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Boxing Day Cricket : Aus vs Proteas

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rugbywhisperer

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I agree on Roebuck, he can be bloody insensitive and irrational at times. Good thing on the Gold Coast we are bereft of his comment.
Well done to the Bokkies - sorry, Proteas, they played this one like an old violin and did their homework. Credit where credit is due.
us Asiies have a long long climb back but that's good. It's unhealthy for any team to be dominant for so long.
 

mark_s

Chilla Wilson (44)
I disagree with Pup taking over from Ponting as captain, he hasn't shown enough consistency for my liking and I am not sure he is mentally tough enough yet for the job. Ponting is not a great captain but he is the best man for the job right now. Given his weaknesses, he does need much better support from his coach, selectors and senior players though and I don't think he is getting this at the moment.

I don't see this as a long hard climb back from where we are, crickets a funny game and with say 2-3 different selections for these two tests against the proteas we could easily be wrapping the series up today. The good news is that there are atleast 4-5 players in the shield comp that are putting their hand up and look to be ready. Very different situation from the last time we had a big cleanout of senior players in the 80s as many of the players next in line went on a rebel tour to south africa at almost the same time. A spin bowler is the key problem area at present.

Like an alcoholic, we won't start "recovering" until we admit there is a problem in the first place.

Anyway, some rain is forecast for this morning in Melbourne and that could be the X factor to prevent this test otherwise heading towards an inevitable proteas victory.
 

mark_s

Chilla Wilson (44)
Apparantley Watson is also injured now. How do you get injured when you don't even play? Symonds still should be rested for the SCG. He is just too unfit at present.
 

barbarian

Phil Kearns (64)
Staff member
Watson being injured is a huge blow, and opens up the possibility of the selectors picking an unchanged lineup into Sydney, which would be an absolute travesty. Number 6 is an interesting conundrum then- do you pick an allrounder of slightly less skill (Hopes, McDonald or Butterworth) or a full-time batsman and lose a bowling option (Hussey, Hodge, Klinger, North). I would favour the former, seeings as we can't seem to take 20 wickets anymore.

My team:

Hughes
Katich
Ponting
Clarke
Hussey
Haddin
McDonald
Johnson
Hauritz
Hilfenhaus
Bollinger

Agree Noddy about Siddle- unleashed a very good spell on the 2nd arvo but I am not convinced. He will play in Sydney, but I wouldn't have him there.
 

Pfitzy

George Gregan (70)
mark_s said:
I disagree with Pup taking over from Ponting as captain, he hasn't shown enough consistency for my liking and I am not sure he is mentally tough enough yet for the job. Ponting is not a great captain but he is the best man for the job right now. Given his weaknesses, he does need much better support from his coach, selectors and senior players though and I don't think he is getting this at the moment.

I think Ponting is a divisive influence on the team actually. He's mentally tough as a batsman but tends to be a whiny little bitch in the field as captain. I am thoroughly sick of him arguing with umpires instead of thinking about the game, and he lacks dynamism, originality, and the calm leadership that puts faith into his players.

Look at how the Saffer bats put faith in their tailenders here - and they came up trumps with big scores to guys like Steyn. Haddin did the same in Perth - Ponting tends to try and protect his tailenders and the effect isn't the same.

He lacks ruthlessness; we should have finished off the Saffrican tail in their first innings here by putting in 4 slips + gully and bowling at their heads or outside their off stump. Instead he started to leak runs and was more worried about the eroding lead instead of cutting off the head of the snake. Ludicrous that with only bowlers to support Duminy, they could get a substantial lead from 7 down. Yeah the bowlers have to take some blame but where do you bowl when you've got keeper, second slip, and point, with massive gaps providing tailenders some fortunate [edit] edges?
 

RugbyReg

Rocky Elsom (76)
Staff member
Ok David Hussey for Watson/Symmonds.

Nofke is unlucky to be injured at the wrong time.
 

Pfitzy

George Gregan (70)
Well, now that's over I hope certain members of the hierarchy are willing to step on a landmine and allow the new talent to come through. I couldn't give a shit about losing in South Africa as long as we learn something out of it: who our Ashes team will be. Carrying the old farts on reputation has just provided the first home series loss in about 16 years so its time people were made accountable. Unlike most cricketing nations depth is not an issue for us, so these long-term players need a kick up the arse.

I fucking hate losing. I'd hate it even more if Graeme Smith was still the same whiny bitch he appeared to be on previous tours as captain. But to his credit he's stopped complaining and started playing cricket. He's still not a great cricket captain but he has learned from taking it on the chin and developed into a far better leader.
 

cyclopath

George Smith (75)
Staff member
NTA said:
Well, now that's over I hope certain members of the hierarchy are willing to step on a landmine and allow the new talent to come through. I couldn't give a shit about losing in South Africa as long as we learn something out of it: who our Ashes team will be. Carrying the old farts on reputation has just provided the first home series loss in about 16 years so its time people were made accountable. Unlike most cricketing nations depth is not an issue for us, so these long-term players need a kick up the arse.

I fucking hate losing. I'd hate it even more if Graeme Smith was still the same whiny bitch he appeared to be on previous tours as captain. But to his credit he's stopped complaining and started playing cricket. He's still not a great cricket captain but he has learned from taking it on the chin and developed into a far better leader.
I think you're being a bit harsh on Smith. He came in young, got worked over BIG time by the Aussies (verbally) and got the captaincy young. I think he's been pretty good; then again it's easier to look good when your team is firing - look at Ponting's overall results as captain - not many could boast a win / loss ratio like he can. I don't think it was all down to his captaincy though.
We need to prepare for the other South African captain to come - Pieterson. He's already talking it up, but you'd expect nothing less. Fleet Street will be smelling blood in the water again - knighthoods and OBEs for all no doubt! I agree we have to use the South African tour to get the team sorted for England (not to say we should abandon all hope for SA - if 4 or 5 batsmen fire, we'll still be hard to beat). If...
 

Aussie D

Dick Tooth (41)
Firstly, congrats to the SA cricket side (again) on a hard fought win. I thought they were gone when they lost so many top order wickets for so few in their first inning but they showed tremedous spirit not only to avoid the follow-on but also to set a higher score than the Aussies. To also re-write the history books was a magnificent achievement - first series victory against Oz in Oz since they started touring in 1907, first Oz series loss at home in 17 years. Well done.
 

cyclopath

George Smith (75)
Staff member
Yeah, congrats - forgot to put that in my previous post. Very well done. Felt good (well, almost) for Kallis the old stager, and Ntini.
Earth calling Paarlbok - could he really be drunk this early in the morning? ;)
 

Pfitzy

George Gregan (70)
I will also add my congratulations to the Proteas - they've got the monkey off their back and with a relatively young lineup could be as dominant as our recent teams.

cyclopath said:
I think you're being a bit harsh on Smith. He came in young, got worked over BIG time by the Aussies (verbally) and got the captaincy young. I think he's been pretty good;

As a captain, he's very similar to Ponting - has a good team that allows him to be a good captain. But when the batsmen start looking unstoppable or the tail wags, both of them fall back on rank conservatism to get through. Neither of them are good enough to fix things when they start to go wrong...

That said, and as I originally posted: I think Smith has matured a lot and has realised mouthing off achieves nothing in the long term. In that respect he's a better captain than Ponting. Neither of them could hold a candle to Steve Waugh or Allan Border IMO - because those two were bloody-minded huns when it came to cricket.
 

PaarlBok

Rod McCall (65)
cyclopath said:
Yeah, congrats - forgot to put that in my previous post. Very well done. Felt good (well, almost) for Kallis the old stager, and Ntini.
Earth calling Paarlbok - could he really be drunk this early in the morning? ;)
Couldnt and had to drive to Paarl to get mygirls matrix results. Now I have a reason to celebrate both occations.! Well done boytjies.
 

Lindommer

Steve Williams (59)
Staff member
mark_s said:
Apparently Watson is also injured now. How do you get injured when you don't even play?

Again? When is the useless turd ever not injured? :nta: :nta: :nta: No wonder he's referred to Fucking Useless Watson in some circles.

My team for Sydney:

Katich
Rogers
Ponting
Hussey
Clarke
Marsh
Haddin
Johnson
Siddle
Hilfenhaus
Krejza

Hayden out to pasture, Hauritz to get lessons from Terry Jenner on attacking spin bowling, Symonds to regain fitness and form, ditto for Lee. Note I haven't included any extra New South Welshmen in the team although there're those who'd include Hughes and Bollinger.
 
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