Second Test - Australia Vs South Africa at Kingsmead, Durban (Fri-Tue)

[CatManDo]

South Africa vs Australia

Sahara Stadium, Kingsmead, Durban
7:00pm AEDT, 6 March to 10 March 2009​

South Africa find themselves on the back foot against a revitalised Australian outfit that played up to its official number one world ranking in the first test. Now the two sides are set to clash for the fifth time this summer at Kingsmead, Durban.

Last match

Australia unleashed some new moves in Johannesburg and it caught the Proteas on the hop. The Aussie debutantes all played well; North and Hughes stood up with the bat while Hilfenhaus showed great promise and took some important wickets. Overall Australia’s bowling was tight and the batsmen did enough, with the exception of one horrendous session on day four.

However South Africa are not test cricket’s number one contender without merit. After being outclassed for over two days, it took them little over two hours to claw their way right back into the first test, and they will be hoping to carry that sort of form into this match. They’ve also been somewhat slow starters in test series in recent times (with the exception of their Australian visit), so don’t be surprised to see them step up a notch.

About the ground

Widely regarded as a seamer’s wicket, the typically humid weather at Kingsmead could provide assistance to the pacemen.

Ricky Ponting will be relishing a return to a ground where he led Australia to a test win in 2006 with a century in each innings. For the hosts, Jaques Kallis has scored 4 centuries at the ground, while Makhaya Ntini has taken 40 wickets in 5 tests here.

Australia holds the overall advantage at the ground 4-3 in test matches, with two draws.

Teams

One day representative Albie Morkel replaces Lonwabo Tsotsobe in the South African 12, who has injured his right knee. South Africa have not played a specialist spinner in their most recent two Tests at Kingsmead, and therefore could choose to leave Paul Harris out of the 11, which would hand Morkel a test debut.

Injuries have once again cursed the Australian bowling line-up… and then they cursed some more. Tasmanian Brett Geeves was flown in as cover after Doug Bollinger succumbed to an abdominal strain, and then the selectors went back to the well and brought WA’s Steve Magoffin over when both Peter Siddle and Ben Hilfenhaus pulled up sore.

Before the injuries it seemed an unchanged line-up was likely. Ricky Ponting commented on Tuesday that it would be hard to change a winning team, but he may have no choice if his fast men keep forgetting to take their lucky charms with them to training. Siddle and Hilfenhaus were rested from Wednesday’s training and will be assessed on Thursday.

South Africa XII:
*Graeme Smith
Neil McKenzie
Hashim Amla
Jacques Kallis
AB de Villiers
JP Duminy
+Mark Boucher
Paul Harris
Morne Morkel
Makhaya Ntini
Dale Steyn
Albie Morkel
In:
Albie Morkel
Out:
Lonwabo Tsotsobe (injured)

Australia (from):
Phil Hughes
Simon Katich
*Ricky Ponting
Michael Hussey
Michael Clarke
Marcus North
+Brad Haddin
Andrew McDonald
Mitchell Johnson
Peter Siddle
Ben Hilfenhaus
Bryce McGain
Nathan Hauritz
Brett Geeves
Steve Magoffin
In:
Brett Geeves
Steve Magoffin

Out:
Doug Bollinger (injured)

Quotes

Graeme Smith
“We probably haven't always started at our best in South Africa. It's an unfortunate thing and it's tough to put our finger on why it happens. We know what we are capable of and if we play to that level we can win the Durban Test match.”

Ricky Ponting
“This side played really well over five days. There have been really valuable contributions from everyone when they needed to do it, and when I asked them to do it. That's a sign of a good, hungry team of players willing to do whatever it takes to win a game for you.”

Micky Arthur
"It is likely that we will play the spinner. We've played a spinner throughout our last successful period of 18 months. I think our spinner has been quite an integral part of our attack. If all things are equal I'm pretty sure we'll play the spinner."

Prediction

Two evenly matched sides that don’t like to mess about on the field means a result is highly likely. I predict another five-day encounter, with an improved South Africa leveling the series at 1-1.

Umpires:

Steve Bucknor (Jamaica)
Billy Bowden (New Zealand)
Asad Rauf (Pakistan)

Recent History:

2008-09 in Australia
South Africa won 2-1
MOTS: Graeme Smith

2005-06 in South Africa
Australia won 3-0
MOTS: Stuart Clark
including March 24, 2006 @ Durban
Australia won by 112 runs
Australia 369
Ponting 103
Hussey 75
Ntini 3/81
South Africa 267
Kallis 114
de Villiers 50
Lee 5/69
Australia 4(dec)/307
Ponting 116
Hayden 102
Boje 2/87
South Africa 297
Boucher 51*
Boje 48
Warne 6/86 MOTM

2005-06 in Australia
Australia won 2-0
MOTS: Ricky Ponting

2001-02 in South Africa
Australia won 2-1
MOTS: Adam Gilchrist
including March 15, 2002 @ Durban
South Africa won by 5 wickets
Australia 315
Ponting 89
Gilchrist 91
Adams 2/37
South Africa 167
Gibbs 51 MOTM
Lee 4/82
Warne 4/33
Australia 186
S Waugh 42
Ponting 34
Kallis 3/29
South Africa 5/340
Gibbs 104
Kirsten 64
M Waugh 2/43

2001-02 in Australia
Australia won 3-0
MOTS: Matthew Hayden

1997-98 in Australia
Australia won 1-0
MOTS: Shane Warne

1996-97 in South Africa
Australia won 2-1
MOTS: Steve Waugh

1993-94 in South Africa
Series drawn 1-1
MOTS: Steve Waugh
including 25 March, 1994 @ Durban
Match drawn
Australia 269
S Waugh 64
Healy 55
Matthews 4/65
South Africa 422
McMillan 84
Rhodes 78
Warne 4/92
Australia 4(dec)/297
M Waugh 113 MOTM
Slater 95
Donald 3/66

1993-94 in Australia
Series drawn 1-1
MOTS: Steve Waugh

Weather:

The extended forecast says mid to high 20’s every day, with some cloud cover.

Session Times (AEDT)

First session: 7:30-9:30pm
Second session: 10:10pm-12:10am
Third session: 12:30-2:30am

Coverage:

Fox sports 3: Live from 7:30pm AEDT
ABC radio: Live from 7:25pm AEDT nightly
Cricinfo
Cricket Australia

 

[LIONS then DAYLIGHT]

Good opening post.

Everytime a new match thread is started i remember back to the 2006/07 Ashes and our good friend "bushranger".

THe day before the test the match thread hadn't been put up and bushranger in his haste wanted to kick things off. So he started a match thread. The first post contained the phrase "here we go". Makes me chuckle.

 

[Dez!]

I'd go with this XI. (Injuries permitting of course)

Hughes
Katich
Ponting
Hussey
Clarke
North
Haddin
Johnson
Siddle
McGain
Hilfenhaus

Only change is McDonald making way for McGain, I really feel we will need McGain even if it's a seamers wicket especially on days 4 and 5.

If Siddle or Hilfenhaus don't come up and are unable to play I'd pick Magoffin ahead of Geeves, with his height I feel he could create quite a lot of bounce on these wickets and get quite a bit of movement off the deck.

 

[damochandler]

i wonder how the pitch will play. they have been saying the pitch will be a ripe seamers track. win the toss and bowl would be the way to go here. australia have the edge at the moment. winning the last 2 tests these 2 have played. this will be a 4 day match if the pitch is anything like they have predicted. last time they played here. the aussies won with about a minute to spare. i am going to go out on a limb and tip the aussies to wrap the series here and sing that great poem of their's

 

[sumavich]

No way. Win the toss and bat,bat,bat !!
If Smith & Co get in and play a long 1st innings we will be chasing tail !!
Win the toss punter, and then bat !!

 

[LIONS then DAYLIGHT]

We've won the last 4 coin tosses between these 2 sides.

Im not sure if I like our chances of winning a 5th.

I'll take a "doube bed" if we win the toss.

 

[damochandler]

No way. Win the toss and bat,bat,bat !!
If Smith & Co get in and play a long 1st innings we will be chasing tail !!
Win the toss punter, and then bat !!

if the pitch is what everyone is saying it will be. we could be 5/ 40 at lunch. bowl first on this track

 

[sumavich]

We never bowl first when we win the toss.
I think the last time was in Pommieland when we lost the Ashes.

 

[Heisenberg_]

No bat first every time you win the toss.
Bowling first is counter productive, we won the first one so need to keep attacking them

 

[aussie1st]

I did think the same in the 1st test, win the toss bowl first but after how the test went we probably are better off batting first as if our bowlers don't get it right then we have a Hussian situation.

I would replace McDonald with McGain only realstic change that can be made.

 

[sumavich]

Love the Punter meself !!
One of the greats in my book already !!
Win the Toss son, lets smack these Yarpies hard !!
C'mon Aussie !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I'm getting pretty excited about this one !

PS I'd just never shake his hand. The way he spits in to it is downright disgusting !

 

[CatManDo]

One recent article I read, it may have been Ponting, said that they are confident both Siddle and Hilfenhaus will play. Magoffin is purely a precaution.

If that is the case I personally see no change to this side. The selectors would only call on Bryce McGain if 1) we needed variety in the attack or 2) the pitch warrants it. Seeing as we have just won a test match, and that all the commentary suggests this is not a spinner's wicket, then I just see no possibility that they would call on McGain.

Mcdonald had an impact simply by being econimical in the first test and I think that is a really improtant asset for this side with such an inexperienced attack.

 

[damochandler]

We never bowl first when we win the toss.
I think the last time was in Pommieland when we lost the Ashes.

did we win the toss in capetown in 2006 or did south africa

 

[sumavich]

Don't know, but the punter likes to bat if he wins the toss !!

 

[sumavich]

One recent article I read, it may have been Ponting, said that they are confident both Siddle and Hilfenhaus will play. Magoffin is purely a precaution.

If that is the case I personally see no change to this side. The selectors would only call on Bryce McGain if 1) we needed variety in the attack or 2) the pitch warrants it. Seeing as we have just won a test match, and that all the commentary suggests this is not a spinner's wicket, then I just see no possibility that they would call on McGain.

Mcdonald had an impact simply by being econimical in the first test and I think that is a really improtant asset for this side with such an inexperienced attack.

I think you are "on the money" ! First time I've agreed with a Geelong supporter !

 

[damochandler]

Don't know, but the punter likes to bat if he wins the toss !!

south africa did and clark and kaspa ripped through them and they were all out just before tes on the first day

 

[sumavich]

south africa did and clark and kaspa ripped through them and they were all out just before tes on the first day

That was then and this is now !!
We may not even win the toss, so its a moot point really.
That was Cape Town this is Durban !! Yadayada.
We'd bat to give the bowlers another day of rest as well, I'd reckon !!
Just my thoughts mate !

 

[LIONS then DAYLIGHT]

Punter to get a ton in the first dig.

 

[Romeo]

That Cape town pitch had a damp spot. They watered it to stymie Warnie. Funny how muppet batted first. I think Punter generally likes to bat first unless it's a raging greentop. I think he'll want to give his bowlers more rest after they had to bowl a lot of overs and bowled last in the first test. We always seem to bat first. I suppose he's due to lose a toss soon. And muppet has lost the last six test tosses!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Dez!]

Punter to get a ton in the first dig.

Taking a "double bed" LtD?

 

[Chris_2593]

Does anyone know when the teams will come out?

 

[emperor]

This is the pitch that, according to locals and assorted others, is affected by the tidal flows?

I wanna know, firstly am I thinking of the right ground and secondly is it just a fanciful story or is there actually some sort of basis to it?

 

[Jimthegreat]

That Cape town pitch had a damp spot. They watered it to stymie Warnie. Funny how muppet batted first. I think Punter generally likes to bat first unless it's a raging greentop. I think he'll want to give his bowlers more rest after they had to bowl a lot of overs and bowled last in the first test. We always seem to bat first. I suppose he's due to lose a toss soon. And muppet has lost the last six test tosses!!!!!!!!!!

If it's juicy for 5 days bat first and get the runs on the board. Scores are even harder to chase on difficult wickets. The only time I'd bowl first is if the pitch is going be be a juicy seamer early then dry to a decent pitch by day 2. Otherwise there's no point.

 

[LIONS then DAYLIGHT]

This is the pitch that, according to locals and assorted others, is affected by the tidal flows?

I wanna know, firstly am I thinking of the right ground and secondly is it just a fanciful story or is there actually some sort of basis to it?

It's has been mentioned for some time. The theory is because the ground is so close to the beach, when the tide comes up the water table rises and the ball moves around more of the wicket and through the air. Apparently scientists have ruled it out though and it remains a bit of a folktale rather then having any scientific basis.

 

[Schache It Off]

I am so nervous.

I have a feeling we're going to perform poorly on this test.