Dominant. It is looking like an Australian side of old where if one or two batsmen faulter, someone else will chip in with a big hundred, whilst the fielding is as good as it has ever been and is once again proving to be a critical difference. Hold your catches. Simple stuff.

As much as I am loving the Mitch train steaming onward, I hope we get a contest in the second test. If we smash them again then the title of no.1 test side is ours by rights.

  On 14/02/2014 at 05:57, 45HG said:

How 'bout them Vics, ey?

3-0, 6-9 not brilliant either. Then Maxwell 120 odd off 100. Weird!

http://www.espncricinfo.com/australia-domestic-2013-14/engine/current/match/669209.html

Haha, that second innings is the strangest looking scorecard I've ever seen. Someone obviously forgot to send Maxwell the memo, and why did half the tail bat in the top order?

A 38 ball duck. Impressive.

I think we can legitimately call Australia's win the first by a visiting test side since the only previous one was by the Poms in a test that was compromised by Hansie Cronje's match fixing.

Before the test, I had us as rank outsiders (much as I did before the first test in Brisbane) and had us losing the series 1-2. Centurion hasn't been kind to visiting test nations in the past but the Mitchell Johnson effect has been as devastating in SA as it was here. And to think that two years ago, he was almost written off there after some embarrassing performances and wayward bowling.

I'm still pushing for Mitch Clark to follow the example and become the devastating force under Roosy as Mitch Johnson has been for Boof.

Funny how Smith is claiming Mitchell Johnson is taking 'lower order wickets'. He took five of their top seven, including the two openers, in both SAf innings.

  On 17/02/2014 at 09:48, mauriesy said:

Funny how Smith is claiming Mitchell Johnson is taking 'lower order wickets'. He took five of their top seven, including the two openers, in both SAf innings.

he was obviously having problems with his eyesight maurie, along with a few of his team-mates

  On 17/02/2014 at 09:59, daisycutter said:

he was obviously having problems with his eyesight maurie, along with a few of his team-mates

And memory! Didn't he get out twice to Johnson from 6 balls across the two innings?

  On 17/02/2014 at 10:17, 45HG said:

And memory! Didn't he get out twice to Johnson from 6 balls across the two innings?

it's called PJT (post johnson trauma) HG. does terrible things to short term memory

  On 16/02/2014 at 04:26, P-man said:

Dominant. It is looking like an Australian side of old where if one or two batsmen faulter, someone else will chip in with a big hundred, whilst the fielding is as good as it has ever been and is once again proving to be a critical difference. Hold your catches. Simple stuff.

As much as I am loving the Mitch train steaming onward, I hope we get a contest in the second test. If we smash them again then the title of no.1 test side is ours by rights.

happy little Vegemite's; what a difference some Vita-min 'B', & a few good laughs can accomplish.

now to see if we can get Clark to handle a little brown bottle, instead of that big french thing

Edited February 18, 201411 yr by dee-luded

Australia's Under 19s lose to Afghanistan.

I didn't see that coming.

Brendon McCullum, take a bow.

  On 18/02/2014 at 13:05, H_T said:

Brendon McCullum, take a bow.

Indeed. Did anyone notice that India just lost a Test series to New Zealand? Other than McCullum's 300, I haven't paid any attention to it. Not sure what to make of it at face value.

New Zealand going from 5-94 to 6-625 is pretty damned impressive - no matter the bowling!

  On 19/02/2014 at 08:28, Nasher said:

Indeed. Did anyone notice that India just lost a Test series to New Zealand? Other than McCullum's 300, I haven't paid any attention to it. Not sure what to make of it at face value.

India have no bowlers and once again are deplorable away from home.

Its amazing in a country so cricket mad with so much money that they cannot develop bowlers nor a half decent all rounder to allow them to take more than 4 specialist bowlers into the game.

Poor captaincy, bowling and fielding punished them.

You just simply cant lose games of cricket from that position.

  On 19/02/2014 at 08:41, 45HG said:

New Zealand going from 5-94 to 6-625 is pretty damned impressive - no matter the bowling!

Absolutely agree. All accolades to the Kiwis. Hell at 5-94 and trailing by over 200 runs, its an outstanding performance. McCullum was superb and well backed up at the other end.

  On 18/02/2014 at 07:50, Amino Nothing said:

Australia's Under 19s lose to Afghanistan.

I didn't see that coming.

They were struggling early in their group match against Bangla Desh when just 4/61 after 23 overs but came good to win by 81 runs.

Jake Doran who played in the CA Chairman's XI against the English tourists when just 16 years of age in November last year scored 99 not out for the Aussies to get them to 6/244 before bundling out the opposition who collapsed to lose their last 8 wickets for 35 runs.

I have no idea what happens from here but I don't think the Aussies are as dominant at this level as they have been in the past.

Test Match Series, Second Test Match, Thursday 20 February 2014 at Port Elizabeth

South Africa won the toss and decided to bat

South Africa:

Graeme Smith ©

Dean Elgar

Hashim Amla

Faf Du Plessis

AB De Villiers (W)

Quinton De Kock

JP Duminy

Wayne Parnell

Vernon Philander

Dale Steyn

Morne Morkel

Australia:

David Warner

Chris Rogers

Alex Doolan

Shaun Marsh

Michael Clarke ©

Steven Smith

Brad Haddin (W)

Mitchell Johnson

Peter Siddle

Ryan Harris

Nathan Lyon

Edited February 20, 201411 yr by dee-luded

  On 19/02/2014 at 09:51, Rhino Richards said:

India have no bowlers and once again are deplorable away from home.

Its amazing in a country so cricket mad with so much money that they cannot develop bowlers nor a half decent all rounder to allow them to take more than 4 specialist bowlers into the game.

Poor captaincy, bowling and fielding punished them.

You just simply cant lose games of cricket from that position.

Absolutely agree. All accolades to the Kiwis. Hell at 5-94 and trailing by over 200 runs, its an outstanding performance. McCullum was superb and well backed up at the other end.

plus the indian fielding is non existent,bowlers must cringe at the sight of a soft fielder not diving over the ball and just slowing up so the pill beats em to the boundary,absolutely rudderless overpaid cricket team.

on the other hand SA lost smith early then amla[good aggott] and gritted their teeth and dug in,not fancy just good old fashioned dig in and never give up.

  On 20/02/2014 at 22:41, jazza said:

plus the indian fielding is non existent,bowlers must cringe at the sight of a soft fielder not diving over the ball and just slowing up so the pill beats em to the boundary,absolutely rudderless overpaid cricket team.

on the other hand SA lost smith early then amla[good aggott] and gritted their teeth and dug in,not fancy just good old fashioned dig in and never give up.

maybe Indian cricket should concentrate on making decent cricket pitches; that suit both quick bowlers & batsmen alike, instead of bowls of dust rolled flat like pita.

and grass growing in the outfield for the fielders to field on?

Edited February 21, 201411 yr by dee-luded

The South Africans are so frightened of Mitch that they prepared a pitch designed to blunt his pace. Wonder how Steyn, Philander and Morkel feel about thay?

Seems SA have made sure they won't be embarrassed this time, the track is as flat as a tack.

Great minds eh Jack ?

  On 21/02/2014 at 05:24, Whispering_Jack said:

The South Africans are so frightened of Mitch that they prepared a pitch designed to blunt his pace. Wonder how Steyn, Philander and Morkel feel about thay?

we'll just have to out-bat them Jack, then bowl them over anyway.

Easier said than done, day two has shown us why the Saffers are number one at present as their bowlers extract more than we could from a seemingly lifeless track. Warner is our chance to push for a decent total yet he was again dropped.

i think davey warner will go down in history as the most dropped batsman.

could actually eclipse david gower.

Going to be tough for the Aussies to save this one. Their bowlers have got more out of this deck than our blokes so their advantage is fully deserved. A draw is our best chance from here but we'll need at least a couple of our batsmen to make big scores for that to happen.

Still 311 behind with only 6 wickets in hand, we're also going to need some luck. Parnell has bowled well on debut for them. Cape Town for the decider looks odds on unless we can somehow bat out the whole day tonight.

If, for instance, we can only bat 2 sessions, we'll probably still be at least 100 runs behind on 1st innings with a full session and 2 days to go - certainly enough time for South Africa to push for victory. However, batting 2 sessions might be a stretch anyway. We'll probably need Warner, Smith and Haddin to all make decent contributions when play resumes. Perhaps Johnson as well.

ps ... both Warner and Lyon should be out. de Villiers dropped a soda off Warner and Lyon (the nightwatchman) nicked one down the leg side off Steyn which was given not out (the South Africans decided not to review it)