South Africa v Australia 2nd Test debate

This huge game for both teams gets under way tomorrow morning at 08.30. After that astonishing 1st Test, will the Aussie's frame of mind be in the right place for them to bounce back, are they tough enough?. Can South Africa omit Vernon Philander after stunning figures of 8-78?. Johannesburg, is not as bowler friendly as Newlands so will either team leave out their spinner?. Will this be the great Ricky Pontings last Test match. If he does not get a biggish score, i think it may well be. Lot's of big questions to be answered by both tems in this match, which way do you think the result will go?.
Rearly looking forward to this match, as posted many times before, it is a sin that there are only two Tests.

hopes South Africa can continue their fine work and put another on upon the Australians. Smith and Hashim Amla found form in the last match, now they need Kallis and De Villiers to fire as well.
Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel should challenge any batting lineup, and Philander's debut effort was terrific, justifying the team management's call to go for him rather than Lonwabo Tsotsobe. Expect Imran Tahir also to play a more important role this time around.
For Australia, to comeback from the humiliation is dificult, but it has to be done as soon as possible. There are some international careers on the line. For a Start, their opening batsman Philip Hughes has to find a way to counter the moving ball. At the moment, each of his batting effert is just showing up the selectors for the mistake they made with Simon Katich.
Then there is the enigmatic Mitch Johnson. Think this is the absolute last chance for him.
Brad Haddin too, is under huge pressure to keep his spot. He has been terrible with the bat for some time now, and his keeping has never been the greatest.
Shane Watson's returns with the bat is lacking the earliers consistency, although his place is under no threat. If he fails with the bat again, debates around him batting down the order will more voice.
The most important man who needs to make statement with his performance is none other than Ricky Ponting. Ponting's returns have been coming down for quite some time now. How long can a struggling batting unit carry a struggling senior player?
All the best South Africa!.

i see Pat cummins has been given a central contract, shows that he is now firmly part of their plans

oddly brett lee has been givena central contract even though he only plays limited overs cricket.

Weather looking good for today, but thunderstorms and showers forecast for the next four.

If that happens and this Test is drawn, then a good result for all - South Africa don't get 2 2-0 and England will keep their No1 spot until they play again.

Opps. Eng will keep it, unless India beat Aus in Aus for the 1st time ever by winning the the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Test And of course whitewashing the Windies.

msp83 wrote:
Then there is the enigmatic Mitch Johnson. Think this is the absolute last chance for him.

I've just heard he's signed for the Perth Scorchers... maybe he knows something we don't know?

[quote="Linebreaker"]

msp83 wrote:
Then there is the enigmatic Mitch Johnson. Think this is the absolute last chance for him.

I've just heard he's signed for the Perth Scorchers... maybe he knows something we don't know?[/quote


Is that a team for the Big Bash, and if so is the Big Bash on at the same time that the Aus team are playing in either format?

Yes it's a Big Bash League team.

It does clash with the Indian Series

BBL Fixtures

India Tour 2011

A few BBL games before 1st Test, then 2 clashes with 2nd Test, a couple of games in between 2nd & 3rd Tests and the BBL Final clashes with the 4th Test.

I don't know how they'll work it. I can't imagine he would play in the BBL on the 8th and 11th of Jan in between 2nd Test (3rd-7th) and 3rd Test (13th-17th).

Also, what about Watson, Hussey, Haddin, MM, Cummins, etc...? Maybe they can front up to both formats but I think this won't help our Test cause.

I like that BBL website btw... cool az!

Maybe then Mitch is gonna jump before he is pushed (just kidding). If it is true, Perth will probably only use him for a couple of games.
But imo i can not see Aus releasing him mid series,never.

And Shane Warne says he is not playing the big bash for money, because he could have got more by playing in the IPL next year, but i bet it is still a tidy sum.

I read an article this morning (can't find it now) which lists the order of the players facing the axe:

Punter ('not even a century can save him')
Hughes
Haddin
Mitch... maybe he read it and made the call to Mickey!

Here is quite a passionate article written by Rob Steen of Cric info.

I rather enjoyed reading this and his love for test cricket is quite evident.

http://www.espncricinfo.com/magazine/content/story/540623.html

Yes, a good read Biltong even though he conveniently omitted the fact that we also avoided SA's lowest scores of 30, 30, 35 and a tie with our own lowest score of 36. Phew!

Not long to go now. How's the weather near you?

Let's hope we have another cracking contest and the team who wants it most prevails.

It is going to be hot today. What worries me is the heat though, normally by this time we have had some rain, and so far not much.

A typical summers day in Gauteng is hot, then by 15h00 there is a rain shower that last for less than an hour and then the sun is out and it gets hot again until the sun goes down.

This could mean longer showers soon, as it won't continue like this for too long. The lst two summers we had cloudy rainy weather that sometimes held out for days, but then it was only in December.

working stream anyone?

Hi KingProtea, welcome to the board.

Just to let you know, we can't allow any illegal streams to be advertised on the site, however, we cannot monitor PM's, should someone so wish to PM you about the weather...

Any predictions for today, fellas?

Smith out. 25/1

Is the mercurial Mitchell Johnson going to show up today, then?

Big breakthrough early doors.

Good to see Pat Cummins handed his debut, too. He looks a very impressive young quick.

Amla survives a very close lbw review. Johnson unlucky not to have his 2nd wicket.

Was reading about the review on cricinfo, seems a bit unfair the Aussies lose a review when it was probably hitting.

KingProtea wrote:working stream anyone?

welcome to the site mate

Yeah I saw the comment saying the review should be intact if it is umpires call, and that is something I wholly agree with and would like to see implemented.

On the other hand:

Erik: "Jarrod, I disagree. Then every marginal call would be reviewed. The system is there to get rid of the howlers where everyone but the umpire knows what happened. You need limited chances to avoid captains using it on frivolous appeals."

That is a very good point, too.

Don't really agree with that or that that such a close call was a frivolous appeal - it isn't a chance for the captain to appeal everything with unlimited reviews. If it's blatantly not out (or still out if the batting team reviews) the team would still lose a review.

Gone - Rudolph caught Haddin bowled Watson.

South Africa make Watson look like a demon bowler!

Fists of Fury wrote:Gone - Rudolph caught Haddin bowled Watson.

South Africa make Watson look like a demon bowler!

Tbf Watson does have a pretty good Test bowling record.Its just that they dont use him often as he is the opening batsman.

Gets spanked against England, though.

SA are good at that, they've make Mitchell Johnson & Devon Malcolm look unplayable in the past, & Tendulkar look like a turn-to death overs bowler on at least one occasion.

Kallis draws level with Lara on the Test cricket highest run scorers list. Well done, a great achievement Jacques.

And goes past it

Amla all guns blazing....1 run from 31 balls .

Kallis's strike rate was 225 against Amla's 3 not too long ago.

4 by Amla, I'll get the tranquiliser darts.

Kallis a very lucky boy there, very nearly caught and bowled.

Jacques is motoring, putting the bowlers to the sword with those cover drives - though they are bowling him a heck of a lot of half volleys, by all accounts.

Kallis given lbw to Johnson, but is reprieved upon review.

If it was in India though....

No, just joshing.

107/2 at lunch

It seems Kallis is in a rush to go somewhere.

Hope he gets a century before he knicks one.

Does seem in a rush, probably for his lunch...

Very well batted, extremely aggressive, with one or two strokes of luck, but he has swung the momentum firmly back with South Africa.

Maybe he heard Bryce Lawrence was spotted in the carpark...

Who says Kallis cant dominate an attack?

I could dominate this attack

shankythebiggestengfan wrote:Who says Kallis cant dominate an attack?

he must read 606v2

Wonder if there are any cricketers that read 606v2... It'd be good if we managed to get one or two to sign up

I know Lennox Lewis, amongst others, has been known to read the boxing section.

Linebreaker wrote:Maybe he heard Bryce Lawrence was spotted in the carpark...

That is about as good a reason as any to rush through a bowling attack. Alan donald did say in his book that Kallis is not the sharpest tool in the shed, so he is most likely not aware of the fact that when he is out, the game is not over yet.

Fists of Fury wrote:Wonder if there are any cricketers that read 606v2... It'd be good if we managed to get one or two to sign up

I know Lennox Lewis, amongst others, has been known to read the boxing section.

Lee Westwood use to go the old 606.

Stella wrote:

shankythebiggestengfan wrote:Who says Kallis cant dominate an attack?

he must read 606v2

I think he does, he must have seen the numerous threads on here and old 606 that says he can't be a hall of famer due to his low profile career.

I've gotta get that book mate... sounds like a hilarious read punctuated with the odd sour grape in the footnotes.

Ha, definite Hall of Famer, just not a 'God' of the game.

Fists of Fury wrote:Ha, definite Hall of Famer, just not a 'God' of the game.

I am sure Mike would vote against ihm just the way he did with Barrington

Linebreaker wrote:I've gotta get that book mate... sounds like a hilarious read punctuated with the odd sour grape in the footnotes.

The book is called white Lightning, an easy read, but to be honest, I expected more inside info. No sour grapes in his I am afraid.