I understand what you're getting at but bookies are like the SA Weather Buro...
Did anyone expect SA to beat Aus in the best ODI game of all time when they had to chase 434? See what I'm getting at.
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ICC Twenty20 2014
- Thread starter MickeyD
- Start date
Did anyone expect SA to beat Aus in the best ODI game of all time when they had to chase 434? See what I'm getting at.
MickeyD
RIP
So... all the bookies and objective, unbiased commentators had Sri Lanka to win the game yet you maintain that SA were the favourites hence you can justify the chokers tag?
:wtf:
No man, I'm speaking in general. Not referring to this last game. Just saying that on the day rankings and favorates don't matter much between top few teams.
Stefanmuller
Expert Member
He simply comes in too late in our T20 internationals. Most of the time he comes in under pressure, having to consolidate first and cash in later on, or he comes in with 2 or 3 overs to go and score a quick 20. He needs to come in at 3, before Faf and Duminy. Happened again today where Duminy came in at 3 before AB. Yes, he did hit a lot of boundaries and ended up with a good strike rate, but we were in a slump for 3 overs after QdK went out. We were scoring at 3 per over for that period. IMO that only puts you behind and under pressure. AB scores quickly from the get go without even trying.
Also unacceptable to have three wickets in hand and having to keep up one end because only one of the batsman can bat. Too long a tail.
Your best batsmen come in at 4. Let's leave it like that please, too many twitter commenters that know very little about cricket.
AB has ample time to score, even today he did what he supposed to, everyone below him messed up. You don't see teams like India crying that kohli comes in too late.
Our top 4 that started today are perfect in my opinion. Change the rest of them.
AirWolf
Honorary Master
Hoping for anything with SA cricket is always disappointing. Just when you think we can do it, we end up losing. I'll take a pleasantly surprising win any day, instead of hoping and being disappointed. One's heart can only break so many times.
battletoad
Expert Member
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I don't understand why everyone is making such a big deal of our batting line-up. This is how i see it
1 QDK - perfect for T20, gets us off to a flyer more often than not. If he's still there after 6 overs we're galloping.
2 Amla - bit of a slump lately since India series. Applied himself today, and to be honest he has the anchor role for the team, meaning he should simply go for singles to get the more dangerous batsmen on strike or the occasional boundary. Things he did to good effect today. That he tried to up the rate was his downfall due to him trying to pull off shots, shots he's perfectly capable of while on song, but not at the moment as he's a bit off colour. His 23 of 26 is evidence that he will come good.
3 Duminy - I've been very critical of him... there's a feeling he's resting on his laurels. But played a massive game today. Should he play a few more innings as today and we can go far in the tournament.
4 AB - He did what is expected of him. Still think he should apply himself a bit more to try to be there towards the end of a match
5 Faf - I can't see him being anything other than another anchor in case things go pear shaped early on.
6 Miller - Brain fart of a run out.
7 Albie - Let's be honest, we expect a cameo... a flourish of sixes. If he can do that, all's well. Expecting more means our top order isn't doing their job.
AB needs to come in at 4. Simple as that. Who comes in at 3 is variable: Faf if we are one down early, meaning that Amla should step up, or like today it should be Duminy since a platform had already been set.
This game was perfectly poised and we definitely could have won. Keep in mind this is the same batting line up bar Faf which were unimpressive against Bangladesh A. And now we ran Sri Lanka very close! Instead of calling for dropping Amla etc. let these guys apply themselves, get back to the basics in batting and bowling, and I'm sure things will look up.
1 QDK - perfect for T20, gets us off to a flyer more often than not. If he's still there after 6 overs we're galloping.
2 Amla - bit of a slump lately since India series. Applied himself today, and to be honest he has the anchor role for the team, meaning he should simply go for singles to get the more dangerous batsmen on strike or the occasional boundary. Things he did to good effect today. That he tried to up the rate was his downfall due to him trying to pull off shots, shots he's perfectly capable of while on song, but not at the moment as he's a bit off colour. His 23 of 26 is evidence that he will come good.
3 Duminy - I've been very critical of him... there's a feeling he's resting on his laurels. But played a massive game today. Should he play a few more innings as today and we can go far in the tournament.
4 AB - He did what is expected of him. Still think he should apply himself a bit more to try to be there towards the end of a match
5 Faf - I can't see him being anything other than another anchor in case things go pear shaped early on.
6 Miller - Brain fart of a run out.
7 Albie - Let's be honest, we expect a cameo... a flourish of sixes. If he can do that, all's well. Expecting more means our top order isn't doing their job.
AB needs to come in at 4. Simple as that. Who comes in at 3 is variable: Faf if we are one down early, meaning that Amla should step up, or like today it should be Duminy since a platform had already been set.
This game was perfectly poised and we definitely could have won. Keep in mind this is the same batting line up bar Faf which were unimpressive against Bangladesh A. And now we ran Sri Lanka very close! Instead of calling for dropping Amla etc. let these guys apply themselves, get back to the basics in batting and bowling, and I'm sure things will look up.
Nom Chompsky
High Tory
T20 is not the correct format for Amla. He should be dropped.
Both openers need to be attacking in T20...no time for an "anchor role".
Also Berhadien...what is he doing in our team?
Both openers need to be attacking in T20...no time for an "anchor role".
Also Berhadien...what is he doing in our team?
sand_man
Honorary Master
Agreed. Amla is not a strong fielder either. You need hitters from 1-7 and an all rounder or 2, Parnell and JP, plus 3 specialist bowlers. Tsosobe is so out of firm at the moment. Hendricks had a useful warmup against Pakistan. I would give him a bowl.
I would open with AB and Qdk, followed by Faf and JP with Miller and Albie at 5 and 6, Parnell at 7...
I don't understand the Amla hate at the moment.
He's T20 stats are similar to AB. I've never seem him drop a catch and he's our best batsmen in the sub continent.
I'd rather have Amla than, Faf, miller, behardien, albie, Ingram and even JP.
Watching the highlights last night, they bowled well to Amla and AB, they couldn't score.
Samgakara used malinga brilliantly. They went after our strike bowler.
Props to Sri Lanka.
He's T20 stats are similar to AB. I've never seem him drop a catch and he's our best batsmen in the sub continent.
I'd rather have Amla than, Faf, miller, behardien, albie, Ingram and even JP.
Watching the highlights last night, they bowled well to Amla and AB, they couldn't score.
Samgakara used malinga brilliantly. They went after our strike bowler.
Props to Sri Lanka.
OzzieCapie
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When De Kock went Amla was 7 from 9...hardly blocking , then 23 from 26 when he wanted get going...but in general he is no slouch.
The SA team is not balanced for T20, that is where the problem is...you cannot have the tail starting at 6 or 7, no matter how good those bowlers in other formats. You need bowlers that can contain and then contribute with bat.
sand_man
Honorary Master
Yeah, maybe a bit harsh but I just don't believe T20 is his game. If you look at the ICC T20 ratings he is one of the lowest rated opening batsman at 47th.
https://www.relianceiccrankings.com/ranking/t20/batting/
Due to the nature of T20 your opening batsman actually have the best chance to shine and perform and the net result is they feature high up on the ICC T20 rankings. Amla does not. He is rated quite far down.
He missed a catch or 2 in the test series against Aussie so cause you've never seen him drop a catch doesn't mean he hasn't. Watch him gallop around the boundary rope, one of the slowest there too!!
As a top order test and ODI batsman though, fantastic!! Brilliant!! On the way to become one of the games greatest!!
Nom Chompsky
High Tory
Not a decent enough strike rate for T20 though. Also look at sand_man's post above. We are not saying he is a bad batsman...just T20 is hardly is natural game. He likes spending time at the crease and T20 you don't have time to block. Need to start from the get go. He almost always gets out in T20 because he plays an "unnatural" shot/slogs. He clearly prefers the pure form of the game (Tests) and is quite good at ODIs as well.
AB is 45th, two ahead of Amla, Faf our best at 17th. No SA player in the top 10.
Those stats don't show Amla lack of ability in T20, it shows how poor ALL our batsmen are on T20.
Let's see if they drop Amla in the next game, I hope they do, just to see how the team performs.
sand_man
Honorary Master
They'll never drop him and that's possibly part of the problem. As Chris said, T20 doesn't suit his style.
After 22 T20 internationals he is ranked 47th which is telling for an opening batsman in this format. QDK has just started out and is already ranking 12 places above him at 35th. Faf, AB, Duminy, QDK all rated above Amla with the added bonus that they all very sharp in the field, Duminy a part time spinner to boot, QDK wicket keeper.
Look at all the opening batsman rated above him in T20. Finch, Hales, Guptill, Warner, Watson, Perera, Gayle, Dilshan, Shahzad, Lumb, QDK and Sharma. So statistically Sri Lanka, New Zealand, Australia, England, Pakistan and West Indies are more likely to get away in the opening 6 overs of a T20 than we are.
sand_man
Honorary Master
Actually I wouldn't drop Amla but I wouldn't open with him either. You got to get your hitters in early to take advantage of the first 6 overs. Not sure why tactically that is so difficult to understand and/or implement. Maybe he could bat at 3 or 4??
akescpt
Honorary Master
Smack the SS! Gonna be good this!