Cricket 2013

[Troy]

Bad news Harris is out as well as Marsh and Cummins and Khawaja come in. Crazy decision to not bring in Copeland with Harris being out. The pace attack is now the two most inconsistent bowlers and an 18 year old. Copeland should have been brought in in place of Johnson or Siddle for some reliability and stability.

Even worse news Watson is off the ground injured. Not sure what it is but he couldn't complete his fourth over. South Africa are 88/2 with Johnson and Watson taking a wicket each. So many terrible balls in this innings so far, too wide and too full. Craig McDermott needs to start earning his paycheck and needs to tell them to aim to hit the top of offstump or bowl in the channel just outside of it. It is pretty sad that the best bowler is an 18 year old.

EDIT: Johnson is terrible. For the last two overs he keeps bowling it on the batsmen's legs and they easily pick him away for runs every time. Clarke needs to get in his ear to tell him to bowl it just outside off stump or he needs to get him off. Bring on some spin.

 

[Troy]

They are saying that Watson has a hamstring injury. Just what Australia needs an injury to yet another player plus it is an injury to one of the good ones. Marsh, Harris and Watson all injured and they have been our better players the past six months.

107/2 at lunch. Lyon got one over before lunch and Kallis went on the attack taking him for 12 runs. Got a fair bit of spin though so if he keeps pitching it outside off stump and has a fielder out at cow corner he should be able to get a few wickets.

 

[Troy]

Trademark Sidde, bowls some crap then some unplayable deliveries and then gets the wicket. Kallis is gone and thank god for that because Kallis was batting brilliantly. 123/3 now.

 

[Troy]

Cummins gets Amla. Well deserved because Cummins has been by far our best bowler today. Good catch by Ponting as the ball was flying. With Prince now in the bowlers should have their tail up that we can bowl them out for a lowish score.

129/4

 

[Troy]

What a finish to the day.

Lyon got the breakthrough of Prince who looked streaky all day and then the gates opened. Siddle picked up two more wickets and Lyon got another in a spell where together they took 4 for 4. Clarke then bowled in tandem with Lyon and Clarke took the final two wickets to fall to bowl them out for 266 on a good batting wicket. Siddle needs to realise that when he attacks off stump he gets wickets, he is hit and miss but when he hits it is great. Johnson was the worst bowler by far and if Harris is fit for the next series Johnson should be the one to make way. Johnson and Siddle can't bowl in the same team because they can both be hit and miss.

Hopefully the batsmen put their heads down this time and don't throw their wickets away.

 

[PHIL DUNPHY'S MOUSTACHE]

An impressive fightback so far after the abysmal first test

 

[Troy]

I took my dog for a walk just after the batting started and I kept running into people so I miss an hour and a half. Very impressive batting from both batsmen to keep punishing the bad balls without taking many risks. Scoring at 5 an over is incredible and it shows how bad South Africa batted in the first innings as this was at least a 400 pitch.

I saw that Hughes edged it behind once but Smith didn't review it

Hughes finds form again in South Africa and I hope for his sake that he gets the century. Watson only has two centuries so hopefully he gets the big three figures rather than falling close again. It is a great sign that Watson is batting freely after that slight hamstring injury. Don't bowl him in the second innings but use Hussey and Clarke as the fifth bowler instead.

171/0 at the moment.

 

[Troy]

Hughes just got out for 88. Tried to push a ball that was too close to his body and it went to first slip. Philander had been bowling well so he deserved that wicket. Well batted by Hughes but it is a shame that he didn't get his hundred.

Khawaja is at the crease now.

174/1

 

[Andrew]

Watson out after a stupid shot

 

[Troy]

Not sure why he played that like he did. No need to try for a six, all he had to do was hit it down to get an easy two. Disappointing that yet again Watson can't make three figures. Interesting that both openers got 88.

Not what we needed at all because now two new batsmen are at the crease.

 

[Andrew]

Kallis is bowling extremely well, watching off a stream

 

[Andrew]

Another one.

 

[Troy]

:Cry:

Ponting got out for a duck. South Africa are bowling much better now and it is such a shame that both openers were out so soon after the other.

Ponting needs to retire on his terms and I hope that the selectors don't dump him for the New Zealand series. He is one of the greatest ever for Australia and he should choose when he goes, he won't carry on longer than he thinks he can. I have a feeling he will announce that he will play the summer of cricket in Australia and then he will retire. He should go out on home soil like Steve Waugh did all those years ago.

 

[Troy]

Dumb shot by Clarke, didn't have to play that ball at all.

211/4 now, we were cruising yet we have suffered yet another collapse. Hopefully Hussey can steady things with Khawaja and at least get us past South Africa's total of 266.

 

[PHIL DUNPHY'S MOUSTACHE]

Forced changes to the squad means that it's an opportune time to blood new players in the cut-throat environment of test cricket. Warner's debut should be awesome to see, however, I wouldn't open with him. I'd play Warner at 6, sort of like the old Gilchrist role, and open with Hussey & Hughes to give Phil a level headed guy to partner at the start.