South Africa vs Australia 1st Test

[purch]

Has M. Clarke opened his stance or something? I might be imagining things, but it seems he's really struggling to get his front foot across to the pitch of it. Even when he plays it through the covers he's square on to the bowler...

[Pup]

Ponting out to a cracker from Ntini for 83

Clarke looking really really good.

Australia 4/153.

Ponting got a good ball but he played it very very poorly.

I agree, I still think it was a terrific ball but with Ntini's angle and just the general line i think Ponting should have been playing a shot. Just a small error in judgement.

Hindsight's a wonderful thing.

Michael Clarke is looking in really really good form.

[Pup]

And as i say that he loses his wicket.

Caught behind off the bowling of Steyn for 68.

5/182

[rod_rooster]

Dissapointing shot from Clarke. If he can eradicate that sort of crap from his game he would be unstoppable.

[Pup]

Dissapointing shot from Clarke. If he can eradicate that sort of crap from his game he would be unstoppable.

Especially just before a break, I am losing count off how many times he has done that in the last couple of months. He was batting so so well, like you said Rod if he can eradicate little blemishes like this he is really going to make a serious mark on international cricket in the next 2 years and could easily be averaging well over 50 IMO.

Big storm brewing as well, touch and go if it hits. 5/194 at tea.

[Westsider]

Only stream 1 is working for me, but very good.

Nice one. I've been looking for a stream without much success. cheers

No probs, enjoy, im off to bed.

[Pidge]

It seems to be on the radio for those who dont have Foxtel or are away.

7.30 Pm Start

Thanks Pup. I just read your post then and couldnt believe that it was on the radio.

[Rik E Boy]

Australia are 5 for 254 at the close with North and Haddin right on top. The light was getting bad and Smith was way behind the overs and the advantage was heading back to Australia. He put Steyn into the attack and the umpires promptly stopped play. Weak as piss he didn't want to be out there, that's why he put Steyn on!

Very negative and rigid today the South Africans. Bowling way too much around the wicket at the left handers when North in particular was profiting from this. The selection of Marcus North may be the most inspired one yet from the current group of selectors.

The South Africans bowled some totally unplayable balls today but overall I didn't think they were that impressive. Looking at the outs.

HUGHES: Has already played the worst shot of his career whether he plays one test or goes on to play a hundred. Rookie mistake using a step ladder to nick one behind.

KATICH: Loose shot outside off and what a catch by McKenzie.

HUSSEY: The same tentative lack of footwork that dogged his efforts in the test series in Australia was once again evident. Needs to emerge from the siege mentality while the series is still alive.

PONTING: Dropped on 40 but faced most of the unplayable balls I was talking about. Despite riding his luck he was unlucky in the end. He was bowled not offering after the ball came back a mile. Top pill by Ntini.

CLARKE: Loose shot when set just before a break. Hmm, sounds familiar. The pick of the batsmen today though.

So in perfect bowling conditions (if we had an attack we would have bowled), five wickets down and three of them were as a result of loose shots. Steyn the pick of the bowlers and if Harris gets any top eight batsman (yes even Bluey McDonald) out on this deck I'll hurl. He's not getting the bounce he got here and he's bowling dead set darts. Kallis has done his back so Smith didn't have the luxury of bowling Steyn, Ntini and Morkel in short bursts. With Morkel averaging over 40 against us with the ball and Ntini nowhere near as effective as he has been in the past, the key to this series will once again be how we counter Steyn.

The jarpies had Kallis back on the field and I say good on em. Run one of your most important players into the ground, if you wreck his back it has to effect his batting. Even with three debutants and another bloke playing his second test, we aren't as far behind this side as the insufferable South African commentators would have us believe. Perhaps Kepler and the crew should visit the South African dressing room and partake in some of the humility that this side has shown over the summer.

Meanwhile, in the second division match in the West Indies the England team is doing its normal flat track bullies routine against the pop gun West Indian attack on a road. Expect the declaration at about 3 for 700.

regards,

REB

[Pidge]

Australia are 5 for 254 at the close with North and Haddin right on top. The light was getting bad and Smith was way behind the overs and the advantage was heading back to Australia. He put Steyn into the attack and the umpires promptly stopped play. Weak as piss he didn't want to be out there, that's why he put Steyn on!

Very negative and rigid today the South Africans. Bowling way too much around the wicket at the left handers when North in particular was profiting from this. The selection of Marcus North may be the most inspired one yet from the current group of selectors.

The South Africans bowled some totally unplayable balls today but overall I didn't think they were that impressive. Looking at the outs.

HUGHES: Has already played the worst shot of his career whether he plays one test or goes on to play a hundred. Rookie mistake using a step ladder to nick one behind.

KATICH: Loose shot outside off and what a catch by McKenzie.

HUSSEY: The same tentative lack of footwork that dogged his efforts in the test series in Australia was once again evident. Needs to emerge from the siege mentality while the series is still alive.

PONTING: Dropped on 40 but faced most of the unplayable balls I was talking about. Despite riding his luck he was unlucky in the end. He was bowled not offering after the ball came back a mile. Top pill by Ntini.

CLARK: Loose shot when set just before a break. Hmm, sounds familiar. The pick of the batsmen today though.

So in perfect bowling conditions (if we had an attack we would have bowled), five wickets down and three of them were as a result of loose shots. Steyn the pick of the bowlers and if Harris gets any top eight batsman (yes even Bluey McDonald) out on this deck I'll hurl. He's not getting the bounce he got here and he's bowling dead set darts. Kallis has done his back so Smith didn't have the luxury of bowling Steyn, Ntini and Morkel in short bursts. With Morkel averaging over 40 against us with the ball and Ntini nowhere near as effective as he has been in the past, the key to this series will once again be how we counter Steyn.

The jarpies had Kallis back on the field and I say good on em. Run one of your most important players into the ground, if you wreck his back it has to effect his batting. Even with three debutants and another bloke playing his second test, we aren't as far behind this side as the insufferable South Africans would like to think.

Meanwhile, in the second division match in the West Indies the England team is doing its normal flat track bullies routine against the pop gun West Indian attack on a road. Expect the declaration at about 3 for 700.

regards,

REB

Good wrap of the first day. Thanks REB

[NFC]

North looked absolutely brilliant; ROCK solid. Right from ball one he looked a million bucks.

For those who missed today they missed a superb days play. Fantastic cricket from the outset. South Africa on top early having Australia 3 down for not many but through a terrific partnership between Captain and Vice Captain we got things back on track. That was until Ponting got out to a peach from Ntini. Ponting might have played it poorly but that ball came back a mile. Similar to Clarke in the 05 Ashes but this ball came back even further. Clarke looked amazing, as in absolutely, 100% AMAZING. And then he gets out to a ridiculously poor shot, again. He could be one of the best batsman of all time (yes, big call) if he can learn to control himself and stop getting out to loose shots.

And then the current partnership between North and Haddin has been great for Australia. We take the points on day 1. They only managed to bowl 65 odd overs and yet we smashed 250+. Very, very good work by the Aussies, the last two sessions were brilliant.

[Booney]

Well described REB, Harris must have been watching Hauritz while he was here as when he bowled in Melbourne and Sydney I thought I was seeing a genuine finger spinner. Gone into his shell a little,but, bowling on Day 1 at lunch or thereabouts is not ideal for a finger spinner.

On a side note, Mark Waugh's hair?

[the joker]

mike hussey would really want to make some runs soon, or he could be out of the side. has not made many runs since the India tour. with Callum Ferguson, klinger, Dave Hussey and Nick Jewell all making runs and they are just waiting

[panther]

Ponting was given out caught behind to a ball he clearly missed on day one
He appealed to the 3rd umpire and the decision was rightly overturned

At last a fair and square system


Question for the experts

there are 3 appeals per innings allowed ?????????????????????????????????????????
does the 'lop sided' appeal system help the top order batters

Imagine the 3 appeals used up by the top 6
By the time Haddin and the bowlers come in, they miss out ?

Booney/reb agree the spinner looked unthreatening
With a lack of spin we will not see a C SMITH B HARRIS dismissal in this test
If we do have a batsman out in that mode I might be lost in space.

[mighty_tiger_79]

on the radio they said 2 appeals per innings

yes the bowlers should miss out, they are in the team to take wickets not make runs

[Stumps]

Has M. Clarke opened his stance or something? I might be imagining things, but it seems he's really struggling to get his front foot across to the pitch of it. Even when he plays it through the covers he's square on to the bowler...

may be to do with his back problem purch. Geez North looked good. i loved his first 3 balls when he just watched ntini go by just outside off- alot of players would poke at them with nerves but didnt even tempt him

[MAY-Z]

Ponting was given out caught behind to a ball he clearly missed on day one
He appealed to the 3rd umpire and the decision was rightly overturned

At last a fair and square system


Question for the experts

there are 3 appeals per innings allowed ?????????????????????????????????????????
does the 'lop sided' appeal system help the top order batters

Imagine the 3 appeals used up by the top 6
By the time Haddin and the bowlers come in, they miss out ?
Booney/reb agree the spinner looked unthreatening
With a lack of spin we will not see a C SMITH B HARRIS dismissal in this test
If we do have a batsman out in that mode I might be lost in space.

not really because a batsman should know if they have been dudded or not so if they challenge something thats clearly not a mistake their teammates will let them know pretty sharp thats not on.

australia would probably want around 400 seeing they have gone into the game with 8 batsman and 3 bowlers especially if the pitch flattens out on day 2 and 3

[Rik E Boy]

Well described REB, Harris must have been watching Hauritz while he was here as when he bowled in Melbourne and Sydney I thought I was seeing a genuine finger spinner. Gone into his shell a little,but, bowling on Day 1 at lunch or thereabouts is not ideal for a finger spinner.

On a side note, Mark Waugh's hair?

Some of his 80's dos put Pseudo Echo to shame.

regards,

REB

[panther]

MAYZ
If Ponting used a 2nd appeal on day one that would have soaked up all the appeals [2 as mighty tiger posted] imagine if North was given out wrongly and had no right of appeal ?

Then its lop sided in favour of whoever opens the batting followed by 3-4-5-6 etc in the batting order ?


Also is it in the teams best interest if the Bradman of the team used up all the less than 50/50 appeals as well ?


Dont get me wrong I like the fairness of the system, its just that the higher order batters may be advantaged compared to the mid order, keeper and bowlers

[Pup]

Ponting was given out caught behind to a ball he clearly missed on day one
He appealed to the 3rd umpire and the decision was rightly overturned

Was actually the oppposite wasn't it?, Bowden gave Ponting not out to a big appeal and Smith said we will have a look up stairs and the third umpire agreed with Bowden.

Not Out.

[Pup]

on the radio they said 2 appeals per innings

yes the bowlers should miss out, they are in the team to take wickets not make runs