Cricket Season Thread

[Marshall_magic]

I am not a big fan of having 2 guys in the team over 36, but really there isn't a lot to choose from in Shield cricket, apart from bringing back blokes like Khawaja and playing musical chairs. If Punter doesn't deliver against South Africa he should get the flick for Sri Lanka.

 

[Cultured_Bogan]

How many runs did they declare at and what's our score at stumps?
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SA were bowled out for 450 (9/450 with Duminy absent hurt), at stumps the Aussies are 3/111 off 26 overs.

I think there is still a chance for us to win the game, if the Aussies can score about 250-300 runs by around tea tomorrow (Its possible considering the extra time being made up, plus the positive manner the two current batsman are showing), then we could put some pressure on their batsman especially as they are a batsman short.

We did it against the Windies earlier in the year, admittedly SA has a stronger batting line up but at the same time the pitch in the Caribbean was not as lively as this one.

You seem to be forgetting they lost their last 3 or 4 wickets by swinging for the fences due to the loss of time in the game. Had this been day 2 they would have no doubt batted a lot more conservatively and made 500+

Theres only one team capable of winning from here and it isn't the Aussies

To be fair, their bottom order were throwing the willow because Kallis, Rudolph and De Villiers took their sweet time. I'll cut Amla and Kallis a break early on in the day as they were re-establishing the innings after missing a days play, but Kallis and the rest of the recognised batsmen took their collective foot off the pedal and it may well cost them the win if Cowan and Clarke kick on with it. 400 runs would have well been enough and it seemed like a very conservative decision by Smith to hang out there. You're right that Australia can't win this, but the Saffa's have made it bloody hard for themselves as well.

 

[GNR4LIFE]

Can't disagree CB

 

[happy_tiger]

We'd be a 50-1 shot of winning this Test Match

I'm not saying we should cut our loses Play for a respectable draw and hopefully with Watson fit and some more thought put into our bowling attack we might be able to salvage something yet

Hopefully either Clarke or Hussey can take take to their bowlers and dint their confidence

My biggest concern is the pitch will probably be at its quickest today now it has had its chance to dry out

How we deal with the second new ball will either draw or lose us this Test (if we make it that far )

 

[Yossarian]

I can't fathom this talk about not playing Watson if he can't bowl. He is easily one of the top 6 batsmen in Australia. It would be madness not to pick him.

 

[Cultured_Bogan]

I can't fathom this talk about not playing Watson if he can't bowl. He is easily one of the top 6 batsmen in Australia. It would be madness not to pick him.

Quiney, while economic in his cameo with the ball, is very much a waste of a perfectly good over. Watson should be picked if fit, still undecided if he should be batting at the head of the order though, but that's not for me to decide.

 

[Cultured_Bogan]

We'd be a 50-1 shot of winning this Test Match

I'm not saying we should cut our loses Play for a respectable draw and hopefully with Watson fit and some more thought put into our bowling attack we might be able to salvage something yet

Hopefully either Clarke or Hussey can take take to their bowlers and dint their confidence

My biggest concern is the pitch will probably be at its quickest today now it has had its chance to dry out

How we deal with the second new ball will either draw or lose us this Test (if we make it that far )

Best result would be to watch Cowan and Clarke block their way to double tons and bore the Saffa's to death for the next two days like they did in the first and second session yesterday.

 

[Marshall_magic]

Captain Clarkey and Cowan both with tons up and looking good. I know Cowan cops a lot of criticism but I like him, he's a gritty opener and a good replacement for Kat (who in turn was a good replacement for Langer). Hopefully these two go on and make big scores and really destroy the confidence of the Saffa bowlers.

 

[Marshall_magic]

And there goes Cowan, terrible way to get out, he'd be filthy. Oh well, Huss now gets some time in the middle.

 

[Yossarian]

Big chance for Clarke to make another monster here. No point declaring - might as well bat until they get out or give it up tomorrow. On second thoughts given there is no Duminy they may be tempted to swing the bat tomorrow and send them back in. I almost forgot this is our first innings!

 

[Jazza]

I think our best chance of winning now is if we bat until just before lunch tomorrow, it'll be an extended session so 35 or so overs. If we can get a lead of 150 odd, it'll give us about 60 overs to have a real dig at the South Africans, remember there is no Duminy as well.

 

[Marshall_magic]

I'd say just bat it out. Have these two make big scores and give Wade a look at Steyn and co. We can't lose this test match so we may as well take the opportunity to do this now ahead of Adelaide.

 

[stryker]

I remember 12 months i got plastered deluxe by Stryker for suggesting Ponting and Hussey would get murdered if they made it to the next Ashes series. I'm curious to know what his thoughts would be 12 months down the line

Same as they were a year ago to be honest. I think they can both go on if fit.

 

[Cultured_Bogan]

Big chance for Clarke to make another monster here. No point declaring - might as well bat until they get out or give it up tomorrow. On second thoughts given there is no Duminy they may be tempted to swing the bat tomorrow and send them back in. I almost forgot this is our first innings!

How good is it to see the lads getting stuck in? Very much a batsman's deck, and Pup once again leads by example (and has now scored 1000 runs in the calendar year at a staggering average of 111,) and Cowan let his bat do the talking to the critics.

Slim to bugger all likelihood of an Aussie victory though. If I were Clarke, I'd be hang out there, attempt the triple ton and make the Saffa's pay for their piss poor run rate. They had the game in the palm of their hand an hour or so before stumps on Day 3 and they've let the Aussies slip away.

Clarke showed his hand in the Carribean as an aggressive skipper though and I reckon he'll send them in tomorrow morning and try to knock a few over early. I expect Smith and Petersen will have targets painted on their foreheads.

 

[Cultured_Bogan]

I remember 12 months i got plastered deluxe by Stryker for suggesting Ponting and Hussey would get murdered if they made it to the next Ashes series. I'm curious to know what his thoughts would be 12 months down the line

Same as they were a year ago to be honest. I think they can both go on if fit.

Disappointed in Ponting, but it's only one innings and there's plenty of cricket to be had this summer. He'll bounce back, true champions always do.

 

[dermo]

I remember 12 months i got plastered deluxe by Stryker for suggesting Ponting and Hussey would get murdered if they made it to the next Ashes series. I'm curious to know what his thoughts would be 12 months down the line

Same as they were a year ago to be honest. I think they can both go on if fit.

Disappointed in Ponting, but it's only one innings and there's plenty of cricket to be had this summer. He'll bounce back, true champions always do.

To be fair to Ponting, while the Saffa bowlers have been pretty poor today, they were very good in that first hour after tea last night, the ball that got Ponting was top notch

 

[happy_tiger]

If I was Clarke's Shoes I would be thinking as a South African what would I want to do least and then do it

Honestly declare either overnight or after an hour That would be the only way we could possibly win it and puts the most pressure on the Saffas

And they have choked once or twice over the years , you just never know

Hope no one took my 50 - 1 odds offered 😱pen_mouth:

 

[Marshall_magic]

Looks like it'll be a draw, barring a choke of monumental proportions.

 

[Fade_To_Black]

I dunno if anyone has told Siddle and Pattinson to carry on like they are Lillee and Thommo with all the snarling, sledging the batsmen and strutting around like legends but to me they are just embarrassing themselves and our great country.
If you are a champion bowler you can get away with it but these two :roll :roll

 

[Citizen_Tiger]

Got an opinion or just flicking BS from the peanut gallery?

I could care less tbh Just find it funny how everyone tries to play selector at the first sign of trouble without considering the fact that we just might not be good enough no matter whose there :astonished:

I get frustrated at the selectors lack of courage. At some point in the recent past it was ordained that someone needed to score hundreds of runs over many Shield seasons before they'd be considered hardened enough for Test cricket. The result of that policy is the procession of thirty something's making their debuts. That's all very well, but the policy backfires when things turn sour.

Once upon a time Australian selectors had the guts to pick players on potential and attitude, Waugh and Warne and Border being examples of that approach. Thank Christ Warne isn't 21 years old at the moment, he'd retire with about 200 Test wickets. The selectors don't back themselves, they play it safe, I assume because the rewards are so great these days