***Official*** Australia in South Africa

[Cabinet96]

Mitch will get picked

v South Africa 6 10 3 401 123* 96* 64 57.28 1 2 2

v South Africa 6 298.4 840 33 8/61 11/159 25.45 2.81 54.3 1 1

Tim Bresnan's Test carrer stats are just as good as that.

 

[Woodster]

Don't write off Tsotsobe too quickly. He lacks pace but he has height and can hold up and end and get important wickets while possibly Tahir will play as another attacking bowler. Tsotsobe did Ponting in the ODI he played against Aus on the pull shot and he skied it, he has the ability to change it up in pace. Philander could be another line bowler chosen and he hits the seam a lot and he has been doing well on 'A' tours and is maturing and can hold the bat down the order. Parnell and Alexander are other attacking options for 140kph plus bowling with swing.

Prince will keep his spot, hasn't done anything wrong and has scored runs against Australia when chips are down before.

The interesting selections will be Petersen or Rudolph to open and Tahir or Harris as the spinner probably.

Interesting that you are given Tsotsobe the benfit of the doubt at the moment and are not writing him off. I have been hugely disappointed by what I've seen of Tsotsobe, but was willing to cut him some slack when he played county cricket over here recently for Essex. He was generally appalling and not upto the standard of Reece Topley, a fellow left-arm paceman that is just 17 years old and was in his debut season!

His attitude was deemed questionable at best, and now at the age of 27 he surely should be closer to the finished article than he is at the moment.

My observations are that he lacks pace and also the accuracy that is essential to compensate for his speed. I'm sure you've seen more of Tsotsobe than I have, and I know he has troubled even the likes of Tendulkar in the past, so presumably there is some quality in there that you hope he can demonstrate on a more consistent basis. My thoughts at this stage are that SA should cast their eyes on alternative options for that third seamer's spot.

 

[adub]

Last time we were there we were there we didn't play a specialist spinner at the Wanderers (North bowled his offies for 1 wicket) and we won handsomely.

We did play a specialist spinner at Newlands (McGain) who got 0/150 and has not been sighted since. We were flogged by an innings. (although Katto did grab a couple of late wickets)

Do we actually really need a spinner? Maybe probably for Cape Town, but maybe not for Jo-burg?

I really think Hauritz will come heavily into the reckoning. Would have loved SOK to get a go, but it won't happen. Haurie's batting and experience will likely get him over the Lyon (my little Sanath joke). Lyon hasn't done much wrong, and looks a prospect, but Hauritz would have been selected for SL had he not done his shoulder and if he's fit he'll tour in place of Beer, probably play the ODIs as well and regain his test spot at least for Newlands. He could push Johnson down to 9 as well which would be no bad thing.

But what of the pace attack? Well I wouldn't rule out four quicks at Jo'burg, but with Watto it's probably overkill. Harris, if fit, chooses which end he wants to bowl the new ball from. Simplest selection alongside M Hussey. That leaves 2 spots with 3, maybe 4 contenders. Copeland, Siddle and Johnson will all tour. Pattinson will stay home to play Shield. We won't see a debutante quick for a while unless there are lots of injuries. Bollinger may just get to stay after the one dayers.

There is talk that Siddle did enough to knock out Copeland with Watson covering the tie up and end role. Frankly that way madness lies. Watson bowled 75 overs in SL and the talk is that workload may have dulled his batting. He can't possibly keep up that level of bowling AND make a significant contribution to covering Copeland who at 108 overs bowled more than anyone in SL. I really think Copeland must stay in the side as Harris' new ball partner. He and Watson allow us to really keep things tight and that will lead to batsmen getting frustrated and out. 183 overs out of the 501 overs we bowled between those two was a big part of our success and I believe that will apply in spades in more favourable seamers conditions.

That leaves Johnson/Siddle/Bollinger as the third quick. I'd go Dougeh every day of the week and twice on Sunday, but it will end up being a Johnson/Siddle battle and the memories of 09 that have kept him in the side since will get Mitchell across the line again. Siddle will probably have to get used to the idea that he's Harris' injury back up for a while. His big heart should be able to cope.

 

[morgieb]

it's southafrica not some low and slow subcontinental country. you should play quick bowlers..

*facepalm*

I thought good seam bowling conditions would allow slower seamers to succeed as well?

 

[Top_Cat]

Personally, Watto's bowling too many overs so I don't think he should be one of the first 5 bowlers if he's to open the batting. Him bowling 20-odd overs then slapping a quick 30 before he runs out of steam is not what the team needs, fairly clear the workload is affecting his batting (notwithstanding playing all 3 forms of the game too).

Ponting being in the side is creating a bit of a selection dilemma. Wattnooooooo's bowling well so you want to give him the ball but he can't bat lower right now to take the pressure off. Makes me wonder how long he can keep it up, you'd think something would have to give. That is, unless the selection team are happy with Watto being good for a half-ton at best but I think that'll come undone against a decent bowling attack.

 

[uvelocity]

Do we actually really need a spinner? Maybe probably for Cape Town, but maybe not for Jo-burg?

may as well I think, don't really have the part-timer option anymore. Useful for getting through some overs and also tying up an end when copes has his 3 over rest per day.

Good post though, agree

 

[BlazeDragon]

Personally, Watto's bowling too many overs so I don't think he should be one of the first 5 bowlers if he's to open the batting. Him bowling 20-odd overs then slapping a quick 30 before he runs out of steam is not what the team needs, fairly clear the workload is affecting his batting (notwithstanding playing all 3 forms of the game too).

Ponting being in the side is creating a bit of a selection dilemma. Wattnooooooo's bowling well so you want to give him the ball but he can't bat lower right now to take the pressure off. Makes me wonder how long he can keep it up, you'd think something would have to give. That is, unless the selection team are happy with Watto being good for a half-ton at best but I think that'll come undone against a decent bowling attack.

Well he did say he would be willing to move off the the opening spot if necessary. He has focused on his bowling a lot too recently and I am guessing that's the reason for his little recent slump in batting. They might want to think about it if opening is getting too hard for him.

Wondering if Marsh would make a good opener.

 

[centurymaker]

facepalm

omg copeland set the world on fire by taking 6 wickets in 3 test matches!!! wow.

Yeah, that's why Ishant Sharma fared so much better than Praveen Kumar recently. Wait..

bad comparison.
praveen is a swing bowler fullstop, copeland isn't.


from what i've heard copeland's a seamer and siddle is also a seamer....
so it's not a silly idea to start off with siddle who's 15 miles quicker

btw siddle took 4 wickets in his last innings and has a career avg of 31...

siddle deserves to play in the 1st test ahead of copeland IMO.

 

[Burgey]

omg copeland set the world on fire by taking 6 wickets in 3 test matches!!! wow.


bad comparison.
praveen is a swing bowler fullstop, copeland isn't.


from what i've heard copeland's a seamer and siddle is also a seamer....
so it's not a silly idea to start off with siddle who's 15 miles quicker

btw siddle took 4 wickets in his last innings and has a career avg of 31...

siddle deserves to play in the 1st test ahead of copeland IMO.

Did you watch the matches at all?

 

[Spikey]

Siddle is a seamer who gets seam movement as often as a blue moon.

If siddle didn't have a history of out of nowhere actually bowling full and getting a bag but soon going back to bowling short and **** I'd think about it. As it is.

 

[adub]

Siddle is a seamer who gets seam movement as often as a blue moon.

If siddle didn't have a history of out of nowhere actually bowling full and getting a bag but soon going back to bowling short and **** I'd think about it. As it is.

Siddle also does a different job to Copeland. For all the talk of enlarged blood pumpers he is not the guy to bowl long spells at 2.5rpo. He is the short quick spells guy - unfortunately for Sidds Harris is better at it than him. Plus of course there's the Siddle and Johnson must not play in the same side rule. Occasionally breaking it might be ok, but we won't be going higher than 4th if we don't adhere to it.

 

[centurymaker]

Did you watch the matches at all?

1 hr a day on avg

 

[centurymaker]

you think South African batsmen will have trouble facing Copeland given that they face Morkel and Steyn in the nets all the time?

 

[Spikey]

Siddle also does a different job to Copeland. For all the talk of enlarged blood pumpers he is not the guy to bowl long spells at 2.5rpo. He is the short quick spells guy - unfortunately for Sidds Harris is better at it than him. Plus of course there's the Siddle and Johnson must not play in the same side rule. Occasionally breaking it might be ok, but we won't be going higher than 4th if we don't adhere to it.

bit heartbroken Cricinfo haven't started writing articles about the Siddle and Johnson must not play in the same side rule. Perhaps I need to make a thread about it and do some statsguring to inspire Cricinfo to write an article

 

[Loose Cannon]

you think South African batsmen will have trouble facing Copeland given that they face Morkel and Steyn in the nets all the time?

They had trouble facing Stuart Clark.

Aus bowling in RSA in last ten years

 

[Howe_zat]

What an avatar.

 

[TT Boy]

They had trouble facing Stuart Clark.

Aus bowling in RSA in last ten years

Clark was comfortably 10kph quicker than Copeland in pomp though and he hit the bat hard during that series.

 

[centurymaker]

They had trouble facing Stuart Clark.

Aus bowling in RSA in last ten years

Stuart Clarke was much better than copeland is now.. come on man

 

[Burgey]

Siddle has been given ample opportunity to succeed at Test level, and he's shown inconsistency. He has been supplanted. He can now go back to FC cricket and show he's improved by taking shed loads of wickets.

If Siddle plays ahead of Copeland in SA then basically every positive step we have just taken on the tour to SL wil have been swept away at the stroke of a pen.

That's why I fully expect it to happen.

 

[Johnners]

Haurie's batting and experience will likely get him over the Lyon (my little Sanath joke).

glad to know I wasn't the only one who found this quite amusing! My favourite part of his commentary (rest was rubbish)