - then who am I to question that?

[ca]

I know it's a case of too little too late for 2006-07, but I think winning this game will be a real confidence boost for the younger players as they approach 2007-08. This wasn't just a win, it was a gutsy fight back when they'd already been played out of the game, and to come back the way they did shows character.

Rubbish, it just meant the players had a bigger night out on the p*ss last night. It was an unacceptable year, don't let one win (the only win) hide how dissapointing it was. This is what I hate about the redbacks, they have one win and people are back talking them up.

[Adelaide Hawk]

I know it's a case of too little too late for 2006-07, but I think winning this game will be a real confidence boost for the younger players as they approach 2007-08. This wasn't just a win, it was a gutsy fight back when they'd already been played out of the game, and to come back the way they did shows character.

Rubbish, it just meant the players had a bigger night out on the p*ss last night. It was an unacceptable year, don't let one win (the only win) hide how dissapointing it was. This is what I hate about the redbacks, they have one win and people are back talking them up.

If you had read some of my earlier posts, you would have noticed I labelled the season as unacceptable. I've also said a similar season in 2007-08 should not be tollerated. But what do you want us to do? Shove our head up our arse like you have done, or do we look to take some positives into next season?

If you understood anything about the modern psyche of cricketers, you would know that a losing frame of mind is very difficult to overcome, especially when the team is laden with younger players who are unaccustomed to winning.

Comparing the team that took the field in Round 1, they have made improvements in a number of areas over the season. We appear to have found a reliable opening pair in Borgas and Harris. Bailey continues to improve, Deitz is perfroming beautifully as keeper/batsman, Ryan Harris has finally proven he is capable of performing at 1st class level, and Nathan Adcock looks to have cemented a place for himself at long last.

Cosgrove had a relatively poor season but still managed 700 runs. Cullen will never have another season as poor as this one. The major difference between 2005-06 and this season was the form of Lehmann. Although he perfromed well, he still made 561 fewer runs this season.

Make no mistake. This Redbacks team has the talent, the only thing really lacking is confidence, and the win over WA may have been exactly what the doctor ordered. Let's wait and see.

[mal]

It was a wonderful last days entertainment, despite the antics of both skippers.
JJ+DOGGY I see both points of view in your last posts[JJ that post was spot on]
AH is spot on with his SA plusses as well.
I enjoy the cricket room there have been some terrific topics in 2006/2007.