Australian Cricket Thread - No.3 🏏

[Stig O'Hara]

Saffers, not unexpected, came roaring back into the game. AB showed why he's the best bat in the world, and Duminy finally found form. Wouldn't say the Aussies were too flash with the pill, nice to see Lyon get another Michelle.

Batting wise, Rogers failed against the quicks again, Warner rode his luck, and to be honest we could have gone to stumps 6/7 down.

100 odd down from following on, sets up another ripper days cricket.

 

[King of Ruin]

Going to be tough for him to survive this innings. If he pulls this off, I'm calling it.

#match fixing

 

[SpaceCow]

Lyon to carry his bat with an unbeaten 150.

Heard it here first, boys.

 

[King of Ruin]

Lyon to carry his bat with an unbeaten 150.

Heard it here first, boys.

Drink for every batter who goes out before him.

 

[Jeremias]

As expected, South Africa have bounced back hard in this second test.

Well and truly on top and there's no way they're losing this test. Australia must really fight if they want to get a draw out of it - not an impossible task but it'll be very difficult.

Expect South Africa to put Australia in some time after lunch.

Meanwhile, great start for the Australians in their quarter final at the U19 World Cup. West Indies won the toss and elected to bat, but we've got them rattlled at 3/9 after 5 overs.

 

[thylacine60]

Chasing 447. We can win this.

 

[HBF]

Chasing 447. We can win this.

Fair bit of rain forecast tomorrow - could be as high as 35mm.
Our first target has been achieved which is none down at lunch. Warner and Rogers need to bat as long as possible and not throw there wicket away.

 

[AceAndy]

Just read the highest ever fourth innings total at Port Elizabeth is 273 Although we have not lost a wicket with 31 on the board

 

[Jeremias]

Great start by the openers at 0/61.

Can't help but feel this one is headed for a draw, assuming the rain comes tomorrow as predicted. Would be a satisfactory result for Australia having been completely outplayed this test.

 

[Sublime]

Great start by the openers at 0/61.

Can't help but feel this one is headed for a draw, assuming the rain comes tomorrow as predicted. Would be a satisfactory result for Australia having been completely outplayed this test.

Well, that escalated quickly.

 

[Jeremias]

Well, that escalated quickly.

An absolutely horrid collapse by Australia. Credit to the South Africans who bowled magnificently but we were terrible.

Warner & Rogers had put us in a great position to get something out of the match but they were the only ones to put in. None of the others offered anything with the bat.

 

[HBF]

So bloody disappointing to wake up to hear our batsman have failed once again.
I was questioning what sort of spirit we would see from them last night, and aside from Warner & Rogers it appeared the rest of them showed very little resistance. We simply have to get our top order functioning and making runs. Clarke escapes critisism because he is the captain, but he just isn't making the runs we need him to.

Hopefully this is just a blip on the rader (unlikely) and we can dust ourselves off and get it together before Cape Town on Saturday night.

 

[blue gunslinger]

Kim Hughes is on the $ about Watson

 

[Robbo's my hero]

I don't think you could be too hard on the team. I watched it until the finish and I watched all the wickets fall
Normally you see panic and woeful decision making but this was simply panic. I didn't think one wicket was thrown away through stupidity. The balls that removed Marsh, Smith and Haddin were unplayable. How does Haddin face up in the third test? Middle stump both times from balls going reverse! The first innings killed us. Why do we think we have to make a game of it and bat so aggressively? A bit of stupidity in the first dig. I've been impressed with the umpiring but I thought the extra 30 minutes was a poor decision. In SA's case an extra 30 minutes meant 8 overs. When do they bowl 16 overs per hour? They'd already had enough time to bowl Australia out and effectively had had the additional 30 minutes due to slow over rates.

Now it's off to the Cape and the Table Top overlooking Newlyns. I think Pattinson and Watson should play. And Clarky needs to bat 4 in the line up. If we win the toss we'll win the match.

 

[HBF]

I hate it that we are so dependant on Watson.

 

[BIGGUS 64]

I hate it that we are so dependant on Watson.

Agreed.

Give it another year and hopefully Falkner will be ready to replace him.

Meanwhile, the guys are off to another cracking start! Let's hope they can keep it up this time instead of collapsing in a dismal heap as soon as a wicket or two falls.

Warner taking the long handle to Steyn. Playing with his usual approach: the best form of attack is, well, attack - duh!

 

[King of Ruin]

Watson's career, no different to a kids board game.

 

[The Toad]

I see that Siddle got the arse for this test. WTF???

 

[BIGGUS 64]

I see that Siddle got the arse for this test. WTF???

That's what I thought.
Not his fault that MJ's been taking most of the wickets lately!

I'm sure he'll be back soon - he's a trooper.

Good to see Patto back (at least it's another Victorian ), though I didn't know his form had been all that great.
Patto needs games - he's one of our future bowling stars.

Great to see Warner crack a first innings ton and Clarke surviving the chin music (so far).
Warner's been shooting his mouth off again (I hate it when he does that) but at least he's come out now and walked the talk.

 

[OnceWeWereKings]

if he hadn't already, Clarke has won me over. What a gutsy innings.
That was brutal by Morkel, stood up, sucked it up, and put his body on the line for his Country.
Bravo MC.

 

[HBF]

Just saw the highlights of the last nights play, and well done Clarke for standing up to that barage from Morkel. Took 3 or 4 of them on the body, and I dare say if he gets to 100 tonight it will be one of his best test innings.

Gotta really go on now and make 500+ and heap the pressure on the Proteas.
Can't wait to see Johnson bowl on this pitch given what we saw Morkel do last night.

 

[BIGGUS 64]

if he hadn't already, Clarke has won me over. What a gutsy innings.
That was brutal by Morkel, stood up, sucked it up, and put his body on the line for his Country.
Bravo MC.

Fantastic way for Clarke to return to form, and great timing - first innings of a crucial test.
Clarke has proven me wrong again and again since becoming captain because he's really stepped up and excelled in the role, whereas I didn't believe he would.
He has proven worthy of following in the footsteps of Border, Taylor, Waugh and Ponting.
He's outshone Graeme Smith, who just curled up and died when MJ got stuck into him.
If there's one thing we Aussies seem to consistently get right, it's our choice of captain.

Great first day Aussies!
Now, to follow it up...

 

[King of Ruin]

May of been stuck on 99 and took 25 balls to get the ton, however he has taken off and is still packing on the runs.

Smith did another solid job along side him, deserved a ton too.

 

[HBF]

Bloody rain at Cape Town, but we're still in a commanding position.
Bat for half an hour tonight and get them in. Not a fan over declaring overnight.
Without Steyn, there attack has looked pretty average (except for what Morkel dished up to Clarke)

 

[Just Kreuzing]

Bat for 80 mins tonight score 580+ and let Johnson, Harris and Pattinson give them everything for 30 mins before lunch, rest them for 40 mins and then give them everything again straight after lunch !!

Would be great to have them 4 down at tea.