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South Africa v Australia
Discussion started by Loyal of Lhasa. , 12 February, 2014 12:12
South Africa v Australia
Loyal of Lhasa. 12 February, 2014 12:12
I think this series deserves a thread of its own.

Australia's batsmen have made an unconvincing start (113/4 off 40 overs), but that happened a few times in the recent Ashes series.

We shall know more when the Somerset openers come out to bat.



LoL

Sixty-six Seasons a Somerset Supporter

Re: South Africa v Australia
AGod 12 February, 2014 12:31
Where have Doolan and Marsh sprung from?

I assume there are injuries - one to Watson and one to somebody else? Or were the Aussie selectors as underwhelmed as I was with elements of their top six in the two series with England?

Re: South Africa v Australia
AGod 12 February, 2014 12:34
And I note that trying to play Dale Steyn (even one at less than 100 percent due to tummy truble) in one-day mode (which is what it sounds like from the report on cricinfo) on the first day of a Test at Centurion Park is, amazingly, not a great plan.

Perhaps D S Lehman should have told D A Warner that before the match. Or perhaps he did but it did not sink in..

Re: South Africa v Australia
Frome Exile 12 February, 2014 13:02
I think Marsh was initially selected for the Ashes, but picked up an injury. Bailey is the only Ashes winner "dropped", as such, I believe.

Re: South Africa v Australia
Loyal of Lhasa. 12 February, 2014 13:08
FE: In the case of Bailey I think you could also have put Ashes winner in inverted commas!



LoL

Sixty-six Seasons a Somerset Supporter

Re: South Africa v Australia
AGod 12 February, 2014 13:21
Although not quite such pronounced inverted commas as one could once have done with your erstwhile hero, who was once an MBE "Ashes winner"..............

Re: South Africa v Australia
Loyal of Lhasa. 12 February, 2014 13:47
I'm trying very hard to pronounce inverted commas (Bobstand is good at advising me on such matters) as well as to articulate a phrase of similar nature that could be applied to YOUR hero's exploits!



LoL

Sixty-six Seasons a Somerset Supporter

Re: South Africa v Australia
Frome Exile 12 February, 2014 14:19
Doolan a little unlucky to be out to a pretty decent catch.
Marsh (90*) and the "clearly not good enough" winking smiley Steve Smith rebuilding nicely at 212 for 4.

Re: South Africa v Australia
Loyal of Lhasa. 12 February, 2014 16:31
It definitely ended as Australia's day after a poor start: I think we have heard that before quite recently.



LoL

Sixty-six Seasons a Somerset Supporter

Re: South Africa v Australia
AGod 12 February, 2014 16:39
If the Centurion pitch was anything like as favourable for bowling on all day as the pundits were saying it would be (beforehand) then it looks an exceptionally strong close of play score.

Re: South Africa v Australia
Bagpuss 12 February, 2014 18:32
From what I could tell listening to the ABC radio comms was fairly low pitch helped bowlers early on then not much for bowlers. Failed to get any significant reverse swing too.

Wonder if Smiffy did a bit of a Ponting, asking Australia to bat first despite his main strike bowler being indisposed.

Re: South Africa v Australia
Frome Exile 12 February, 2014 19:51
Obviously they missed Kallis hugely today.
Ryan Maclaren is a decent player, but as Pommie M'bangwa said on comms, the Smith-Marsh partnership was exactly the kind of situation where Smith has been able, in the past, to chuck Jacques the ball and say "just get me one!"

Re: South Africa v Australia
Grockle 13 February, 2014 05:53
And maybe this Aussie batting line-up has a little more backbone than expected and wasn't just given good press by an appalling English display against it. It is amazing what confidence and winning ways can do for you.



(Sm72)

Re: South Africa v Australia
AGod 13 February, 2014 06:58
Marsh's hundred was only his ninth in a 12 year first-class career. Since having been dropped from the Test team previously, he'd been averaging the princely sum of 25 in first-class cricket.

So his ton has to count as a rather large surprise and the opposite of a feather in the cap for the SA attack.

SA will have to hope for better today....on mainly flat pitches this winter, I think Aus only once made as many as 291 for as few as 4 wickets vs England in a first dig.

Michael Clarke claimed that he would have batted had he won the toss (could just have been kidology) but the cricinfo report suggests that Smith vacillated on the call and he must now be wishing that either he had batted or, at the very least, that Clarke had won the toss.

Re: South Africa v Australia
Grockle 13 February, 2014 07:31
Quote:
AGod
Marsh's hundred was only his ninth in a 12 year first-class career. Since having been dropped from the Test team previously, he'd been averaging the princely sum of 25 in first-class cricket.

What a good job it came at just the right time then aye?

Seems to have happened quite a lot in the past few weeks with this damned Aussies! Maybe they don't read your stats books as avidly as you do AG. Or maybe they think they can improve rather than taking that as 'God's only truth and being content with their statistical lot.

Once more... we will just have to see how correct the predictions based on stats are or whether there is more to this game than just numbers.



(Sm72)

Re: South Africa v Australia
AGod 13 February, 2014 10:51
The stat indicates that he'd been unproductive against Sheffield Shield (or whatever they call it nowadays) bowlers.

People may improve but it's usually a gradual process.

He may have been a massive under-achiever with talent which has been recognised by the selectors. Or this may be a flash in the pan. Time will tell.

Re: South Africa v Australia
Grockle 13 February, 2014 10:59
Yes it will.

(Sm100)



(Sm72)

Re: South Africa v Australia
Loyal of Lhasa. 13 February, 2014 12:25
The Somerset openers made 12 between them. Johnson has taken 2/5 in three overs: I wonder if he is any good.



LoL

Sixty-six Seasons a Somerset Supporter

Re: South Africa v Australia
Loyal of Lhasa. 13 February, 2014 12:28
Correction: 3/8 in 3.4 overs. He's leaking runs all over the place.

Re: South Africa v Australia
Frome Exile 13 February, 2014 13:57
Quote:
Grockle
What a good job it came at just the right time then aye?

Indeed so, Grockle. And as one of the previous 8 was on his Test "day-boo against Sri Lanka in Sri Lanka, I'd suggest to you AG that he's not without ability, or your much-loved "gumption".

Edited for use of the quote facility



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 13/02/2014 14:13 by Grockle.

Re: South Africa v Australia
AGod 13 February, 2014 14:11
He may indeed be talented, FE, even by Test standards.

But if indeed he is then his record so far, both in his limited Test career, overall in his first-class career (average 35) and, especially in only averaging 25 in FC cricket since being dropped from the Test side would suggest a considerable amount of underachievement.

Re: South Africa v Australia
Loyal of Lhasa. 14 February, 2014 14:38
Like him or not, Warner has just scored his sixth century in 28 Tests; that sounds rather impressive to me.



LoL

Sixty-six Seasons a Somerset Supporter

Re: South Africa v Australia
Grockle 14 February, 2014 15:21
Nah LoL he's a one day flash in the pan!! Good fielder though. Keep him in for that.

Might as well the Aussies haven't got anyone else who is rated in their incoming batsmen!!



(Sm72)

Re: South Africa v Australia
Frome Exile 14 February, 2014 16:24
And a decent match aggregate on "day-booo" for Alex Doolan.

His highest first class score of 161* was made for Australia A against Steyn and Philander in November 2012.

Re: South Africa v Australia
Roger ivanhoe 14 February, 2014 19:21
The match does not seem to have created interest locally.

We have bigger crowds in Taunton.

Tickets still available for all the series forthcoming games.

Re: South Africa v Australia
AGod 14 February, 2014 23:45
Depressing but true.

Re: South Africa v Australia
Loyal of Lhasa. 15 February, 2014 14:39
Australia's massive defeat of South Africa is as heavy as anything they inflicted on England and we have to recognise they are now a rather good side. And maybe England are not quite as bad as we thought.



LoL

Sixty-six Seasons a Somerset Supporter

Re: South Africa v Australia
AGod 15 February, 2014 16:18
60 percent of the wickets for Johnson which is a rate that is quite a bit more disproportionate than vs England.

In truth England's top six did a lousy job versus all bowlers.

SA's top six will be saying to themselves that if they can solve Johnson then they may prosper in the remainder of the series. 66 percent of the wkts of SA top six batsmen to fall in this match went to Mr Johnson.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 15/02/2014 22:27 by AGod.

Re: South Africa v Australia
Grockle 15 February, 2014 16:22
Don't batsmen have to score runs as well or is it just a case of bowling the other side out?

Under 200 twice and a win by 3 figure runs - all Johnson?

I don't think so though he did break their back as he did England's



(Sm72)

Re: South Africa v Australia
Frome Exile 15 February, 2014 22:01
Watching the highlights of the final innings, I am impressed by:

a) the quality of Australia's catching, with debutant Doolan to the fore;
b) the athleticism of Brad Haddin;
c) how good a player ABdV is to watch;
and, most importantly,
d) how much more there is to Mitchell Johnson than agression alone: the ball to dismiss Alviro was damn near unplayable.

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