2nd Test V South Africa

[noone]

Australia won the toss and are batting

1/34

same side selected for the Aussies.

[Jimmy]

Australia 228/5 (88.0 ov)
South Africa
Stumps - Day 1


Batsmen: R B 4s 6s
MEK Hussey 10 24 2 0
A Symonds 4 15 0 0

We should have built a bigger total by the looks of it. Hope these two can go on with it and get big scores tomorrow...honors even after 1 day.

[Adelaide Hawk]

One thing Steve Waugh got absolutely right in his captaincy was doing away with the night watchman. It was positive move that assisted many powerful batting displays by Australia. Ponting, whose captaincy continues to confuse, has decided to bring back this tactic that rarely, if ever, works.

All the night watchman achives is elevate a tail ender to his level of incompetence, and it disrupts the batting line up. Lee is out for a duck, and we now see Symonds walking in at 7. This means Gilchrist will bat at 8 which is far too low for a player of his ability. Lee's contribution to the batting is as a straight hitting No 9 who can support the higher order batting.

So we are faced with a scenario of Gilchrist walking in at 8. If the batsman at the other end goes early, then suddenly we have only Warne, Kasprowicz and Clark to support him. Warne usually gets out playing a dopey shot, so suddenly all Gilchrist has is Kasper and Clark to support him. We could see Gilchrist not out with about 20 next to his name, and there's a potential of another 50-60 runs that has not been included in Australia's total.

The night watchman is the second most worthless thing in cricket, behind the ICC, and trust Ponting to bring it back into the game. Further proof in my mind that Ponting is a great batsman but he couldn't captain the Popeye.

[drebin]

Further proof in my mind that Ponting is a great batsman but he couldn't captain the Popeye.

Very unfair! he would have more trouble on those pedal boats!!!

[spell_check]

One thing Steve Waugh got absolutely right in his captaincy was doing away with the night watchman. It was positive move that assisted many powerful batting displays by Australia. Ponting, whose captaincy continues to confuse, has decided to bring back this tactic that rarely, if ever, works.

All the night watchman achives is elevate a tail ender to his level of incompetence, and it disrupts the batting line up. Lee is out for a duck, and we now see Symonds walking in at 7. This means Gilchrist will bat at 8 which is far too low for a player of his ability. Lee's contribution to the batting is as a straight hitting No 9 who can support the higher order batting.

So we are faced with a scenario of Gilchrist walking in at 8. If the batsman at the other end goes early, then suddenly we have only Warne, Kasprowicz and Clark to support him. Warne usually gets out playing a dopey shot, so suddenly all Gilchrist has is Kasper and Clark to support him. We could see Gilchrist not out with about 20 next to his name, and there's a potential of another 50-60 runs that has not been included in Australia's total.

The night watchman is the second most worthless thing in cricket, behind the ICC, and trust Ponting to bring it back into the game. Further proof in my mind that Ponting is a great batsman but he couldn't captain the Popeye.

Nah, Hussey is the man who (almost) never gets out and he is at it again - a fine cricketer indeed.

[Dissident]

WOOT!
Smith out first ball to Lee

And, Gibbs dropped by Ponting on 0 in the first over.

[Dissident]

GIBBS OUT clean bowled by Kaspa!!
2/10

[am Bays]

Yep talk me through that Smithy...Gibbs gone too with one keeping low, hate to be batting last on this deck....

Seth Efrica 2/10

[Jimmy]

Australia 369
South Africa 100/2 (22.3 ov)



Batsmen R B 4s 6s
JH Kallis 54 56 10 0
AB de Villiers 28 72 2



why the hell isnt clark bowling???? injured?

[stan]

The Seth Efricans have dug in to provide a fight back on the second day.

SA 2/140 with Kallis 72* and DeVillers 48*

Smith out for a Golden......I guess the Aussie choked again with that one.

[stan]

4/221 with kallis 104 not out at the moment.

[spell_check]

And lose 5/12 after being 5/255 to be all out 267.

Lee 5 wickets, and one ball was 159.3 kmh at Nel - good on ya Brett!

[noone]

clearly australia choked trying to dismiss the lower order/tail.

[Jimmy]

i know why clark didnt bowl now, it was late in the day....knew their had to be a reason for it.

[lesthemechanic]

Brett Lee on a hat trick to G Smith in the 2nd innings....can't wait for that. And the treatment Nel got was absolute gold.

[stan]

Brett Lee on a hat trick to G Smith in the 2nd innings....can't wait for that. And the treatment Nel got was absolute gold.

Tell me about it, it was bloody fantastic, but i still think Lee should have hit Nitinititnnitni in the head with a bouncer........

[stan]

1/216

Hayeden 83*
Ponting*

[am Bays]

I like Nels attitude, he always keep cahrging in, but when you get hammered for 22 off an over time to keep your mouth shut, looks like goose having a crack at Gilly.

Seth efrica chasing 410, tell em they're dreaming...

[Kevin]

That's what I thought in the 5th ODI match.

Should be enough on this pitch, provided that the weather doesn't cut out too many overs.

[Jimmy]

SA 0/29 needed a further 381 to win. 1 day remaining...

have the aussies got enough runs? we should bowl them out in a day!!!!