Stubby Posted March 13, 2009 Share Posted March 13, 2009 [quote name='Paxter' post='1718195' date='Mar 13 2009, 20.07']Good performance by Symonds in the Pura Cup Final today - 3 wickets on a fairly flat pitch - and that has kept QLD in the match. This is a shaping up to be a good game. I'm glad that Foxtel are showing the game live. So it's going to be tough to extract me from the couch this weekend...except on Saturday morning of course (the junior cricket team I coach is playing in a grand final - hopefully we can get across the line).[/quote] Good luck with the GF Pax! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rimmer Posted March 18, 2009 Share Posted March 18, 2009 It just wouldn't be a real New Zealand test innings without a top-order collapse followed by a Vettori century... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sh_wulff Posted March 18, 2009 Share Posted March 18, 2009 [quote name='Rimmer' post='1723559' date='Mar 18 2009, 21.01']It just wouldn't be a real New Zealand test innings without a top-order collapse followed by a Vettori century...[/quote] ahh , he's just toying with the indians ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
williamjm Posted March 18, 2009 Share Posted March 18, 2009 [quote name='Rimmer' post='1723559' date='Mar 18 2009, 10.01']It just wouldn't be a real New Zealand test innings without a top-order collapse followed by a Vettori century...[/quote] I sometimes wonder if he should bat higher up, since he's seems a more consistent batsman than most of the New Zealand top order. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paxter Posted March 19, 2009 Author Share Posted March 19, 2009 [quote name='Ser Stubby' post='1718257' date='Mar 13 2009, 22.01']Good luck with the GF Pax![/quote] Thanks Ser Stubby. Alas, we lost the game in the last four overs. The opposition required 49 from 24 deliveries, and they won the game with 5 balls to spare!! Not to worry though, it was a "B" finals series rather than "A" finals so we weren't exactly playing for sheep stations. Bit of a sad way to end my coaching career though - I have finally decided to give coaching away. But it has still been a very satisfying season - the other team that I coach was [url="http://www.semjcc.org.au/showrvcontent.aspx?matchID=523522&loc=/cricket/reports/match.asp&loc1/match.asp"]was bowled out for 6 runs (!)[/url] in the second innings of its first game of the season, but has improved a lot and has managed to win its last three games. At least all those hours of cricket training in 30+ degree heat weren't wasted! Anyway, back in the real world of cricket, India are cruising in the first test match and are on target for a 100+ run lead. Ryder and Vettori did really well to get NZ back into the contest, but Tendulkar is looking ominous at the moment. Meanwhile, McGain has made his test debut at the age of 36 years 359 days! North is sick, so they have had no choice but to play the extra bowler. SA have been sloppy with dropped catches, but still find themselves in a decent position thanks to tight bowling from A Morkel (who has surprised me with an early wicket!), Ntini and Harris. BTW DJDonegal, it seems you were correct after all! That statement from CSA that I quoted must have been bullshit, because the commentators have been saying that it was Prince's idea to relinquish the captaincy. ETA: hmmm...another failure for WA's star batsman. M Hussey is averaging 24.3 in his last 21 innings. Obviously there is no thought of dropping him ATM, but if he has a poor Ashes tour, he might be in trouble ETA: Speaking of in trouble...Aus now 4/81 with a somewhat truncated batting order...SA well on top in the dead rubber. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Multaniette Posted March 19, 2009 Share Posted March 19, 2009 repeat of sydney here guys. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeor Posted March 19, 2009 Share Posted March 19, 2009 Good performance by South Africa, especially the end of day batting. By racing to 0/50 and Prince looking in good touch they have hammered home the advantage - too often at the end of the day the momentum changes as the side that was ahead just sits on its laurels. Australia somewhat hampered with Haddin at 6 and Ronald McDonald at 7. It's a tacit admission by the selectors that McDonald isn't up to being a No.6 batsman if they put the wicketkeeper ahead of him. A few Tests ago he was picked as the No. 6 but now his batting stock has definitely fallen. Although his bowling is tight and tidy I still wouldn't call him a frontliner, so he's really just a placeholder in the team until North comes back. Whereas it seems South Africa's strange rejigging (with Khan and Prince opening) has at least passed the first hurdle, and Albie Morkel did get the wicket of Ponting in his first over or so. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Horza Posted March 19, 2009 Share Posted March 19, 2009 It is a tribute to Imran Khan that he's put his political career aside to come out of retirement for another country. Truly a great servant of the game ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stubby Posted March 20, 2009 Share Posted March 20, 2009 Ronald is a crab. His technique is atrocious. He simply must not go to England. I will reserve judgment on his replacement until I see McGain bowl (I've never seen him bowl before) but the team would have a much better balance with North in at 6 and a spinner replacing Ronald. I know North was crook this time around, but the fact that the selectors did not have a spare batsman touring with the team is inexcusable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
delete this account pls Posted March 20, 2009 Share Posted March 20, 2009 I think this Test match will be The Clown's last hurrah. With Johnson firing with bat and ball, and Clown misfiring with both, he's pretty redundant. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paxter Posted March 20, 2009 Author Share Posted March 20, 2009 [quote name='Brady' post='1726495' date='Mar 20 2009, 11.58']and Clown misfiring with both[/quote] I think it's pretty unfair to say that Ronnie is misfiring with the ball. McDonald is averaging 24.75 in tests with the ball in hand, and is only going for 2.08 per over. Contrast that to Hilfenhaus, who is playing as a specialist bowler and is averaging a whopping 46.7 with the ball. ETA: That's not to say that he shouldn't be dropped once Lee/Clark are fit. My thoughts on selecting bits and pieces players in test matches are well-documented ;). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
williamjm Posted March 20, 2009 Share Posted March 20, 2009 [quote name='Ser Stubby' post='1726468' date='Mar 20 2009, 02.41']I will reserve judgment on his replacement until I see McGain bowl (I've never seen him bowl before)[/quote] I didn't see any of it, but since Cricinfo are saying that McGain currently has the worst economy figures for an innings in the history of test cricket I'm guessing it wasn't pretty to watch. It is baffling that Australia seem to have such problems finding even a competent spinner. ETA - and another farce in the Caribbean. This time the Windies coach gets his sums wrong and tells his batsmen to take the bad light offered to them, only to realise that since a wicket had just fallen the Duckworth Lewis target had changed and he's therefore just handed England victory by one run. :uhoh: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paxter Posted March 20, 2009 Author Share Posted March 20, 2009 [quote name='williamjm' post='1727394' date='Mar 21 2009, 05.06']ETA - and another farce in the Caribbean. This time the Windies coach gets his sums wrong and tells his batsmen to take the bad light offered to them, only to realise that since a wicket had just fallen the Duckworth Lewis target had changed and he's therefore just handed England victory by one run. :uhoh:[/quote] I feel sorry for the WI, but you've got to admit, it was pretty hilarious... And what about Kallis reaching his century? That was really quite bizarre: [quote]100 … maybe Kallis has waited 11 months for a Test century so when it came up with a quick single his celebrations were naturally boisterous. At first. Until the umpire Asad Rauf called it a leg bye. The ball had taken the inside edge before ricocheting onto Kallis' midriff and when the umpire's signal came he was already embracing his partner AB de Villiers and acknowledging the standing ovation from the crowd. After Kallis showed his bat to Rauf, the umpire reversed his decision and the century stood. Ricky Ponting had some strong words to Rauf, querying the reversal, and it was unclear whether Rauf had consulted the third umpire or not. The confusion continued when the electronic scoreboard went blank. When it was switched back on, the figure next to Kallis' name was 100. Well, when you've waited 11 months, what's another minute or so.[/quote] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stubby Posted March 21, 2009 Share Posted March 21, 2009 On the McGain issue. It went like this when I was watching his mauling by Kallis and Prince: 1. OK he's getting them to play some shots - attacking tactic. 2. Those two can really bat. 3. OK this is a bit embarrassing. 4. Now I just feel sorry for him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeor Posted March 21, 2009 Share Posted March 21, 2009 Just goes to show that being a 35 year-old debutant doesn't mean you are exempt from nervousness; McGain's figures were a combination of both bad bowling and good batting. What made it a little more interesting was that it was South Africans who were taking apart spin bowling; they're not normally renowned for their prowess against the spinners, especially given that there are very few top quality spinners going around on the South African first-class scene. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paxter Posted March 22, 2009 Author Share Posted March 22, 2009 Well, it's official now. This year's IPL will not be held in India: [quote]"Under the given circumstances, the BCCI is not in a position to either play a truncated IPL or to cancel the second edition of the IPL. It is a matter of great regret that, in the prevailing atmosphere, where the government is expressing concern for providing security to the IPL matches, the BCCI is left with no other option but to conduct the Indian Premier League in another country," the board stated in a media release.[/quote] It seems that England is the favourite to take over the tournament, and SA is also an option. It will be interesting to see how it goes now. Obviously, the tournament will not have the same atmosphere or crowd numbers as it did in India last year. Any chance of seeing scantily-dressed cheerleaders at a T20 at Lords?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hereward Posted March 22, 2009 Share Posted March 22, 2009 Engalnd have won the World Cup! :cheers: On the IPL, I can't see how they're going to play it in England. For a start, it clashes with the domestic season, which is why the Engalnd players could only be released for the first half of the tournament. Second, have you seen the weather in England in April? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paxter Posted March 22, 2009 Author Share Posted March 22, 2009 Poor dismissal there from Katich. He and Amla should form a new club: between them they passed 40 on 14 occasions during the two test series - but only one of these scores was converted into a hundred. That is a terrible conversion rate of 7%. At the test level, that is not really good enough. ETA: Johnson well on track for a maiden 100 here. What an incredible player he is. The chances of a draw in this match have just increased substantially... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
delete this account pls Posted March 23, 2009 Share Posted March 23, 2009 Australia fell short but Johnson made his century in fantastic fashion. Well deserved man-of-the-series. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stubby Posted March 23, 2009 Share Posted March 23, 2009 [quote name='Brady' post='1729810' date='Mar 23 2009, 09.02']Australia fell short but Johnson made his century in fantastic fashion. Well deserved man-of-the-series.[/quote] Agreed. It was a good competitive 6 match series overall. My awards: Best new players: Hughes, Duminy, North. Not so great debut player: McGain. Best redemption vs foreign fans: Smith. Most improved batsman: de Villiers Most improved bowler: Siddle Most exciting player: Johnson, by a street. Biggest controversy: The review system, which needs work. Silliest call by Stubby: Haddin is a better keeper than Gilly or Healy. Best call by ants: Stubby is a drongo. Biggest letdown: Hussey Biggest clown: Ronald Best match: Melbourne Most annoying player (in a good way IMO): Harris Lionheart award (SA): Smith Lionheart award (Aus): Siddle Bring on the Ashes!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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