Australia v South Africa: 2nd Test

Yeah if Australia have McGrath and Warne in their bowling lineup I'd back Australia but not this current bowling attack

I won't be suprised if the Sth Africans win by 10 wickets

Quote Originally Posted by Jive_Turkey:

Shane Watson out for six months with stress fractures in his back.

 

I reckon that could be it for him.

He can bat apparently but not bowl. Poor guy is made of glass. No Watson, no Lee and an injured Symonds. Should be an interesting selectors meeting before the New Years Test.

Quote Originally Posted by Jive_Turkey:

This is an embarrassingly easy run chase for South Africa.

 

Fcuk these guys must be beside themselves at how easily they've beaten Australia this summer  

I don't care if whether they beat Australia 3-0 or not, but they are clearly a far superior outfit to us and deserve to be ranked the number 1 nation in test match cricket.

I'd go as far as to say that right here right now, Australia is probably the 4th in line in test match rankings.

SA, India & England have better test lineups than Australia atm imo.

Maybe. I'm trying to let myself down gently here

Firstly the biggest problem in world cricket is WHO DO WE BET ON??? Now that McKenzie made runs....

SAf. fully deserve to be No. 1. now after the year they have had. They still have to beat Aust. 3-0 to be No. 1?  Aust. have NEVER been whitewashed at home. A little extra for next Test. Apart from the bleeding obvious Australia have well and truly been OUT COACHED. and Aust. respond by extending his contract??? Johnny B's meetings about meetings don't look to bad now. At least he had a plan.  Back to basics for Aussies. You don't have to score off every ball. Leave the shit!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Aust have some tough decisions to make, selectors should also think about retiring themselves.

SAf. have an interesting problem for the next Test. Ashwell Prince will be available. Do they now drop the man who replaced him?? DUMINY??? or do they leave Prince out??? before his injury their third best batsman. 

Who would be a selector???

All in all, as a cricket fan, This has lived up to the hype. Been great cricket by the touring side. All have aimed up. Can't see much of a weak link in the side.

C'Mon Aussie C'Mon

I still don't understand how the selectors and coach do not get hammered by the press as much as the Australian players. Where is the accountability, for instance carrying a 70% Symonds into a must win test match?

Instead Tim Nielsen gets rewarded with a contract extension

It won't happen in an instant, but things WILL turn around, no doubt about it whatsoever.

It's amazing how only a couple of years ago some cricket critics were lamenting the state of the game because Australia was so far infront of the rest. 

Right now we're all kicking stones because we've been used to feeling good about our cricket team for the past decade or so while it was winning here there and everywhere.

But as they say, every cloud has a silver lining, and for us as fans, that upside is that we get to witness another renaissance of cricket in Australia.

I don't know about you guys, but watching Australia's journey from the world cricket cellar in the mid to late 80's to the top of the tree in 95 was a terrific rollar coaster ride!  

People were excited about Australia winning games and series through that period (anyone who has foxtel and catches the "world series classics", check out how much more excited the crowds were a decade ago). The 89' Ashes series win, the near miss against the Windies at home in 91/92, then the watershed series win against them in 1995!! Then there were the first ever series wins in Pakistan and India, the world cup victories, the list is endless!   

We were also spoilt by some of the best individuals this country and the world has ever seen. Now we get to see who emerges from the current rabble to become world beaters.

All I'm saying in all this is that the glass is definitely "half full" as well

Symonds should never have played. If he couldn't bowl, which had to have been known before the game, he was picked as one of the top 6 batsmen in this country.

Symonds a top six batsmen in any country

I think it's a very exciting time for world cricket. You'll have 3 or possibly 4 sides chasing the number one spot in the course of the next 3 or 4 years, as opposed to one side having a mortgage on it. Australia will be involved in many more close games, here and abroad, as they rebuild.

Test cricket is alive and well

I think the selectors need a kick up the arse though. You don't have to be 28+ to debut for Australia. I'm sick of that bullshit. Time to start picking some kids who we think could handle the big stage, then nuture them and support them. Pick Hughes and let him have a go.

I also feel for Ricky Ponting, he has had heaps of shit thrown his way. As the old saying goes, you only hear about the captain when a side is losing.

There was probably 4 or 5 guys in 'the side' we've had for the last decade who would have played in the Australian Test Side of the Century. The way the planets aligned there were uncanny, bizzare and never likely to happen again. Of course there would be rebuilding.

As you note, we should be grateful we got to watch this side in the last 15 or so