Australian tour of SA

[No4918]

@Pfitzy you might have been right all along. They are poor series wickets all round, the part timers have done better with the exception of Steyns spell last test. Kallis may have been the steadying influence over the attack.

Get another 40 in the first 10 overs then throw Johnson and Pattinson at them. Clarke will want to see broken bones after what he copped. Let's see if Smith can take the heat as well.

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

So what to do today? Given that some of the lost time will be made up, I'd be inclined to bat for about 30 minutes and give the tail license to slog. The Saffers realistically can't win this game unless they come hard at us, score at well over four an over and then skittle us for a low total in the second dig. With the way they play their cricket and the fact that their strike main bowler is injured, you'd struggle to see how that could happen. So we're in the box seat and with plenty of opportunity to attack and try and win the series. I can't see Clarke not wanting to do that, it's his natural inclination.

 

[Braveheart81]

It's a tough choice. I'd like more runs, but losing time has potentially put that secondary to having a crack at South Africa.

If I was Clarke I'd be waiting until half an hour before play to make a decision. If the overhead conditions look really favourable, then declare at the last possible moment (10 minutes before play starts) and have a bowl against SA.

If it's not looking that favourable for bowling, maybe spend another 30-60 minutes batting and try and smash some quick runs.

The worst option would be to keep batting while conditions really favour bowling and not actually be that successful putting on some more runs and then start bowling when batting becomes a little easier.

 

[Blue]

@Pfitzy you might have been right all along. They are poor series wickets all round, the part timers have done better with the exception of Steyns spell last test. Kallis may have been the steadying influence over the attack.

Get another 40 in the first 10 overs then throw Johnson and Pattinson at them. Clarke will want to see broken bones after what he copped. Let's see if Smith can take the heat as well.

Kallis did shit for a year with the ball.

Philander is in a horrid form slump.

The fourth bowler is a rookie expected to do something on a benign track.

There is no deep and meaningful to be had here.

SA prepared a batting track, hoping between Morkel and Steyn they would do enough to bowl Australia out. It has backfired horribly.

The game will be decided by how well SA cope with the Aus bowling attack in the forst hour or two. Come out with no more than a couple down and the game will fizzle out. Get four and Aus are in with a chance to win.

 

[Blue]

It's a tough choice. I'd like more runs, but losing time has potentially put that secondary to having a crack at South Africa.

If I was Clarke I'd be waiting until half an hour before play to make a decision. If the overhead conditions look really favourable, then declare at the last possible moment (10 minutes before play starts) and have a bowl against SA.

If it's not looking that favourable for bowling, maybe spend another 30-60 minutes batting and try and smash some quick runs.

The worst option would be to keep batting while conditions really favour bowling and not actually be that successful putting on some more runs and then start bowling when batting becomes a little easier.

Really depends how well the track pulls up after all that rain. The covers got blown off so I would imagine it got quite wet so might play slower? I have jo idea if that's good or bad. Don't know much about grass.

 

[qwerty51]

It's all down to Lyon and what he can do on this track. Declare now. A draw would mean nothing, I'd take the loss knowing we went for the win over a draw.

 

[Pfitzy]

@Pfitzy you might have been right all along.

MIGHT?! Ungrateful!

Clarke declares, decides the track is good enough to attack on. Would have preferred another 30 runs just to throw down a marker.

Anyway, go have a whine in the dressing room Smith, you bitch.

 

[Pfitzy]

Jarrod Kimber shits me.

 

[Pfitzy]

Proteas now 4 down for 121 and the ball is swinging. Harris with the wicket of Hash

 

[light]

South Africa already 6 down for less than 150.

Aussies are getting plenty of reverse swing and still need 350 to avoid the follow on. Harris doing the damage with Johnson and Patterson threatening too. Haven't seen much of Lyon yet.

Faf Du Plessis the only remaining recognised batsman. They are in trouble.

This test could be all over by day 4. That weather late on day 1 may have just be favourable for the Aussies as the pitch is doing alot now.

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

Ryano has roared back to his best in this game and a bloody good thing it is too. I thought the ball that Pattinson got Elgar with was an absolute pearler as well.

 

[Hugh Jarse]

Aus in a very strong position at stumps on Say 3.

 

[Braveheart81]

Haddin's catch to dismiss Elgar was special. One of the best catches he'll take in his entire career.

Great performance by the Aussie bowlers last night. It was a bit of a strange innings by South Africa. They were going along at a terrific run rate but were losing wickets at regular intervals. Of the top order though, I'd say that only AB de Villiers got out playing a poor shot. Amla was perhaps a little loose getting bowled in the manner he did.

You'd imagine that Australia will push hard in the first session and look to declare sometime around the middle of the day with a lead over 400. I'd guess Clarke will want 4 and a bit sessions to bowl South Africa out but he'll also want to make sure they aren't a realistic chance of getting the runs. If Warner stays in for a while he'll set the platform for some rapid fire batting from the Aussies.

 

[Pfitzy]

So now Smith's announced his retirement, will the team fight harder?

Steyn still looks crocked and with time off the field might not get a shot at bowling before Clarke declares.

Phatlander can't fucking bowl anyway - the fat fuck isn't even opening FFS, though maybe he's being saved for the morning session to try and get some quick breakthroughs if the ball swings early.

Morkel is more interested in helmets than wickets but really should be experienced enough to know better.

Abbott looks like he can nag away economically but isn't entirely threatening.

Step up Duminy - who is now equal second on the wicket takers list (with Philander) at nearly 20 runs better on average

Clarke won't feel entirely safe on this wicket until he's at least a hundred runs up per remaining session. There has been some inconsistent bounce but he's looking for it to dry out and get Lyon among the tail.

BUT he still has to knock over Hash and AB before he can feel safe. Faf will also offer resistance of the stodgiest kind.

 

[Aussie D]

I wonder if the ghosts of Adelaide are playing on the minds of the Aussies when DuPlessis and his mate batted out the innings for a draw?

 

[Lindommer]

Clarke's caught between the devil and the deep blue sea here. He gets my thumbs up for declaring before play started on day 3, he obviously feels time is of the essence in this match. A lead of 450'd be nice, but then time to bowl the Saffers out comes into the equation. Let's hope and pray Warner goes ballistic in the first session tonight and the Aussie batsmen rack up another 140 odd. I think 380'd be enough considering the pitch was very bare and should break up as days 4 and 5 progress, but I think Clarke may have to settle for a 350 lead an hour or so after lunch.

If Australia lose this test after putting the Saffers in around 2:40/3:00 their time and ask them to chase 350/360 I for one won't chastise Clarke.

 

[RugbyReg]

Fuck it. All or nothing. I'd be telling Warner to go for it. One and a half sessions of batting maximum I reckon. Target of at least 400 preferably 450.

 

[Braveheart81]

Fuck it. All or nothing. I'd be telling Warner to go for it. One and a half sessions of batting maximum I reckon. Target of at least 400 preferably 450.

I agree.

With 10 wickets in hand, we should be able to get 200+ in 3-3.5 hours of batting.

Play starts half an hour early again so it's a longer first session which should be good for us.

 

[Pfitzy]

Send Watson out at three for a tonk while we're at it. Prick won't make a hundred, but he barely does anyway.

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

I think anything over 350 is likely to be enough, so Warner and Rogers should go out there and be positive. We're going to want at least four sessions to try and bowl the Saffers out, maybe four and a half. Assuming a bunch of wickets don't fall in the first half hour, you'd think we'd be a chance to be 340-370 ahead at lunch and then you'd tell whoever's there to go beserk after that.