3rd Test - South Africa v Australia

[Mantis]

Re: 3rd Test - South Africa v Australia

They belted him all over the ground and he was going at a touch over 9 runs and over. Unless he redeems himself he might have played his way off the Ashes tour.

11 overs for the return of 0/102 doesn't read to well.

Was he bowling poorly or did the Saffers just go after him?

[GVGjr]

Re: 3rd Test - South Africa v Australia

11 overs for the return of 0/102 doesn't read to well.

Was he bowling poorly or did the Saffers just go after him?

I think he has trouble bowling to the left handers. Prince just went after him but the bowling just wasn't good enough. Bowled a better line to Kallis.

[mighty_west]

Re: 3rd Test - South Africa v Australia

Not exactly a spinner friendly pitch either, going by what was said on the radio coverage, he wasn't bowling overally short, the batsmen were just going after him, but yes, thats a gold old spanking ever ever you see one.

[hujsh]

Re: 3rd Test - South Africa v Australia

They belted him all over the ground and he was going at a touch over 9 runs and over. Unless he redeems himself he might have played his way off the Ashes tour.

It's a shame as we needed him to be able to bowl plenty of overs. Apparently the quicks looked pretty tired.

[GVGjr]

Re: 3rd Test - South Africa v Australia

Whilst you hate to see the Australian side belted around the park that innings of De Villiers was outstanding. At one stage he hit consecutive 6's against McDonald and they were terrific shots. McGain got his first wicket but it was Katich who snared a couple of them at the end.

We are 2 for 102 with Katich and Hussey at at the crease.

[Mantis]

Re: 3rd Test - South Africa v Australia

Whilst you hate to see the Australian side belted around the park that innings of De Villiers was outstanding. At one stage he hit consecutive 6's against McDonald and they were terrific shots. McGain got his first wicket but it was Katich who snared a couple of them at the end.

We are 2 for 102 with Katich and Hussey at at the crease.

Not according to cricinfo which have his figures reading:

McGain 18 overs - 0/149

[GVGjr]

Re: 3rd Test - South Africa v Australia

Not according to cricinfo which have his figures reading:

McGain 18 overs - 0/149

I must have heard the wrong thing. What now for McGain?

[Mantis]

Re: 3rd Test - South Africa v Australia

I must have heard the wrong thing. What now for McGain?

If he is clearly the best spin bowler in Australia they have to forget about this and take him to England.

If he is only marginally the best spin bowler in Australia and at 37, I say we look at taking a younger player to England.

[The Coon Dog]

Re: 3rd Test - South Africa v Australia

Those 4 consecutive sixes de Villiers hit off McDonald were just fantastic shots, all right out of the middle of the bat.

Eventful over from Ronny - 6,6,6,6,1,W.

de Villiers really went for it on the 5th ball but McDonald saw him coming & pushed it down leg. Morkel missed a straight one to get bowled at the end of the over.

It was the most expensive over bowled by an Australian in Test Cricket according to the ABC commentators.

[LostDoggy]

Re: 3rd Test - South Africa v Australia

De Villiers is an absolute gun.

If he keeps wicket (which he is well able to), SA will be able to play both Prince and Duminy in the same line-up when Smith comes back in (at the expense of Boucher). That's an imposing batting line-up.

[GVGjr]

Re: 3rd Test - South Africa v Australia

An innings defeat. Nice century to Johnson and McDonald got a solid 68 but the rest of the tail and middle order crumbled to the spin of Paul Harris and the pace of Steyn.

Australia keeps their tradition of playing poorly in a dead rubber when they have the lead.

A bad toss to win maybe?

[The Coon Dog]

Re: 3rd Test - South Africa v Australia

Almost the mirror image of the 3 tests in Australia, where the visitors were too good in the first 2 tests, only for the home team to register a win in the 3rd test.

Worrying signs for Hussey, though I do think they'll pick him for the Ashes squad.

[Mantis]

Re: 3rd Test - South Africa v Australia

Almost the mirror image of the 3 tests in Australia, where the visitors were too good in the first 2 tests, only for the home team to register a win in the 3rd test.

Worrying signs for Hussey, though I do think they'll pick him for the Ashes squad.

As do I.

With the lack of warm-up games before the first test of the Ashes series it makes it hard for Hussey to run into form or for another player to press his claims. Perhaps they might put him up the order in the OD games in Sth Africa or perhaps the games against Pakistan in the UAE with the hope he can regain some touch.

Good to see McDonald get a few runs, will be interesting to see if they persist with him in England where his bowling could be helpful.

[Go_Dogs]

Re: 3rd Test - South Africa v Australia

How stuffed would we be w/o Mitch Johnson? What did his 100 come off, some 80 odd balls? Boy, he's been super impressive.

[mighty_west]

Re: 3rd Test - South Africa v Australia

How stuffed would we be w/o Mitch Johnson? What did his 100 come off, some 80 odd balls? Boy, he's been super impressive.

Mitch just makes batting look so easy, the 6 he hit to bring up his ton off Dale Steyn was just awesome, well deserved man of the series as well, over 200 runs with an average of over 80, and 16 wickets at 25 or 26, he is just class.