Australia vs South Africa, 3rd Test, Day 3
Since South Africa arrived, we've been living in some bizarro world where Australia loses home series, Michael Hussey is out of form and the tailend makes more runs than the top order (in both sides). All kudos to Michael Clarke who scored a solid, mature century. Later when Mitchell Johnson bowled a good delivery, Pup sprinted over from gully, patted him on the back and offered some encouraging words. You can almost see him mentally pencilling in the (c) next to his name.
South Africa responded well, only losing one wicket in the afternoon session to reach 1 for 125. However, Mitchell Johnson did manage to break Graeme Smith's finger which effectively makes them 2 for 125. Plus it eliminates him from batting for the rest of the Test so South Africa are already 1 for 0 in their second innings. Add that they've lost their captain for Australia's second innings and that must be worth a couple of wickets too. So there you go Mitch, bagged a 5-for with a single delivery!
| Posted by JC on Mon 5 Jan |  7 comments |
Australia vs South Africa, 3rd Test, Day 2
I half expected Matt Hayden to notch a big score on Day 1. The situation had a sense of 2005 deja vu about it. The series was in tatters. Matt Hayden had gone through the entire series whooshing his bat around like a windmill, stubbornly refusing to adapt his style to the situation. Then when his career was on the precipice, he finally relented and blockedg the good balls, left the wide ones and only attacked the bad balls. Eg - batted like a Test opener. It was this approach that saved his career at The Oval. Didn't help the series but did keep him in the Test side.
We saw that same approach yesterday as once again, he temporarily packed away the ego and grafted away, building an innings. However, the old Matty began rearing its ugly head with a series of leaden foot wafts outside off until inevitably, he played on. But hey, there's always the second innings to resurrect his career.
Day 1 in general had a deja vu feeling about it. The top order all made starts (apart from Ricky's golden duck - it's all or nothing with that guy). Then they threw it away without going onto a century. Michael Clarke is the only Australian to make a century in this Test series and looks to be the only one who might do so in this innings. And again, it falls upon the tailenders to save the innings. Lucky Mitchell Johnson is in such white hot form - man, that guy has been timing the ball cleanly of late.
So how will the Australian bowlers fare today once our tail has been lopped off? Can Bollinger exploit his local knowledge and make inroads? Will Johnson or Siddle fire? Can we get Duminy out?
| Posted by JC on Sun 4 Jan | 7 comments |
Australia vs South Africa, 3rd Test, Day 1
The 3rd Test poses many questions for Australian cricket. Will Matt Hayden fail yet again and finally, finally give the selectors reason to drop him? Can Australia prevent the first ever whitewash on home soil? And who the hell is Andrew McDonald?! Not the kind of questions we normally ask heading into the 3rd Test of a home series but well, that's the current state of Australian cricket...
| Posted by JC on Sat 3 Jan | 3 comments |
Why Haydos and Roy must be dropped
Heads roll when Australia loses a Test. In this case, not just a Test but a series. Not just a series but a home series. The last time we lost a home Test series was over a decade and a half ago. So a single scapegoat seems hardly sufficient...
But you have to start somewhere - let's kick off with Matthew Hayden. Not because he's the main reason for our loss but because I can't see him being part of the solution. His batting is reminiscent of Daryl Cullinan in Shane Warne's crosshairs. There was a desperation to Cullinan's batting - a sense of inevitability as it was only a matter of time before he was dismissed. So he went the tonk and if lucky, smashed a few boundaries before being dismissed.
Similarly, Hayden only has one answer - go hard at the bowling and hope for the best. In the 2nd innings, Smith noticed Hayden persisted in driving on the up so speculated with a short cover. Two balls later, Hayden obliged by bunting the ball straight to the fielder. Smith's strategy was as smart as Hayden's was stupid. Such a cavalier approach might work for a number 7 or 8 but not for an opener.
Normally, the selectors wouldn't drop Hayden mid-series - they've always displayed reluctance to drop players from the Test team (unless you're a spinner in which case you're lucky to get consecutive Tests). But as Sydney is a dead-rubber, this would be an ideal opportunity to blood a new player in preparation for the South African tour. Chris Rogers must be the front-runner replacement although the 20 year old Phillip Hughes would be an interesting long-term option. Considering the calamity of a home series loss, this is no time for conservative selection.
Now I've always been skeptical about Andrew Symonds as a Test player. There's no denying he's immensely talented and hits the ball harder than just about anyone else in the game. He's ideal if your team is 4 for 400 and requires a quick 50 to demoralise the opposition before declaring. However, these days Australia are more likely to be 4 for 40 (particularly with Haydos opening) and in desperate need of a grafting middle-order fightback. Andrew Symonds is not that type of batsman. Horses for courses, as they say.
Australia need to realise the golden age is well and truly over now - the blips are coming too hard and fast to be considered anything but a trend. We can no longer play in the manner we've grown accustomed to. What we need is tough, grafting players in the mold of Allan Border - who prize their wicket with a zealous passion. Having Gilchrist come in and hit a run a ball century (or sometimes a two run a ball century) was great while it lasted. Now we need to rebuild similar to the recovery process in the 80's following the retirements of Lillee, Marsh and Chappell. Let's hope the selectors can make some hard decisions before Sydney.
P.S. - while it's ludicrous selection swapping spinners back and forth like they've done over the last 4 Tests, I confess I would love to see Bryce McGain play in Sydney (but that'd be a legspinner bias).
| Posted by JC on Tue 30 Dec | 18 comments |
Australia vs South Africa, Boxing Day Test, Day 5
I realised yesterday why Australia are on the verge of losing a home Test series to South Africa. It's because the Australian batsmen are still batting like they have Warne and McGrath in the bowling attack. In the good ol' days, the batsmen would strut out, smash 350 runs in a day then their champion bowling attack would skittle the opposition, giving the team a few extra days to relax by the hotel pool with the WAGs and kids.
But nowadays our bowlers struggle to take 20 wickets over 5 days, let alone the 3 day Tests we grew accustomed to. And yet our top order batsmen still carry on like its yesterday, thinking they can muscle their way out of trouble with aggressive counterattack. In short, our batsmen's egos are writing cheques our bowlers can't cash.
As well as the decline in our bowling stocks, other sides have improved. India now feature a scruffy haired teenager who has as one of his bunnies Australia's best batsman since Bradman. South Africa have arrived with the #1 bowler in the world, another bloke as tall and quick as Joel Garner and Ntini who is no mug either. Nevertheless, the Australian batsmen are falling to ill-discipline as much as quality bowling.
Australia should lose today. Sure, they could take 10 South African wickets for less than 150 runs. Maybe if they had Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath, Ray Lindwall and Dennis Lillee in our bowling attack. But when you have a trundling Hauritz, Brett Lee whose wickets always seem to fall on no-balls and the on-again-off-again Siddle and Johnson, well, I won't be holding my breath. Onto Sydney...
| Posted by JC on Tue 30 Dec | 6 comments |
Australia vs South Africa, Boxing Day Test, Day 4
I've got a theory on JP Duminy. Consider that in his first two Test matches, he's batting at a Husseyesque average of 108.5 runs. Even more impressive than the statistics is the nature of his innings. Under extreme pressure in Perth, he played a match winning innings to guide South Africa to a historic victory. Similarly on Day 2, South Africa were dead in the water and he scored a maiden Test century in just his 2nd Test. All of South Africa (except perhaps Ashwell Prince) must be delighted at the emergence of this future superstar.
Meanwhile, Mike Hussey is a mere shell of his former self. In the same 2 Tests in which Duminy amassed 217 runs, Hussey has limped to 0, 8 and 0. When a ball was skied in his direction yesterday, he lurched around like a drunken sailor until the ball thudded into the ground metres away.
The most embarrassing moment I've ever had on a cricket field was fielding at cover. The batsman dropped the ball down near the pitch and took off for a quick single. Hoping to effect a run out, I scooted towards the ball, picked it up cleanly and in a single motion underarmed towards the bowler's end, Andrew Symonds style. However, I let go of the ball too late and it ballooned several metres over the top of the stumps. Every fielder on the ground erupted into laughter.
That embarrassment was nothing compared to Hussey's lurching fielding effort yesterday which will now be referred to as Husseyline. Unlike American political scandals that end in "gate", all infamous cricket incidents end in "line" invoking cricket's original dark scandal, Bodyline. Eg - Harmison's 2006 Ashes opening delivery to 2nd slip described as shoddyline. Or last year's Australia vs India drama in Sydney now remembered as Bollyline.
So how did Mr Cricket suddenly morph into Mr Bean? The only explanation I can come up with is Duminy has somehow stolen Mike Hussey's mojo. Can Huss get his mojo back and save the 2nd Test? And can Matthew Hayden save his Test career? Today we'll find out...
| Posted by JC on Mon 29 Dec | 14 comments |
