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Australia tour of South Africa |OT| Battle of the Batsmen

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B

bobnowhere

Member
Dan27 said:
Who is this feed from? Michael Holding commentating....
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Not sure, I'm watching on my Sky sports account via VPN. Heard Mark Nicholas, Holding, Kepler Wessels and some others I haven't placed yet. No Pommie though.

I imagine supersport is the host and everyone is taking the same feed. I can't imagine fox in Aus. sent a team over, they'll just be back home in the studio offering their opinions at the breaks.
 
A

Antiwhippy

the holder of the trombone
Not a great start but not a disastrous one either, so there's that I guess. Shaun marsh is looking kind of set and we also have Steve Smith and Haddin still to go, and the tail can probably get a few.

Hopefully Clarke can finally convert his starts. His last few innings haven't been great.
 
C

chicko1983

Member
Yagharek said:
Fucksake.

Oh well, hope to see Marsh and Doolan do well this series. Hughes too if he gets a game.
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Doolan looked good but was out to a lazy shot after working hard.

Played a couple of very nice shots through the offside between cover and third slip, waited nicely for them.

Played a couple of missed shots as moved away off the seam to him.

Was a good debut innings but I have heard he makes great looking 20s and 30s and doesn't go on with it enough. This was one of those type of innings.
 
C

chicko1983

Member
Big target for Aussies will be 250 by the end of the day but not all out.

The pitch will be quicker tomorrow so any score over 250 will be tough on this pitch.
 
Jezbollah

Jezbollah

Member
Bit of scheduling ignorance for me (didn't realise when the World T20 started exactly) but they're REALLY cramming in this five test series in aren't they?
 
K

kmag

Member
Another wicket to a mindless shot. Only really Rogers got out to a ball which exposed a technical flaw, the other 3 just chased balls which they shouldn't have.
 
D

DamageControl

Member
Fascinating contest so far. I won't judge Australia's batting without having a look at South Africa's when the time comes, but Clarke definitely seems to have missed a trick with the way he got out.
 
T

toddhunter

Member
kmag said:
Another wicket to a mindless shot. Only really Rogers got out to a ball which exposed a technical flaw, the other 3 just chased balls which they shouldn't have.
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I don't see it as mindless (besides Warner). The bowling has been excellent and there has been a lot of pressure. That is where you get mistakes.

Anyway new series, same old problems for Australia. Lets hope the top order cashes in once SA finish off this tail.
 
K

kmag

Member
toddhunter said:
I don't see it as mindless (besides Warner). The bowling has been excellent and there has been a lot of pressure. That is where you get mistakes.

Anyway new series, same old problems for Australia. Lets hope the top order cashes in once SA finish off this tail.
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Doolan's was certainly mindless given it was 15 minutes before lunch. They'd actually been scoring at 3 an over and had seen off the worst of their attack. Two wickets on the pull is at least careless if not mindless. Doolan looked relatively secure, as did Clarke, it's the first day of a test you don't need to go at 4 an over.
 
T

toddhunter

Member
kmag said:
Doolan's was certainly mindless given it was 15 minutes before lunch. They'd actually been scoring at 3 an over and had seen off the worst of their attack. Two wickets on the pull is at least careless if not mindless. Doolan looked relatively secure, as did Clarke, it's the first day of a test you don't need to go at 4 an over.
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You can't just look at a run-rate though. Doolan had scored like 5 runs in the previous 10 overs.

For a guy on debut, that is going to put a lot of pressure on and that is what created the false stroke.
 
T

toddhunter

Member
tri_willy said:
ugh marsh playing, im disgusted
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It makes sense. Australia tried Bailey, a good short form but terrible first class player and that didn't work so they had to turn to ....

Well ok, at least they didn't want to turn to Hughes, a player who has had multiple chances in the team before but has never looked comfortable. So they needed to pick Shaun...

Well ok his Dad.
 
T

toddhunter

Member
Dizzan said:
Same. Hughes all day
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Especially against SA. Peterson is steady...but he isn't going to bother Hughes like other spinners and he can feast on pace all day. Sure Morkel is a problem, but when he is in the right mood he is going to be a problem for anybody.
 
A

Antiwhippy

the holder of the trombone
Eh, marsh hasn't been too bad. Certainly the steady presence needed right now.

The ball is carrying through pretty well I must say. Good bounce on the pitch.
 
A

Antiwhippy

the holder of the trombone
Steve smith plays the pull shot pretty well doesn't he? I was impressed with how he pulled in the ashes too.
 
C

chicko1983

Member
Antiwhippy said:
Steve smith plays the pull shot pretty well doesn't he? I was impressed with how he pulled in the ashes too.
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Steve smith, the Aussie kp, will be one of the great Australian batsmen by the time he finishes.

Three centuries in his last six tests and is still improving. I'm tipping him to be man of the series.
 
M

Moxx19

Banned
chicko1983 said:
Steve smith, the Aussie kp, will be one of the great Australian batsmen by the time he finishes.

Three centuries in his last six tests and is still improving. I'm tipping him to be man of the series.
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For mine, he is closer to Steve Waugh than KP. Tough gritty character coming out and pouncing on tired bowlers, steadying the ship and mounting a counterattack and batting with confidence in the tail. Gonna wait and see how he plays this innings before I keep talking him up though.
 
K

kmag

Member
chicko1983 said:
Steve smith, the Aussie kp, will be one of the great Australian batsmen by the time he finishes.

Three centuries in his last six tests and is still improving. I'm tipping him to be man of the series.
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He'd been derided a bit for his 'odd' technique. But it's not really a bad technique in that it doesn't open up a massive technical flaw, it's just not classical. A lot of the best batsman don't have the classical technique and form but it doesn't stop the purists for slating everyone who's a bit different.
 
captainnapalm

captainnapalm

Member
Bad decision putting Australia in. Unless the pitch is doing something absolutely crazy, always bat first.

Unless something dramatic happens this afternoon, South Africa look set to be under pressure for the rest of the match now.
 
K

kmag

Member
Given that there doesn't seem to be many demons in the pitch who'll do the filth (I mean fifth bowling spell) for Australia? Clarke or Smith or a bit or both? I suppose the advantage Clarke has is he can use Lyon in long spells to tie up an end and rotate Johnson, Harris in short bursts being spelled by 5-6 over spells from the ever willing Siddle.
 
A

Antiwhippy

the holder of the trombone
SA looking really listless with the old ball, which is why I think having lyon here would be a boon for australia.

Congratulations to shaun marsh. Well made ton in a crucial stage.
 
K

kmag

Member
50 up for Smith and the ton up for Marsh within two balls of each other. Cracking knock by both of them, Marsh especially.
 
A

Andiie

Unconfirmed Member
Well done to both Marsh and Smith. Almost a 150 run partnership. It'll be interesting to see how the innings ends up in the morning.
 
H

hamchan

Member
chicko1983 said:
Steve smith, the Aussie kp, will be one of the great Australian batsmen by the time he finishes.

Three centuries in his last six tests and is still improving. I'm tipping him to be man of the series.
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He seems the sort to become future Australian captain imo.
 
K

kmag

Member
Antiwhippy said:
Seeing two arm rollers bowling in tandem is not the most exciting cricket.
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SA got that far behind the over-rate they had to go for quick overs of spin to allow them to get the overs in. They just want 4 overs each from Steyn and Philander.
 
T

tri_willy

Member
might not like the guy, but kudos to marsh on his ton, smithy is really starting to emerge as a key middle order batsman
 
K

kmag

Member
Given that 303 is the average 1st innings score at Centurions, Australia are in a great position. But Steyn normally has one of those spells 2nd day so a bit of a collapse wouldn't surprise me, but neither would a score well above 400.
 
I

ItAintEasyBeinCheesy

it's 4th of July in my asshole
Didn't wake up this morning expecting this. Super impressive from Smith as SMarsh.

See if SA have what it takes to bounce back, Poms sure didn't.
 
C

chicko1983

Member
Omi said:
so many umbles eaten re marsh...
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The same thing happened when he hit his debut hundred. He was picked a head of a few others, scored a hundred and then didn't do much after that.

He needs to go on as it was a great innings and well paced. Not much risk about it at all.

But I reckon if smith was batting with Warner or Clarke, he would have had another 15-20 runs due to the runs marsh couldn't run on.

We'll done Australia. Now need to bat until after tea and the saffas will be out of this test match, mentally and score and timewise.

Smith already out of ideas as well. Ordinary captain.
 
C

chicko1983

Member
Also, steyn and philander are looking unfit at the moment. Steyn hasn't looked quick around the field all day, I saw a fielder have to come over and pick the ball up from the ground as steyn didn't want to unnecessarily bend over. Philanders new ball spell was down on pace and accuracy.

If Aussie bat for two and bit sessions today, these two will be on the ropes.
 
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