South Africa vs Australia first test Wednesday 9 November.

First topic message reminder :

so the first test is due to start in 3 days, South Africa however have not bowled a ball in anger during a test match since the 6th of Jan 2011. This should be their biggest concern when facing an Australian team who as recently as September have secured an away from home test series victory over Sri Lanka.

fortunately for the Proteas AB de Villiers should be back after he has been given the go ahead by his doctor to proceed.

Since Jan of 2010 Australia have played in 16 tests, winning 7, losing 6 and drawing 3 for series victories over Pakistan at home, New Zealand away and Sri Lanka away. They have however had one series draw against Pakistan in England, a loss to England at home during the Ashes and a India away from home.

South Africa have played 12 tests since Jan 2010, winning 5, losing 2 and drawing 5. They have secured nly one series win in that time over West Indies and secured series draws over England at home, India home and away, and Pakistan in Dubai.

The current worold batting and bowling rankings will mean little if they don't hit the bround running and I fear the lack of time in the middle may see them not starting too well. In an interview with Paul Harris he had the following to say.

“These three days are very important for us to get out any cobwebs that are there,” said Paul Harris. “The guys have played cricket which is important, albeit one-day cricket, and they got better and better as the series (ODI series against Australia) went on.

“I think we are starting to hit our straps and these three days are going to be very key to our preparation.”

“Imran (Tahir) is another attacking option in the side and he has deserved his call-up. He has done very well in the last 12 to 18 months, he deserves his chance,” said Harris.

“It will be nice to bowl with him, it will be great to have two spinners in South African conditions, hopefully we can manage to do that if the deck suits it,” he concluded.

Current batting rankings for SA players in the top 20.
1. Jacques Kallis
11. AB de Villiers
12. H Amla
13. GC Smith

Current batting rankings for OZ players in top 20.
6. MEK Hussey

Current bowling rankings for SA players in top 20.
1. Dale Steyn
4. Morne Morkel
20. Paul Harris

Current bowling rankings for OZ players in top 20.
8. MG Johnson
13. PM siddle

Newlands will be the venue for the first test and it is exactly 10 months since SA last played a test.

Thanks mate.
Can you sticky it please now?

Cheers mate

So, it's not a big, big gamble after all....

SA won the toss and sent Australia into bat. Siddle in, no Copeland... which is the conservative option. More pace and grit as opposed to a metronomic medium pacer with accuracy.

shankythebiggestengfan wrote:

skyeman wrote:Austrailia have been struggling to find any sort of replacement for the great Warne, and now they play 2 spinners in Lyon and Harris. When Harris said Aus should play 2 spinners, i thought he was chancing his arm, but what do we have - Aus playing 2 spinners, time to wake up.

Lot's of bowling for these two, big big gamble.

Clarke turning out to be an adventurous skipper thus far.

Ryan Harris is a fast bowler.

lol now i need to wake up, i was thinking of Harris of South Africa. must pay more attention

Steyn, right on the money thus far, Philander looking very sharp too.

very suprised that Philander got the nod, also suprised that Morkel didnt take the new ball, however good start from Philander.

This pitch suits Philander more than Morkel I guess.This is a slow seaming surface.Philander is a more pitch up seam bowler whereas Morkel looks to hit the deck and he wont get much bounce over here.

huge wicket for south africa, watson gets a beauty of a delivery.

Beauty from Steyn, Watson caught at slip. Aus 9-1.

first ball steyn hit marsh on the arm, ouch that is gonna hurt.

Absolute snorter to get rid of Watson.

The Aussies look all at sea.

Philander gets his first test wicket, hughes gone.

Another beauty to get rid of Hughes.

13-2, Philander strikes. Aussies rocking.

Which team was supposed to be rusty? Aus 13-2.
Time for that man Ponting and the man Marsh who has taken Ponting's No3 position to make a mark.

Ponting to silence his critics now on a tough pitch.

Six for Ponting! Welcome to Test cricket, Philander.

Crowd, a bit disappointing (not even half full) for a fixture of this stature. Anywhere in Eng for an Aussie match would be packed.

Might not be a bad idea to have Tahir bowling at these 2 from one end.

skyeman wrote:Which team was supposed to be rusty? Aus 13-2.
Time for that man Ponting and the man Marsh who has taken Ponting's No3 position to make a mark.

Nothing to do with rustiness.This is a spicy track.

Excellent from Morkel.Brilliant over.

Rain

shankythebiggestengfan wrote:

skyeman wrote:Which team was supposed to be rusty? Aus 13-2.
Time for that man Ponting and the man Marsh who has taken Ponting's No3 position to make a mark.

Nothing to do with rustiness.This is a spicy track.

South Africa were said to be looking rusty by many experts including Grahame Smith, but nothing rusty about this bowling, bang on target, even with an helpful pitch.

South Africa have bowled beautifully on a helpful track. Aus need to fight this out, which they've struggled to do in recent times (Eng at the MCG, Pakistan in England). Ponting possibly the key?

Ponting and Huss the key

this is a good start from Tahir, superb start

Yeah very good bowling from Tahir.Used his variations well.

Great cover drive from Marsh, certianly isnt morkel's pitch.

It was absolutely ridiculous not to pick him for ODIs.I can understand not picking him for the T20Is but Tahir should have been picked for the ODIs.

cricketfan90 wrote:Great cover drive from Marsh, certianly isnt morkel's pitch.

Really?He has bowled a few absolute snorters.

that is going to hurt shuan marsh for a while.

looks like south africa are gonna get ponting out via UDRS

Ponting's gone!!!!!!!!!!!


stonedead LBW

well done UDRS!

Yep, another feather in the cap of the UDRS. Are you watching, BCCI?

At work and haven't seen any of the cricket yet, but it looks like a decent start for SA.

IS it the pitch, the bowling or a combination of both?

this is fantastic cricket between steyn and clarke...This is proper test match cricket at its best.

biltongbek wrote:At work and haven't seen any of the cricket yet, but it looks like a decent start for SA.

IS it the pitch, the bowling or a combination of both?

The pitch was good for bowling on first, but the bowling was very accurate, but as expected is now playing better, with the sun doing it's magic. Batting looking easier 78-3.

Clarke looking to be in very fine fettle.

Picked it up now hasn't he Clarke, after looking utterly clueless to begin with.

Just passed 5,000 Test runs, congratulations.

Clarke has scored a very fine 50, several superb drives and pulls, the bowling is not as accurate now though, maybe caused by Clarke's attacking play.

Very well done Michael Clarke. Rode his luck early doors, and has now managed to get himself in.

Steyn was toying with him at one point, but he has shown great character.

What on earth has Lonwabo Tsotsobe done to deserve the axe? When SA played a test series the last time, he was superb as a 3rd seamer. Steyn and Morkel offered lots of fire, and Tsotsobe was right on target and gave nothing away, and got out some of the best batters in international cricket. His performance in the ODI series against Australia too, wasn't shabby by any means. Can someone from SA throw some much needed light on this seemingly strange selection? Has Philander been doing extraordinary things at the domestic level?
Otherwise, I see this is as a terrible selection.

Philander has taken 80 wickets a season for the last couple of seasons msp, but not much else I'm aware of.

That's a good return, but is it enough to dislodge somebody that has put in some very good performances? I'm not so sure.

Marsh going well here, too, a very steady innings.

msp83 wrote:What on earth has Lonwabo Tsotsobe done to deserve the axe? When SA played a test series the last time, he was superb as a 3rd seamer. Steyn and Morkel offered lots of fire, and Tsotsobe was right on target and gave nothing away, and got out some of the best batters in international cricket. His performance in the ODI series against Australia too, wasn't shabby by any means. Can someone from SA throw some much needed light on this seemingly strange selection? Has Philander been doing extraordinary things at the domestic level?
Otherwise, I see this is as a terrible selection.

Very suprised myself, maybe the diference between winning and losing. But Smith said that spin would play a big part at Newlands, sort of indicating that Tsotsobe would replace Tahir next match, time will tell.
Picking Philander, they must have thought this deck would suit his style of bowling.

Marsh has wasted a review there, stonedead lbw, steyn first ball of his new spell, gets marsh just before tea.

Steyn is on fire today, superb display of fast bowling. Take a bow son.

With Marsh gone, SA are back in it again.

This is an important partnership to break, and then the cat is amongst the pigeons.

Hussey gone for 1, and Australia in trouble. They need something from Haddin here.

Haddin undone by Steyn for 5, another wicket for the pace bowling king.

Australia sinking without a trace.

SA all over Aus at the moment. Fabulous from Steyn.