2009 AUS tour to SA - Tests, T20s and ODIs

[charles's birthday card]

We won't play that badly again, but I feel Ntini is on borrowed time. Would like to see a leftie swing bowler there like Tsotsobe or Parnell. Parnell adds batting too.

 

[killadoob]

I would like to see botha in for harris.

 

[stefan9]

Poor performance. Yet again just like pakistan,india and west indies we lose the first test at home.

We bowled poor in the first innings and batted extremely poor as well that's where we lost it. No side was going to chase 450 on that pitch.

Harris for Botha is basicly the same type. Both of them won't bowl a side out unless the batsmen are trying to hit them. Botha might be a better bat than harris but that's all. Have to wait till 1 April for Tahir to become elligble before we have a real spinning option. See he got 8 over the weekend for the titans vs the dolphins.

Leg spinners clean up tailenders, have always and will probably always do it. That's when once he is elligble I would bring him straight into the squad. We have major issues finishing of the tail.

 

[killadoob]

Well we should atleast see if botha can be more effective before saying he won't be.

Also the further down we bat the better i say.

 

[stefan9]

Why is it a ridiculous post? Do you think a world number one team goes out and tries to draw a game, the aussies would have chased that total even if they had lost, they would have gone for it. Hense the no1 title.

I find your post about prince pretty ridiculous as well as he could have gone for low scores in both innings and was not around when we whipped the aussies in aus.

You forgot old trafford in the last ashes in england haven't you?? They played for a draw from the get go in that innings.

 

[killadoob]

No stefan my point is why go and out look to draw a game when the chances of holding on are basically 0, winning is basically 0. I would rather they go out guns blazing than go out blocking , go down fighting.

 

[stefan9]

Well we should atleast see if botha can be more effective before saying he won't be.

Also the further down we bat the better i say.

Harris first class stats:280 wickets @ 30.12 with a strike rate of 66.2. Econ rate of 2.72

Botha:122 wickets @ 29.87 with a strikerate of 60. econ rate of 2.98

Not much difference in truth.

Now

Tahir:319 wickets @ 24.63 and a strkierate of 47. Econ rate of 3.13

 

[HypoThesis]

I agree somewhat with Killadoob. Our boys should have gone out there in a positive mood this morning. I think if Smith hadn't given his wicket away like that and had stayed on they probably would have chased it down. It was do-able, even on that pitch. The balls we got out too today weren't because of the pitch but because of negative batting and being defensive...and ultimately pressure building up. Look at Kallis' dismissal for example.

What I think is Tsotsobe should be given some game time in place of Ntini...i don't know how they'll do it though because it will leave us with a very inexperienced bowling attack (besides Kallis).

I also think its maybe time for Boucher to hang up those glove honourably. I heard that AB doesn't want to keep but I think they should force him to. That way it will solve the Duminy/ Prince dilemma...and it will shorten our tail. Yes Bouch has saved our skin many a time but our tail is decidely longer than what we've been used too. The days of star all-rounders like McMillan, Klusener, Pollock et al seem to be numbered...unless some top batting coach gets hold of Morne Morkel's ear.

If Johnson hadn't gotten that 96 we would have won...but no excuses, Aus outsmarted our boys today.

 

[killadoob]

There is no point going on about tahir for the moment though stefan, we need to test botha, plus he can bat rather well compared to harris.

 

[stefan9]

Tsotsobe is out for the season with a knee injury he picked up in the last pro 20 game. so he isn't an option.

 

[HypoThesis]

Tsotsobe is out for the season with a knee injury he picked up in the last pro 20 game. so he isn't an option.

That sucks. Sounds like he has Ngam-syndrome

 

[hj2k_x]

I am with Killa on this one as well. I don't see how it is even a debate - we lost anyway. Why not have gone at them and tried to actually win the game not just bat out the overs? Then, if we had lost, who cares cos it doesn't make any difference but at least we tried and gave them a run for their money.

 

[stefan9]

That sucks. Sounds like he has Ngam-syndrome

Based on what?? The outfield was wet and he slipped and hurt his knee. The first major injury he has ever had and has plenty quite of bit of under age international cricket as well as franchise cricket.

These things happen in sport.

 

[HypoThesis]

Based on what?? The outfield was wet and he slipped and hurt his knee. The first major injury he has ever had and has plenty quite of bit of under age international cricket as well as franchise cricket.

These things happen in sport.

Sense of humour block

Was saying, tongue-in-cheek, that SA uncovered a future prospect in Nfuneko Ngam and next thing he was ridiculed with injury after injury after injury (yes, as part of the game of cricket, i know). Hopefully the same won't happen with Tsotsobe. *holding thumbs*

 

[SlyFly]

I hate to say, I told you so....

 

[stefan9]

Sense of humour block

Was saying, tongue-in-cheek, that SA uncovered a future prospect in Nfuneko Ngam and next thing he was ridiculed with injury after injury after injury (yes, as part of the game of cricket, i know). Hopefully the same won't happen with Tsotsobe. *holding thumbs*

Ngam always had weak bones. It was part of his makeup . I doubt we would be that unlucky again.

 

[charles's birthday card]

Didn't know about Tsotsobe. That's a loss.

 

[stefan9]

Albie has been added to the squad.

Australia in South Africa 2008-09
Morkel to replace Tsotsobe for remaining Tests
Cricinfo staff
March 2, 2009

Will Albie Morkel finally get his chance in the longer version? © AFP

South African allrounder Albie Morkel will replace fast bowler Lonwabo Tsotobe in the squad for the remaining two Test matches against Australia. Tsotsobe, who has injured his right knee, will undergo surgery at the end of the week.

"Our medical team has established that Lonwabo Tsotsobe has suffered a torn cartilage injury to his right knee," Mike Procter, the South African convener of selectors, said. "The medical committee feels that he should have surgery as soon as possible and this will take place towards the end of this week. We certainly could not risk him in a Test match."

Morkel, 27, has played 35 ODIs for South Africa, scoring 432 runs at 24.00 as well as picking up 41 wickets at 30.53, but is yet to feature in a Test match.

It was Morkel's five-wicket haul on Monday in a Supersport Series match against the Dolphins that had earned him the call-up. "Albie showed good form for the Titans at the weekend and is an experienced international cricketer," Procter said. "He gives us an extra seam bowling option if we want to follow that route."

Morkel gets his chance ahead of Monde Zondeki, who was part of the Test squad which toured Australia recently. "Monde Zondeki, who was in our Test squad in Australia, has also undergone surgery and both players [Tsotsobe and Zondeki] will need about three months off to complete the rehabilitation process," Procter said.

The second Test begins on Friday in Durban, and the third will be played in Cape Town from February 19.

© Cricinfo

 

[charles's birthday card]

I agree with the poster who said AB should be forced into the w/k position. He's come out and said he doesn't want to and wants to be 'the best batsman in the world', but he's no Kallis/Ponting/Dravid etc.

And then Prince can get back in.

 

[charles's birthday card]

That's a piss-poor batting average Albie has.